Sources and Strong AnswersClick to collapse
1. In your answers you are expected to refer specifically to GSWS 1020E materials studied in Term 2.
2. Course authors should be referenced in every answer.
3. Avoid repetition of answers across the exam. You are not permitted to use the same reading in more than one answer.
4. Recommended readings can be used in your answers; no questions will be asked of recommended readings.
5. You can provide direct quotes, but all direct quotes must be followed by a sentence summarizing your understanding of the passage in your own words.
6. You may reference videos from the course (documentaries, Ted Talks, etc) but these should supplement, not replace, your discussion of course readings.
7. Page limits for each answer are provided: these are HARD limits, and we will stop reading if you are over. This keeps things fair between students and helps contain the amount of time you spend on your answers.
8. Part marks are always possible: do your best and tell us what you can.
Citation RequirementsClick to collapse
1. For full credit you need to identify the author of the concepts and ideas you are using; (eg, identify that the hidden curriculum is a concept discussed by Wilchins).
2. It is adequate to reference only author names in-text for all ideas, including direct quotes and paraphrased ideas/general concepts and terms; you do not need to provide the year of publication nor the page number for your information.
3. You are not required to provide a bibliography or works cited page.
Question Format and Sample Questions for the GSWS1020 At-Home Final Exam
Part A: Short Answer
Choose 2 of 4-5 options. 20 marks: 10 marks per item
• *300 words max per answer – approx. 1 page, double-spaced, 12-point times new roman font, 1-inch margins*
Choose one of the terms/phrases listed below, then address the following:
• Define the term/phrase
• Explain the term/phrase in relation to at least one course reading, using examples to illustrate
• Connect the term/phrase to another term, concept, issue, or trend that you have read about in your assigned Term 2 texts and which appears in a different Week than your first selected concept. Be sure to define this new term. Explain why you want to connect these two ideas together (e.g., are they similar in an important way? Are they different in an important way? How do they help us better understand issues we’ve discussed in class?)
Then, repeat the steps above one more time for a total of 2 answers.
1. Sample Term
2. Sample Term
3. The Person’s Case
4. Sample Term
Notes on how to answer this questionClick to collapse
For example: you might choose to write about the term The Person’s Case and connect it to the term Womanist.
To answer this question you will need to very briefly outline some of the main events around The Person’s Case in your own words, naming the author of the course text we read on the subject and referencing lecture material to supplement your understanding. Then, similarly, define and introduce the term womanist, giving credit to the author who coined this term, and outline the relevance of each of these ideas to each other.
You are doing more than summarizing the readings: you are applying the events surrounding The Person’s Case to better understand the significance of Walker’s arguments about womanism (or/and, visa-versa: applying Walker’s concepts to better understand Cruikshanks’).
• Our grading will look for the way you express an understanding (and, dare I say – mastery of?) the significance of the given terms/concepts/quotes for…social justice, the field of gender studies, intersectional activism, etc.
• Our grading will also look at the quality of your connection, rewarding those who challenge themselves. For example:
o You might want to connect The Person’s Case to Sojourner Truth’s speech Ain’t I a Woman. But: we already made that connection in class! Stretch yourself and come up with something new instead.
o Quick ‘cheat’: check to see if the two concepts you want to connect come from readings assigned in the same week (the syllabus will help!). If they do, pick a different concept from a different week.
Part B: Colonial Contexts
Write one answer for the question below. 10 marks.
• *300 words max per answer – approx. 1 page, double-spaced, 12-point times new roman font, 1-inch margins*
1. One question will be provided to you in this section. You will be able to choose 2/3 texts from Term 2 on Indigenous women’s issues to support your answer, including Club Native, The Inquiry Report, and Anderson.
Part C: Essay Answer
Choose 1 of 2 options. 30 marks.
• *800 words max per answer – approx. 2.5 pages, double-spaced, 12-point times new roman font, 1-inch margins*
Using proper essay format (introduction with thesis; arguments; conclusion) answer only ONE of the following questions. Without repeating any of the readings you used in Part A above, your Essay answer should make direct and well-developed reference to at least THREE course readings in WS 1020E from Term 2 that are relevant to the question. Feel welcome to include material from tutorials, class discussions, films, and/or posted notes – but if so, please use these only to supplement (not replace) discussion of the course readings.
1.
2.
Sample question
Niki Ashton, NDP Member of Parliament (MP) from Manitoba, has spoken out about the lack of institutional supports available to new parents on Parliament Hill following the birth of her twins in 2017. As the rules currently stand, Members of Parliament (Canadian politicians) who may be pregnant or have children:
• Are not provided parental leave (because they don’t pay in to Employment Insurance; standard parental leave in Canada includes 12-18 months off work, with reduced pay);
• Are allowed 21 days of medical leave before being docked $120 pay per day they are absent;
• If they want to take more time off than the permitted leave, each new parent has to work out an arrangement with their party leadership on a case-by-case basis; and
• Once back to work, the daycare on Parliament Hill doesn’t take children under 18 months.
Using support from at least three course texts from Term 2, take a position(s) on the parental support policies on Parliament Hill.
What’s new about this compared to the Midterm?Click to expand
Notes on how to answer this questionClick to collapse
This question is framed as a kind of “case study”; this question invites you to synthesize and apply your understanding of course concepts and readings. You are required to craft a thesis and to support that thesis using course materials. As with the Part A questions, you are not asked to merely summarize readings. Rather, you will be evaluated on your ability to select the most appropriate readings to argue your case and your ability to mobilize those readings to support the thesis you have crafted.
Support for your answers must ONLY come from course materials in Term 2. You are not permitted to use outside materials.
Tip:
In the midterm some of the applications were good but under-developed, so be sure to fully explain and use multiple points/concepts from each course text you select to support your argument.