Quiz on Thursday!

For Thursday, please read, 1-17 & 210-215 in A Writer's Reference.

Also, please read "Men, Women, Sex, and Darwin." You will have a quiz on this essay in class on Thursday.

Helpful hint: "Men, Women, Sex, and Darwin" is an argument against evolutionary psychology. Angier explains the major tenets of evolutionary psychology and then counters each claim.

These are the points that she refutes in her article: "1. Men are more promiscuous and less sexually reserved than women are. 2. Women are inherently more interested in a stable relationship than men are. 3. Women are naturally attracted to high-status men with resources. 4. Men are naturally attracted to youth and beauty. 5. Humankind's core preferences and desires were hammered out long, long ago, a hundred thousand years or more, in the legendary Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation, or E.E.A., also known as the ancestral environment, also known as the Stone Age, and they have not changed appreciably since then, nor are they likely to change in the future."

Pay special attention to how she argues against these claims.

An Identity Reduced to a Burka: Link & Questions

Here is the link to the reading for Thursday:

An Identity Reduced to a Burka

Summarize this article. What is the purpose of this piece? What is the tone? How does this article compare with the article "Black Men and Public Space."

This article was first published in the opinion section of the LA Times while "Black Men and Public Space" was initially published in Ms. magazine. How does each author write specifically for his or her intended audience? How might the writing style change if the author were to write about the same topic for a different group?

Help with your Final Paper!

Here are some handouts on the most common writing problems:

Proofreading for Commas

Comma Splices

Run-on sentences

Verb Tense

Paragraphs

Article: The Porn Myth

Summarize Naomi Wolf's argument against pornography. How does she support her points? What are the strengths in her argument? Are there any gaps or flaws in her logic? Do you agree or disagree with her argument? Why?

The Porn Myth

Masculinity

Summarize Paul Theroux's article, "Being a Man." What are his main points? How does he support his points? Do you think he makes a strong argument?

What are your views on masculinty in America? Do you think masculinity is an oppressive force as Theroux suggests? Why or why not?

Two Articles on Sports

Here is the article that I mentioned in class about Jaime Nared, the twelve year old female basketball phenom:Jaime Nared

Here is an article that discusses the gender differences in male and female athletic performance:Men, Women, and Speed. 2 Words: Got Testosterone

News Article: European Parliament Against Sexist Ads

Recently, the European Parliament reprimanded the advertising industry for employing gender stereotypes in ads.

Summarize this article. Do you think that this will change the advertising industry in Europe? Do you think we should implement a similar policy in the US? Why or why not?

Why do you think that advertisers often use gender stereotypes to sell products?

Europe Takes Aim at Sexual Stereotyping in Ads