Our section will be asynchronous this week! No synchronous class meeting at all. Instead, I invite you to write a short reflection making connections with our course materials to our holiday break.

This assignment is worth two points (the points normally available each week through attendance and participation). 

"We can be space invaders in the academy; we can be space invaders in theory too, just by referring to the wrong texts or by asking the wrong questions. One response might be to aim to reside as well as we can in the spaces that are not intended for us. We might even identify with the universal of the university by agreeing to put our particulars to one side. There is disruption, even invention, in that—of that I have no doubt. But think of this: those of us who arrive in an academy that was not shaped by or for us bring knowledges, as well as worlds, that otherwise would not be here. Think of this: how we learn about worlds when they do not accommodate us. Think of the kinds of experiences you have when you are not expected to be here. These experiences are a resource to generate knowledge. To bring feminist theory home is to make feminism work in the places we live, the places we work. When we think of feminist theory as homework, the university too becomes something we work on as well as at. We use our particulars to challenge the universal."

Sarah Ahmed, Living a Feminist Life, 11. Excerpt.

I liked this quote and thought that thinking about "space invaders" might be interesting during our short break while we may have a bit more time to visit spaces outside our typical routines at the University, whether that's returning home to visit family, more time with friends, or even virtual spaces. 

Short Writing Assignment: Reflecting on Thanksgiving through a Women and Gender Studies Lens

For this reflective response, write approximately ¾ to 1 page (about 200–250 words, double-spaced) connecting one of the threshold concepts we’ve discussed—intersectionality, privilege and oppression, the social construction of gender, or feminist praxis—to an aspect of the Thanksgiving holiday.

This is a personal reflection, so focus on your own experiences, observations, or thoughts. You might explore topics such as:

The holiday itself and its historical or cultural significance.

Traditions your family observes or abstains from and how they reflect or challenge societal norms.

Family dynamics during the holiday and how they relate to gender roles or power structures.

The implications of institutionalized vacation days in connection to labor and privilege.

At the end of your reflection, prepare a discussion question or identify an aspect of your response that you’re interested in exploring further during our final section meeting.

This assignment is completion-based and ungraded, and we’ll use your responses and questions as a springboard for a collaborative discussion. The purpose of this exercise is to reflect on how systems of power and identity shape even seemingly ordinary events like Thanksgiving. Don’t worry about formality—focus on articulating your thoughts clearly and authentically.