Contemporary male-female interaction (gender dynamics)

Masculinity, Femininity, and the Body in Popular Culture, Fall 2013
Alternate Option for Paper Assignment #1
Deadline: Tuesday, November 5th
Please note that your papers must be a minimum of 6 pages in length (there is no maximum
page limit) and that you must draw from a minimum of 3 sources (course reading-based
sources) for your paper.
When citing, please use parentheses, following your sentences that contain either direct quotes or
paraphrasing.
For direct quotes, please use the following citation format (which includes author, date of
publication, and page number):
(Durham 2008: 3) OR (Durham 2008, 3).
For paraphrasing and/or use of authors’ ideas and contributions, please use the following citation
format (which includes author and date of publication only):
(Durham 2008).
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Drawing from the work of at least three authors (Kathleen Bogle, Ariel Levy, Gail Dines,
Anne Koedt, Marilyn Frye, Lori Tharps, Pamela Fishman, Lillian Rubin, Deborah
Tannen, Phil Petrie and many others are potential relevant sources here), illuminate some
of the key characteristics that define contemporary (and normative) social, romantic, and
sexual interactions between women and men. Unpack the gender dynamics that inform
these interactions: Are there differences in male and female expectations, goals, and
behaviors in the context of contemporary male-female conversational/social, romantic,
and sexual interactions and relationships? What about gendered differences in power and
agency in these arenas? And how do these differences reflect normative constructions of
masculinity and femininity? According to the authors, what are some of the changing
(and more constant) historical, cultural, and economic factors that have shaped, and
continue to shape, contemporary male-female social, romantic, and sexual interactions?
Finally, I also encourage you to reflect on/analyze the implications of the intersections of
race, class, gender, and sexual orientation on contemporary social, romantic, and sexual
interactions AND/OR to draw from your own personal reflections, experiences, and
observations in your analysis as well.
* Please note that for question 3, you can choose to focus primarily on one aspect of
contemporary male-female interaction if you wish; for example on the hook-up
culture, or on male-female verbal/conversational communication, male-female
intimate/long-term relationships etc.
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