Homework Help: english1a - topic/thesis

Posted by Kuromi on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 2:04am.

I need to think of an argument to write about before I think of a thesis, our topic has to do with Gender Roles and Society.

this is our assignment:

Gender Roles Essay
Each society has its own definition for the proper roles of men and women, but for the most part these definitions have been surprisingly similar, at least at a general level, from society to society. Men are usually given an active role, in business, in politics, in war, and in intellectual achievement, while women are given a caretaking role in housekeeping, cooking, and childcare. Some believe that these roles are determined by natural biological characteristics, while others believe that these roles are determined by culture and education, and thus can be changed. So in the past two decades have the roles of women/men in American society changed considerably?
For your SECOND essay (3-4 pages) you will write an argument about the role of GENDER in a SPECIFIC aspect of American culture. Remember to use exact details and to focus your thesis on a particular subject, such as a form of art, a sport, a famous person, a controversial incident in the news or in history, or a cultural custom -- the more SPECIFIC, the better. If you would like to, you may use the movies we have seenr” and your journal to write your essay. You must refer to at least two writers we have read in to support your ideas on gender.
Remember that your thesis statement will state your opinion about the subject that you choose. Do not make a statement that is broad or obvious; these topics are not worth writing about.
Some questions to help:
Is your essay subject a case where an individual has difficulty fitting into an expected gender role in American culture. What is the source of this difficulty (look at the cultural/societal context)? Is there a way to fix the problem? Or do you think it would be inappropriate to change things, in this case?
Study an institution that requires differing roles for men and women. Do you think the division of gender roles, in this case, is appropriate? Why or why not?
Study a case where gender codes have changed over time. Have the codes loosened or become stricter? Why has caused this to happen?
How have changes in the role of gender in American society influenced your own life in a positive or negative way?

I'm quoting stories from:
Appearances by Carmen Vasquez
Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender by Holly Devor.

I want to write about how people appear to look a certain way (gay) but their not. I'm not sure how to narrow that down to my thesis.

english1a - topic/thesis - MattsRiceBowl, Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 7:35am
I'm not really sure how you'll tie in your idea of what you want to write about with the questions.
English1a - topic/thesis - Writeacher, Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 8:12am
Matt is right. It's hard to see where you intend to go with such a vague thought.

You should probably brainstorm many ideas, such as men's traditional roles now taken on by women and vice versa, and then list them here if you want someone's input into your thinking. At this point in choosing a topic, don't limit yourself to your first thought.
english1a - topic/thesis - Kuromi, Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 3:47pm
The questions my professor asked is just thoughts to ponder about, ideas for our paper but we can choose any topic we want as long as it's related to the stories assigned.

I would like to narrow my subject/topic down to these questions...

Is your essay subject a case where an individual has difficulty fitting into an expected gender role in American culture. What is the source of this difficulty (look at the cultural/societal context)? Is there a way to fix the problem? Or do you think it would be inappropriate to change things, in this case?

quotes I'm choosing (2-4):
Appearances by Carmen Vazquez
"Men who are not pursuing sexual conquests of women at every available opportunity, who disdain sports, who choose to stay at home and be a house-husband, who are employed as hairdressers, designers, or house cleaners, or who dressin any way remotely resembling traditional female attire, are very likely to experience the taunts and sometimes the brutality of 'fag bashing.'"

"I would add that gay men look like all men and all men look like gay men. There is no guaranteed method for identifying sexual orientation."

"Mickey pulled off his wash-faded black denim jacket and wrapped it around his waist. An iridescent blue tank top hung easy on his shoulders. Micky steered his girlfriend onto the dance floor."

Becoming Members of Society by Holly Devor

"People are believed to be unable to change genders without sex change surgery, and those who do change sex are considered to be both disturbed and exceedingly rare."

I have to do a research paper later on Gender roles and Disney movies, so I want to save that other topic (such as men's traditional roles now taken on by women and vice versa) for that one.

I want my paper to be about how over the years society has changed a great deal as gender roles, gender identity, how people dress and what not. And even though people may seem or look like a homesexual, it is not always the case. Americans need to realize that every person is a human and no matter what they are on the outside, we are all the same on the inside. People cannot judge someone's sexual orientation by how they look or how they dress, because "all gay men look like all men and all men look like gay men."

I would like to my introduction my topic on how children are taught to dress and act like their own genders. and then my first supporting paragraph will talk about the difference between gender (sexes), gender roles, and gender identities and quote "people are believed to be unable to change genders without sex change surgery, and those who do change sex are considered to be both disturbed and exceedingly rare."

my second supporting paragraph may talk about how homosexuals dress, that even though they may dress a certain way or act a certain way, it does not mean that they are gay.

and the third maybe talking about the dangers and violence (gay-bashing) of homesexuals and even innocent people who are perceived as gay but are not gay.

And then conclusion. It will be a 3-4 pg paper.

Is this more of a specific topic?

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