Description
Activism Project Length: 3-4 pages plus a creative component Assigned: Sunday, November 29th Due: Monday, December 14th at 11:59 pm Classroom Learning Goals addressed: 2) Gain an understanding of how feminist theory, praxis & activism exist in relationship to one another. 3) Foster a critical consciousness to challenge systems of oppression, power and privilege while reflecting on your position within these systems. Assignment Description The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to explore a topic or issue discussed in the class that you would like to learn more about. This project is designed to give you a chance to see what people are doing to fight back against the systems of oppression we’ve discussed in class. There are a myriad of organizations and veins of activism you can choose from based on what interests you. Keep in mind that feminist activism does not exclusively focus on gender justice. You are welcome to write about feminist activism that also centers on racial justice, economic justice, LGBTQ+ justice, environmental justice, immigrant justice. You will research a feminist activist organization/group of the past or present. You may either choose an organization highlighted in the course or any other organization of your choosing. The primary part of the assignment is 3-4 page write up. In the paper, you will summarize the work the organization/group did/does and discuss how that work relates to course material. Think of this as describing the organization’s praxis. What theory is their work rooted in? How do they put theory into action (praxis) through their activism? They may explicitly state this, or you may need to make and draw the connections to the theory we have learned from in this class. You must cite at least 3 course readings/media in your paper. You will also need to create a poster or creative element. I recommend an 8½ x 11” poster, but you can also do a presentation (think PowerPoint or Prezi) or project of your choosing upon approval by me. The poster should highlight the essence of the organization’s mission. I encourage you to think about posters, fliers, or yard signs you might see promoting organizations, ideologies, or events. You can either create a digital or physical poster so long as you can send me a digital copy/picture. I have heard good things about Canva (https://www.canva.com/create/posters/), a free poster making website. You are also free to create a different creative component, but you should run it by me ahead of time. Citations must be done in APA format, and you should submit your write-up as a word document. Assignment Components: • Summary of the organization – in your own words & cite the sources you pull from! o Organization mission Discussion of the issue that they are trying to address o Summary of the work the organization has done How and what activist work are they doing? • (Protests? Lawsuits? Voter registration? Education? Community building and support? Art? Etc.) • This could be also where you discuss feminist theories. What theory recommends doing the type of activist work they’re doing? • Ways the organization relates to course materials o How does the mission and work fit into what we’ve discussed in class? What issues are they addressing? Why is this a feminist issue? • (Sexuality? Colonization? Incarceration? Reproductive Justice? Trans Justice? Neoliberalism? Gender-Based Violence? Environmental Justice?) What feminist theories are they relying on/is their work rooted in? • (Intersectional? Liberal? Transnational? Queer? Socialist? Etc.) How is their activism an example of feminist praxis? • Connect the theory discussed above to their actions, if you didn’t already in the above sections. • Poster or creative element o Name of organization o Most important information about the organization (no need to add a lot of text here – just the main points!) o Fun or interesting visual
