journal Paper, Part A – Guidelines (15 pts)
(Due during Module #1. Part B will be due during Module #4.)
The objective of this writing assignment is to be critically observant of communication influenced by gender. You may
examine any contexts relevant to your life such as work, school, relationships, media (news, entertainment, social), etc.
(Note: You will need to reference your Part A paper when you write Part B later.) Take notes about your observations,
and then write a paper that responds to the following questions about what you saw and thought:
Questions
1. Observe three examples of significant verbal and/or nonverbal messages influenced by gender, and describe these
in detail. For instance, you might observe that the clothing your work colleagues wear is gendered (a nonverbal
example). Fully describe the clothing and explain how you feel it is linked to gender.
2. Are you comfortable or uncomfortable with these messages? Why? This question is asking for your opinion. For
example, in response to the first question, you might describe a TV scene in which a character says, “You throw like
a girl” (a verbal example). Describe your comfort or discomfort with this statement, and provide a context for your
reaction. Perhaps you feel bothered by what you consider a sexist remark. Or perhaps you view the scene as
comedic, a humorous take on gender stereotypes that doesn’t bother you.
3. How does your gender socialization affect your perceptions of the messages you observed and described?
(NOTE: Gender socialization refers to how you were raised with respect to gender, i.e., what your family members
and society taught you about gender as you were growing up.) Think carefully about how you are viewing a
situation through the lens of your own gender. For example, if you observed that your friends call you “dude” when
they greet you, explain your response to this nickname based on your own gender roles or identity.
Format
* Develop your journal paper in 500-750 words.
* Do not include a cover page, but do include your name at the top of the first page and number your pages (upper right
corner).
* Write in first person (using “I”). Structure your paper for an audience who expect your tone to be conversational,
your language grammatical, and your format paragraphed. In other words, be personal but professional.