-Rima said theory is talking without examples =P

 

A theory is a set of difficult questions or problems posed in concepts. It is a set of concepts that asks us questions.

Concepts can come from everyday life – concepts about gender, sexuality, etc.

 

Example

 The theoretical part

For example, let’s take a look at Marx and Engel’s German Ideology. “Ideology” from the German Ideology. “Ideology” is a buzz word like “social construct.” It is the idea that notions shapes. The question asked in the German Ideology is, do material conditions shape consciousness? What makes Germany so advanced in one way but not another.

 

Tying it in with examples from real life

 What are the issues for this class?

Ex. The ideology of masculinity

-what it is to be a dude in university?

-think about that ideal – what are the material conditions that give rise to that

consciousness?

-the frat idea – they’re trying to gain status and a sense of belonging by joining a

Fraternity, it’s gives them the dude code

-why are they going to university – to train people to be useful to a capitalist society

 

Linking it to our class

 We did field work by going to orientation/campus events. For example, we went to see how that masculinity and femininity are represented in that moral code.

 CONNECTING IDEOLOGY TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR CLASS (RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HOW THAT CONNECTS TO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE) – how does this take place in different places

  

In Summary

 (1) Look for metaphors

-there re always metaphors, examples, analogy in theories – helps to crack the code of what theory is

-Ex. Marx and Engels – camera obscura – a distorted upside down reality when it’s filtered

through the camera obscura – gives us an idea of what ideology is Take that back to the guy

code – camera obscura cuts out a lot of the reality. (Tom uses a lot of diagrams)

(2) Look for the concepts

-you can find it and it is defined in the text

(3) Look for examples, research questions from the text then find your own examples, connect it to experience – look for metaphors!

 

When Teaching a Reading (Theory):

 (1) provide context:

-who is the author

-what is the title of the writing?

-what was it written/published

(2) pull out a concept

-define it (ex. How would you define “compulsory heterosexuality”

(3) what are the implications? (applying the theory)

-the question: is the choice something that one can really make? (agency)

Ex. For the reading, you could Google Adrienne Rich and you’ll find out that she was a poet writing in the 2^nd wave of feminism and Valverde was writing during the 3^rd wave of feminism.

-this helps us to understand what the author is saying and their perspectives!

 

Bonus: check out Dive in the Wreck – good poem!