Reflective Artifact Portfolio
Connecting Global Rights to Digital Culture
Assignment Overview
Global politics is not just something that happens in treaties or distant capitals; it reverberates through the culture we consume every day. The Reflective Artifact Portfolio asks you to find a digital artifact—a TikTok video, a song, a meme, a scene from a show, or a news clip—that embodies the specific "right" or political concept we are discussing that week.
You will curate these artifacts and write a reflection for each one, explaining how this piece of culture engages with complex ideas of power, freedom, inequality, or security. This assignment bridges the gap between abstract political theory and the digital world you inhabit.
Weekly Reflection Requirements
To ensure this work represents your unique perspective, every reflection must be grounded in your personal connection to the artifact. An objective description of the song or video is not enough; you must explain why it matters to you.
Requirement 1: Personal Resonance
Why does this speak to you? Don't just analyze the artifact like a critic.
Explain the specific personal reaction you had to it. Does it remind you of a memory? Does
it capture a specific feeling (anxiety, joy, anger) you have experienced? Does it articulate
something you've felt but couldn't say?
(AI can describe a video; only you can
explain how it feels to watch it.)
Requirement 2: Lived Politics
How does this connect to the "Right"? Connect your personal resonance to the week's political theme. How does this artifact help you understand the "right" (e.g., Privacy, Protest, Belonging) not just as an abstract dictionary definition, but as a human experience? How does it complicate or illustrate what we discussed in class?
Structure of Your Reflection (300-400 words)
- The Artifact: Provide a link and a brief description (1-2 sentences).
- The Resonance (The "Why"): Discuss your personal connection. Be specific about your own reaction, memories, or feelings.
- The Politics (The "Right"): weave that personal feeling into an analysis of the week's political concept. How does this artifact show us what that right looks like in practice?
Schedule & Grading (30 Points Total)
Each weekly reflection is worth 3 points. The final portfolio curation (assembly & final reflection) is worth 3 points.
| Assignment | Due Date | Theme ("The Right") | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective Artifact 1 | Fri, Feb 20 | Right to Resources & Inequality | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 2 | Fri, Feb 27 | Right to Economic Security | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 3 | Fri, Mar 6 | Right to Participation & Voice | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 4 | Fri, Mar 13 | Right to Belonging | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 5 | Fri, Mar 27 | Right to Security vs. Freedom | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 6 | Fri, Apr 3 | Right to Dissent | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 7 | Fri, Apr 17 | Right to Knowledge | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 8 | Fri, Apr 24 | Right to Infrastructure | 3 |
| Reflective Artifact 9 | Fri, May 1 | Right to a Sustainable Planet | 3 |
| Final Portfolio Curation | Fri, May 8 | Assembly & Reflection | 3 |
Example Themes & Artifacts
- Right to Privacy: A TikTok joking about "My FBI Agent" watching me -> Analyze how surveillance is normalized through humor.
- Right to Protest: A music video featuring imagery of civil unrest -> Analyze the aestheticization of dissent.
- Right to Truth: A deepfake video or a "community note" on Twitter -> Analyze the fragile nature of shared reality.