Description
Choose a material inanimate object that you find to be gendered. In other words, an object that has either "masculine" or "feminine" attributes, characteristics or functions.
Write an essay in which you explain:
The object's physical attributes and characteristics (description)
The object's use or purpose
The object's social significance
The object's cultural significance
Where can one get this object? Does it have to be purchased? Could people make it and not buy it? Where is it purchased? Describe the different places where one could acquire it? What does where it sold tell you about it?
Who buys this object? Who makes this object? Is it mass produced? Who probably would not buy this object?
What is the age range of people that use the object? Is it a generally acceptable object for most people to possess?
Is it stigmatized in any way? Does the government have anything to do with it?
What would your parents say about this object? What would your grandparents say about it? What about aunts, uncles? Neighbors? Teammates? Friends?
If you had (or have) a child, at what age would you allow this child to have this object?
Are there variations on the object?
What would happen if someone of a different gender used this object? (In other words, if you believe your object is feminine, what do you think would happen if a man used it? Why?)
Is the object ethnicized or raced in anyway? Is it classed? In other words, would some people in culture consider the object to belong to a particular group of people?
Make sure to include page numbers, spell checking and grammar checking
Sample Solution