Goals for the Assignment
Short essays provide an opportunity for you to practice your writing and organizational skills while engaging with the course materials.
Overview
Intersectional analysis encourages us to think through the ways in which any one variable of identity (like gender) is affected by others (like race, class, sexual orientation, etc.). For this essay you have the opportunity to apply intersectional analysis to a particular case study: the solutions proposed by Sheryl Sandberg in her talk “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders.” As you think through the prompt, consider how we might advocate for change around gender equality on different levels. At the individual level we ask individuals to change their behavior to conform to the expectations of the society. At the structural level we ask the society to change to reduce inequalities so that all individuals are operating on a even playing field (the solutions that Marlene Kim’s provides in her essay are example of structural change). This application activity ask you to review Sandberg’s main points, to consider whether she is proposing individual or structural changes, and decide how we might view her solutions through the lens of intersectional theory.
Prompt
For this short essay we are going to use the “Intersectional Analysis” activity on pg. 97 in your textbook.
Step 1: Listen to Sheryl Sandberg’s talk. ( https://youtu.be/18uDutylDa4?si=xyXqUrb2bBwS0aLE)
Step 2: Read the “Intersectional Analysis” activity on pg. 97.
Step 3: Read Marlene Kim’s essay, “Policies to End the Gender Wage Gap in the United States” (pgs. 239-244).
Step 4: Write an essay of at least 350 words (longer is fine) addressing the four questions in the “Intersectional Analysis” box. You do not need to answer each question or subquestion, but rather you should prepare an organized essay that speaks to the spirit of the questions. In writing your essay make reference to what you learned in Module 7 or in a previous module. This is an application assignment so you are applying what you learned up to this point in the class (including information from Module 3 about intersectional analysis, Module 4 about the history of women’s activism around work, as well as the information from the readings up to this point in Module 7) to an individual example: Sandberg’s argument.
Cite Your Sources
When using quotes or paraphrases from any of the readings, be sure to include a citation. You should have in-text citations and a Works Cited. All of the materials you need to complete this assignment are in the module. You should not use any sources outside of this module.
Please review the Guide for Citations.
