GROUP PRESENTATION (DUE 6/20) AND

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT PAPER (DUE 7/2)

"THE SECOND SHIFT"

Instructions:

Join together with 3-4 other students in the class and, after being assigned a "family" by Kent, do the following:

First, designate roles for each member of your group ("family").  Each person in your group must be either a husband, wife, child, or narrator/researcher.  When your group presents to the class, you will have to present "in character"-- i.e., you'll have to share your experiences, dilemmas, and beliefs as a member of the family assigned to you.  If you are a narrator rather than a family member, you'll be asked to share your observations about the family and the issues they face. 

After deciding upon the roles each member of your group will play, answer the following questions: 

1) What is the gender ideology of the wife in your family?  Does she have the same gender ideology at "top" and at "bottom?"  What is the gender ideology of the husband?  Does he have the same gender ideology at "top" and at "bottom?" 

2)  What gender strategies are utilized by the husband and wife (and potentially others) in your family? 

3)  What "family myths" exist in your family?   

4)  What kinds of relationships exist between the husband, wife, and children in your family?  What kinds of conflicts emerge around housework and childcare?  How are these conflicts addressed?  (This last question overlaps somewhat with question #2)

5)  Is the relationship between the husband and wife in your family likely to be a long-lasting one?  Why?  (Be sure to give a DETAILED answer, not a superficial one.) 

PROJECT PAPER (DUE by 7/2):

You will each need to write a 6-8 page paper (typed and double-spaced) that addresses the FIVE questions listed above.  In this paper, you also need to be sure to (1) DEFINE THE KEY CONCEPTS of gender ideology, gender strategy, and family myth; (2) describe the three key types of marital gender ideologies; and (3) compare and contrast the family you were assigned in class to AT LEAST ONE OTHER FAMILY discussed in the Hochschild book.