Assignment 5 -- All Right or Too Polite?
Purpose:
At this point in the semester, we’ve spoken about many key writing issues, including prewriting, critique, craft, and research. For this assignment, we’ll focus mainly on revision – specifically, revising your work for the portfolio. We’ll conduct in-class revision workshops and discuss strategies for selecting and reworking papers for the portfolio.
Texts:
“Cultural Etiquette: A Guide” by Amoja Three Rivers. From The Conscious Reader, edited by
Caroline Shrodes. Boston and London: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. 821-4.
You may also use any of your psychology texts or any research that you choose, though this is
not a requirement of the assignment. Bear in mind, however, that utilizing sources may
provide you with ideas that you might not otherwise consider.
Background:
This prompt asks you to express your opinion as to whether “political correctness” is more of a benefit or a nuisance. Three Rivers provides a sort of mini-conduct manual on the subject; has she gone too far? Is she oversensitive? Or perhaps you think that Three Rivers’s ideas are quite reasonable, but that our current culture tends to overreact in regards to race and gender sensitivity (or any other kind of sensitivity).
Task:
After you’ve read Three Rivers’s short guide and performed some prewriting, formulate an idea about how useful or non-useful “cultural etiquette” or “political correctness” is. Then, in a 5-page, thesis-driven, essay answer the following question:
Is “political correctness” more of a benefit or a hindrance, and why?
Some Tips to Help You:
1. At several points in your psychology class, Professor Jellison has asked if you think that a particular writer or individual has been too sensitive. If you remember these moments, they may help you to “get your ideas flowing” on the topic.
2. If you have a “gut reaction” to the prompt, that’s probably the side that you should write about. If you don’t have an immediate response, take some time to think about the question – it’s a question that you may have to deal with in the workplace at some point.
3. You can narrow your focus if you know that you have a tendency to write papers that lack unity. Perhaps you want to only discuss political correctness on the job – or in schools, the entertainment industry – you can select an arena on which to center your discussion. But if that idea seems limiting to you, you needn’t use it.
Class Calendar:
Monday, April 1 –Prof. Jellison’s “Dress Differently” day, discussion of paper 5.
Wednesday, April 3 – How-to’s of writing in-class essays.
Friday, April 5 – Discussion of portfolio revisions, procedures.
Monday, April 8 – Conferences.
Wednesday, April 10 – Large-sized blue-book due. ROUGH DRAFT DUE. Peer editing.
Friday, April 12 – In-class revisions of paper 5.
Monday, April 15 – No class. FINAL DRAFT DUE if you want paper 5 to be eligible for inclusion in your portfolio.
Wednesday, April 17 – FINAL DRAFT DUE if you don't want paper 5 to be portfolio eligible. In-class revision workshop – “big idea” revision/asking questions.
Friday, April 19 – Prep for the in-class impromptu.
Monday, April 22 – In-class impromptu. This is a timed writing, so PLEASE don’t be late.*
Wednesday, April 24 – FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE. Instructor Evaluation.
*If you miss the in-class impromptu, the make-up session is at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April 29 –
and as I don’t think that any of you enjoy the wee hours of the morning, please don’t
miss class or be late on this day.
Links
Ms. Strong's Homepage
Writing 140 Homepage
