Exploring Institutional Oppression and Possible Solutions
Exploring Institutional Oppression and Possible Solutions?
Purpose of Assignment: The purpose of this assignment is to practice narrowing from a research subject to a more manageable research topic, finding appropriate research to explore that particular research focus, and then analyzing such information to develop a unique thesis that claims a specific argument which responds to another writer (i.e. a course reading selection).
Assignment:
We’ve viewed and read several selections regarding the institutions of prison and juvenile detention centers and the “school to prison pipeline” phenomena experienced by some youth living within the U.S..
Choose ONE of the reading selections below, and then write an essay response to the key claims made in the selection:
Whitney Benns “‘Free’ Labor: Past and Present Forms of Prison Labor” (202-204)
Rebecca Vallas, “Disabled Behind Bars” (490-492)
Douglas P. Wilson, “The Silent Victims: Inmates with Learning Disabilities” (492-493)
Wesley Ware, “The Impact of Juvenile Court on Queer and Trans/Gender-Non-Conforming Youth” (403-406),
Henry A.Giroux, “Terrorizing School Children in the American Police State” (559-565)
To develop your response, choose ONE of the following tasks:
Task 1: Problem and Possible Solutions
Explore the various forms of oppression those within the particular institution experience as suggested in the reading selection. As you select particular examples to discuss, consider possible solutions to end such forms of oppression. To accomplish this task effectively, you will want to find research that addresses both the forms of oppression and possible solutions. How many issues you want to research and respond to is up to you. Just be mindful of the essay length 🙂 (See source and length requirements below). Your thesis evaluates the reading selection to which you are responding and why you have that particular evaluation of the argument as well as possible “solutions” to lessen the oppression that the particular group experiences.
Task 2: Is there a Problem?
Explore the various claims suggested in the reading selection regarding the institution and how it treats those within it. Using research found, discuss whether or not all of the claims made in the reading selection are valid. Since you are evaluating the argument, you will want to address the most significant examples and points made by the writer. (See source and length requirements below). Your thesis evaluates the reading selection to which you are responding and why you have that particular evaluation of the argument.
Requirement for BOTH Tasks
During the first weeks of the semester, we learned definitions of oppression but also ways to alleviate such forms of oppression from Bobbie Harro’s “Cycle of Socialization,” Lee Anne Bell’s “Theoretical Foundations for Social Justice Education,”Maurianne Adams’s and Ximena Zúñiga’s “Core Concepts for Social Justice Education,” and Iris Marion Young’s “Five Faces of Oppression.” Therefore, regardless of which task you choose for this assignment, you will need to borrow from these theoretical frameworks to assess what oppression is and what forms this group is (or is not) experiencing. For those who are choosing Task 1, you will also need to borrow from these theoretical frameworks to express how the possible solutions may be effective in undermining oppressive systems. Therefore, you will need to integrate at least ONE of these four reading selections into your discussion as part of the theoretical framework to support your discussion.
Source Requirement
For this essay you will need to integrate at least EIGHT sources to meet the source requirement.
ONE of these sources is the reading selection to which you are responding.
ONE of these sources is Bobbie Harro’s “Cycle of Socialization,” Lee Anne Bell’s “Theoretical Foundations for Social Justice Education,”Maurianne Adams’s and Ximena Zúñiga’s “Core Concepts for Social Justice Education,” or Iris Marion Young’s “Five Faces of Oppression”
SIX of these sources are those you find through research. You need to have at least ONE of EACH type of source, so you can double or triple up on any type of the sources to meet the six required:
scholarly, book length studies or articles published within such a book (at least one)
scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles (at least one)
credible, periodical articles (at least one)
credible websites or information gathered from such websites (at least one)
For those working on Task 1, it is possible to find some sources that focus on exploring the oppression those within the institution experience and find some sources that focus on possible solutions.
You may use information from the various videos viewed in class; however, since this course is also a practice in research skills, those videos do not count toward the research requirement.
Submit MARKED print copies of sources integrated into the essay with final draft of paper! MARKED means to highlight the information integrated into the essay and to note whether the information was summarized, paraphrased, or directly quoted in your essay. Without copies of sources, the essay will not be evaluated so keep a collection of your work as you research, write, and revise:-)
Guidelines
Integrate ALL required sources. Integrate means summarize, paraphrase, and/or directly quote. Then cite information both in-text and full-text.
Follow MLA essay structure as discussed in class: introduction to set up topic and thesis, body paragraphs that cohere to a succinct focus and transition well into the next, and conclusion that considers deeper ramifications (i.e. “so what?”).
Use MLA format: 12 point font, Times or Times New Roman, double-space, in-text citations, and works cited.
Length 9-10 typed pages using MLA essay and citation format. Page number does not include Works Cited.
Similar to the other projects for this course, this assignment is broken down into other assignments to encourage a process approach to composition! Below are those assignments, due dates, and grading rubrics.
Answer preview to exploring Institutional Oppression and Possible Solutions
MLA
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