Stereotype threat, assignment help

Part I:
Who is Steele? What’s he talking about? Why should readers care? What’s your point?
For Part I, which can be one or more paragraphs in length, you will –
• Hook the reader with an interesting opening observation or anecdote related to stereotype
threat perhaps pulled from one of our readings or from your own experience.
• Briefly introduce Claude Steele who studies the concept of stereotype threat. Indicate what
gives him the qualifications to write on this subject. For example, you might write: “According
to social psychologist known for his work in stereotype threat, …. [and then go on to
paraphrase, summarize, or quote Steele]” (10). This way, we know he’s an authority on the
subject.
• Define Steele’s concept of stereotype threat in your own words.
• Indicate why this concept is important to understand or should be disregarded.
• State your claim (which doesn’t have to be in the first paragraph as long as you’re making a
deliberate choice about where you put it).
o Your claim should respond to this question: Is stereotype threat likely to be a significant
reason for the lesser success of people who are underrepresented in given fields (for
example, women in the sciences)? Or, as others suggest, are these disparities more likely
Essay Two: Essay Assignment Sheet/ENGL 124-5364 Spring 2017 3
to relate to differences in aptitude, intelligence, and natural ability or desires? Note: You
can find that both may be true, but to make a strong stand, you must also give you reader
guidance in your claim as to where to strike the balance. Under what circumstances or for
what purposes is stereotype threat probably relevant to success? When isn’t it relevant?
Your readers need something that they can use to frame their thinking out there in the
world. This is a harder approach to this assignment.

Part II
Who is Summers? What is he arguing? How might stereotype threat account for the differences Summers
sees in women’s success? Whose account is more likely to be true, Steele’s or Summers’? (This should
agree with your main claim.)
• For each paragraph in this section, create a logical transition to include a subclaim that
supports your main claim.
• Briefly introduce Lawrence Summers, as you did Steele. In contrast to Steele, what does
Summers think accounts for the success differences in women and men in the sciences and
engineering?
• Summarize Summers’ position with at least two of his key points.
• If you’re not considering women in the sciences, explain how Summers’ position might relate
to beliefs about other stereotyped groups (yours or someone that you have strong knowledge
of).
• Explain how the concept of stereotype threat might account for OR probably doesn’t account
for the disparities Summers sees between men and women’s success (and that might also
relate to the success of other stereotyped groups if you’re looking at another group).
• Use at least one quotation introduced by a signal phrase, that is properly cited, explained, and
connected logically to the topic sentence.
• Logically link this paragraph back to your main claim or position.

Part III
What major stereotype threat have you or someone close to you experienced? How has it affected you
or them? Does Steele get it right? Is stereotype threat a real thing? Or does Summers have the better
explanation?
• For each paragraph in this section, create a logical transition to include a subclaim that
supports your main claim.
• Identify a key stereotype threat you or someone you know well experiences.
• Describe how this affects you or them.
• Evaluate how Steele’s concept of stereotype threat supports your or their experiences, or how
Steele’s interpretation contradict those experiences.
o Question to think about: In your experience and judgment (having considered the
evidence in the essays), does Steele, Summers, or some combination of both best
describe the reasons for the challenges you’ve faced or that someone close to you has
faced?
• Use at least one quotation from any of our sources, to be introduced by a signal phrase,
properly cited, explained, and connected logically to the topic sentence.
• Logically link this paragraph back to your main claim or position.

Part IV
What can you and/or we do with this information?
• For each paragraph in this section, create a logical transition to include a subclaim that
supports the main claim.
• Explain how this new knowledge could benefit (or harm) you and/or others.
Essay Two: Essay Assignment Sheet/ENGL 124-5364 Spring 2017 4
o For example: How does it help you or the culture as it wrestles with stereotypical
thinking in a very divided way (regarding race, religion, economic status, size, ability,
etc.,)? (Or, how does it lead us in the wrong direction?)
• Explain how might you and/or others begin to overcome stereotype threat based on what
you’ve learned. – or – What should we be thinking about instead (if you don’t find that
stereotype threat is a relevant problem).