Identify three examples of significant verbal and/or nonverbal messages influenced by gender, and describe these in detail.

Journal Paper: Part A Guidelines:

The objective of this writing assignment is to be critically observant of communication influenced by
gender. You may examine any contexts relevant to your life such as work, school, relationships, media
(news, entertainment, social), etc. Take notes about your observations, and then write a paper that
responds to the following questions about what you saw and thought:
Questions
• Identify three examples of significant verbal and/or nonverbal messages influenced by gender,
and describe these in detail. For instance, you might observe that the clothing your work
colleagues wear is gendered (nonverbal example). Fully describe the clothing and explain how
you feel it is linked to gender.
• Are you comfortable or uncomfortable with these messages? Why? This question is asking for
your opinion. For example, in response to the first question, you might describe a TV scene in
which a character says, “You throw like a girl” (verbal example). Describe your comfort or
discomfort with this statement, and provide a context for your reaction. Perhaps you feel bothered
by what you consider a sexist remark. Or perhaps you view the scene as comedic, a humorous
take on gender stereotypes that doesn’t bother you.
• How does your gender socialization affect your perceptions of the messages you observed and
described? Think carefully about how you are viewing a situation through the lens of your own
gender. The sex you were assigned at birth most likely determined whether you were socialized
into a feminine or a masculine gender identity. And the specific context in which you were raised
helped shape the values, attitudes, and habits you internalized. If, for example, you had a stay-at-
home mom, you may view gender roles quite differently than someone who had a stay-at-home
dad or a mother who worked in a male-dominated profession. How do these factors influence the
way YOU view the situations you describe? The answer will require some nuanced thought.
Don’t simply say, “Because I’m a woman, I see it this way, and a man would see it differently.”
Format
• Develop your journal entry in 500–750 words. Respect the word limit; in addition to writing a
Part B for this paper later in the session, you will have discussion board opportunities to further
explore similar ideas.
• Do not include an APA cover page, but do number your pages and give your journal entry a
meaningful title at the top of the first page that also identifies you by name, e.g., “Think Pink” by
Sam Student.
• Write in first person (using “I”). Structure your paper as a journal entry written for an audience
who expects your tone to be conversational, your language grammatical, and your format
paragraphed. In other words, be personal but professional.

Style Guidelines

-Length must be between 1500–2000 words, unless otherwise noted in the specific assignment (i.e., only 500–750 for the Journal Papers).
-Papers must be double spaced with 1-inch margins and 12-point Times New Roman font.
-Papers should follow APA 7e guidelines for student papers, which include a cover page, page numbers, and a source page entitled
“References.” Running headers are no longer required for student papers in APA 7e. And do not include an APA abstract for class papers. It is not required and will not count toward your word total.
-In-text sources and corresponding end references must be cited in APA style. Do not identify your instructor as the author of the lectures. These are written and delivered by Jennifer A. Linde, one of your textbook editors/authors.