Paper #4 for English 4----- “Two Towns of Jasper” and “Laramie Project”

Chabot College—Spring 2015—Paper #4—McFarland

“Two Towns of Jasper” and “Laramie Project”

For this next assignment we will try to come to some kind of understanding of how these terrible crimes could have occurred and consider how they might be avoided in the future. It goes without saying that these murders were horrific and that nobody excuses them. But as Peggy McIntosh writes in her famous essay “White Privilege” it is perhaps mistaken to think of these acts as only “individual acts of meanness” and not as the result of “invisible systems conferring dominance on a group.”  Her essay can be found on the web:

https://www.isr.umich.edu/home/diversity/resources/white-privilege.pdf

You will need to access it and download it and print it to bring to class each week from here on out. It will serve as the conceptual underpinning for this assignment. Here are some possible questions—and we will get more …..

What exactly is “Privilege”?

What is the connection between Privilege and Racism /Heterosexism/Classism?

What are possible shortcomings in the “Live and Let Live” philosophy and how are these shortcomings tied to the notion of Privilege?           

McIntosh says privilege is “invisible”—what does she mean and do you agree with her?

In light of Privilege, what particular challenges are there to opening the heart of a bigot—that is, in creating some change in them?

For this paper you will want to bring in “The Written Works” if you think it can help you explore privilege and class and institutional ‘rules.’

For this paper you will also want to do some of your own research to gain further background about these issues. The internet is a good place to start. The PBS site  tied to “Two Towns of Jasper” has relevant materials, and offers some great links to explore. If you want to include interviews that you do, that would be great. You may also consider referencing our other texts that we have been reading during the semester

2 quotes per paragraph is expected. 

One great place to start:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2002/twotownsofjasper/about_townhall.html

The paper is due May 30^th by email. First draft is due May 20^th.

Page minimum is 6. But do a lot more than that… how is that for teacher advice, lol.