Teachers Expectations:
There are two essay questions for the final, you need to answer both of them.
One question is at least in its wording sourced more from the last five weeks, and the other will be more generally focussed. But you can answer either anyway you like with all the material from the class as resource – you are encouraged to think broadly about the questions. Remember, a diversity of specifics and examples creates a more substantiated paper. Given there are two questions, you can’t use the same specific examples in both.
Please read the instructions carefully, and if you have an additional question, please ask it under the ‘General discussion forum’.
Please revisit all of the guidelines and instructions regarding writing essays for the first two response papers.
Write your responses in essay format – that is, with an introduction paragraph, and the following discussion split up into paragraphs by points.
Submit it as a Word document with your name in the document title, and both essays in the one document.
Do NOT get anyone else to write your paper for you, including any AI source. It is very obvious when people do this.
For this exam, you are required to write essay answers to BOTH questions below. Your answers must be at least 675 words. Answers will be graded according to four criteria:
The degree to which they show understanding of the ideas and content presented in class readings, lectures, discussion board and films/videos.
The quality of the logical reasoning in your argument
How well you use the material from lectures, readings and film/video from class to support your argument. Draw from at least five examples from different sources for each question/essay and be sure at least three of those are from journal articles from class. You are very welcome to use outside sources, they would be additional to the required materials from class. Do not use the same set of sources for each essay – if there is one in common, that can be ok, but they should be distinct papers.
The quality of your essay writing.
Because this is a take home exam, I expect your answer to be a well written, edited essay with a clear short introduction, one paragraph per discussion point and a succinct conclusion that reiterates your points. I suggest you outline three points that you can link in a logical argument that addresses the question. Avoid overly grandiose statements as they always detract from having a short focused essay. The discussion is the most important part of your essay.
This final exam is a take-home, open-book, open-notes exam, but you must do it on your own, without discussion with other students. Cite examples you use from readings and films/videos, but you do not need to cite information from lectures/discussions.
Be careful not to paraphrase readings as that can be plagiarism; demonstrate that this is your synthesis of materials that address the questions you choose. Plagiarism will result in automatic failure.
Submit the exam via the provided blackboard link. Please write your exam in Word .doc, submit only one document (don’t submit separate documents for each essay) and be sure to include your name in the title.
Late papers will not be accepted without an extraordinary reason, like being in the hospital for at least a few days. Wifi going down, etc., will not be a valid reason – please factor in these kind of concerns timing wise. The grades are due soon after the deadline, so another reason for the importance to turn in exam in a timely manner.
QUESTIONS: Answer the two following questions. Organize your own argument which responds to the statement.
Traditional patterns of life are being swept away by what British sociologist Anthony Giddens has called the ‘juggernaut of modernity’ and with them are going many elements of social order that sustained a traditional sexual morality. Discuss. (Do not worry that we haven’t discussed Giddens in class – just use this quote from his work as a stimulus to address this issue, you don’t need to read or draw from his work to write this essay)
Increasingly in contemporary societies, sexuality and/or gender in its various forms is a central issue in mainstream debates on civic values. Please discuss
Sources to use:
Week 11: Race, Gender and Sexuality cont.
Reading: from Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender and the New Racism by Patricia Hill Collins
Chapter 5: Booty Call: Sex, Violence and Black Masculinity
Week 12: Pornography
Video: The Great Porn Experiment Gary Wilson
Video: Ted Talk, Feminist Porn: Shifting Our Sexual Culture Olivia Tarplin
reading: CLARISSA SMITH pornographication: a discourse for all seasons (smith 2010)
Week 14: Shame and Revenge Pornography
Video: The Price of Shame, Monica Lewinsky
Video: Revenge Porn – the Naked Truth, Ann Olivarius
Reading: Revenge Pornography Karen Holt and Roberta Liggett
Week 15 Cybersex: polyamory
Video: An inversion of the cinematic genre of cybersex in Her
(http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/ccManager/clips/an-inversion-of-the-cinematic-genre-of-cybersex-in#)
Video: Why Monogamy is Ridiculous with Dan Savage and NPR article (https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2017/03/23/521199308/a-cultural-moment-for-polyamory)
reading: Personal relationships, intimacy and the self in a mediated and global digital age by Lynn Jamieson
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255702880_Personal_Relationships_Intimacy_and_the_Self_in_a_Mediated_and_Global_Digital_Age)
Week 16 Integrating discussions on sexuality
reading: Remembering Foucault Jeffrey Weeks
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