Biography and discussion facilitation
Theory Cards (for fun) - is your theorist here?
This assignment has three components:
- a one to two-page summary of your presentation
- presenting a brief biography of a theorist
- opening discussion of the assigned reading by that theorist
Written Summary
During the class session you facilitate, turn in a brief summary of the points you intend to cover during your presentation. Since discussion often takes off on the first few questions a facilitator raises, this summary will be useful in evaluating your preparation.
Biography
The purpose of the biography is to support our understanding that “feminist theory” is a long-term, widespread discussion among real people whose views are rooted in their real lives. Much biographical information is available online and readily discovered by putting the writer’s name in a search engine. The reference section of the library also has several dictionaries and encyclopedias of biography which include these authors; ask the reference librarians for help. During your presentation, tell us where you found the information.
In selecting materials to present, look for the following:
Where has this author lived? What has she done for a living? What other aspects of her identity seem significant? (Age, class, culture, race, sexuality, etc.)
What movements or political activities has she been involved in?
What academic or professional fields has she worked in?
What are some of her main contributions to feminist thinking—books, concepts, involvements in organizations or events?
Who are some of the other theorists she has been associated with?
You probably won't find answers to all of these questions--which is fine. But do add something about your impressions of the theorist. What do you think it would be like to meet this person and get a chance to talk with her? What would you want to ask her?
If you can, find a picture of her to bring to class.
Opening class discussion
The purpose of this component of the assignment is to center our part of the broader conversation on questions, experiences, and interests that you bring into the classroom, rather than treating "theory" as something completely abstract that other people do (and you just have to study it). Your talking points will serve as the foundation for this part of your facilitation. Beyond the talking points, however, you should do the following:
* Clarify something in the essay that may be obscure to most readers. Choose a term, concept, name, organization, or aspect of the historical background, and do a little research. Can you elucidate it for the class?
* Consider how you would like the professor to contribute to the discussion. What questions do you have for me? Are these questions that we should discuss in advance of the class session?
* Illustrate key concepts in the article using a story from current events, from activist projects you participate in or know well, or from everyday life. If you can, find an image related to this example; images can help a lot. Think of ways to engage the class in applying the concepts of the reading to this example.