Tensions between the Public, the Private, and the Personal
Laura Smith, Rutgers University, Fall 2005
Assignment 1
Instructions: Write an essay in which you explore the issues discussed below. Your essay should have an introduction and a thesis (project) followed by a well-developed argument that uses the assigned reading for support.
Discuss the ways that Greider claims that the “master-servant” relationship of the current workplace undercuts democracy. How does this contribute to a “socialization of powerlessness” (p. 215)?
Do you agree or disagree with Greider’s analysis of the problem? With his proposed solution? In your opinion, are capitalism and democracy fundamentally at odds? Or can they co-exist in a mutually reinforcing way? Give your reasons in as much detail as possible with supporting evidence from the text.
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, and the clarity and structure of your argument.
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Assignment 2
Develop a project considering the following:
Both William Greider and Amy Chua talk about the tensions existing between capitalism and democracy, Greider in the context of the domestic U.S., Chua in terms of the global scene. Chua adds the element of ethnic groups and “market-dominant minorities” into the picture. How would this factor change or explain the dynamics of the master-servant relationship and the “socialization of powerlessness” that Greider talks about? What connections can you make between the two authors’ views? In what ways do they differ? What conclusions can you draw? In your view, what is the best course of action to address the inequality of wealth and power both in the U.S. and globally?
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.
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Assignment 3
Develop a project considering the following:
Using Scott as a “frame,” analyze the essays of Greider and Chua in terms of the ideas of the “public transcript” and “hidden transcript.” What, if any commonalities do you find between the two? What new light do Scott’s ideas shed on the other authors? Do Scott’s ideas suggest a key to the solutions that Greider and Chua talk about? Is it possible to “speak Truth to power?” (Scott 521)
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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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