Description

and

analysis

of

female example

(this may take several paragraphs to explain. The box here does not represent one paragraph. It represents content that you need to cover.)

Description

and

analysis

of male example

(this may take several paragraphs to explain. The blue box does not represent one paragraph. It represents content that you need to cover.)

SELECT A PATH FOR YOUR GENDER ESSAY

YOUR MISSION FOR THIS ESSAY:

It is your turn to test or to extend Tannen’s theory.

You’ll be analyzing an example of “marked / unmarked” male and female signs (words and/or images) and explain what these signs imply about gender in our society.

Reminder: At the end of this module, you will be turning in your first draft of the essay.

OPTION 1: You may analyze the examples from the American Sign Language (provided on the following page. This option is good if you are unsure how to proceed or you need more guidance).

OPTION 1: Sign Language Example

If you are selecting option 1, the sign language analysis, continue reading this page.

If you are providing your own examples, click here: GO TO NEXT PAGE

OPTION 1: SIGN LANGUAGE EXAMPLES
WATCH VIDEO ON AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
DESCRIBE WHAT THE PERSON IS LITERALLY DOING TO DENOTE ANY MALE TERM, SUCH AS MAN.
EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IMPLIES ABOUT “MANHOOD” IN OUR SOCIETY.
DESCRIBE WHAT THE PERSON IS LITERALLY DOING TO DENOTE ANY FEMALE TERM, SUCH AS WOMAN
EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IMPLIES ABOUT “FEMININITY” IN OUR SOCIETY.
WATCH VIDEO. (YOU’LL NEED THE SUBTITLES)
You are now ready to draft your analysis (What I see / What it means) for the signs you selected to denote (Links to an external site.) male and female.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND GUIDES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT, PLEASE PROCEED TO FOLLOWING PAGES.
Written Example of Essay
Your progress is worthy of a Snoopy dance. Let’s keep grooving!
You might have noticed that there’s a pattern when you analyze an object. You begin with describing what you see and then analyzing what it means. This pattern is the same as saying,” LITERAL / SYMBOLIC.”
See if you notice this pattern in the written example below.
HELPFUL TIP:
If you need further guidance, check out example below, then go to the following page to see our writing template. This writing template will help guide your writing process by making the essay’s requirements even more transparent.
Printer friendly version of the essay here: Essay Overview
ACTIONS
EXAMPLE OF ESSAY BELOW
KIM SAYADI
DR. BATES
ENGLISH 101
OCTOBER 11, 2016
SEMIOTIC ESSAY: TOY
MLA FORMAT:
Your name,
Professor’s name (gender neutral always), Class (no abbreviations),
Date,
Assignment Name (optional)
BARBIE NEEDS A HAND
Title
IN A SEMIOTIC ARTICLE, “HOLD THE PLASTIC,” JEFF ANDERS PROPOSES THAT TOYS ARE IMPORTANT ICONS TO UNDERSTAND THE AMERICAN VALUE SYSTEM, AND THEY PARTICULARLY REFLECT GENDERED ASSUMPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED FROM PARENT TO CHILD.
Cite title, writer, and main idea of article
TO PROVE THIS ARGUMENT, HE POSITS SEVERAL EXAMPLES; FIRST, HE NOTES THAT TOYS, SUCH AS BABY DOLLS, OFTEN HAVE OPEN MOUTHS TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO FEED THEM; BY FEEDING THESE DOLLS, GIRLS LEARN TO BE MATERNAL AND TO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS. THIS ACT PREPARES THEM TO BE DOMESTICATED WITHIN THE HOMESTEAD IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN (43). SECONDLY, ANDERS NOTICES THAT MALE DOLLS ARE USUALLY MADE OF HARD PLASTIC AS OPPOSED TO A FEMALE’S RAG DOLL. THIS IMPORTANCE BEHIND THIS MATERIAL IS THAT IT DISCOURAGES BOYS FROM HUGGING THE DOLL OR CRADLING IT; THE SUBSTANCE IS SIMPLY TOO HARD. INSTEAD, FROM THE VERY MATERIAL, BOYS LEARN TO PLAY ROUGHLY WITH THEIR DOLL BECAUSE IT WILL NOT RIP (45). THIRDLY, ANDER PROPOSES THAT ALL FEMALE DOLLS CAN OFTEN NOT STAND ON THEIR OWN DUE TO THEIR FOOT SHAPES OR DUE TO THEIR SOFT BODIES THAT MAKE THEM FLOP OVER. THE IMPLICATION IS THAT FEMALE DOLLS NEED TO BE STOOD UP, OR HELD UP, BY THE HELPING HAND OF ANOTHER (42). BY INTERACTING WITH THIS DOLL, A GIRL SEES THAT HER FEMALE DOLL, WITH WHOM SHE IDENTIFIES, CANNOT STAND ON ITS OWN, AND BY IMPLICATION, SHE CANNOT STAND ON HER OWN (42). SHE COMES TO SEE HERSELF AS A DEPENDENT.
Provide three examples from article that accurately supports main idea.
Ideas are paraphrased (not directly quoted) for a summary
IN-TEXT CITATIONS (TO PROTECT YOU FROM PLAGIARISM)
I AGREE WITH JEFF ANDER’S THAT TOYS OFTEN REFLECT AN AMERICAN VALUE SYSTEM. IN PARTICULAR, I PROPOSE THAT BARBIE AND KEN, TWO AMERICAN ICONS, REFLECT AN AMERICAN GENDER CODE; BARBIE REPRESENTS A TIME IN WHICH A WOMAN’S VALUE LIE IN HER ABILITY TO REMAIN WITHIN THE CONFINES OF HER HOME AS A DEPENDENT WHO NEEDS A HELPING HAND; ALTERNATIVELY, KEN, WHO CAN HANDLE ANYTHING, SIGNIFIES A MASCULINE CODE OF INDEPENDENCE AND AUTONOMY.
Provide your own thesis and briefly state your reason(s) for your opinion
ONE OF JEFF ANDER’S MAJOR EXAMPLES IS THAT DOLLS’ BODIES INSCRIBE SOCIAL VALUES THAT ARE SUBCONSCIOUSLY RELAYED TO CHILDREN THROUGH REPETITIVE PLAY. I AM EXTENDING ANDER’S PREMISE TO MY OWN EXAMPLE, BARBIE.
TOPIC SENTENCE: EXTENDS THEORY OF ARTICLE TO YOUR ANALYSIS
UPON CLOSE INSPECTION, WE SEE THAT HER FOUR FINGERS ARE FUSED TOGETHER; THESE INCLUDE HER INDEX FINGER, HER MIDDLE FINGER, HER RING FINGER, AND HER PINKY. SINCE THESE FOUR FINGERS HAVE NO JOINTS AND ARE THEREFORE INFLEXIBLE, BARBIE IS UNABLE TO GRIP ANYTHING AND THIS LIMITS HER PHYSICALLY.
Literal Level: Describe what you see. Be specific and be visual.
SYMBOLICALLY, HER PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS INDICATE THAT SHE WOULD BE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY MANUAL LABOR; SHE CANNOT HOLD IMPORTANT CREATOR TOOLS, SUCH AS A HAMMER OR A PEN, SO SHE MUST DEPEND ON OTHERS FOR HER LIVELIHOOD.
Symbolic Level: Explain what the implied message is about gender for that particular artifact
READING THIS SIGN SEMIOTICALLY, WE CAN IDENTIFY A GENDER CODE: WOMEN ARE NOT MEANT TO DO MANUAL LABOR, BUT TO INSTEAD ACT AS A DEPENDENT ON SOMEONE ELSE, PRESUMABLY KEN, TO ECONOMICALLY SURVIVE. AS DEPENDENTS, THEY WILL NEVER BE AUTONOMOUS WITHIN THE WORLD; THEY WILL ALWAYS NEED ANOTHER’S HAND, SO TO SPEAK, TO SURVIVE.
SEMIOTIC MESSAGE: THE OVERALL MESSAGE, OR CODE, FOR EVERYONE IN SOCIETY

Note that this is a partial example of the essay. In the completed example, student further developed the implications about Barbie’s hands. Then the student interpreted the second and mandatory comparative example, GI Joe’s hands.

TEMPLATE: SEMIOTIC ESSAY

Here is a template to help you begin writing your semiotic essay. My advice is to scroll down and check it out first, then return to the video below. This video will review the information below, and give examples of the difference between the symbolic level and the semiotic message.

For a printed copy, click here: SEMIOTIC ESSAY TEMPLATE

ACTIONS

WORK ON CREATING A FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR ESSAY. YOU WILL BE SUBMITTING THIS DRAFT IN THE FOLLOWING PAGE.

Review: MLA Format

BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR DRAFT, REMEMBER TO USE THE MLA FORMAT

IF YOU ALREADY INCORPORATED THESE MLA SKILLS, SKIP TO NEXT PAGE.

YOUR ESSAY WILL NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING MLA SKILLS:

• • MLA format (see below for review)
  • In-text citations
  • Works Cited