Paper : Feminist Voices
In this class, we read essays of various feminist writers who discuss issues of gender, race, class, sexuality, and gender identity. These writers bring different approaches, and do not always agree on a common framework for change.
In a 4-5 page paper, students will compare two feminist thinkers, articulating the differences in their approaches. Students are encouraged to select feminist writers listed in the syllabus, but are free to select readings not listed in the syllabus, provided the feminist works selected are approved in advance.
There is no need for further research beyond the two feminist essays the student chooses. Your paper must be double-spaced, with 12 point, Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. You may use MLA, APA or whatever standard citation style with which you are most familiar--please ask the instructor if you are unfamiliar with standard academic citation styles.
Sample Idea:
How do Audre Lorde and Jean Kilbourne's concepts of feminism or feminist practice differ based on the essays we have read?Do they offer different advice on how to resist?Or do they disagree on more fundamental issues? Do they find some areas of agreement but address resistance in different ways?
The goal of the assignment is not necessarily for students to contrast feminist writers with obviously different or conflicting approaches. Rather, students should approach the comparison in as sophisticated a way as they are able, thoroughly assessing how the two different thinkers approach fundamental feminist issues, and identifying points of agreement, divergence, and overlap.
Finally, students must offer an assessment of the ideas presented by the two thinkers. Did you find one feminist writer's argument more compelling than the other, or does some combination of the two approaches make for a more comprehensive feminist approach? This section needs to be a part of your paper, do not wait until the Conclusion to address these questions.
Questions to consider (not required):
1. How does each author define feminism?
2. What are the core issues each essay addresses?
3. What theoretical framework do theauthors use to approach these core issues?
4. Do the authors agree on any fundamental issues?
5. How might their differences in approach be explained by historical or social context, age, race, etc?
6. Required: Do you find one approach to be more compelling than the other, or might there be a way to combine their approaches and arrive at a more comprehensive feminist theory of a particular issue?
Essays will be evaluated on the following:
• Compare/Contrast: Did the studentclearly explain and distinguish the work of the two feminist writerschosen? Did the student clearly articulate how the writers agreed or differed?
• Did the studentoffer aclear assessment of the two writers' arguments (explain which argument, if applicable, they found more compelling)?
• Grammar/Style: including formatting guidelines, grammar and organization: does the
essay flow, is it well-written?
• Bibliography: Proper formatting