Five key terms will be elaborated in your journal. You will define each term in your own words, and elaborate on each definition in short written entries (400-600 words), offering a “mapping” or “genealogy” of each term, based on texts and discussion from our class, supplemented with your own knowledge and interest. What does this term mean, when/where does it emerge from, what is its relevance, how do authors from our course utilize it, what other terms is it related to, and what can it help you/us to explore? This assignment can be completed in a style of your choosing, but I encourage you to write and rewrite, revisit, re-edit, and perhaps put your pieces into conversation with one another, as well as with the texts. Do whatever research you want, but do not rely on or quote dictionary definitions or encyclopedia entries for these terms. You must utilize the work of at least one course text as part of your explanation of each key term. While your portfolio can be created in a style that reads as formal or informal, artistic or analytic, it should clearly show the depth of your engagement with a course text in its entirety; don’t respond to just one quote—instead, show your engagement with a full work, or more than one text, if you choose to. For each entry, include least one quote from a course text to help with your key term; this quote should be selected carefully. Any quote should substantively bring the author’s voice into your work, and offer you the ability to more closely engage the author’s content and style. Quotes from the author should comprise no more than 10% of your total work—probably less.

keywords:

Colonialism • Heterosexualism • Intersex • Race • Two-spirit