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Susan Faludi, "The Naked Citadel" and:

For more assignment ideas involving this essay, please visit the Faludi link-o-mat.

Nussbaum and Faludi: Universalism and Local Tradition

In your last essay, I asked you to take a position on the question of cultural relativism versus cultural universalism.  Martha Nussbaum offered us the opportunity to compare the rights of a general group, in this case women, to the right of a particular culture to exist.  Your next article, Susan Faludi's "The Naked Citadel," also draws attention to the question of a culture's right to exist, but it brings the problem a little closer to home.  Faludi shows us the Citadel, a public (state-funded) military institution in South Carolina which was, until recently, exclusively male.  Those who were against the admission of women to the Citadel believed deeply in the traditions and internal culture of the college, and believed they had a right to exist without outside interference.

For your next essay, I would like you to consider the following question in terms of the two assigned essays:  What right does a tradition have to exist?  You may also consider any or all of the following support questions:  If you believe traditions have some sort of inherent right to exist, why?  If not, how would you defend yourself against critics?  What, if anything, gives one tradition more weight than another?  Does changing particular elements about a tradition destroy it, or is it necessary?  Consider Nussbaum's Central Human Functional Capabilities; do they apply to the Citadel?  What difference does personal choice make?  What about the Citadel's public financial support?  Remember to use at least three quotations per author.

Megan Heller, Rutgers University, Summer 2002

From Learning, Altruism, and Violence.

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Domination and the Arts of Gender Performance

James C. Scott argues that social actions are actually signs of power that are translated into performances. For this writing assignment, I would like you to consider the performance of gender roles as they appear in Susan Faludi's, "The Naked Citadel." In other words, does masculinity become a public or hidden transcript at the Citadel? Does masculinity affect femininity or vice versa? Finally, how does Shannon Faulkner's disengagement of gender politics create, or play into, a public or a hidden transcript?

Nicole Smith, Rutgers University, Fall 2000

In Paper 1, you thought about ways that social hierarchy requires people to perform certain roles, to assume certain identities. Using Susan Faludi's "The Naked Citadel," you can now make some speculations about the role that gender plays in this process. The Citadel provides an extreme example of a hierarchal structure that is maintained by a cycle of violence and strict attention to hidden and public transcripts. Why is it so important that the upper class cadets demonstrate such a traditional concept of masculinity? In what way could we say that gender is part of hidden and/or public transcripts?   

Questions to get you started: What generally characterizes the hidden and public transcripts at the Citadel? How do those transcripts uphold the pattern of domination there? How is the relationship between the all-male cadets gendered? What alternative views of masculinity are revealed in Faludi's essay?  Are gender roles at the Citadel at all representative of those in the rest of the country?

Molly Burke, Rutgers University, Spring 2005

From Identity and Agency.

Tensions between the Public, the Private, and the Personal (Assignment 4)

Develop a project considering the following:

Using Scott’s concepts of the public and hidden transcripts as a way to analyze power relations between groups, explore the world of the Citadel described by Faludi. How do transcripts define, support, or undermine individual and group identity? How are larger social tensions reflected? Consider the role of hierarchies, stereotypes, and play.

Focus on developing the following aspects of your essay:

PROJECT- Develop an argument or thesis, rather than relying on summary. Use the text to support your ideas.

ORGANIZATION- Pay attention to the structure of your essay. Organize paragraphs to support the overall argument you are making. Each paragraph should have a point to make to support the larger argument.

WORK WITH TEXTS- Use the text intelligently to support your point of view. Move appropriately between paraphrase and quotation. Make connections between the text and your argument.

PRESENTATION- Pay attention to overall style, spelling and grammar.

Laura Smith, Rutgers University, Fall 2005

From Tensions between the Public, the Private, and the Personal.

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Susan Faludi, James C. Scott, Malcolm Gladwell

In our first two papers, we examined factors affecting human behavior. We thought about James C. Scott's assertion that our actions and speech are significantly influenced (if not determined) by the power differentials in our social interactions. We also analyzed Susan Faludi's observation of the linkage between masculinity and domination at The Citadel. In "The Power of Context," Malcolm Gladwell suggests that the environment surrounding people plays even more of an important role in determining their behavior than their own psychological profiles. In what ways do Scott and Faludi confirm, complicate, or contradict this theory? How much freedom of choice do individuals have when outside factors play such a strong role in determining a person's options?  

Questions to get you started:

What is the Power of Context? Does Gladwell's theory imply that humans "are freer than previously thought or that their behavior is more fully determined than previously thought possible?" (Gladwell 301). Would Scott and Faludi agree with Gladwell's assertion that character is less significant than previously thought?

Molly Burke, Rutgers University, Spring 2005

From Identity and Agency.

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Faludi and Tannen: Gender and Learning

In your last essay, I asked you to demonstrate whether or not a culture's traditions had some inherent right to exist.  In Susan Faludi's "The Naked Citadel," we saw the Citadel's controversial fourth-class system as a means of breaking cadets before rebuilding them, and the conflicts raised when women were introduced into that environment.  She claims that "[W]e are at a psychic and economic crisis point for manhood," both in confronting the traditions of the Citadel and on a larger scale.  Deborah Tannen goes beyond tradition as well to the roots of learning in Western culture, and there finds what could be the same roots for the violence at the Citadel.  Tannen sees Western education as being based in a system of confrontation and aggressive argument, and proposes a compromise between debate and dialogue which would involve less the questions of "wrong" and "right", and more the possibility for constructive agreement and disagreement.  She claims that the current system is based in a militaristic model that is also responsible for the exclusion of women in certain academic arenas.

For your next essay, I would like you to consider the following question:  How might a shift in the way we think about learning change the way we think about masculinity?  As you write, you may also consider the following questions:  Why do you believe that an agressive, militaristic model of education has perservered for so long?  Would the Citadel be able to exist in a revised system like Tannen's, or would its traditions be destroyed?  Finally, a question which could potentially stir controversy:  Do you agree with Tannen?  Is such a change really necessary?  Remember to use at least three quotations per author (one per support; six quotations).

Megan Heller, Rutgers University, Summer 2002

From Learning, Altruism, and Violence.

In the previous assignment, I asked you how Tannen's essay would be interpreted within a standard academic community--and how the assumptions behind my initial paper question factored into this scenario. Now, I want you to consider Tannen's observations about adversarial training/education within the context of Faludi's discussion of the Citadel. This task requires more than a simple compare-and-contrast method. Although you will find many elements in Faludi complementing Tannen's claims, Faludi's discussion also significantly complicates Tannen's views.

Examine the ways communication, debate, and alienation (gender bias) operate in the agonistic environment of the Citadel. To what extent would the incorporation of Tannen's concept of dialogue improve learning and communication at the Citadel? To what degree would these alterations impair conditioning that the Citadel deems necessary? How would a compromise work? Is a compromise possible? What can you conclude about gender discrimination and education in this context?

Carl Nelson, Rutgers University, Spring 2005

From The Public and the Private Self.

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Susan Faludi, Deborah Tannen, and Lila Abu-Lughod

In previous assignments, you have read discussions regarding institutions of higher learning and some of their peculiar conventions. These conventions included behaviors and conceptual approaches marginalizing--or, at times, even outright rejecting--women. In "Honor and Shame," we read about Kamla. Her struggle to become educated represents 'more of the same' while raising other themes worthy of further connection and exploration.   

Examine the examples of formal training and agonistic debating found in Lila Abu-Lughod's essay. Consider, too, the leaping back and forth between public and private identity in Kamla's narrative and how "play" factors into these shifts. Find parallel moments for all these aspects in Tannen and Faludi. Finally, what importance do you assign to "play" (however you choose to define it) when it comes to transforming someone through educational agonistic training and how might "play's" influence shift between the public and private self (or males and females undergoing agonistic training)?

Carl Nelson, Rutgers University, Spring 2005

From The Public and the Private Self.

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Faludi, Guinier, Kaldor: Tradition and Exclusion

In "The Naked Citadel," Faludi explores the distinctive culture of the Citadel, a state-funded military institution in South Carolina, which, until the controversial case of Shannon Faulkner, was exclusively male. The faculty, administration, alumni, and cadets who opposed admitting women were deeply invested in, and committed to, the traditions and rituals that have developed since the institution was founded in 1882. The reason most frequently cited for excluding Faulkner and other women was, "She would be destroying a long and proud tradition" (256). Both Guinier and Kaldor also discuss cultures and traditions that are exclusive. In "Second Proms and Second Primaries: The Limits of Majority Rule," Guinier offers two examples of majority rule that exclude a specific minority group: racialized voting in Phillips County and the prom at Brother Rice High School. According to the judge in the case of Whitfield, et al. vs. State Democratic Party, "Americans have traditionally been schooled in the notion of majority rule…" (qtd. in Guinier 342). Similarly, in "Beyond Militarism, Arms Races, and Arms Control," Mary Kaldor discusses the "new wars" involving informal or private military networks ("netforce"), which cohere around "an extreme political ideology based on the exclusive claim to state power on the basis of identity - ethnic chauvinism or religious communalism" (386).

Using Faludi and either Guinier or Kaldor, consider why these traditions exclude certain groups, genders, and/or races. There are thousands of traditions ranging from the familiar and formal ritual of Christian Communion or Jewish Shabbat to the private rituals of a family surrounding various holidays.

Are all traditions inherently exclusive, or can traditions and cultures be fully inclusive? Are traditions a positive or negative force in human society, and what right, if any, should they have to exist?

To help you write this essay, you might want to consider the relationship between traditions and family groups, violence or war, citizenship, gender roles (masculinity, femininity), political power, and/or religion.

Carrie Preston, Rutgers University, Spring 2003

From Re-Vision, Tradition and Public Life.

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Scott, Faludi, and Kaldor: The Transcript Test

In your last paper, I asked you to take a position on the inclusiveness or exclusiveness of traditions and to determine if traditions have an inherent right to exist. In class discussion, we discovered that there could be a contradiction between the publicly stated claims of a tradition and the behaviors or actions that the tradition actually produces. We also realized that certain groups might have the power to enforce traditions and that others might participate in traditions with varying degrees of willingness and compulsion. James C. Scott's "Behind the Official Story" offers an approach for understanding and explaining the interactions between dominant and subordinate groups. He suggests that "public transcripts," the open interaction between those involved in unequal power relations often conceal the real distribution of power and the "hidden transcripts" that take place "offstage," outside of the "power-laden context," and between members of the same group (555).

For this paper, you must apply Scott's explanatory model to the unequal power relations that Kaldor and/or Faludi discuss.

You must first determine where structures of dominance appear in their essays and then decide how to distinguish between the dominant and subordinate groups. Who holds the power, and how do you know (or why is it impossible to come to a decision)? Do the authors (Kaldor or Faludi) give you the public transcripts or the hidden transcripts in their essays? Scott insists that "by assessing the discrepancy between the hidden transcript and the public transcript we may begin to judge the impact of domination on public discourse" (555). Can you, using Scott's framework, evaluate how power relations influence discourse in the examples you have chosen? That is, does Scott's approach work?

Carrie Preston, Rutgers University, Spring 2003

From Re-Vision, Tradition and Public Life.

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Susan Faludi and Malcolm Gladwell

In "The Power of Context," Gladwell suggests that: "behavior is a function of social context." Do you believe Faludi would agree or does her essay suggest other truths about our society? If so, what would they be? What is your understanding of the most significant determinants of human behavior?

Jack Jarmon, Rutgers University, Spring 2005

Tensions between the Public, the Private, and the Personal (Assignment 5)

In “the Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime,” Malcolm Gladwell proposes a new theory of behavior: that rather than fixed character traits or motivational stimuli, subtle shifts in the environment may determine behavior on individual and social levels. In “The Naked Citadel,” Susan Faludi provides an interesting situation in which to test Gladwell’s ideas. The culture of the Citadel promotes a certain set of values and notions about male identity that are encouraged and enforced by certain rules, norms and customs.

In your essay, use the world of the Citadel as Faludi describes it as a test case for Gladwell’s ideas about change. In formulating your project, decide whether or not a change is called for at The Citadel. If so, what concepts and examples from Gladwell would be effective in this military setting? Which would not? If you think change is not called for at The Citadel, explain why and show how Gladwell’s ideas explain the environment of the school.

Consider the following:

  • Can Shannon Faulkner be considered a “tipping point?”
  • How do conditions in the Citadel resemble the mock prison example?
  • Can solutions for a subway system be applied to a military academy?
  • Are gender and language significant aspects of context?

Laura Smith, Rutgers University, Fall 2005

From Tensions between the Public, the Private, and the Personal.

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Gladwell, Scott & Faludi: Behavioral Determinants

In "The Power of Context," Gladwell suggests that "behavior is a function of social context." He explains crime as a product of environmental factors, especially "little things" like broken windows, graffiti, and trash (294). Unlike psychological models, which insist that fundamental character traits and genetics work together to produce behavior, Gladwell emphasizes the significance of "situation" (296). Scott and Faludi also examine several influences on human behavior. Scott discusses the impact of unequal power relations on the behavior of both dominant and subordinate groups, and Faludi suggests that the hazing practiced by upperclassmen on cadets is a product of the tradition of a fourth-class system.

Do these writers have similar or irreconcilable understandings of human behavior? For this paper, you must use Gladwell, Scott, and Faludi to come to a conclusion about the most significant determinants of behavior. What are the practical implications of your understanding of behavior in terms of crime, violence, war, or any other focus of your choosing?

Carrie Preston, Rutgers University, Spring 2003

From Re-Vision, Tradition and Public Life.

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Tensions between the Public, the Private, and the Personal (Assignment 6)

Both Susan Faludi and Beth Loffreda describe situations that could be considered tipping points: situations that challenged accepted stereotypes of male identity, that resulted in violence, that were taken up by the media, and that became the catalyst for greater public awareness of the issues of women’s equal opportunity, and gay rights, respectively.

In this essay, you are asked to examine the parallels between The Citadel and the world of Laramie, Wyoming, using Gladwell’s theory of social change. Note the key people, messages and situational cues at work. Consider the following:

  • What are the parallels between Matt Shepard and Shannon Faulkner?
  • How did the media act as a tipping point in each case?
  • Which situational factors led to violence?
  • How did female and gay identities go against accepted norms of “male” identity? How did stereotypes function to challenge and maintain identities?
  • How are larger social tensions reflected in these episodes?

Laura Smith, Rutgers University, Fall 2005

From Tensions between the Public, the Private, and the Personal.

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Defining Truth (Assignment 2)

Both “How to Tell a True War Story,” and “The Naked Citadel” are accounts of young men, who whether by choice or by obligation, are isolated from the rest of society in an unnatural fashion; both sets of men create their own rituals and cultures in response to the stress and isolation.

O’Brien addresses the stress by constantly revising and re-telling his account of the narrator’s experience, wondering if he “could ever get the story right,” (p.396); he finally concludes that “You can tell a true war story if you just keep on telling it.” Many of the Citadel cadets quoted in Faludi’s essay address stress differently: they resist change and cling to the same rituals and traditions, showing hostility and aggression toward any person or thing who threatens those traditions.

Once the men who have lived through these experiences leave the military or the Citadel, and return to the larger world, will either approach be more helpful in adjusting to society and living conventional lives? Is it healthy to “revise and re-tell” like O’Brien, or is it possible to defend traditions and rituals, like those of the Citadel, in a socially productive way?

Mary J. Oltarzewski, Rutgers University, Fall 2005

From Defining Truth.

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Defining Truth (Assignment 3)

In “The Roots of Debate” Deborah Tannen states , “If you limit your view of a problem to choosing between two sides, you inevitably reject much that is true, and you narrow your field of vision to the limits of those two sides, making it unlikely you’ll pull back, widen your field of vision and discover the paradigm shift that will permit truly new understanding.” Tannen continues, “We need to use our imaginations and ingenuity to find different ways to seek truth and gain knowledge,” so that as students and readers, our understanding extends beyond the simple, dualistic, “only two sides to a question” method of debate.

In the three assigned essays, by what means have Tim O’Brien, Susan Faludi, or Deborah Tannen attempted to use their “imaginations or ingenuity to find different ways to seek truth and gain knowledge?” If you believe that any of the three authors was significantly more successful in helping you, the reader, to “seek truth and gain knowledge,” explain why, relying on specific examples of the author’s language and content to support your preference. If you believe that any of the three authors was significantly LESS successful in helping you, the reader, to “seek truth and gain knowledge,” explain why, pointing to specific aspects of the author’s language and content that you believe may have impeded his or her message.

Mary J. Oltarzewski, Rutgers University, Fall 2005

From Defining Truth.

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