Diablo Valley College Where Do Gender Norms Come From Essay

Background

In this unit, we have explored Aaron Devor’s theory about the social construction of gender and the formation of gender identity, have read about society’s expectations regarding gender, and have thought about experiences from our own lives. You will now be considering gender theory more deeply by doing a close reading of Devor’s theoretical text and then using it as a lens to look at life. 

Your Task

In your essay, you will apply Devor’s theory to other texts. First, after carefully reading Devor’s piece “Becoming Members of Society,” you will describe his essay overall, and explain what you see to be the basics of his theory. Then you’ll need to select which of his claim(s) seem most pertinent to you, and clearly explain and unpack each of the claims you select. (This is you analyzing his text.) Next, you will need to hold up these claims to some other texts and to your life, showing me how these other texts either support Devor’s claim(s) or challenge them. (This is you synthesizing a variety of texts and evaluating Devor’s theory.) You may choose to explore one, two, or three of Devor’s claims, depending on whether you’re aiming for depth or breadth.