Instructions, prompt, and the Unit 6 informative materials are also included in the word document attached, entitled: Unit 3 Material. The critical journal rubric is located in the pdf document attached, entitled:Writing Critical Response Papers (1).
Instructions:
Write a response to the journal entry to the response below. Response should be a minimum of four fully developed paragraphs with a clear thesis statement, supporting paragraphs with topic sentences, and a conclusion. Your work should be double-spaced in Times New Roman font, size 12, and include in-text citations and a reference section. You may use APA, MLA, or Chicago style, as long as you are consistent. Response is supposed to be 600-700 words, but not a big deal if its only 550.
Prompt:
A gender-neutral pronoun HEN was introduced at two Stockholm nurseries in 2012 and added to the Swedish National Encyclopedia in 2013. In September 2014, Newsweek published the article The Three Letter Word Driving a Gender Revolution in which the author Elisabeth Braw wrote, Today hen is frequently used by Swedish children and adults alike. Now other European countries are joining the gender-neutrality trend.
To the supporters, using a gender-neutral pronoun at nurseries, like going gender-neutral in toy ads, is “a heartening step in broadening the concept of gender (Article: Sweden Introduces New Gender-Neutral Pronoun, Makes Being a Man ILLEGAL) and giving institutional validation to those for whom gender is more complicated than the stiff old male/female dichotomy.” Specifically, they argue that it teaches those traditional norms, such as distinguishing between men and women, gay and straight, and able-bodied and disabled, must be dismantled in order to achieve an equal society.
However, argues Dr. David Eberhard, a leading Swedish psychiatrist, a new pronoun wont change the fact that the vast majority of people identify either as men or women. Whatever you choose to call people, the biological differences between men and women remain, he notes. We should treat each other with respect but ignoring biological gender differences is crazy. Making us identical wont create more equality. Boys should be allowed to play with dollsand girls with carsif they like to, says Eberhard, who coined the expression safety addiction in reference to Swedens health and safety system. But, he adds, calling them hen instead of him or her? Thats child cruelty. ( Source Article 1: Swedish Gender-Neutral Pronoun, ‘Hen,’ Added To Country’s National Encyclopedia and Source Article 2: The Three Letter Word Driving a Gender Revolution used for the prompt)
What is your position in the debate about using “HEN” and why do you take that position?
1. Components of your essay: opening statement (introduction), explanation with supporting details, and closing statement (conclusion)
2. You need to provide a clear thesis statement, topic sentence/s, and adequate supporting evidence.
3. You need to reference two readings/videos used in our class. You also need to use at least one specific term/concept you have learned to help with your explanation.
