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Chapter 3: The Rhetorical Shaping of Gender:
Competing Images of Women
Multiple Choice
1. What was/were the goal/s of the first wave of the women’s rights movement?
A. woman suffrage—the right to vote
B. women’s right to higher education
C. women’s right to work in the professions
D. women’s right to own property
E. all of the above
2. What types of strategies were used by the first wave of women’s rights activists in the
United States?
A. riots
B. nonviolent protests and hunger strikes
C. pamphlets
D. violent protests
E. all of the above
3. What factors led to the development of liberal feminism?
A. the discrimination women experienced in New Left politics
B. the publication of Susan Faludi’s Backlash
C. the public protest at which women burned their bras
D. the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique
E. a desire to bring women’s moral perspectives to politics
4. Women won the right to vote in 1920 in part because of the efforts of the members of the
______________ movement, a group that asserted women’s moral superiority.
A. Seneca Falls Convention
B. Revalorists
C. Cult of Domesticity
D. Women’s Suffrage Coalition
E. National Organization for Women
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5. A group of women engages in conscious raising “rap” sessions. During the rap sessions,
women talk about personal experiences with sexism and how these are related to social and
political structures. Each woman has an equal opportunity to speak, so that no one person can
dominate the discussion. This group best represents which branch of feminism?
A. radical feminists
B. liberal feminists
C. womanists
D. separatists
E. revalorists
6. This feminist movement believes the key to understanding gender and identity is best
understood by examining the intersection of key elements of identity like gender, race-ethnicity,
sexual orientation, and economic class. This best describes which branch of feminism?
A. lesbian feminism
B. revalorism
C. womanism
D. multiracial feminism
E. none of the above
7. Which antifeminist movement advocated the return to traditional values, attitudes, and
roles, and was most often supported by women who were economically dependent on
their husbands who embraced conservative values?
A. STOP ERA
B. Fascinating Womanhood
C. Surrendered Wife
D. Backlash
E. Both B and C
8. Which wave of feminism focuses on intersectionality, coalitions and alliances, everyday
resistance, media savvy, consumerism, and individualism?
A. third wave
B. second wave
C. first wave
D. power feminism
E. none of these
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ANS: A
REF: pp. 74-78
9. Which feminist group emphasizes that all oppressions—including those to nonhuman
living things—are linked and that to eliminate oppression of women we must also
eliminate oppression of animals and the environment?
A. revalorists
B. ecofeminists
C. lesbian feminists
D. womanists
E. separatists
10. Which of the following are accomplishments of the National Organization for Women
(NOW)?
A. advocacy for the prohibition of sex discrimination by federal contractors
B. the documentation of sexism in the media
C. advocacy for the reformation of banking and credit practices that disadvantage
women
D. highlighting gender inequality across the globe
E. all of the above
True/False
11. There is a common set of beliefs that all feminists share.
12. Women burned their bras to protest the Miss America pageant in 1968.
13. Womanists address issues that affect working and lower-class women.
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14. Multiracial femininsts argue that gender cannot be understood separate from other issues
including race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, etc.
15. Revalorists choose to leave mainstream society and form separate communities that value
women and are in harmony with nature.
16. Radical feminists were the first to declare that “the personal is political.”
17. Revalorism highlights women’s traditional activities and contributions and works to increase
society’s appreciation of women and their contributions to society.
18. Liberal feminist ideology claims that women and men are alike in all important respects and
so should have equal rights.
19. Power feminism claims that women identifying as victims so frequently is part of the reason
women are disadvantaged.
20. Intersectionality, the recognition that women differ in many ways including race, class,
sexual orientation, body shape and size, and (dis)ability, is a hallmark of first-wave
feminism.
21. Young feminists used social media like Twitter and Facebook to force the Susan G.
Komen foundation to reverse its decision to defund Planned Parenthood in 2012.
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Identification
22. “Ain’t I a Woman?”
ANS: Speech given by Sojourner Truth during the first wave of U.S. feminism. Truth called
23. NOW
ANS: The National Organization for Women was formed in 1966. As a liberal feminist
24. Liberal feminist ideology
25. Cultural feminist ideology
ANS: This feminist ideology asserts that women and men are essentially different and should
26. Power feminism
ANS: Contends that society doesn’t oppress women because women have the power to
27. Third-wave feminism
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ANS: Third–wave feminism includes women of diverse ethnicities, abilities, classes,
Essays
1. Explain the unique contributions of the women’s rights movement and the cult of domesticity
movement to first-wave feminism.
ANS: The women’s rights movement focused on gaining political rights for women,
2. Compare and contrast third–wave feminism and multiracial feminism. In your essay, note
similarities as well as differences between the two movements’ values, goals, principles, and
demographics of membership.
ANS: Similarities:
Both third-wave and multiracial feminists understand multiple forms of oppression (sexism,
racism, classism, etc.) as intersecting.
3. Some third-wave feminists embrace sexiness and femininity as part of being empowered.
What is your position on this issue? Defend your stance.
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ANS: Answers will vary and depend on the student’s own justification. Students should
4. Some second-wave feminists have criticized the younger generation of third-wave feminists
for being too focused on consumerism and lacking a clear central message. Based on the
characteristics of the movement described in your textbook, do you think these criticisms are
valid? Why or why not? What are the differing motivations behind the two waves that could
account for this criticism?
ANS: The answers here will vary based on the student’s opinion. However, they should
5. Describe separatism and why it is limited in its power as a feminist movement.
ANS: Separatism developed to give women opportunities to live apart from men. The
6. Topic or question should be generated by a student. See pages 7-8 of this manual for details
on this activity.
7. Topic or question should come from class business. See pages 7-8 of this manual for details
on this activity.
Chapter 4: The Rhetorical Shaping of Gender:
Competing Images of Men
Multiple Choice
1. This branch of the men’s movement encourages men to develop the emotional
capacities that society approves of in women but discourages in men.
A. Mythopoetic Men
B. The White Ribbon Campaign
C. Free Men
D. Profeminist Men
E. Postfeminist Men
2. Jake is at a party with a large group of men when his friend Dan makes a sexist joke
about the physical appearance of a woman they all know. Instead of laughing, Jake tells
Dan that he thinks the joke is inappropriate and that he’d prefer that Dan did not talk
about women that way in front of him. What type of identity has Jake performed in this
scenario?
A. an offensive identity
B. a men’s rights identity
C. a traitorous identity
D. a Free Men identity
E. none of the above
3. This men’s movement professes that most men are not violent and that men should work
together to change the few who are violent.
A. White Ribbon Campaign
B. Mentors in Violence Prevention
C. NOMAS
D. Free Men
E. none of the above
4. Which of the following statements is true of men’s rights activists?
A. They aim to educate men about socialization that links masculinity to violence and
aggression to motivate them to reject violence.
B. They voice public support for women’s rights and men’s personal development.
C. They engage in interpersonal persuasion to convince friends and coworkers to alter
discriminatory attitudes and practices.
D. They believe that violence against women is not just a women’s issue.
E. They aim to restore the traditional roles of men and women, and with that the
privileges that men historically enjoyed.
5. According to the principles of the _______ movement, men who condone, encourage,
or ignore violence are just as guilty as those who act violently.
A. NOMAS
B. Profeminist
C. White Ribbon Campaign
D. Mentors in Violence Prevention
E. Mythopoetic Men
6. Which of the following movements is a multifaceted effort to stimulate a national
conversation about what it means to be a good man today?
A. The Promise Keepers
B. Mythopoetic Men
C. NOMAS
D. The Good Men Project
E. Mentors in Violence Prevention
7. Which of the following is true of NOMAS?
A. It stands for the National Organization of Men Against Sexism.
B. It celebrates traditionally masculine values of courage and ambition.
C. It condemns traditionally masculine values of aggression and emotional insensitivity.
D. It attempts to help men understand how their emotional development has been
hindered by our culture’s view of masculinity.
E. All of the above.
8. Which movement asked men to rededicate themselves to their families, spiritual
transformation, and political action?
A. Million Man March
B. Mythopoetic Men
C. Free Men
D. White Ribbon Campaign
E. Profeminists
9. _______ movements are those who work to support feminist movements in addition to
working to change the way masculinity is constructed in the United States.
A. Free Men
B. Masculinist
C. Men’s equality
D. Profeminist
E. No men’s movements support feminism.
10. Which of the following is/are true of the MVP?
A. MVP was started after the Montreal Massacre in which 14 women were killed.
B. MVP says that if men make a personal commitment to never commit violence,
violence will eventually stop.
C. MVP says that men are socialized to be violent and aggressive.
D. They are a masculinist group.
E. All of the above
12. Topic or question should come from class business. See pages 7-8 of this manual for
details on this activity.
True/False
13. Free Men believe that men are discriminated against, although not as much as women are.
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14. Profeminists endeavor to cultivate emotions that they feel have been suppressed by
masculine socialization.
15. Mythopoetic men argue that modern men experience emotional emptiness related to yearning
to be close to their fathers.
16. Promise Keepers see reconnecting with God’s commandments as the path for men to regain
wholeness.
17. Football coach Joe Ehrmann, who stresses to his team the value of building relationships,
loving one another, and accepting love, is enacting a traitorous identity.
18. Masculinist movements assert that men suffer from discrimination and that men need to
reclaim their rightful status as men.
19. When men observe sexist or violent behavior aimed at women and do not intervene, they are
enacting bystander behavior.
20. NOMAS, MVP, and mythopoetics all agree that the current construction of masculinity can
be harmful.
21. The Promise Keepers developed in response to a horrific act of violence against women that
took place in Montreal (sometimes referred to as the Montreal Massacre).
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Identification
22. Mentors in Violence Prevention
ANS: Founded by Jackson Katz, MVP seeks to educate men about socialization that
23. Mythopoetic men
ANS: Prominent in the 1980s and 1990s, mythopoetic men follow the work of poet
24. Traitorous identity
ANS: Rhetorical strategy performed by many male feminists. Enacting a traitorous identity
25. The Good Men Project
ANS: A multifaceted effort to stimulate a national conversation about what it means to be a
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26. Bystander behavior
ANS: Bystander behavior is a term that Mentors in Violence Prevention use to refer to the
27. Men’s rights activist
ANS: Men’s rights activists’ goal is to restore traditional gender roles, including the
Essays
28. Identify the goals and the beliefs of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) and the
White Ribbon Campaign (WRC). Then discuss similarities and differences between the two.
Within your answer, define bystander behavior, indicate which group highlights this, and explain
how the concept is relevant to thinking about our personal agency in shaping gendered attitudes
and beliefs.
ANS: The WRC is committed to ending violence against women. They believe that men
29. Describe what is meant by a traitorous identity. Then, either hypothetically or from your own
experience, describe a scenario in which someone performs a traitorous identity. Why do you
think this behavior is difficult for some people? Why is it important to perform?
ANS: A traitorous identity is a strategy in which a member of a group criticizes actions or
30. The Men’s Rights Movement argues that a number of contemporary policies and practices
are discriminatory towards men; moreover, some men’s rights groups argue that feminism is at
least partially responsible for the implementation of these practices and policies. Identify one
contemporary policy or practice that men’s movements have identified as discriminatory and
explain whether or not you agree with that classification.
ANS: The primary issue discussed by Wood is child custody after divorce. As she notes,
31. Topic or question should come from class business. See pages 7-8 of this manual for details
on this activity.
Chapter 5: Gendered Verbal Communication
Multiple Choice
1. Neil Armstrong’s famous quote, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind,” is an example of
A. male generic language.
B. stereotyping.
C. polarized thinking.
D. verbal hedging.
E. a tag question.
2. Misinterpretations between people who are socialized into masculine speech
communities and people who are socialized into feminine speech communities occur
around the issue of showing support because
A. feminine speakers want a matching of experience and masculine speakers give
advice.
B. feminine speakers find masculine speaker’s storytelling to be wandering and
unfocused.
C. feminine speakers think masculine speaker’s storytelling misses important details.
D. feminine speakers are trying to make a point and masculine speakers try to upstage
them.
E. all of the above
3. “I had something similar happen to me and I totally understand how you feel”
exemplifies what characteristic of feminine communication?
A. verbal hedge
B. establishing equality
C. support for others
D. personal, concrete style
E. tag question
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4. In general, feminine speech community members follow this/these communication
practice(s):
A. Language is used to show one’s status.
B. Communication is used as primary way to establish and maintain relationships.
C. Direct, abstract speech is used frequently.
D. Language tends to be used to accomplish an instrumental task.
E. Language is used to maintain control of the conversation.
5. Which of the following is true of masculine speech community members?
A. They tend to regard language as important for accomplishing instrumental tasks,
gaining status, and maintaining control of the conversation.
B. Only men are masculine speech community members.
C. They do not think talking is important.
D. They are not as skilled at using language as members of female speech communities.
E. All of the above
6. Women who are effective public speakers tend to
A. adopt a masculine style of speaking.
B. adopt a feminine style of speaking.
C. adopt a style of speaking that balances masculine and feminine stylistic factors.
D. adopt a style of speaking that is gender neutral; there are no masculine or feminine
aspects to their style.
E. Women are almost never considered effective public speakers.
7. Topic or question should come from class business. See pages 7-8 of this manual for details on
this activity.
8. Topic or question should be authored by a student. See pages 7–8 of this manual for details on
this activity.
True/False
9. The extent to which we speak in a masculine or a feminine style varies depending on context
and other factors.
10. Masculine speakers tend to make eye contact, nod, and say things like “tell me more,” while
speaking to others.
11. Girls’ games tend to lack clear structure and external goals.
12. Speakers socialized in a masculine speech community tend to use talk to gain and show
status.
13. Children’s play is very important in how they become socialized into speech communities.
14. Masculine speech community members are less likely than feminine speech community
members to want to talk about the “state of the relationship.”
15. Women tend to interrupt others more than men.
16. Research has shown people think male generic language includes men and women.
17. The common belief that women are more talkative than men is supported by research.
Identification
18. Tag question
19. Speech community
ANS: Speech communities exist when a group of people shares understandings about goals
20. The Point of the Story
ANS: A cause of much misunderstanding between feminine and masculine communicators,
21. Gender-linked language effect
22. Polarized thinking
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23. Minimal response cues
24. Stereotype
25. Male generic language
ANS: Male generic language are verbal constructions that use male nouns and pronouns when
Essays
26. Compare and contrast the rules of communication that are promoted in games typically
played by boys and games typically played by girls. Discuss the implications of these games for
communication by adult women and men.
ANS: Games young boys typically play cultivate four communication rules:
Use communication to achieve something (instrumentality).
Use communication to assert your ideas, opinions, and identity.