This document provides an agenda for an EWRT 211 class. It includes an introduction to the class's final in-class essay assignment on identifying and analyzing experiences of both marginalization and privilege in one's own life. The document outlines the essay requirements and structure, provides discussion prompts to help students brainstorm examples from their own lives, and includes a sample student essay addressing the assignment. It concludes with an in-class writing period and homework assignments on vocabulary, outlining the essay, and revising past work.

1. EWRT 211 CLASS 17

2. AGENDA
 All vocab plus names 1-3
 Intro to in-class essay #5
The Essay Topic and
Objective:
 The Sample Essay
 In-class writing/outlining
 Homework

3. Vocabulary: Two points for every
correct answer!
 Petrificus Totalus
 Oculus Reparo
 Vipera Evanesca
 Finite Incantartem
 Livid
 Nimble
 Cheeky
 Albus Percival Wulfric
Brian Dumbledore
 Aragog
 Argus Filch

5. Essay #5: Identify, explain, and argue how you have
experienced both marginalization and privilege.
The Writing Assignment:
This will be your final in-class essay. As it was for in-class Essay #4, planning and
putting together your one-page Essay #5 Outline will be important, and you should
invest good time and effort into that.
The Essay Topic and Objective:
In Essay #4, you identified, explained, and argued how a character in The Chamber of
Secrets is marginalized in some way. In Essay #5, your final in-class essay, you will do
the following:
 Identify and explain both a marginalization and a privilege that YOU have
faced/experienced and provide examples of both using specific instances from
your own life.
 Then, consider the ways in which you’ve responded to the marginalization or
the privilege. Do you see your responses as productive? Fair? Compassionate?
How or why?
 Finally, discuss how your exploration of your own marginalization and privilege
relates to your life and your future. What have you learned from this essay?

6. Essay Requirements
 You can use quotes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets to help support your points. And/or you can use a
quote from another source that helps us understand privilege
or marginalization. Or, you can use one of the hip hop songs to
quote and compare to your own experiences.
 Your final essay should be a minimum of five paragraphs
(between 500-750 words): introduction, three well-developed
body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
 Sources: This essay requires at least three specific
instances/examples from your own life in addition to at least
one quote from another source.

7. Marginalization

8. 1. Class: Have you been marginalized on the basis of whether you
belong to a certain class or not? What are the markers of being
elite vs. being the stigmatized class?
2. Gender: Have you experienced gender marginalization? The term
gender refers to the economic, social and cultural attributes and
opportunities associated with being male or female. Men and
women face different expectations about how they should dress,
behave or work. Relations between men and women, whether in
the family, the workplace or the public sphere, also reflect
understandings of the talents, characteristics and behavior
appropriate to women and to men.
3. Race and/or Body: Have you experienced racial marginalization
based upon physical characteristics that are stereotyped as inferior
inferior or undesirable?

9. 4. Ethnic origin/Linguistic: Have you experienced
marginalization based upon ethnic origin, or
language, that are marked or stereotyped as inferior
or undesirable?
5. Educational status: Have you experienced
marginalization based upon lack of education, or not
having a socially approved education?
6. Different Abilities (Physical, Mental, Emotional):
Have you experienced marginalization based upon
lack of certain abilities, or having abilities that are
misunderstood or feared? Are these abilities or lack of
abilities stigmatized as mental illness, disability,
addiction, etc.?

10. 7. Minority status: Are you a member of a group that is
perceived to be a minority and thus faces marginalization
from those who identify as being part of a majority group?
8. Sexual identification: Do you seem to be marginalized
based upon your sexual identification, or based upon
characteristics that are stereotyped as being associated
with marginalized sexual identities?
9. Age: Have you experienced marginalization based upon
being too young (perceived as inexperienced, immature,
weak) or too old (perceived as obsolete, rigid, out-of-touch,
weak)?
7. Other: Define some other way in which you have been or
felt marginalized.

11. TAKE 5 MINUTES TO DISCUSS WAYS
YOU HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED;
THEN WE WILL TALK TOGETHER

12. PRIVILEGE
Now, return to the list, and brainstorm
which characteristics might provide you
with some social privilege or
acceptance. Again, you might consider
what is perceived as the “norm” for each
category and then examine whether you
fit that “norm.” What benefits do you
receive from “fitting the norm”?
Remember: the benefits of privilege
may not always be obvious.
TAKE 5 MINUTES TO DISCUSS
WAYS YOU ARE PRIVILEGED;
THEN WE WILL TALK
TOGETHER

13. Making a Tentative
Judgment or
Summation of Your
Own Experience
 Write one or two sentences to serve as your
tentative thesis statement. This is just to get your
initial ideas on paper. Your thesis may change as
you work on your outline.
 I am privileged as a --------, but I am marginalized
because I am --------------

14. Introduction Paragraph:
Presenting the subject
 Introduce the concepts of marginalization and privilege.
 Define them in your own words.
 Mention some marginalization and privileges you have
experienced.
 Your refined thesis: Who you are and how you are in the
margins and how you are privileged. What is the outcome on
you as a person?

15. Sample Essay: Introduction
Every day, people are judged on aspects of themselves that are out of their
control. These judgments are based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexual
orientation, body shape, disability, social class, and more. Sometimes people are
treated negatively and excluded from society based on these characteristics; this is
called marginalization. In contrast, sometimes people experience privilege based on
aspects of who they are. By privilege, I mean that some people are allowed access to
positive benefits and resources that not everyone can claim—all based on aspects of
who they are. In my life, I have both benefited from privilege and suffered from
marginalization. As a white man, I experience many social privileges; however, as a
gay man, I have also learned to adjust my social life to reduce marginalization.
Where has the writer Introduced the concepts of marginalization and privilege?
Where are the concepts defined in the writer’s own words?
Where is the writer’s thesis? Does it explain who he is and both how he is marginalized
and privileges? What is the outcome on him as a person?

16. Body Paragraphs
 Write at least three good body paragraphs with three
examples from your own experience. You can write one
paragraph about privilege and one about marginalization.
Your third paragraph should address the ways in which you
ways in which you’ve responded to the marginalization or the
privilege. Do you see your responses as productive? Fair?
Compassionate? How or why?
 You will need one body paragraph in which you consider
another perspective. Does everyone agree that you are
marginalized or privileged in the way you assert? Do they
agree with the effects those privileges or marginalization have
had on you? Don’t forget to refute this idea by demonstrating
why your own reading of the situation is better. You can use a
quotation to help with this.

17. Sample Essay: Body Paragraph 1
A significant privilege of being a white man is the assumption that I always
belong in social spaces or situations. Because white men are usually seen in our
society as the “norm” and as possessing social power, their presence in public is
rarely questioned or looked at with suspicion. One way that this shows up in my life
is that I can often break minor rules or laws without anyone noticing or seeming to
care. For example, last week I went for a walk in a local park after dark (in violation
of the park’s legal closing time). Several neighbors who lived along the park smiled
and greeted me as I walked by. A passing police car clearly saw me, but did not even
slow down. None of these people were concerned that I was breaking the law,
probably because I am a white man and no one considered me a threat in any way. I
have no doubt that if I were a man of color, there would have been more concern
about my presence in the park after dark. are welcome in most social situations.
What is the POINT in this paragraph?
What is the example the writer used to illustrate his point?
How has he explained his illustration, connecting it to his point and his thesis?

18. Body Paragraph 1 continued: You can use a quote
in one or more of these.
I realize that this probably means that I sometimes share opinions that are not welcome
or that are actually not very useful. In this way, and with some embarrassment, I
recognize that I am probably sometimes similar to Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in
Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart is a white male wizard who
is convinced that his ideas are always welcome, even when he is not an expert. For
example, Lockhart offers unsolicited advice to the Professor of Herbology, despite her
greater expertise. As he tells the students, “Just been showing Professor Sprout the right
way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don’t want you running away with the idea
that I’m better at Herbology than she is!” (Rowling 90). In this way, Lockhart (with
some false modesty) is providing unsolicited advice to an expert, with no apparent
second thought that his advice may not be welcome or relevant. As a white man, he just
assumes he has a valuable perspective to contribute and that everyone—especially
women—will want to listen. I certainly understand this feeling, even as I try to resist it.
But while, as a white man, I generally assume that I belong in most social situations,
there is one aspect of my identity that limits this belonging.
How does the quotation support his point?
How does he explain the connection between the quotation and his point?
Where is the transition?

19. Body Paragraph 2
Being a gay man marginalizes me from certain social situations and causes
me anxiety about potential social rejection. I felt this very clearly when I
came out during high school. In high school, I wrote a short story for the
school literary journal that had a gay protagonist. After my story was
published, many of my classmates asked if I was gay, including several
classmates who I was working with on a group project. When I said that I
was, several of these students stopped working with me on the project and I
eventually had to switch groups. These students did not call me names or
bully me, but they did exclude me and I ended up feeling rejected. This was a
powerful lesson that some people may not want to associate with me because
I am gay.
What is the POINT in this paragraph?
Has the writer included a specific example from his own life? Does it
support his point?

20. Counterargument
 You will need one body paragraph in which you
consider another perspective. Does everyone agree
that you are marginalized or privileged in the way
you assert? Do they agree with the effects those
privileges or marginalization have had on you?
 Don’t forget to refute this idea by demonstrating
why your own reading of the situation is stronger.
You can use a quotation to help with this.

21. Body Paragraph 2: A Sentence
Strategy: Concession Followed by A
Refutation: BP 2
One useful strategy for questions about the depth of your marginalization is to
concede the value of a likely criticism and then to refute it immediately, either
in the same sentence or in the next one.
The following sentences from the sample essay illustrate a way to
make this move (the concessions are in italics, the refutations in bold):
Even so, I understand why some people might see this example as somewhat
minor. After all, most of classmates were accepting of my sexual orientation
and I did good work in that class with my new group (and got an “A”).
However, this concern about being rejected remains with me and has
only gotten stronger as I have entered the world of work. Knowing that
people at work may reject me because of my sexual orientation is scary
when I really need that job.
What is the “other perspective” the writer addresses?
How does he refute that criticism?

22. Body Paragraph 3: Consider the ways in which you’ve responded
to the marginalization or the privilege.
Because I do not want to be rejected or treated badly by strangers,
coworkers, or other students, I have deliberately chosen to downplay my
sexual orientation in most public situations, despite the effort this takes. I try
not to dress in ways that might suggest that I am gay. I intentionally avoid
mannerisms that might be seen as too “effeminate.” And I am very careful not
to mention my boyfriend unless I know well the people I am talking to. I do
not know if all of this makes me seem particularly “straight,” but I think it
does reduce the attention that I call to myself as a gay man. This, I believe,
shields me from rejection. In terms of protecting myself in public situations, I
think this has been a productive strategy. However, I will admit that it has its
costs. It can sometimes feel exhausting to be so careful about what I say and
do. And there are definitely times when I feel frustrated that I cannot “be
myself” in certain situations. On the whole, though, I feel like the benefits are
worth the costs.
What is the writer’s POINT in this paragraph?
How does the writer respond to a marginalization or privilege?
Does he see his response as productive? Fair? Compassionate? Why?

23. Conclusion
 Finally, extend your insights to our contemporary
society. How do you measure up in society? Are you
making the best of your life? Are you angry about a
marginalization and unable to manage that anger?
How does your marginalization hold you back? How
does your privilege help you survive in the world? How
do you take advantage of your privilege? How are
others marginalized by your privilege? What is your
future? What actions can you take?

24. Sample Essay: Conclusion
As a gay white man, I experience both privilege and marginalization. In
general, I feel like I belong in most social situations. And yet, at the same time, I
am vigilant in those same situations while I determine whether it feels safe to
reveal my sexual orientation. This double experience is instructive in that it can
complicate our understanding of both marginalization and privilege in our society.
What this suggests is that many types of marginalization and privilege are not
absolute. It is possible for marginalized people to experience privilege in certain
situations and for privileged people to experience marginalization. However, what
I have learned from my experience is that instances of marginalization and
privilege do not somehow cancel each other out. Rather, both experiences exist in
my life and I should learn from both. To this end, I want to recognize and
understand how I feel in each position (marginalized vs. privileged), so that I can
better understand the experiences of those that I marginalize. This will help me
learn how to use my privileges to better prevent marginalization. Even as I
continue to protect myself from marginalization based on my sexual orientation, I
intend to use my privilege as a white man to help other marginalized people feel
like they belong.
Has the writer extended his insights to our contemporary society?
Which of these questions has he addressed: How do you measure up in society? Are you making
the best of your life? Are you angry about a marginalization and unable to manage that anger?
How does your marginalization hold you back? How does your privilege help you survive in the
world? How do you take advantage of your privilege? How are others marginalized by your
privilege? What is your future? What actions can you take?

25. In-Class Writing: Essay
#5:
 Identify, explain, and argue a privilege that YOU have experienced.
 Name specific examples from your own life to illustrate the privilege.
 Identify, explain, and argue a marginalization that you have experienced.
 Name specific examples from your own life to illustrate the marginalization.
 Consider other perspectives: Does everyone agree that you are marginalized
or privileged in the way you assert?
 Finally, extend your insights to contemporary society.
 How do you measure up in society? Are you making the best of your life?

26. HOMEWORK
Vocabulary: HP Names 4-7
HW Discussion 13:
• Prepare your outline: Include
the details and quotations you
want to use in your in-class
essay.
Revise either essay #2 or #3 for
your portfolio. Post one or
both under the appropriate
assignment.