Take Home Final

Due: Dec 9, 2019 at 3:30 PM

GSS 20: Introduction to Queer Studies (Fall 2019)

Take-Home Final Exam (300 points)

Deadline, Submission, and Formatting Requirements: Submit your exam to the Canvas site for your discussion section no later than 3:30pm on Monday, December 9. No late exams will be accepted. One-inch margins; 12-point Times New Roman font or equivalent; double-spaced. Number your pages. You must include word counts for parts 2 and 3. Because this is a take-home final exam and you have more time to complete it than the midterm, we have higher expectations for your performance on this exam than we had on the midterm. Read the additional guidelines (below) carefully to complete the exam successfully.

Part I. Paired Identifications (2 worth 25 points each)

Create two pairs of terms. Pairs must consist of one term from list A and one term from list B. Briefly define both terms in your own words and explain how you understand the two to be related. In addition, be sure to indicate the creator of the list B terms and/or the author who introduced the terms to us. Required length: one paragraph per pair.

List A:

woman-identified-woman

mayhem

ACT UP

Proyecto ContraSIDA por Vida

institutional racism

Combahee River Collective

Gay Liberation Front

Stonewall riots

ballroom culture

List B:

outsider-within

emotional habitus

differential belonging

transformative politics

performance geography

theory in the flesh

socio-spatial practices

politics of style

perpetrator perspective

Part II. Key Concept Entry (100 points)

Choose one of the following key concepts. Write a brief essay that synthesizes how at least four of our authors have engaged and illuminated the significance of this concept for queer studies. Required Length: 500-600 words (roughly two double-spaced pages).

Law

Revolution

Consciousness

Invisibility

Part III. Essay (150 points)

Choose one of the following two prompts. For either one, you must draw on and cite at least five assigned readings. At least three of the five texts should be from the second half of the course (weeks 6-10). Required length: 750-900 words (three to four double-spaced pages).

1. Write an essay that explains and illustrates the significance of taking an intersectional approach to queer studies.

1. Write an essay that explains and demonstrates the concept of normativity.

Additional Guidelines

Learning Objectives: The goals of this exam are for you to think broadly and analytically about the course materials; to synthesize evidence from these materials; and to demonstrate these abilities in writing.

Terminology: Your exam should demonstrate your proficiency with the vocabulary introduced in the course. Be thoughtful and precise in your word choices.

Style and Tone: Remember that this is a very different assignment than your informal reading responses. You are being asked to assert ideas and provide sufficient evidence to back them up.

Direct Quotations: Use direct quotations extremely sparingly. Do not quote full sentences. Instead, paraphrase and then use quotation marks around key terms and phrases.

Citation: Use in-text parenthetical citations (Author’s last name, page number) to show where, specifically, you are drawing your evidence from. In your reading responses, you were only expected to cite direct quotations. In your final exam, you are expected to include a citation when you summarize or paraphrase an author’s ideas as well. It is not necessary to include a “works cited” section, however.

Plagiarism: Plagiarizing is grounds for failing the exam. Please be aware that your exam can be checked for plagiarism through turnitin.com.

Proofreading: Your work should contain very few spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and word use errors.

Grading Criteria

• Each prompt is addressed fully.
• The information presented is accurate and reflects a nuanced understanding of the materials.
• The exam demonstrates critical and synthetic thinking across the course materials.
• The keyword entry and essay are well organized.
• Evidence from assigned readings and lectures is cited parenthetically.
• Direct quotations are used very sparingly, if at all.
• The minimum and maximum length requirements are met.
• The exam contains very few typographical errors.

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