Texts: from Chapter 4 of Rereading America, Devor’s “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender”, Kilbourne’s “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence”,
Kimmel’s “‘Bros before Hos’: The Guy Code”, and Orenstein’s “Just Between You, Me, and my 622 BFFs”. Also, consider the chapters on concision and clarity in The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing.
http://retiredlecturers.com
Choose one of the following prompts. In response to the prompt, write an essay that fulfills its requirements.
Prompt 1: Your thesis should address this question: In what ways does Devore agree and disagree with Kimmel and Orenstein? Explain for a reader who has not read Devor’s essay, “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender”, Devor’s description of the “I”, the “me”, and the “generalized other”; in particular, describe the how Devor sees these concepts affecting the development of gender identities. Then, compare these ideas from Devor’s essay to the Kimmel’s and Orenstein’s ideas in their essays about how gender identities or gender roles develop. In your essay’s conclusion, explain what main idea would you like your reader to take away from an examination of the three essays.
Prompt 2: Your thesis should address this question: In what ways do Devore’s definitions of masculinity and femininity, and his descriptions of how they affect behaviors in society, hold true and/or are questioned in the other essays you have chosen? Explain for a reader who has not read Devor’s essay, “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender”, Devor’s descriptions of masculinity and femininity; also describe how he believes these concepts affect behaviors in society. Then compare this information you have gleaned from Devor’s essay to the essays of Kilbourne and either Kimmel or Orenstein. In your essay’s conclusion, explain what main idea would you like your reader to take away from an examination of the three essays.
