Women’s Studies

Description

These guidelines include: Overall Guidelines (Description/Criteria/Requirements)…..1-3 Proposal w/Annotated Bibliography Template…..4 Extra Credit Peer Draft Exchange Instructions…..4-6 Oral Presentation Instructions…..6 Appendix 1 Annotated Bibliography Guidelines…7-8 Appendix 2 MLA Style Format Notes…..8 A. Curandera/xScholarActivist Paper-Project GUIDELINES I. Description: Drawing on Aurora Levins Morales who maps out the ways that the historian can be a “curandera/x” (1998) and the National Latina Health Organization who calls us to integrate our bodymindspirits into our life’s work (Ayala, Herrera, Jiménez, and Lara 2006), and other scholar-activists who urge us to “act on the knowledge gained” (Anzaldúa 2002) and link our research/creative process with personal and social change, I am asking you to take on a “Curandera/xScholarActivist” positionality for your final paper-project. Re-read Levins Morales’ curandera “handbook” of fifteen ways a historian (or researcher in general) can heal through their work. Reflect on ways that you would like to use some of these methods to create a healing research paper-project that relates to “Latinas/xs in las Américas” (broadly defined as we have discussed in class). Review the syllabus: perhaps you see a topic in the syllabus that you’d like to learn more about? Or notice a gap in the syllabus that you’d like to address?  Choose a paper-project topic that you feel passionate about and that might be healing for you as well as healing for others. You will research, write, and orally present your paper-project on a topic that focuses on “Latinas/xs.”  This assignment is an opportunity to explore and analyze a topic that is particularl                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   y compelling to you. The structure is open to creative possibilities so that you may draw on your strengths and/or develop new skills that will be helpful to you in communities within or outside of the university. Possibilities to consider include: conducting an oral history project; creating a curriculum guide for teaching 5th or 11th graders about a Latina/x topic; investigating the work of a relevant community-based organization; asking a community-based organization if they have a research need you can assist with; conducting a set of “focus group” interviews; creating a “zine;” utilizing film, photography, visual artwork, spoken word or other forms of media; writing a research-based play or a “traditional” research paper; or a combination thereof… The possibilities are infinite; allow yourself to imagine, explore, and set free your naturally curious self ☺ Whatever you decide to do, you will be evaluated on how well you meet all of the following criteria (A.-C.): II. Criteria for Grading: A. Content Criteria: 1. Integrating into your paper-project the analytical use of some of the following class concepts: (de)colonialism; coloniality; (des)conocimiento; path of conocimiento; spiritual activism; transculturation; healing methodologies; the b/Borderlands; Latina feminism(s); the politics of translation; an understanding of identity as complex and fluid, as well as affected by society, politics, and history (e.g. all of the social categories and systems of privilege and oppression) AND as a core sense of self to be discovered and/or constructed; and/or other issues or concepts from the readings and discussions. In addition, you are expected to integrate all or most of the course readings that relate to your topic (if relevant). 2. Centering the lives and experiences of “Latinas/xs en las Américas” in your investigation, as well as the theories, scholarship, methods, and epistemologies/ways of knowing created by “Latinas en las Américas.” 3. Integrating sentipensante self-reflection throughout the paper or in a specific section (e.g., introduction/preface). Questions you need to address: What is your personal path to this work? What are your sentipensamientos, thoughts and feelings, about the issues raised in your work? How do you feel as you move through the process of researching, reflecting, organizing, and writing your paper-project? How have you worked to make this process a personally and/or culturally/socially/historically healing one? How have you been transformed by this process, if at all? Specifically addressing our learning outcomes and course in general, how does it fit into the class’s praxis of decolonial CuranderaScholarActivism? 4. Integrating at least three methods from the “The Historian as Curandera” handbook. Questions you need to address: Which specific methods do you use and why? What is healing about your paper-project, personally, socially, globally, and/or cosmically…? 5. Being specific about the who, what, when, and where that you are analyzing by addressing the historical, geographical, and cultural context of your research and the social locations (e.g. race, ethnicity, nation, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, class, religion, ability, age…) of the Chicana/Xicana/Latina/Latinx/Indigenous/ Zapotec [or other specific tribal identity]/Afro-Latina/CentralAmericanAmerican/ Peruvian (and so forth) cis or trans women you are addressing. B. Critical & Creative Thinking Criteria: 1. Provide Evidence: Always support your thoughts and feelings with evidence. In other words, always cite the text (direct quotes usually work better than paraphrasing; include page numbers when relevant) and explain why you think and feel (what Laura Rendón calls “sentipensar”) as you do (“I feel X because…”) 2. Integrating critical thinking (do not only describe, also analyze and think about the personal and social implications of what you are addressing for Latinas/xs and beyond). Throughout your paper, but particularly in your introduction, make sure to address what you think is the significance of your paper-project (Answer the following: Why is it important? What is its/your purpose?) 3.  Exemplifying creativity and heartfelt thoughtfulness. C. Mechanics & Format Criteria: 1. Length: Undergraduates, 10-12 pgs.; Graduates, 13-15 pgs. (including bibliography/ works cited page). Double-spaced; 1” margins; 12-point font. Include page numbers & staple. NOTE: Page count depends on your approach to paper/project – let’s discuss. 2. Following the rules of composition, including organization, clarity, proper spelling, and grammar. Proofread! Ask a friend or writing tutor at the writing lab to read over your draft. I also invite you to make an office hours appointment with me in advance and I will be happy to read a draft and offer my feedback. 3. Coherent and Interesting Essay Structure. State your thesis in an introductory paragraph/section.  In a few sentences, provide a brief outline or map of the journey you are taking in your paper. That is, briefly tell your readers what you are covering in your subsections and explain how the subsections thread together, relate to each other, and/or build on each other. For example, “Before I address x [your main purpose], I will provide brief historical background on z…”; “Next I will…, followed by x…”; “Finally, I will turn to w to show v…” Develop an interesting “lead” or “hook” to your paper-project.  Include a concluding paragraph that circles back to your main purpose as outlined in the introduction. 4. Integrating at least eight scholarly sources. At least four must be sources beyond the course materials. See Appendix 1 below for what counts as scholarly sources. You are welcome to include webpage and documentary sources as well, but these will not be included in the eight minimum academic sources you need. Remember to include relevant course materials. 5.  Stating what citation manual you are using at the top of your paper and properly citing your references to articles, books, films, magazines, websites, etc. in the text and in a Works Cited page. If interviews are part of your Essay-Project, then also include them in your Works Cited. (Ask your interviewees if they prefer you use a pseudonym for their name). NOTE: MLA or Chicago Style Preferred. III. Requirements as a Whole  In addition to your final paper-project, you will turn in a proposal that includes an annotated bibliography. During final’s week, everyone will give a brief oral presentation to the class and submit a 1 to 2 page detailed outline of their presentation. Components Points Due Date Proposal with Annotated Bibliography 100 11/4 Peer Draft Exchange 20 Ex.Cr.` 12/2 & 12/6 Final Paper-Project 150 12/9 Oral Presentation with Outline 50    12/2 & 12/9 _________________________________________________________________     TOTAL:   300 points B. CuranderaScholarActivist Paper-Project Proposal with Annotated Bibliography Type responses. You can use this form. Due at the beginning of class on 11/4. Name: Proposed Title of Research Paper/Project & Format (research paper, literature review, curriculum, workshop series, symposium plan, zine, artivist exhibit, children’s book…?): Description. Answer the following questions in at least three full paragraphs:  What do you propose your paper-project be about? Why have you chosen this topic? Why do you think having and sharing “conocimientos” about this topic is important, personally and socially? What methods from Aurora Levins Morales’ “The Historian as Curandera” do you plan on integrating and/or addressing and why? What other methods and/or what else will your paper/project entail? Which additional course readings, if any, inform your paper-project and in what ways?   Summarize your research topic into one key question you will be analyzing/answering: What is your working thesis statement or hypothesis? (What do you think you will show through your work? What are you arguing and how?) Include an Annotated Bibliography with a description of at least 8 scholarly sources as closely related to your topic as possible (i.e. books, book chapters, theses, research articles in scholarly journals written by MAs or PhDs). See Appendix 1 below for what counts as scholarly sources. You must include texts written from Women’s Studies, Chicana/Latina/Indigenous Women’s Studies, and Latin American Studies feminist perspectives. Up to four can be texts from our own class. Be consistent with a style format (e.g. MLA, Chicago 16th edition Style) and also include full citation information (as most of our articles are listed on Blackboard). C: EXTRA CREDIT Rough Draft Peer Exchange Before giving a hard copy of your draft to your peer, write a mini-memo that adds two questions at the end of your essay that will elicit feedback on two particular aspects of your paper. Choose something that has perplexed or troubled you in the process of drafting the paper, and on which you would honestly appreciate feedback. Rough Draft Peer Exchange Guidelines Adapted from the University of Minnesota’s Teaching with Writing Peer Workshop, Pamela Flash, Associate Director of the Center for Writing. http://writing.umn.edu/tww/responding_grading/response_sample.htm Give yourself enough time to really focus on this—figure at least one hour.  Remember to make your comments legible—you might want to use a pencil—and to focus on the BIG PICTURE issues rather than grammar and style (although do note typos & grammatical errors.) 1.  Begin by writing your name and email address on the top right-hand corner of your peer draft. That way, if there’s any confusion later, your peer can contact you to clear it up. 2.  Read through the paper once quickly. Resist the temptation to jump in with specific comments until after you’ve read through the whole paper once. Mark passages you think you might like to return to later – either because they interest you or confuse you. Put a wavy line under phrases or lines that are difficult to follow, and then move on. Now go back, and draw out your comments further (write directly on the drafts): 3.  Scan the paper and underline what you take to be the thesis (“a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved”). *Make a comment about its location. If it isn’t until the end of the draft, at what point might you have been reading along and wondered where you were going? If it is located at the beginning of the draft, does it seem abrupt? Does it give too much away too soon? What might you have needed to hear about first? 4.  Next, get into the main body of the paper.  *Place a star (*) by points that interest you in this section and comment on what you’re interested in. *Place a question mark (?) beside large passages that you have difficulty understanding, and a wavy line under shorter phrases/sentences that you aren’t following. Ask clarifying questions, such as: What are you trying to say here? What do you mean by X? *Consider the extent to which the discussion fulfills the promise made by the thesis. What, if anything strays? What, if anything, would you like to have heard more about?  *Note places that might have been strengthened with quotes and/or evidence from the sources. *Does this section of the paper seem focused and grow organically or does it jump from point to point, like a list of different discussion points? If the latter is true, which one or two points seem like the best candidates for focus? *Note any places where your peer gets back into summarizing rather than developing discussion. Do you feel that you are getting an organized analysis or a guided tour back through the entire essay? *Does the essay seem complete, or would you like to see it develop into a larger discussion of the thesis topic? 5.  Comment on the lead (first paragraph) and wrap-up (final paragraph): *On a scale of 1-5 (5=high), how engaging and useful did you find the lead? Suggestions on how to better “hook” the reader?  Is the purpose of the paper clearly communicated in the first or second paragraph? If not, suggestions on how to better do so? *Does the wrap-up (final paragraph) “revisit” the thesis and synthesize the other elements of discussion, or does it primarily repeat the thesis or lead? What do you walk away from the final paragraph understanding about the essay? On the back of the paper, note answers to the following: What do you take as the focus or main point of this draft? What, specifically, interested you about the draft? What are your suggestions regarding any specific concerns addressed in your partner’s memo? What do you suggest as the single most important revision your peer could make? D.  CuranderaScholarActivist Paper-Project Oral Presentation  Everyone will embody their curandera positionality and creatively present healing conocimientos/reflections from their paper-projects on the last week(s) of class. Plan for a brief 3 to 4-minute presentation. Before your presentation, turn in a brief one-page outline of your presentation so I can follow along. Requirements: As part of your overview, include a discussion of how your CSA Paper-Project helped you meet at least one of the course learning goals and how. You must also integrate a handout, powerpoint or other visuals, audio, or any creative tools that engage our bodymindspirits. 512 CSA Final Paper/Project Checklist & Rubric *Review alongside “Content Criteria” (p. 2-3 of Guidelines) Name: Points out of 150: Content Criteria (80 possible)______ 1. Integrating a. an analysis of class concepts and b. the course readings that relate to your topic (if relevant) 2. Integrating self-reflection throughout the paper or in a specific section (e.g. in the intro. or a preface).  Thoroughly respond to specific questions from a sentipensante perspective (see Guidelines) 3. Integrating at least three methods from the “The Historian as Curandera”  4. Being specific about the who, what, when, and where that you are analyzing by addressing historical, geographical, and cultural contexts… Critical & Creative Thinking Criteria (40 possible)______ 1. Provide evidence of your thoughts and feelings & address the “why?” regarding your sentipensamientos 2. Integrate critical thinking; Address the significance of your paper-project. 3. Exemplify creativity and thoughtfulness. Mechanics & Format Criteria (30 possible) 1. Length: ~10 pgs undergrads; ~15 pgs grads; Double-spaced; 1” to 1.25” margins; 12-point font. Include page numbers.  2. Following the rules of composition (organization, clarity, proper spelling, grammar). Did you proofread?   3. Coherent and Interesting Essay Structure (thesis; introductory hook; conclusion) 4. Integrating at least eight academic sources; at least four must be beyond the course materials.   5.  Properly citing your references in the text & in a Bibliography/Works Cited page.  CSA Paper-Project Literature Review Option You have already completed an annotated bibliography and met with me to discuss revisions on your research topic if need be. (If not, then you need to work on these initial steps asap). The next step in organizing your research before writing a research paper is writing a literature review. To complete this assignment, you will use your annotated bibliography of at least eight academic sources and add at least two more relevant scholarly sources. At any point during your research and writing process, be sure to consult with me and any of your femtors/mentors. The following are guidelines to assist you in completing this assignment successfully. You can also consult CSA alum Stephanie Saenz’s Literature Review as an example (posted in the Assignments folder).  The Literature Review should: Provide a context for your proposed study and demonstrate why your study is important and timely Clarify the relationship between the proposed study and previous work conducted on the topic Convince the reader how your study follows but is distinct from previous studies – at this stage of your career do not worry about it having to be cutting edge 🙂 Demonstrate your conocimientos/knowledge about the work of others beyond a descriptive list of their ideas and studies Your literature review should include each of the components as listed below: 1. Introduction (one or two paragraphs at the beginning): * Overview of subject, issue, or theory under consideration & the objective of the literature review * Include your thesis statement “In this literature review I analyze scholarship related to (your topic) by organizing it into the three sub-themes, (list), to show…”)   * If not clear in a thesis statement, include a sentence or two that maps out what you will be analyzing (how have you clustered your works into 3 or so subcategories?) For example: “I have orgazined my literature review of x works based on…”; “First I analyze works that x, then I focus on y, and conclude with analyzing scholarship about z.” 2. Organization of works into categories or clusters (use subtitles): *You decide what is the best way to organize your work. Sometimes it’s historical, such as: early foundational scholarship on your topic, a middle development, then the most recent ways scholars are engaging your topic. Sometimes it’s subthemes within your topic, such as: general issues/theories on Latinas in the education pipeline, then scholarship focused on Latina undergrads, then scholarship focused on Latina grad students). Sometimes it’s by disciplines, such as: how sexual education for Latinas is addressed in Latina literature, Sociology, and Education. *Evaluation of each work—how does it fit into the main conversations being held about the overall topic? Why did you include it? What does the author say about your subject? How is the work both similar to the others AND different from the others?  3. Conclusion (one or two paragraphs at the end): * Discuss which texts make the best argument, greatest contribution, and/or provide the most provoking/convincing way of understanding your subject and the reasons why you think so. *Discuss how the review of this literature has helped you develop or gain clarity about your own research topic/research question as you move forward into next semester. *Assignment adapted from Dr. Yolanda Venegas (thank you!) *SENTIPENSANTE PREFACE: Remember to also include a Preface (about 2 to 3 double-spaced pages) that addresses most of the questions, especially the ones most relevant to your work:  What is your personal path to this work? Why did you choose this paper/project? What is your purpose/what are your objectives with creating/writing it? Specifically addressing our learning outcomes and course in general, how does it fit into the class’s praxis of decolonial CuranderaScholarActivism?  What are your sentipensamientos, thoughts and feelings, about the issues raised in your work? How do you feel as you move through the process of researching, reflecting, organizing, and writing your paper-project? How have you worked to make this process a personally and/or culturally/socially/historically healing one? How have you been transformed by this process, if at all?  How do you feel/what do you think about what you have done and learned through this process?  What challenges did you imagine you might encounter and did you? To what extent were you able to pre-empt and/or address them? In what ways? What other challenges/limitations arose and how did you work to ameliorate them? What challenges might arise with any possible next steps to your paper/project in the future and how might you prepare your self for them?