Masculinity Essays (Part 1)

You will be assigned between 1-4 essays/articles to respond to in a SINGLE 800-1000 word response. You are NOT required to respond to each reading with its own separate Reading Response (you will end up writing too much if you do this). Again, you are only required to write a SINGLE 800-1000 word response that encompasses all the assigned readings, whether it is 1 assigned essay/article or more. At the bottom of this post, you will find links to sample student Reading Responses to give you an idea on how to complete and format your RR.

An RR must meet the word count and be treated like a mini essay with indented paragraphs and attention to proper citation and correct use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You must mention all the names of the authors AND titles of the essays you are responding to.

Approach each assigned essay as a critical reader. You should apply annotative methods when you read to help with the writing process (see “How to Annotate”). examine how each author presents his/her thesis argument and how he/she goes about supporting the essay’s claim. You should always bring your own values to bear on what you read.

What your writing should cover:

1.) discuss each author’s thesis claim and the examples used to support the claim.
2.) if there is more than one reading, compare and contrast both views and evidence presented by the authors by addressing specific points in each essay/article.
3.) explain from a “personal perspective” what you agreed or disagreed with, how your views were challenged or confirmed, etc. There should be a good balance between what was presented in the assigned readings and your own personal opinion (50% summary + 50% reflection).
At the top left hand corner of your RR, please include your name, date, and RR# and a title (title of the readings OR your own title that addresses the theme in the readings).