The document discusses whether the city of Wolverhampton, UK can be considered a postmodern city based on changes over time. It notes that the creator of the TV show "The Wire" argues that the city it is set in, Baltimore, is postmodern because it has changed from an industrial port town to one where the population is declining and industry has left. Students are asked to research how Wolverhampton has changed over the 19th-21st centuries using various history websites and by speaking to family about changes in jobs and industries they have witnessed to determine if Wolverhampton has become postmodern.

1. A2 Media Studies<br />Postmodern Media<br />Postmodern Wolverhampton? – research project<br />center0Can Wolverhampton be labelled a postmodern city?00Can Wolverhampton be labelled a postmodern city?<br />In the next lesson after half term, we shall be working through a case study on US TV drama ‘The Wire’. The creator of ‘The Wire’, David Simon, argues that the city where the programme is set, Baltimore, is a postmodern city because it has changed its function from being an industrial/ manufacturing port town, to one where the population is in flight and the industry which supported the city has gone.<br />We will be seeking to compare this fictional representation of a real place to our own understandings of a real place.<br />Using the links below, work out the ways in which Wolverhampton and its population have changed over time.<br />http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/people <br />http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/work/industry <br />http://www.localhistories.org/wolverhampton.html <br />Consider what the websites tell you what Wolverhampton was like in the 19th and 20th centuries and compare that to your experiences of growing up in 21st century Wolverhampton – in what ways has the city and its population change dover time?<br />You should also speak to your parents (and ideally, grandparents) to ask them for their views on they have seen the city change – focus particularly on what types of jobs and industries have come and gone in the span of their lives<br />The outcome to the research should be print outs (with your annotations and notes) from the websites plus notes of observations from family members<br />