The War
Against Boys
A term paper on: Bias and accuracy, in government reports, social science research and the mass media
Purpose: Students will examine media articles, government statistical reports, newspaper and magazine articles, feminist and objective research claims, on boys in the USA and Canada. Students will examine the laws, myths and realities that define the lives of boys, their education, their families, and their futures.
Due Date: The first class in the second week of March or November. Two classes of essential lectures will be offered on this topic. Allow at least three weeks for reading and writing, and consultation with the teacher.
Size: Maximum 2000 words, not counting quotations. Mark Value: 25%,
Regulations: Reports must be: 1. Legible, preferably computer word-processed, or legibly hand-written, and stapled together. 2. Write on the right side of the page. Number all pages sequentially. 3. Remove all errors completely. Include a title page, a table of contents, introduction, conclusion and a bibliography. 4. Write in grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. 5. Photocopies of your highlighted media articles should be mounted on the left page opposite your analysis of the article, with the quotations numbered or lettered sequentially. 6. Identify every article and quotation with its author, title, source, date, page, and place. 7. Articles must be photocopied legibly, without extraneous other articles. Articles longer than one page should open as centerfolds. 8. List your report word total in the table of contents. Over - length reports will be marked to a higher mark standard. 9. Include the instruction sheet for the term paper or report as the last page. That sheet will be checked for each instruction followed or omitted. 10. Late assignments will loose 10% for up to one week late. Later reports will not be accepted without an approved absence form from the school medical officer or registrar. 11. Follow the "Regulations for Term Papers and Reports," in the front of this package. 12. Instructions in "How to Detect Bias in the Print Mass Media” by J. Asher offer a useful guide for all reports. 13. Examine the sample papers available from the teacher as models for your report.
Students who consult in small groups may earn higher marks. Your teacher will schedule library classes to help students learn research skills. Students will need about $5 in change for the photocopiers. Make photocopies of your table for practice, before filling the final copies.
Do not hesitate to ask the librarians for help. Please thank them. Do not write in or mark the index volumes.
Required Sources
A.
1. The War Against Boys by Christina Hoff Sommers Simon & Shuster 2000
2. Real Boys by William Pollack Random House 1998
TWABoys is available on reserve in the library and for sale in the Dawson bookstore; RBoys on reserve in the Library, and other bookstores.
3. Five articles from magazines or newspapers from 1970 to 2000 on divorced fathers, according to instructions listed below.
Include in all of your answers the most accurate statistical data available from the sources assigned to you, the Statistics Canada section in the library, and professional sources on the Internet. Distinguish between American and Canadian data.
B. Questions on "The War Against Boys" and "Real Boys" [indicated below as WAB & RB]