Saturday, December 15, 2012

Thank You for a Great Class



















By now, everyone should've been contacted with their final grade. Grades will be submitted Monda evening.

I'd like to take this final opportunity to thank you for two very enjoyable classes. I had a good time in class and I hope you did, too. Thank you for taking this interesting trip into gender issues with me. I appreciate your open-mindedness and willingness to think about new things.

Have a fun (and safe) break. Please keep in touch.

-D

Sunday, December 9, 2012

[Week 17]





First, a reminder that there are no further class meetings this semester, including this Tuesday the 11th. Last Thursday was our final meeting.

Next, your extra-credit assignment (Reflection 09), which is optional, is due to me via email by tomorrow (Monday the 10th) at noon.

Finally, I had originally planned on mailing everyone about their potential grade starting today. However, it turns out that the first round of scoring for your essays must be done by me. So, I now have 100 essays to score (blindly, of course) before Tuesday that I wasn't anticipating. That means I'll hold off on emailing you your grades until after the finals are scored, probably Thursday or Friday. (I will still notify you of any missing assignments.) I'd like to be finished with grades by next Saturday.

I'll update this post throughout the week. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

-D

UPDATE 12.13:
I received your final exams much sooner than I expected, so I have begun contacting everyone from my four sections about their final grades. It is a slow process, so please be patient. I have 100 people to email, and so it'll take time. I hope to have emailed everyone by Sunday.

The end is near! 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Reflection 9: Moving On—Reflections on Reading and Writing about Gender (Optional Extra-Credit Assignment)

Time to reflect on a semester's worth of gender issues
Your extra-credit assignment asks that you reflect upon a semester's worth of reading and writing about gender. What about the subject matter struck you as most interesting? What surprised you? Did you change your mind about any particular aspect of gender? Were any preconceived notions of yours changed or challenged? Has the perception of your own gender been changed as a result of this course? What about your perception of the opposite sex? In a reflection-style response, consider the experience of studying various aspects of gender in an English composition class. 

Worth up to 10 extra-credit pts. 

Required:
  • MLA Style
  • Must be exactly two-full pages in length

Due: Monday, December 10th by noon via email

Monday, December 3, 2012

For Your Final Exam Preparation





Below are two sample prompts for your final exam this week. Also included is the rubric from which your essay will be scored.

Here is a sample 1A prompt along with a corresponding annotated essay:

PowerPoint presentation:

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Week 16





















She is neither pink nor pale,
And she never will be all mine;
She learned her hands in a fairy-tale,
And her mouth on a valentine.

She has more hair than she needs;
In the sun ’tis a woe to me!
And her voice is a string of colored beads,
Or steps leading into the sea.

She loves me all that she can,
And her ways to my ways resign;
But she was not made for any man,
And she never will be all mine.

—Edna St. Vincent Millay, "Witch-Wife"

Week 16
Tu12.04
Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Thesis Statements”

Th 12.06 (FINAL CLASS)
Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Essay Outlines”
Due: REFLECTION 8-A or 8-B

Sa 12.08
FINAL EXAM: 8 AM, SCI 142*

*My four sections will be sharing this lecture hall with four sections belonging to Prof. Mohsenzadegan. That means there will be 200 students taking the exam in the same room, so please get there on time to ensure that you get a seat that works best for you.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Reflection 08-B: Crowning Achievements—The Cult of the Princess

Do Disney's princess help or hurt young girls' self-esteem?
Though America has no history of royalty, we are currently overrun with princesses. Specifically, we have been invaded by a pint-sized army of pink-clad and bejeweled little girls. Led by Disney's iconic female characters, young girls across the country are currently eating up all things princess. But along with this craze has come new concerns that this fascination with princesses, with its emphasis of appearance and passivity, is actually undermining girls. Some argue that girls are getting the message that fantasy, even romance, are more important that self-sufficiency and personal growth. Is princess play harmless fun or can it negatively impact a girl's self-esteem? Is there a middle ground? Can the princess motif be modified to better empower girls? Finally, if princesses are, indeed, harmful to girls in the long run, what would be a more suitable interest for them to pursue? 

Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:

 Requirements:
  •  Must be in MLA Style 
  • Must be two full pages in length 
  • Must include a works cited page 

Due: Thursday, Dec. 6th

Reflection 08-A: Dirty Pictures—The Practice of "Sexting"

Is sexting just sexy fun or are you playing with fire?


As with all new technologies, people have quickly adapted cell phone cameras to a variety of sexual applications. In this case, "sexting" is the practice of exchanging sexually explicit images of oneself or messages via texts or emails. And if some surveys are to be believed, it is becoming increasingly prevalent in America, especially amongst the young. Law enforcement, educators, and parents are increasingly alarmed by the sexting "epidemic" and the actions of, often under-age, teens who engage in this practice without fully considering the consequences. Some authorities have even gone so far as to charge some under-age teens with possession of child pornography. But is sexting truly an epidemic or simply the 21st century equivalent of explicit love letters? What are the long term ramifications of this practice? Decades from now, are we likely to see political candidates defending photos they took in their youth? Will anyone still care? Or could provocative pictures you take now cost you a job in the future? Finally, is there such a thing as a "smart" way to sext photos of yourself?

Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion: 

Requirements:
  • Must be in MLA Style
  • Must be two full pages in length
  • Must include a works cited page

Due: Thursday, Dec. 6th

      Sunday, November 25, 2012

      Week 15






       
       “Dude, I don’t want to talk about Lacey’s prom shoes. 
      And I’ll tell you why: I have this thing that makes me 
      really uninterested in prom shoes. It’s called a penis.”
       
      ―John Green, Paper Towns
       
      Week 15
      Tu 11.27
      Class: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

      Th 11.29
      Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Prompts”

      Week 16
      Tu12.04
      Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Thesis Statements”

      Th 12.06
      Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Essay Outlines”
      Due: REFLECTION 8-A or 8-B

      Sa 12.08
      FINAL EXAM: 8 AM, LOCATION TBD

      Week 17
      Tu 12.11 Class: Course review 
       
       

      Sunday, November 18, 2012

      Week 14





      “Why is it," he said, one time, at the subway entrance,
      "I feel I've known you so many years?"

      "Because I like you," she said,
      "and I don't want anything from you.”

      —Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

      Week 14
      Tu 11.20 Class: Watch—Miss Representation (2011)
      Due: REFLECTION 7

      Th 11.22 NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING

      Week 15
      Tu 11.27
      Class: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

      Th 11.29
      Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Prompts”

      Week 16
      Tu12.04
      Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Thesis Statements”

      Th 12.06
      Class: Final exam prep; Lecture—“The Mad Dash: Essay Outlines”
      Due: REFLECTION 8-A or 8-B

      Sa 12.08
      FINAL EXAM: 8 AM, LOCATION TBD

      Week 17
      Tu 12.11 Class: Course review

      Monday, November 12, 2012

      Reflection 07-B: It's Complicated—Dating in the Age of Social Media

      As if dating wasn't hard enough, now technology is a factor to contend with














      Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram, Match.com, Twitter, and other social media sites, have revolutionized the ways in which people, particularly those under 30, approach dating. In this new world of high-tech dating, emoticons, relationships statuses, user profiles, friend requests, and tagged photos, have dramatically altered the rules of engagement. Today, people have far more available information about potential mates than at any time in the past. For example, consider how common the practice of Googling someone is these days. But new technology also means new rules. Just what are the spoken and unspoken rules of dating in the age of social media? What are some of the potential pitfalls of dating through technology? And what must you contend with that perhaps older generations did not?

      Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion: 

      Requirements:
      • Must be in MLA Style
      • Must be two full pages in length
      • Must include a works cited page

      Due: Tuesday, Nov. 20th  

      Reflection 07-A: The New Birds and the Bees—Sex Education for the 21st Century

      How would you design a 21st century sex eduction course?



      Speaking to a United Nations AIDS conference in 1994, then-US Surgeon General Dr. Jocelyn Elders suggested that masturbation was "part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught." After a quick public outcry, she was fired by President Clinton. Nearly twenty years later, masturbation is only one of many topics that remain taboo in the sex education classes of America. Today, fights rage over everything from abstinence-only programs to the presence of contraceptives on campuses; even the mentions of abortion and homosexuality are hotly debated. While some Americans favor sex education based on current sexual health information, others insist on abstinence-based approaches—if at all. Thus, these sex education varies widely from state to state, even county to county. What kind of sex ed class would you design? What do you believe is must-know information for today's students? And how do you decide what is appropriate or inappropriate for K-12? What information, if any, should be the responsibility of parents? Finally, at what age would your program begin and why?

      Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:

      Requirements:
      • Must be in MLA Style
      • Must be two full pages in length
      • Must include a works cited page

      Due: Tuesday, Nov. 20th

        Sunday, November 11, 2012

        Week 13



        "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

        —Nat King Cole, "Nature Boy"

        Week 13
        Tu 11.13
        Read: WHEN—“Women’s Liberation” – “Work and Children”
        Class: Watch—“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” from Mad Men (2007), Presentations
        Due: REFLECTION 6-A or 6-B

        Th 11.15
        Read: WHEN—“The 1980s—Having It All” – Epilogue
        Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
        Due: PROCESS ESSAY (DRAFT 2; ATTACH ONE COPY OF DRAFT 1) 

        Upcoming:

        Week 14
        Tu 11.20 Class: Watch—Miss Representation (2011)
        Due: REFLECTION 7-A or 7-B

        Th 11.22
        NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING

        Monday, November 5, 2012

        Reflection 06-B: I Kissed a Girl—Lesbianism in Pop Culture



        Note: Starting with  Reflection 06, you will have now two options (A or B) to write about; choose only one to write about each time. 

        In recent years, lesbianism has become increasingly visible in American pop culture. In television, music, and film, lesbianism has seemingly reached a higher level of mainstream acceptance. Of course, lesbianism in the media has not always encountered total acceptance as its portrayal still carries with it an element of taboo. Add to this complaints from the lesbian community that the lesbianism portrayed in popular culture is often faux-lesbianism, defined by heterosexuals and crafted for the pleasure of men. In fact, one need only look the prevalence of "lesbians" in straight male porn to see how lesbian sexuality has been co-opted. Nonetheless, the past two decades has seen an exponential increase in lesbian imagery from The L Word to Ellen DeGeneres to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Why have lesbians, or at least acts of lesbianism, become so much more prominent? And why has popular culture not embraced male/male displays of sexuality in the same way? Finally, has the media made it okay for heterosexual women to be open about their sexual appreciation for other women?

        Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:

        Requirements:
        • Must be in MLA Style
        • Must be two full pages in length
        • Must include a works cited page

        Due: Tuesday, Nov. 13th

          Reflection 06-A: I Feel Pretty—Attractiveness in America

          How advantageous is it to be physically attractive in our society? 








          Note: Starting with  Reflection 06, you will have now two options (A or B) to write about; choose only one of the options each time. 

          As Americans, we are all told that "beauty is only skin deep," and that "real beauty lies on the inside." We are told that. But the realities of our culture tell quite a different story. Beauty, as it turns out, is not only celebrated in America, but rewarded. Good looks can land a person preferential treatment at restaurants, on airplanes, even in court. It's as if beautiful people are allowed to live in a bubble. What do you feel are the benefits of being attractive in American society? Are good looking people treated more favorably than the general population? Finally, are there any downsides to being beautiful in America?

          Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:

          Requirements:
          • Must be in MLA Style
          • Must be two full pages in length
          • Must include a works cited page

          Due: Tuesday, Nov. 13th

            Sunday, November 4, 2012

            Week 12





            "A deranged person is supposed to have the strength of ten men. 
            I have the strength of one small boywith polio."

            —Woody Allen, Shadows and Fog

            Week 12
            Tu 11.06
            Read: WHEN—“Repudiating Rosie” – “Housework”
            Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES 

            Th 11.08
            Read: WHEN—“The Ice Cracks” – “The Decline of the Double Standard”
            Class: Writers workshop
            Due: PROCESS ESSAY (DRAFT 1; BRING 2 COPIES) 

            Upcoming:

            Week 13
            Tu 11.13
            Read: WHEN—“Women’s Liberation” – “Work and Children”
            Class: Watch—“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” from Mad Men (2007), Presentations
            Due: REFLECTION 06-A or 06-B

            Th 11.15
            Read: WHEN—“The 1980s—Having It All” – Epilogue
            Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
            Due: PROCESS ESSAY (DRAFT 2; ATTACH ONE COPY OF DRAFT 1)

            Wednesday, October 31, 2012

            Process Essay

            Are you willing to cross gender lines to try something new?
            It can sometimes be a jarring experience to try something new, especially if it's something not usually done you typically do. For this assignment, you are asked to participate in an activity that is generally considered to be associated with the opposite sex. For example, a woman might choose to engage in an online gaming session, or a man might spend some time in a spa. Of course, just what a feminine or masculine activity is depends on who you ask. So, choices of activity are individualthere is no right or wrong. Spending time in someone else's shoes, so to speak, helps you better understand their perspective and, thus, empathize with their situation. You will chronicle your experience through a process essay. A process essay informs readers of how something is done or how to do something. However, the goal is not to simply outline the steps involved in a process. The goal should be to illuminate the overall significance of that activity. In other words, the "why" is as important as the "how." Your task is not only to explain the process, but to examine the big picture. For example, it's not just about explaining how a pedicure is done, but why they are so important to so many people.

            Requirements:
            • MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
            • 3-page minimum
            • Include a works cited page
            • Spend at least one hour engaged in your activity

            The best papers:
            • Stay within the parameters of the task
            • Have a concise thesis which outlines the process
            • Clearly support the thesis with clear and concise illustrations of the steps involved in the activity
            • Conclude with a summation that highlights the larger significance of the activity
            • Properly cite evidence using MLA's parenthetical citation method

            Due: Thursday, Nov. 8th (Draft 1; Bring 2 copies)

            Sunday, October 28, 2012

            Week 11



            "She might've considered kissing him, even after the horrible first date,
              but he just didn't seem to know what to do. However, Jeremy does 
            have one outstanding quality. He likes her. And this quality in a
             person makes them
            infinitely interesting to the person being liked."

            —Steve Martin, Shopgirl

            Week 11
            Tu 10.30 
            Read: BOY—Chapters 27 - 36 
            Class: Reading discussion; Presentations 
            Due: REFLECTION 05 

            Th 11.01 
            Class: Reading discussion; Presentations 

            Upcoming:

            Week 12
            Tu 11.06
            Read: WHEN—“Repudiating Rosie” – “Housework”
            Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES 

            Th 11.08
            Read: WHEN—“The Ice Cracks” – “The Decline of the Double Standard”
            Class: Writers workshop
            Due: PROCESS ESSAY (DRAFT 1; BRING 2 COPIES)

            Tuesday, October 23, 2012

            Reflection 05: Breast Friends Forever—America's Breast Obsession



            It is difficult to argue that we do not live in a breast-obsessed society. Everyday, we are inundated with images of female breasts. From commercials to porn, Americans can't get enough of women's busts. Interestingly, on beaches women are encouraged to display as much of their breasts as possible, but if a nursing mother takes a breast out in public to feed an infant many Americans suddenly turn prudish. Why? And how does all this attention to breasts affect young girls? In a society that celebrates augmentation, what message are we sending women about embracing their natural selves? Likewise, how does growing up in a breasts-obsessed culture affect men's views of women and their bodies? Finally, what does our breasts obsession say about us as a culture?

            Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:


            Requirements:

            • Must be in MLA Style
            • Must be two full pages in length
            • Must include a works cited page

            Due: Tuesday, Oct. 30th

              Sunday, October 21, 2012

              Week 10



















              "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same ... "

              —Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

              Week 10 
              Tu 10.23 
              Read: BOY—Chapters 9 - 17 
              Class: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
              Due: REFLECTION 04

              Th 10.25 
              Read: BOY—Chapters 18 - 26 
              Class: Reading discussion; Presentations

              Upcoming:

              Week 11
              Tu 10.30 
              Read: BOY—Chapters 27 - 36 
              Class: Reading discussion; Presentations 
              Due: REFLECTION 05 

              Th 11.01 
              Class: SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES