Writing for Change

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Writing for Change is designed to be a flexible teaching resource. With this tool, you as an instructor will be able to find and prepare writing exercises, relevant to a range of issues related to difference, power, and discrimination.

Using Writing for Change

Many of the writing activities cover more than one “-ism.” Those that address a specific DPD topic include a variation that suggests how to adapt it to one or more other topics. Some of the exercises have special requirements--such as copies of a particular article or access to the Internet--but most can be completed with only pen and paper or copies of the relevant page, your guidance and your students’ ingenuity.

The writing exercises are grouped by the approximate amount of time needed to complete them. Skim the list of titles or check the index for keywords to find a specific topic. The exercises are presented in various formats that you can adapt depending on

what discipline or field you teach in,
how large your groups of students are,
how each exercise will be scored or graded,
where they will be completed,
how theoretical or “hands on” you want the assignment to be, and
how reluctant or enthusiastic your students are about the issue on which you are raising awareness.

Activity Time

5-10 minutes

Activity Name and Objectives	Activity Type	Theme(s)	No. of Students	Materials
Appreciating Diversity Create an awareness of the potential diversity in sexual orientation, religion, and age Provide students an opportunity to appreciate their own attributes and those of others	Response, Discussion	Sexual Orientation, Ethnicity, Culture, Age, Religion	Individual, Pair	Handout
Comparing Instead of Contrasting Identify similarities between groups of people Analyze the effects, as they relate to social justice issues, of emphasizing similarities between people rather than differences	Response	General	Individual	Handout
Looking at Looks Explore feelings and attitudes around discrimination based on appearance Discuss strategies for dealing with this kind of discrimination Discuss effects and outcomes of this kind of discrimination	Response, Discussion, Freewrite	Ethnicity, Religion, Appearance	Individual, Pair	Handout
Questioning Order Encourage students to develop an awareness of the effects of hierarchical ranking in language Help them examine assumptions about the “natural order” in gender relationships	Response	Gender	Individual	Handout
Rating Your Behavior Explore the frequency with which students engage in behaviors that challenge or perpetuate “-isms" Uncover attitudes and feelings that affect likelihood of engaging in such behaviors	Response, Discussion, Survey	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Respecting Age Identify attitudes, biases, or preconceived notions about the temperament, ability, and other characteristics of older adults Understand the effects of disempowering language on this group of people Examine assumptions about the definition of the “norm” as it relates to age	Response	Age	Individual	Handout
Seeing the Whole Person Create an awareness of ways in which language can reduce people to one aspect of their beings Apply techniques of language to “put the person back in"	Rewording	General	Individual	Handout
Talking About Being Out Create an awareness of differences in sexual orientation Analyze consequences of the presence of difference in this milieu Explore feelings and attitudes around sexual orientation	Response, Discussion	Sexual Orientation, Religion	Individual, Group	Handout
Treating People in Parallel Manner Create an awareness of how groups and individuals can be elevated or disempowered by treating them in different ways Discuss assumptions about the “norm” that affect how people are treated Apply principles of parallel treatment to statements about various groups	Rewording	General	Individual	Handout
Generating a Description Specify the characteristics that learners think define a person as homosexual Discuss and challenge assumptions about the components of that definition	Discussion, Write & Pass	Sexual Orientation, Age, Religion, Disability	Group	Handout

10-20 minutes

Activity Name and Objectives	Activity Type	Theme(s)	No. of Students	Materials
Adapting to Cultural Differences Develop an awareness of certain cultural assumptions Devise respectful responses to cultural differences	Response, Discussion	Culture	Individual, Group	Handout
Analyzing Argumentation in Your Major Develop an awareness of how arguments are constructed in professional journals in students’ majors or fields Analyze the process of argumentation as it relates to social justice issues	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout, Article
Challenging the Pseudogeneric Man Examine the use of male-gendered nouns as “generic" Challenge the notion of the generic male as inclusive Generate gender-free, inclusive nouns and pronouns	Discussion, Rewording	Gender	Individual, Group	Handout
Challenging Your Assumptions Identify and challenge assumptions based on factors such as age, ability, appearance, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status Rewrite each sentence in neutral terms (to avoid the assumption)	Discussion, Rewording	General	Pair	Handout
Changing Your Perspective Stimulate an awareness of how people’s attitudes are affected by their perspectives on an issue Increase ability to communicate with diverse audiences	Response, Discussion	General	Group	Handout
Creating Gender-free Nouns Examine the use of male-gendered nouns as “generic" Challenge the notion of the generic male as inclusive Generate gender-free, inclusive nouns and pronouns	Discussion, Rewording	Gender	Individual, Group	Handout
Developing Definitions Help students clarify their understanding and assumptions about various factors affecting people’s status and treatment by others Establish common referents (consensus) for the terms listed	Discussion, Presentation	General	Group	Handout
Interrupting Lesbian- and Gay-Baiting Develop an understanding of the factors involved in lesbian- and gay-baiting Explore feelings and attitudes around the cycle of oppression involved Discuss ways to break the cycle	Response, Discussion	Sexual Orientation, Ethnicity	Individual, Group	Handout, Article
Questioning the Norm Create an awareness of the many social and political categories that define individuals Discuss assumptions about how certain attributes define the “norm”	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Re-conceiving Notions Create an awareness of the kinds of assumptions or preconceived notions your students hold about people in ethnic groups different from their own Explore the diversity of attitudes and behaviors within ethnic groups as well as between them	Response	Ethnicity	Individual	Handout
Recognizing Slanted Words Create an awareness of how the slanting of verbs and nouns can be used to depict people favorably or unfavorably Practice casting negatively slanted words into favorable terms	Discussion, Rewording	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Recognizing Slanted Words II Create an awareness of how the slanting of verbs and nouns can be used to depict people favorably or unfavorably Identify instances of slanting in online news media	Response	General	Individual	Handout, Internet
Seeing Racism as Systematized Explore the concept of racism as systematized rather than random or individual Discuss ways to challenge racism, including making it visible	Response, Discussion	Ethnicity	Individual, Group	Handout, Article
Uncovering Attitudes About Sexual Orientation Introduce the concepts of homophobia and compulsory heterosexuality Analyze and discuss the effects these forces exert in students’ lives	Response, Discussion	Sexual Orientation, Religion	Individual, Group	Handout
Uncovering Impressions Explore feelings and impressions connected with various groups or categories of people Evaluate the objectivity of these impressions Analyze factors contributing to these feelings and impressions	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout

20-30 minutes

Activity Name and Objectives	Activity Type	Theme(s)	No. of Students	Materials
Considering the Oppressor Recognize ways in which even oppressed people can participate in oppression Develop an awareness of how oppression can harm the oppressor as well as members of the oppressed group	Response, Discussion	Gender	Individual, Group	Handout, Article
Examining the Mechanisms of Power Refine students’ understanding of the concept of “power” by using certain definition techniques Create an awareness of the mechanisms operating in their own lives	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Identifying Euphemisms Increase ability to identify euphemisms Discuss how euphemisms can obscure oppression and distance agents (people or groups performing acts) from responsibility for their actions	Discussion, Rewording	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Noting Variety Investigate the number of people in students’ major classes, work environment, or professional organization who fall into various age, race, and gender categories Analyze the findings as they relate to social justice issues	Response, Survey	General	Individual	Handout
Putting the People Back into Language Identify passive constructions Develop an awareness of how the use of passive constructions can obscure meaning, perpetuate oppression, deflect responsibility, or deprive people of identity or of agency (autonomy) in their actions	Discussion, Rewording	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Responding to Bullying Develop an awareness of the factors involved in bullying Explore feelings and attitudes around expectations of the behaviors of people involved in such situations Discuss ways to intervene safely in such situations	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout

30-60 minutes

Activity Name and Objectives	Activity Type	Theme(s)	Students	Materials
Analyzing Assumptions in Academic Writing Discover the assumptions about audience and subjects incorporated into professional or technical writing Analyze the definition of the "norm" Determine how the definition of the “norm” does and does not apply to the targeted audience and subjects	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout, Article
Analyzing Audience in Academic Writing Analyze the assumptions about audience and subjects in material from student textbooks Discuss how the assumptions relate to social justice issues	Response, Discussion, Rewording	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Considering Body Size, Shape, and Movement Engender an awareness of the assumptions about body size, shape, and mobility that are incorporated into the design of public facilities. Develop a profile of a “typical” user Create an awareness of the access barriers that exist for people with vision, speech-hearing, or mobility impairments. Brainstorm solutions to certain access barriers and discuss ways to increase usability of selected facilities	Response, Discussion	Appearance, Disability	Group, Class	Handout
Learning About Leaders Encourage students to develop an awareness of the composition of the leadership in their major or professional field Help them examine pros and cons of that particular composition for the membership	Response	General	Individual	Handout, Reference
Recognizing Social Justice Issues in Your Field Develop an understanding of social justice issues affecting various majors Analyze the forces behind the process of change in the majors	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout, Reference
Shedding Light on Color Develop an awareness of the groups subsumed under the phrase "people of color" Analyze factors that determine a person’s inclusion under that heading	Response, Discussion	Ethnicity	Individual, Group	Handout
Thinking About Race in Academia Analyze the influences of race as it relates to academia	Response, Discussion	Ethnicity, Gender	Individual, Group	Handout
Writing About Racial Identity Develop a perspective on the role of racial identity in people’s self images Analyze the influences of racial identity in various aspects of people’s lives	Response, Discussion	Ethnicity, Religion	Individual, Group	Handout

Hour+

Activity Name and Objectives	Activity Type	Theme(s)	No. of Students	Materials
Abstracting and Synthesizing Information Gain practice in abstracting and synthesizing information from a professional publication Develop an awareness of social justice issues as they operate in a particular major or field	Response	General	Individual	Handout, Journal
Dealing with -isms Identify and interview another person who has had a direct confrontation with an "-ism" Analyze and discuss factors that contribute to and that mitigate oppressive behaviors	Response, Interview	General	Group	Handout
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Writing on Social Justice Issues Increase understanding of social justice issues as they relate to a particular major or field Develop ability to analyze and synthesize information relating to social justice issues	Response, Discussion	General	Individual, Group	Handout, Book
Examining Class Develop an understanding of the term "class" as it relates to students’ majors or fields Identify the relevant factors that affect students’ majors or fields	Response	Class	Individual	Handout, Reference
Examining the Construct of Race in the Sciences Explore the concept of race as applied to a particular field in science or social science Analyze the effects of the construct on that field	Response	Ethnicity, Gender	Individual	Handout, Reference
Formulating Your Stance on an Issue Create a proposal in the IPOS (Issue, Purpose, Obstacle, Scope) format for a document addressing a particular social justice issue Analyze the relevant factors as listed above Synthesize information into a full report	Response	General	Individual	Handout, Reference
Profiling Your Major Describe the demographics of students’ majors (students and professional members) Generate possible reasons for the composition of the membership	Survey, Presentation	General	Individual	Handout, Reference
Recognizing Achievements Identify and analyze the contributions made to a particular field by a person of color Develop an appreciation of the factors helping and hindering that person’s ability to achieve in the field	Response	Ethnicity	Individual	Handout, Reference
Reporting on Religion Create an awareness of societal assumptions about the “norm” in religion Analyze effects of those assumptions, as they relate to a particular major or field, on a person outside of the religious "norm"	Response, Interview	Religion	Group	Handout
Understanding Pejorative Terms Identify and analyze pejorative terms Explore attitudes surrounding the terms Describe how the terms contribute to perpetuation of stereotypes and ineffective communication Explore how and by whom meaning is determined	Response, Presentation	General	Individual, Group	Handout
Thinking About Gender in Your Major Develop an awareness of how a particular major or field is gendered Examine gender roles as they relate to that major or field Analyze factors affecting participation of women in the major or field	Response	Gender	Individual	Handout, Reference

Hours

Activity Name and Objectives	Activity Type	Theme(s)	No. of Students	Materials
Acting on Your Agenda Create an awareness of social justice issues operative in a particular major or field Stimulate involvement in an activism project that addresses one of the identified issues	Response	General	Individual	Handout, Resources
Calculating Cash Develop an awareness of the gap between wages at various levels in an organization Analyze the financial benefits accruing to employees at the various levels	Response	Workplace	Individual	Handout, Reference, Resources
Comparing Benefits Develop an awareness of the differences between benefits available at various levels in an organization Analyze the effects of benefit availability on employees at the various levels	Response	Workplace	Individual	Handout, Reference, Resources
Exploring Your Mobility Develop an awareness of the ways in which clothing can restrict or allow movement Experience a different level of mobility based on clothing Develop an awareness of the ways in which clothing can affect self-image	Response	Appearance, Disability	Individual	Handout
Participating in a New Community Develop and complete a “community participation” experience, designed to stretch the comfort zone and give students direct knowledge about ethnic, religious, or other groups with which they are currently unfamiliar	Response, Participation	General	Group	Handout

Difference, Power, and Discrimination Program

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