Women and Gender in American Society

Please answer all the questions below. The first two questions are designed to be answered with essays that are a bit longer in length, with much more detail and much more evidence from the course readings. The second set of essays are a bit shorter in length, and are designed in such a way that you need to be more selective in your evidence. The essays in part II still require that you use evidence to support your answers.

Your essays should be written in a single Word document, as Turn It In will only allow you ONE single upload. Please submit your midterm exam by 11:59, 9 October

Part I

Answer the following questions with essays of approximately 600 words each.

1. What are the key ways scholars have distinguished between sex, gender, and sexuality?

2. How have sex and gender been constructed historically? In other words, how have understandings of maleness and femaleness as well as masculinity and femininity changed? (Responses to this question must include evidence [quotes and/or examples—all cited] from the Hoffert, Schiebinger and the Laqueur)?

Part II

Please answer the following questions with 150-200 word essays each (450-600 words total)

3. What are the differences between women’s history and gender history?

4. How have cultures adopted multiple genders?

5. Describe the “transformative account of gender development,” and explain why it’s necessary.

In answering the questions above, be sure that you use ample evidence from the course readings. This should include direct quotes, paraphrases and examples. You must absolutely cite every piece of evidence you use from the readings. Make sure that you are balancing the readings from which you cite—don’t over-rely on the Renzetti while neglecting the Hoffert, for example. Your essays will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

20% – Clear, focused, central argument for each essay

30% – Evidence is balanced, related to the question, clearly connected to the central argument, and unpacked for the reader

10% – Citations, which are correctly done, consistent, and thorough

20% – Organization is clear, consistent, and appropriate. Each essay has a solid introduction and conclusion that clearly establishes the central argument and parameters of the essay. Each essay also has strong topic sentences that help drive the argument. Every paragraph is fully developed and meets the criteria for a paragraph.

20% – Style and Grammar. The essay is nicely crafted with solid, effective prose, and is grammatically correct with good spelling and careful punctuation.