Time capsules are a sealed collection of items typical of a particular time and place. They are archeological evidence intended for future generations and offer a window into the times/places/societies in which they were constructed. Your assignment is to create a written time capsule for a year prior to 1990. Choose three to four items for the capsule from the year that you selected--each item should be expressive of some aspect of popular culture. Items can include films, songs, technological devices, photographs, magazines, newspaper articles, books, videos, games, cartoons, comic books, advertising, fashion trends etc. Be creative, but remember the item must fall under the definition of popular culture we discussed in class.
Your choices should offer some insight into shared values, concerns, mood, and/or beliefs present in the year you chose. Do not simply offer a description of what was popular during the selected year; instead, your choices should work in concert to express a particular cultural narrative.
You are not restricted to media produced in North America, please feel free to include choices from anywhere around the globe—don’t feel limited by culture or geography.
Your time capsule will take the form of a 1,000-1,200 word report and it should include three parts:
Clearly explain why the year you have selected is significant. Offer an overview of the items you have selected.
Explain each item:
What is it?
Why it is significant? (Why did you select this item over all of the other possibilities? How did it impact society?)
What insight does it offer in terms of cultural values, assumptions or beliefs? (Please review our definitions of culture to help clarify this point.)
How is the item representational of what was going on in the year you have selected?
