Anna Giordano's Venus project

Naomi Wolf discusses the concept of beauty in the U.S. and claims that it is culturally created and has very specific effects on society, women in particular. The Italian artist Anna Utopia Giordano has found a way to make a similar argument visually. She has taken several famous European paintings, each depicting the artist's ideal of feminine beauty, and Photoshopped them to match a more contemporary ideal. You can read an article about the project here. You can view all the images on the artist's website here.

EWRT1A-30: Reading Response 5

The prompts for Reading Response 5 are below. If you want to know more about Devor's theories and see more specific examples of them, this is a comprehensive article. Some of the pictures on the page may not be suitable for work.

Reading Response 5

Aaron Devor, “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender”

I want you to explain an idea from Devor’s essay using another text (or texts) in the class as an example for that explanation. To do this, choose one of the prompts below.

1. Explain Devor’s distinction between I and me (121, paragraphs 7 and 8). How may this separation contribute to problems with finding one’s own voice? Use another text from the class to illustrate this.

2. Explain the difference between Devor’s concepts of  the “generalized other” (121) and the “significant others” (122). How do these two concepts play a role in the formation of identity? Please use another text in our class to demonstrate this.

3. Devor refers to the process of gendering that he describes as a “patriarchal gender schema,” an ideology that believes “the cultural superiority of males is a natural outgrowth of the innate predisposition of males toward aggression and dominance” (123). According to Devor, how does this lead to inequality? Use another text from our class to show an example of this inequality.

4. Come up with your own focus, but try to show how another text from the class relates to Devor’s essay.

EWRT1A30: Essay 2

Here are the prompts for essay 2. The focus of this paper is synthesis. We will discuss this more in class, but check out pages 477-479 in Rules for Writers.

EWRT1A-30: Tough Guise

Tough Guise. Please watch the following video for Tuesday. It is a seven minute version of a one hour video. As you watch it, keep certain questions in mind.

• According to Jackson Katz, what are the obstacles young men face to being true to their own identities? Where do these obstacles come from?
• Katz says that concepts of masculinity and violence are connected. Is he convincing in this claim? Do you think that this is culturally reinforced, as Katz argues, or do you think this is a result of nature? Both?
• What are the effects on young men who "take on the tough guise," according to Katz? Do you agree with him?
• How does Katz think young men are going to be able to be "better men"?
• Does Katz offer enough evidence to support his claims?
• Do your own experiences confirm or contradict Katz's claims?

Here is a direct url for those who cannot view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3exzMPT4nGI

EWRT1A-30: final draft of essay 1 due Tuesday

A few reminders about essay 1…

• Two drafts are required. This isn't a problem for most of you, but don't forget to bring your first draft as well as your final draft.
• MLA citation is required. This means both in-text citation and a works cited list. The works cited list does not have to be on a separate page for this essay. The official MLA rules state that it should be on a separate page, but since only one source is required it would be a waste of paper here.
• Remember that the grading rubric for EWRT1A is in the syllabus. This is what I use to grade the essays, so be sure to check it out if you haven't already.
• What I mentioned about revision and editing can be found in both our books. For the checklists, look in our reader on pages 21 and 23, and in Rules for Writers on pages 36-37.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me. But please don't just send me a whole new draft to read. Have specific questions.

EWRT1A-30: Reading Response 3

Reading Response 3

Alice Walker “In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens”

Choose one or come up with your own focus.

 1. According to what Walker shows in this essay, what are some of the forces that hinder people from being true to their own identities? Use specific examples to demonstrate a larger theme.

2. What does Walker’s essay show us about how people are able to find their own identities? What do people need? Use specific examples to demonstrate a larger theme.

3. This essay is full of artists. Using some of these artists as examples, what does Walker’s essay show you about the possible function(s) of art? In other words, what does this essay teach us about the purpose of art?

De Anza EWRT 1A survey

De Anza occasionally does tests to make sure things are working properly. This quarter, De Anza is trying to assess that its placement essay for EWRT1A is effective. So if you took a placement essay in order to get into EWRT1A, please complete the survey. But the survey is open to all students, no matter how you got into 1A.

The survey contains eight short questions. You can complete it here.

EWRT1A30: MLA and Malcolm X

The first draft of essay 1 is due Thursday. The more complete your draft, the more you will get out of the comments on it.

Remember that MLA citation is covered in the Rules for Writers book. The rules for MLA style start on page 479. Section 16 on page 486 shows how to do in-text citation for a work in an anthology. Section 22 on page 488 shows in-text citation for a web site. Advice for integrating quotations, including how to use signal phases, starts on page 469. The rules for how to do a works cited entry for an anthology are on page 500. And the rules for a short work on a web site are on page 506. So use the book. If you get confused though, just ask me.

Likewise, both our books talk about thesis statements. Rules for Writers even covers common problems on pages 28-29. The EWRT1A Reader has a lot of good advice about thesis statements on pages 13-15.

And we will discuss Malcolm X's "Learning to Read" in the beginning of class Thursday. In order to understand the significance of "Leaning to Read" by Malcolm X, you should listen to the man speak (if you haven't before). Here is one of his famous speeches, given at Oxford, England 1964. As you listen, remember that he attended pubic school only through eighth grade.

EWRT1A30: essay basics and Anyon reading

Here is a pdf of the slideshow I presented Tuesday about basic essay terms.

And I e-mailed everyone with a link to the Jean Anyon essay for Thursday. If you didn't get the url, then e-mail me. Remember to pay special attention to how Language Arts is taught in the four different types of schools.

EWRT1A-30: essay 1

This is the pdf of the prompts for essay 1. Remember that the first draft is due October 10th.