In 1500-1800 words, produce a well-researched essay that examines the narratives that attach to your body, and why/how; examines where those narratives come from; and elaborates on the consequences of those attachments.
You might, like Yergeau, select one Discourse relevant to your lived experience (for Yergeau, autism), and examine the many narratives that coalesce around that singular Discourse as it’s lived through your body and bodies like yours. Or, you might examine multiple Discourses that cohere around different parts of your body – skin, hair, weight, muscles, sexed/gendered features, body modifications, etc. You may also choose to develop your own approach to this assignment; if so, you will complete a brief Proposal that outlines how you would like to approach this assignment in a way that 1) is still reflective of our course themes, and 2) makes use of research and secondary sources.
Learning Objectives
With this assignment, students will write to learn how to
employ strategies of pre-writing, drafting, and revising, taking into consideration rhetorical purpose, the knowledge and needs of different audiences, and the feedback of instructors and peers;
produce substantial revisions of drafts, as distinguished from editing and proofreading;
conduct inquiry-driven research, using appropriate data repositories and properly attributing and citing the language and ideas of others to avoid plagiarism;
develop a focused thesis and link it to appropriate reasons and adequate evidence;
use genre conventions and structure (e.g., introductions, paragraphing, transitions) in ways that serve the development and communication of information and ideas; and
edit such that choices in style, grammar, spelling, and punctuation contribute to the clear communication of information and ideas.
Criteria for Success
Successful papers will
demonstrate your ability to read critically, summarize, analyze, and synthesize information and concepts from written sources as the basis for developing your own ideas and claims about the significance of embodied discourses;
ground your discussion and inquiry in specific primary experience and examples;
submit copies of or links of all sources cited in the paper;
maintain adherence to genre conventions, structure, mechanics, and MLA-style and format throughout.
