The question for the Module II Essay is:
“People make and perform their own sporting/physical cultural lives and bodies, but not in the conditions of their own choosing, nor under conditions of which they are fully aware. Based on your own experiences and observations, discuss this assertion paying particular attention to intersections of gender, sex, class, and race that influence peoples experiences of sport/physical culture within contemporary U.S. society.”
The Module II Essay question is designed for students to synthesize and integrate the knowledge and understanding covered in the Module II podcasts, videos, AND readings.
Module II Essays are expected to be a minimum of 1,500 words (not including references), and should engage a MINIMUM of SIX assigned READINGS and FOUR assigned VIDEO CLIPS.
YOU ARE expected to engage these readings/video clips in your MODULE ESSAYS, and will be assessed on your ability to do so in a manner that uses the relevant information in these readings/video clips (either through paraphrasing or direct quotation) within your module essay responses.
Where NECESSARY/APPROPRIATE when writing your module essays, you are also encouraged to use/engage sources you have found as a result of your OWN RESEARCH. For a link explaining the type of sources you should be using, see the Appropriate Academic Sources page on the course website.
Please Note: These sources you have researched DO NOT count toward (they are in addition to) the assigned readings and video clips you are expected to use/engage in your essays.
2. VIDEO CLIPS (4 TO USE)
You are expected to use/engage the video clips within your essays: FOUR video clips in your Module II essay
Video Clip 1: Judith Butler (2011) speaking on issues related to gender as not being natural, but rather performed. Consider: The difference between gender performance and gender performativity.
Video Clip 2: Im Good Pepsi Max commercial, illustrating the expressive mnature of masculinity. Consider: What this advertisement says about how men sometimes express their bio-hegemonic masculinity.
Video Clip 3: Aptamil follow-on milk ad. Consider: This ad as a form of informal gender policing for parents and children.
Video Clip 4: Excerpt from Outnumbered, speaking to perceived differences in female/male throwing ability. Consider: Karen’s counter-hegemonic response to her father’s naturalizing/essentializing of gender-based differences in sport performance.
Video Clip 5: A promotional film “Locker Room Talk” on the “Coaching Boys Into Men”program. Consider: The toxic effects of hypermasculine coaching, and how these issues are looking to be addressed.
Video Clip 6: New York Times video feature on Mary Cain. Consider: Mary Cain’s experience being coached within Nike’s elite performance Oregon Project.
Video Clip 7: Trailer for the Netflix documentary “Athlete A” (2020) highlighting Larry Nasser’s sexual assault of young gymnasts. Consider: The degree to which the blame for such assaults can be attributed to the patriarchal nature of elite sport organizations, and elite coaching practices.
Video Clip 8: Clip from NBC Out 2016, September 16) titled ” Queer 2.0: What Does Cisgender’ Mean Anyway? Consider: Precisely what cisgender means, particularly as it relates to transgender.
Video Clip 9: Nike “When You’re Born To Do It” ad, focusing on the journay of Caster Semenya. Consider: How, if at all, this South African Nike ad, relays Caster Semenya’s intersex identity.
READINGS TO USE (6)–
Module 2 Topic: Sport, Power, and Gender/Sex DifferencesS
Last Completed Projects
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