Midterm Writing Assignment
Due Thursday March 8, 2018 by 3pm in my mailbox or as PDF via email. No late work will be accepted, so please plan accordingly.
Select one of the following topics. If you would prefer to write about a different topic, please see me ASAP.
1a) Interview: select a female relative over the age of 40 and ask her about the toys she played with/what toys she was discouraged from playing with. Were there different toys for boys and girls? What were her favorite toys and why? How does this information relate to Orenstein?
b. Reread the Peggy Orenstein article. Next, go to Target or another local retailer and explore the toys marketed to girls (this should take about an hour). What do you find on the shelves? What kind of play is encouraged? Do the offerings differ from what’s offered to boys? Are any toys beyond the gender binary? How is race/ethnicity addressed? What kinds of toys are being selected by consumers during your study? Discuss this interview in relation to Orenstein’s findings.
2a) Interview: select a female relative over the age of 40 and ask her about what she learned about menstruation. Was it a positive experience? What products were marketed to her? How does she feel about menstruation today? How does this interview relate to Brumberg’s work?
b. Does Joan Jacob Brumberg’s article accurately describe the contemporary experience of menstruation? To find out, interview a few of your friends about their memories of menarche/first menstruation, their attitudes towards menstruation then and today, their mothers’ atttitudes, and what their culture’s attitudes might be. Describe your findings in relation to Brumberg’s work.
Guidelines
1. Your essay should be about 5 pages, typed, and double spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman Font with 1” margins on all sides. Staple. Number your pages.
2. Your paper must include the essentials of effective critical writing: a strong thesis and introduction, clear organization and overall structure, a thoughtful use of support for claims (in the form of direct quotations, paraphrases, and other textual references), careful transitions between sections, and a well-thought-out conclusion.
3. Language should be clean, polished and employ a strong authorial tone.
4. You must analyze your selected topic in relation to either Orenstein or Brumberg. Please speak with me if you have any questions about this.
5. You must include a Works Cited, including your personal interview(s) and any other sources used. More info on MLA Style is available here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/14/