Feminine Psychology

Psychology of Women   A cultural artifact is an everyday item that constructs gender (and/or race, sexuality, class) in interesting, surprising, or predictable ways. You might collect a greeting card, cereal box, wedding announcement, Quinceañera invitation, coloring book, children’s toy, or anything that you can discuss and analyze according to gender.   You will use one artifact (or two if you want to make a comparison) and write a paper (approximately 3-4 pages of double-spaced text). Your analysis should address the following questions and any additional comments and discussion of the object you can provide:   •       What lessons does the object teach us about gender?  •       In what ways/how does it teach the lessons?   •       What stereotypes about women or men are perpetuated with the object? How are the stereotypes conveyed? •       Is there a hidden meaning (subtext) that differs from the overt message or meaning?  •       What section in our text relates to the artifact and how does the reading help you understand the artifact?   Your analysis should be specific and detailed and will utilize class materials such as textbook readings or films to help with your analysis. Please refer to page numbers when citing information from our readings. Be sure to include a photo of the artifact with your paper submission (you can copy an image or screenshot of the item into your document). As part of your analysis, explain where you got the artifact—if it’s from a magazine, state the source; if online, state the site.   This project is worth 25 points and is due as stated in the syllabus. Late assignments will not be accepted. Please submit your document to the Cultural Artifact Analysis link in the Assignment folder. Papers will be reviewed by Turnitin for plagiarism issues.   Writing guidelines:   •       Papers should be at least 1000 words (approximately 3-4 pages) •       Typed, 12 pt font, double-spaced text with 1” margins •       Do not use quotations; instead paraphrase in your own words and cite the source. •       All sources must be cited in APA format. •       Papers should be well-written, coherent, and organized with logically-ordered paragraphs including an introduction and short conclusion. Analyses should be in-depth and thorough. The textbook should be properly cited when discussing the theory/concept, and all sources should be included on the references page. •       Statements need to be supported with research evidence and elaboration. For example, if you write, “This toy teaches girls to be weak,” you need to detail the specific ways in which the toy conveys weakness for girls. Don’t just assume I’ll agree with you and understand your point without explanation. •       Your paper will be evaluated on: 1) writing quality (structure and grammar), 2) how well you address each of the questions, and 3) how well you utilize course materials and references.