Need help with a Essay For women and Gender Studies . Attached is a word doc with guidelines for the paper. Also attached some of the readings
AN assignment handout
This assignment provides directions for AN-1
What is an AN (Argument Note)?
An argument note is written after you have read / viewed, and thought about the
arguments and facts put forth - in an academic, intellectual manner - on a given topic. In
your AN papers, you are tasked with demonstrating your understanding of the readings /
videos I have assigned. In addition to this handout, please read through the section
Academic Integrity in the Syllabus.
Your AN papers must have these three sections:
Summary: Identify and summarize the key argument(s) or main point(s) of the
readings. Ask yourself what the author is trying to convince you of and how. Pick three
or four of the more important key arguments or points of the reading, and briefly map
them, i.e., elaborate their supporting claims; detail how the argument(s) "work." You are
not expected to summarize the entire chapter / video / reading. You must choose 3 items
(readings or videos) from the list below, and then summarize 3-4 key points from each
of those readings (or videos).
The summary section should be given the most space - approximately 2/3 of the paper.
Students should not include their own thoughts or reactions to the readings in the
Summary.
Integration: Use this section to present your own analysis of one or two ideas / issues
from your summary. Strive to analyze how and why this condition exists. In this section
you must strive to integrate course concepts (i.e. concepts such as patriarchy, power,
privilege, gender, feminism, etc..) into your analysis. This section is used to demonstrate
your own understanding of the social condition / issue. You should provide support for
your analysis as necessary (by citing sources and / or personal experience).
Questions/Reactions: Share your reaction to the readings. You can identify questions
the readings raise for you. This can also be the place to put your specific questions about
the topic. You should discuss your reaction to the content, not the style of the reading.
For example, stating that the reading was long / short / complicated / un-interesting etc..
does not provide me with an understanding of your grasp of the material.
Do not focus on items that were not discussed in this reading. No one course
reading will ever cover all aspects of one topic. For example, pointing out that a
reading on women in China did not discuss the situation for women in India, is
not a valid point. Stay focused and on topic.
What should my AN paper look like?
Your final AN paper should be 6-7.5 pages of writing, plus a title page and reference list:
Page 1: title page: your name, the course, title, date
Pages 2-5: Your Summary section.
Next pages: Your Integration section.
Last 1-1.5 pages of writing: Your Questions and Reactions section.
Final page: Your Reference List. In full APA format.
Should my AN papers have an introduction and conclusion?
These are not required for AN papers. Your paper can have a brief (1-2 sentence)
introduction and conclusion if you like.
Can I use headings in my AN papers?
Yes. Headings can be used to distinguish the 3 sections (summary, integration and
questions/reactions).
Headings are optional, but paragraphing is not. Use proper paragraph structure as
outlined here:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/paragraphs_and_paragrap
hing/index.html
How are my AN papers graded?
We use the Significance of Letter grades chart (below) to assign a letter grade to your
paper. Please review this chart. Numeric grades are based on the bottom of the grade
range. i.e. an A is 12/15 a B is 10.5/15, a C is 9/15 and so on. In your paper you must cite the page number (or time stamp) for all direct quotes AND all paraphrasing from all sources.
This influences your grade on AN papers, and is part of the policy on academic integrity (i.e. avoiding plagiarism). Your paper must use APA style: 12 pt font, double spacing and 1 inch margins. The APA reference list must include all videos and books / articles cited in your paper.
Do I need a citation after every sentence?
It is not “wrong” to cite the author and date after each sentence, but it is clunky, and it is not necessary. The purpose of an APA citation, is to tell the reader where the
ideas - in a given paragraph - are from. Within each paragraph, it should be clear to the reader whose ideas you are citing. When an entire paragraph is summarizing from one source (i.e. one reading), state this clearly, and provide the citation at the end of the paragraph. You must also provide the page number or timestamp for specific phrases / statements taken from these sources.
AN-1 Which items do I choose from for my AN-1 paper this term?
For AN-1 - Choose 3 from the following list:
1. Maki, Krys (2021). Chapter 1 “A brief history of welfare surveillance in
Ontario” from our textbook “Ineligible: Single mothers under welfare
surveillance”.
2. Silliman, J., Fried, M., Ross, L. & Gutierrez, E. (2016). African American
Women Evolving. Chapter from the book Undivided Rights: Women of
Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice. (pages 93-108).
3. Bourgeois, S. (2014). Our Bodies are our own: Connecting abortion and
social policy. Canadian Review of Social Policy No. 70.
https://crsp.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/crsp/issue/view/2131
4. National Film Board of Canada (2012). Status Quo: The unfinished
business of feminism in Canada [minutes 32:40 to 58:26, section is on
reproductive choice]
https://www.nfb.ca/film/status_quo_the_unfinished_business_of_feminism/
5. Weber, L. (2010). Defining Contested Concepts. (pages 23-43)
6. Canadaland (2022). Abortion rights in Canada didn’t come easy. Podcast
episode 778 [46:52 minutes]. https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/778-
abortion-rights-in-canada-didnt-come-easy/
How do I get started?
Suggested steps for writing AN papers:
1. Read through the directions. If you do not follow the directions, your paper
may not be assigned a passing grade.
2. Select your items for your AN paper.
3. Approach your writing as a process:
Drafting stage: Draft an outline to sketch out your thoughts. I often suggest that students
draft their “Questions and Reaction” section first, as this can help with “writers block”.
Papers in this course should use the first person voice because it is an important way
that writers acknowledge their subjectivity (their own experiences and observations). In
feminist writing this is referred to as your “subject location”. It is a principle in
feminism to (re)claim our voice through writing using “I”.
Draft your Summary section. Select which ideas from the readings you will quote
directly and which ideas you will paraphrase. Keep track of where you are citing from.
Cite the page number / timestamp for all direct quotes AND when paraphrasing from
any source.
After writing your summary, take the time to develop your integration section. The
Integration section is where you present your analysis, as described here:
https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/summary-vs-analysis
4. Complete your editing sweeps:
• The first editing sweep is for idea development.
• The next sweep is to edit for paragraph and topic sentence development.
• The next sweep is to edit and fix grammar and punctuation errors.
• Do a final editing sweep to add any missing citations (in APA you must cite all outside material in-text). Each paragraph in the summary must have in text citations with the author, date and
page number. Use the APA info at the OWL Purdue website or an APA Style manual.
5. Submit the final copy of your AN-1 paper on or before the due date.
