PROMPT: In this course we’ve analyzed the manifold ways that U.S. society has surveilled, policed, regulated, and punished sexualities that don’t conform to patriarchal and heteronormative exigencies. We’ve examined how laws, policies, police practices, and social mores—including media, cultural, and marketing representations—have implicitly or explicitly subjugated, denigrated, or exploited members of the queer community, women, and gender minorities. To end this class on a positive note, your final assignment will be to analyze the flip-side of the coin.

Choose a specific activist organization or leader, policy initiative, or media text that has challenged, subverted, or posited an alternative to repressive patriarchal and heteronormative patterns of thinking. Consider how your chosen research subject has worked to help liberate or extend the rights of members of historically repressed groups.

Keep the following in mind for the research paper:

  • Find at least two scholarly articles (not used in this course) related to your research topic. Scholarly articles must be from a reputable, academic source. If you are unsure what this means, please see me.  We will also discuss in class.
  • Provide some historical context for the issue that is being challenged.
  • Use quotes from at least two of the readings we used in the course to connect your paper to some of the themes, key terms, and critical methods we’ve covered.
  • Evaluate how effective your research subject is/was at helping our society to become more equitable and humane. Are their learnings that others could take from your research subject to further advance our progress toward being more equitable and humane?
  • The final research paper should be at least 5 – 7 pages long, double spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Use either APA or MLA format for citations throughout the paper and your reference page. Your paper must be 5 – 7 pages; the reference page is an additional page.
  • Revise and edit once you’ve finished to make sure there aren’t any syntactical or grammar errors. Use sound mechanics in putting your paper together. You can visit the writing center for help with writing: writing@csusm.edu; 760-750-4168. https://www.csusm.edu/writingcenter/index.html. Some writing tips:
    • Make sure you have a good thesis in your introductory paragraph and that the topic sentence for each of the subsequent paragraphs connect back to the thesis.
    • Each sentence in each paragraph should logically connect to the topic sentence.
    • Try to grab reader’s attention with your opening sentence.
    • Introductory paragraph should end by announcing the three main axes or trajectories of the paper.
    • Back up your claims with cited evidence from established scholars or reputable sources.