EL4080 Extraordinary Bodies Final Project Assignment Sheet
Assignment: Create a Guide to Disability Studies that could be used by students who take EL4080 in a future semester. You must work in answers to the questions below and you must use two research articles located in the Final Project Library on our Blackboard site. You may also include any additional content you wish to include, including your own personal reflections—anything you think would enrich someone’s understanding of disability studies.
Questions you must consider:
• What is disability studies? • What are the models of disability, and which one is most central to disability studies?
• How is “disability” defined in disability studies?
• What are the main aims of disability studies?
• Who are some of the theorists and writers working in the area of disability studies? Select at least three and explain who they are/what they say about disability.
• What are some of the main issues and concerns discussed in disability studies?
• In literature, what are some of the things to look for if you want to analyze literature through a disability studies lens? (for example, “literature” includes the short story, poem, novel, autobiography)
• What is the benefit of exploring both negative and positive representations of disability in literature?
• Why is the field of disability studies important?
• What is the most significant insight you learned from studying disability studies, and why is it the most significant one for you?
Due: Tuesday, 12/21 by 1:00pm, electronically, submitted to the Final Project Dropbox on Blackboard.
Format: Typed, double-spaced, and please number your pages. Length: Approximately 5 double-spaced pages Research and Documentation: You must use two articles from the Final Project Library on Blackboard and may wish to use additional resources. See the 2nd page this document for the list of research and resources in the Final Project Library. Anything you use must be documented using MLA-8 and listed on a Works Cited page.
Evaluation: The Final Project will be evaluated based on content, development, critical thinking, use of research, focus, organization, documentation, and grammar and mechanics. The areas that will be given the most weight are content, development, and critical thinking—the Final Project must show strong and detailed knowledge of disability studies in general, and disability studies in literature in particular.
The Final Project must use two of the following Keywords from Disability Studies: (only choose 2)
• \”Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disability-studies/essay/disability/
• \”Education and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disabilitystudies/essay/education/
• \”Family and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disability-studies/essay/family/
• \”Gender and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disability-studies/essay/gender/
• \”Identity and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disability-studies/essay/identity/
• \”Queer and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disability-studies/essay/queer/
• \”Race and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disability-studies/essay/race/
• \”Sexuality and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disabilitystudies/essay/sexuality/
• \”Work and Disability\” https://keywords.nyupress.org/disability-studies/essay/work/ In addition, you may use any of the following research articles/resources:
USE Any of the literature we covered–here is a list:
\”Waist High in the World\” by Nancy Mairs
\”My Body Politic\” by Simi Linton
• \”Fresh and Feisty Stories\” Garland-Thomson Shape Structures Story.\”
• Simi Linton explains Disability Studies: https://youtu.be/-b54TOaLgcM