Queer Theory/Queer Lives, Fall 2004

Assignment # 3

Due: Tuesday December 14, 12:30pm

Assignment: Your choice! Respond critically to a topic related to violence (physical, cultural, structural or other forms) and/or resistance in a 3-5 page paper OR a creative response of your own design. Your paper or project must engage texts (this can include films and guest speakers) assigned Nov. 16-Dec. 9.

Create a piece of writing, art, video, film, poetry, performance or other form of expression in response to a topic of your choice related to violence and/or resistance to violence as discussed in the course. The guidelines and format are flexible, but you must engage issues covered in the readings and/or discussed in class, and produce the equivalent of a 3-5 page paper. Ideas to consider: What kinds of violence are socially acceptable, under what conditions, and by what institutions? Consider a correspondence between sex and gender roles and socially acceptable violence.

The purpose of this project is for you to respond critically to an issue raised in the course, and to integrate references to in-class and outside material in your discussion/piece. Please focus on communicating YOUR REACTIONS to the material.

You will probably find this assignment most appealing if you choose a topic that either intrigued you a lot or troubled you. BE SURE TO GIVE YOUR OWN CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE MATERIAL -- DO NOT MERELY SUMMARIZE THE IDEAS PRESENTED IN THE TEXT OR IN CLASS.

Grading: This project is worth 15% of your final grade. As usual, you will be graded as follows:

• Integration of and critical response to the material
• Independent creative thinking
• Overall writing quality including references, citations and bibliography
• TIMELINESS

Guidelines:

1. Demonstrate that you have thought independently and creatively about the readings, class discussions, and other material related to the topic you've chosen.

2. Make two or more specific references to assigned readings, and at least one reference to an outside source.

3. If a paper, it should be typed and double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Correct spelling, grammar, citations and a bibliography are expected.

If something other than a paper, please provide a brief (one paragraph to one page) typed description of your piece explaining why you chose the topic you did and how your piece relates to the text(s) or topic you are addressing. See the research project/creative response assignment for suggestions on non-paper projects.

4. As usual, you must use citations correctly and provide a bibliography!