David Buchbinder's book Studying Men and Masculinities. We have read about and discussed concepts such as The Crisis of Masculinity, the soft male, naturalized assumptions about sex and gender, and gender interpellation, among many others. Now it's time to really take a look at one of these concepts and to break it down to its essence and explore its origins, meanings, and impact. Prompt: Write an Essay of 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages (more info on MLA Format below) where you investigate one of the following concepts from our book:
Choose one supposed Crisis of Masculinity and explain its origins, provide an example, give its meaning, and impact-- is it really a crisis?
Explain what is the "phenomenon that we might call the ‘soft male'" (Bly qtd in Buchbinder 9) by providing a specific example of this and investigating whether this is really a crisis or not.
Buchbinder explains "when we encounter any disruption in these apparently natural chains of equivalences, we may tend to react with horror, revulsion, nausea, anger, contempt, or violence among other responses" (25-26). Explain, with examples, what are some of these disruptions? Why and how do people react the way they do?
How might one "exhibit various masculinities [or femininities] during the course of a single day" (Buchbinder 36)? What is this all about? Give specific examples as well as the reasoning behind this ‘phenomenon.' It doesn't necessarily have to be over ONE day.
Pick another concept or ideafrom Chapters 1, 2 ,or 4 (or if you read ahead to 5 or 6) that you would like to explore/investigate more. Please run your topic idea by me over email before you do any prep work.
The essay should be 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages in 12 point Times New Roman font; the essay must follow MLA format including proper MLA in-text and reference citations.
Requirements: The essay should be 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages in 12 point Times New Roman font; the essay must follow MLA format including proper MLA in-text and reference citations.
Each body paragraph should use at least one quote from our book (an additional source is fine) to support your point and analysis. Quotes should be introduced with your own words rather than placed in the middle of the paragraph without an introduction (i.e. use signal phrases for all quotes). You should also remember that each body paragraph should begin and end with your ideas; thus, you will need to clearly explain how the quote(s) you choose support your ideas.
Remember to have a strong introduction with a brief introduction of the topic (including the title of the text/chapter, author's full name, and author's overall argument), clearly stated main points, and a clear thesis that states the main idea of your essay. Also- give your paper a Title.
Each body paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, quote sandwiches, specific examples (the quotes will be at least part of your example/examples), analysis, and appropriate closure/transitions to finish the paragraph.
The conclusion should restate your thesis and discuss the larger significance of the ideas in your essay.