Background: Cultural expectations regarding gender shape our lives in myriad way

Background:
Cultural expectations regarding gender shape our lives in myriad ways. As you learned in Weeks 3 & 4, although gender might appear “normal” and “natural,” social and cultural ideas about gender are constructedLinks to an external site., passed down, and policed by families, educational systems, media, and other cultural institutions. From who performs household labor, to how one sits, walks, and dresses, to career aspirations, individuals receive overt and covert messages about how gender should impact their behavior.
Many contemporary western cultures view gender as binaryLinks to an external site., in which masculinity and femininity are distinct and opposing categories. People are socially rewarded by behaving according to gender norms and can be punished if they do not adhere to cultural beliefs about gender. The WGSS concept of “Doing genderLinks to an external site.Open this document with ReadSpeaker docReader Links to an external site.” (Week 3), posits that gender is a series of behaviors that people consciously and subconsciously perform every day. Individuals act out their gender through their words and communication, physical actions, clothing choices, etc. People also have the opportunity to “undo” gender in their daily lives by performing against traditional gender roles. Undoing gender could look like a woman working in a traditionally masculine-coded profession, like construction, or a man wearing makeup or expressing feelings of sadness. Our environment and background is rife with evidence of how we “undo gender” and sex and disrupt ideal femininity and/or masculinity.
This assignment asks you to document the social construction of gender and sex by analyzing photographs. You may use childhood or past photos or take photos of artifacts from your present environments, e.g. selfies, home space, work space, advertisements, social media screenshots, beauty products, etc.
****If navigating a public space, be sure to prioritize your safety and adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines. If taking photos of people, please obscure the person’s identity and request permission to use the photo for this class assignment.

Writing Prompt:
Using Weeks 3 & 4 readings and concepts, critically analyze how you “do” and “undo” gender in everyday life through a photo essay format (aim for 750-800 words). Include 4 photos that document how you “do” or perform gender in your everyday life AND/OR gender rebellion (“undoing gender”). Choose an overarching theme/thesis and select photos that relate to that theme.
Examples of photo artifacts from past students:
PAST Experiences: playing youth sports, family photos, Halloween dress-up, attending high school dances, etc.
PRESENT Experiences: clothing displays, magazine covers, beauty care routine, clothing style, etc.
What is a photo essay? A photo essay is a series of photos with captions and accompanying text that critically explores an overarching theme/topic. Students capture their own images, caption the image, and analyze the images.
Picture Examples:

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Fig. 1. Image from (store name) of boy and girl books. The girl book is titled, How to be Gorgeous and the boy book is titled How to be Clever.
Image of a gender reveal party. A couple is holding a ball that reads “Boy” in blue and “Girl” in pink
Fig. 2. Image of a gender reveal party. A couple is holding a ball that reads “Boy” in blue and “Girl” in pink.
Image of a man mopping the kitchen floor.
Fig. 3. Image of a man mopping the kitchen floor.
Image of a dog. The female dog is wearing a pink collar.
Fig. 4. Image of a dog. The female dog is wearing a pink collar.
What does “critical analysis” mean? Critical analysisLinks to an external site. refers to deconstructing or unpacking something using a theoretical framework or argument. This can look like responding to, “Why did you select that specific photo? What is the photo’s context and underlying meanings? What is the story behind this image? How do the image’s meanings relate to a Week’s 3 & 4 concepts?”
Cite 3 sources from Week 3 & 4 in a Works Cited page in MLA formatLinks to an external site..
MLA citations:
Fausto‐Sterling, Anne. “The Five Sexes.” The Sciences (New York), vol. 33, no. 2, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 1993, pp. 20–24.
Kang, Milian, Donovan Lessard, Laura Heston, and Sonny Nordmarken. Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries, https://openbooks.library.umass.edu/introwgss/front-matter/introduction-to-women-gender-sexuality-studiesLinks to an external site..
Lorber, Judith. ““Night to his day”: The social construction of gender.” Race, class, and gender in the United States: An integrated study, 2004, pp. 54-65.