Source Grab Bag

Hi all.


Here is a list of links that I'd like you to take a look at--these readings are what didn't make it onto the syllabus, but there are also readings on this list that would perhaps be helpful for your final paper.

Take a look at this list, pick something that interests you, and write a blog post about it. I know everyone has had to complete at least 2 blog posts so far---if you complete 2 more by the end of the semester, you'll have earned your blogging credit.

The blog posts don't have to be long, but they should capture what you find interesting and useful about the reading, or even just what you liked.

Happy hunting!

The Woman With No Long Term Memory

A New Way to be Mad

When Hearing Voices is a Good Thing

The Woman With MS and The OIympic Athlete

A Mind-Controlled Arm Could Be Available Soon

Can Loneliness Kill You?

Not All Deaf People Want to be "Fixed"

Thin Privilege and Fatphobia

Who Gets to be the "Good" Schizophrenic?

When Colleges Push Out Vulnerable Students

Disability and Election 2016

The Spectacle of Mental Illness

ASL and Race

The Belgian Community that Cares for the Mentally Ill

Poor Teeth in a Rich World

Who Makes Decisions for Adults with Down Syndrome?

Do We Judge People for Seeming "Unhealthy"?

Why Do Able-Bodied Actors Win Oscars for Disabled Roles?

What is "The Singularity"?

Mass Shootings and Mental Illness

Work Day Checklist

Hi all,

Today, you'll be working on your rough drafts in class, and I will be available to talk through/advise/provide suggestions at any time. This is a somewhat free form class today, but by the time you leave, you'll have to show me that you have completed AT LEAST THREE of the items on this checklist. Take a look, and think about what you can use the time today for.

Hallmarks of an effective paper:

• The introduction begins with an intriguing point of entry that is not vague and gives the reader a clear sense of the paper’s concerns

• The thesis of the paper is identifiable, defendable, provocative, and specific.

• The writer makes use of a minimum of 3 quotes per source engagement, through specific quotations and thematic parallels.

• The paper demonstrates thoughtful use of source material. The connection between the quotes and material is clear.

• The writer introduces quotations effectively, with clear signal phrases demonstrating the relationships between each speaker.

• In text citations are in proper MLA format.

• Each quotation or reference is followed up by original analysis and an explanation of its relevance (i.e. quote sandwich. 

• The essay brings challenging questions to the texts in question

• Paragraph Organization (paragraphs should contain points, evidence, explanation, and a sense of purpose.

• The essay’s conclusion does more than restate the previous ideas.

• Sentence Level Mechanics (grammar, spelling, overall clarity, etc.)

• The works cited page is properly formatted.

FINAL PAPER TOPIC

FINAL PAPER:   For your final paper, you must select a topic of your choice within the broader theme of the course: transformations of the human body on an individual and societal scale.  You can concentrate on one of the ways we have discussed in class so far, or explore other topics that we haven’t explored in class.  You are more than welcome to engage with any ways to transform the body you might find interesting.    Using original research (online databases, working in the library, engaging with products of mass culture, film, literature, television, etc), you will need to develop a clear, arguable thesis, which you will back up with carefully constructed arguments (informed by the evidence of your research) in a 7-10 page essay.You must use 12 point font, reasonable margins, and conform to MLA standards for quoting, citation, and bibliography.   


DUE MAY 13TH


OPTIONS FOR STRUCTURING A FINAL PAPER:

A critical essay analyzes the strengths, weaknesses and methods of someone else's work. Generally these essays begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, followed by an analysis of the work's meaning. It should then discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points. A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.

The cause/effect essay explains why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event. This essay is a study of the relationship between two or more events or experiences. The essay could discuss bothcauses and effects, or it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.

An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view. The writer always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion

A definition essay attempts to define a specific term or issue. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined and discussed the way it is.

Short reading for Tuesday

Hi all,

Please read Sarah Kurchak's "No, I'm Not Glamorizing My Autism" for Tuesday. The link is below:

"No, I'm Not Glamorizing My Autism"

Remember, this coming Thursday we have a class peer review for the third paper, so make sure you're also working on your rough drafts. Feel free to email or stop by office hours if you have any questions.

See you in class,
Greenlee

Third Paper Prompt and Resources

Hi all,

Here is the prompt for your third paper.

Words and Pictures: The Perception of Disability

In our discussions of disability, we haven’t concerned ourselves with the strictly medical/physiological experiences of disability. Instead, we’ve concentrated on how disability as a social category is perceived and perpetuated through language and images, and even how particular conditions are defined or declassified as disabilities over time.

In 5-7 pages, select a condition or experience that’s been defined or perceived as a disability, and explain its cultural interpretation: how it has been portrayed/treated in society.

Conduct original research on your chosen example. You will have to find TWO SOURCES minimum. One of these three sources must be a secondary source on your chosen topic: a scholarly article, academic book chapter, academic paper, etc. One of these three sources must be a primary source about your chosen topic: a film, novel, biography/memoir, essay, graphic novel, etc.In writing about the cultural interpretation of a disability, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to develop your argument:

• What words, phrases and labels have been applied? How have they changed over time? How does this language influence your example’s reception in popular culture?

• What images (in film, television, the news, social/political events) are available?

• What qualities or features are communicated through these images? Frailty? Immorality? Animality? Weakness?

You will have to support your position through these analyses, and pinpoint how language and images have shaped social perceptions of disability. You must use 12 point font, reasonable margins, and conform to MLA standards for quoting, citation, and bibliography.

ROUGH DRAFT: 4/3
FINAL DRAFT: 4/12

PAPER RESOURCES:

I have emailed all of you a PDF of the Disability Studies Reader, I highly recommend looking over the table of contents for the Disabilities studies reader to look for any articles that might be helpful to you.  I said in the assignment description that you have to use at least two secondary sources, so an effective way to structure your paper might be to use a scholarly article for your chosen condition, and apply it to a primary source, like a book or a film or a commercial or an image. 

Here's a link to a list of films/documentaries/TV/media around people with different disabilities, to get you started on finding a primary source:

Disability in Media: A List

Reading For Thursday

Hi all,

Please read the following article on depression by Alana Massey for Thursday. The link is below:

The Circumference of Despair: On Depression and Language

Please bring along at least TWO discussion questions.

Best,
Greenlee

Diane Arbus, Deviance, and "Outsiders"

Hi all,

I've sent the reading for Tuesday, David Hevey's "The Enfreakment of Photography," to your email. Since she's one of the main subjects of the reading, here's some information about and photos from Diane Arbus.

Diane Arbus was an NYC-based photographer who, before committing suicide in 1971 at the age of 48, was extremely well-known for her stark portraits of "deviants" (transgender people, transvestites, nudists), children and families, and social outcasts or "freaks." One can view her works in many ways: exploitation? mere exploration? shedding a light on people we'd usually ignore? tragic? comic? Arbus once said her pictures were meant to express "the space between who someone is and who they think they are," but where do we, as spectators, fit into this relationship?

Here are some short articles if you're interested in Arbus:

A Fresh Look at Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus: Visionary Voyeurism

And here are some photographs by Arbus. As you're looking at them, start thinking about what questions you'd like to ask about them, or what points of discussion you can come up with for class on Tuesday.