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Reading From The Social-Power Perspective Some critics believe that human history and institutions, even our ways of thinking, are determined by the ways in which our societies are organized. Two primary factors shape our schemes of organization: 1. Economic Power: First, the class to which we belong determines our degree of economic, political, and social advantage, and thus social classes find themselves in conflict with each other. 2. Social-Class Membership: Second, our membership in a social class has a profound impact on our beliefs, values, perceptions, and ways of thinking and feeling. For these reasons, the Social-Power Perspective helps us understand how people from different social classes understand the same circumstance in very different ways. When we see members of different social classes thrown together in the same story, we are likely to think in terms of power and advantage as we attempt to explain what happens and why.
Strategies for applying the Social-Power Perspective include the following: 1. Explore the ways in which different groups of people are represented in texts. 2. Evaluate the level of social realism in the texthow is the society portrayed? 3. Consider certain characters in relation to others: o Who has the power and/or money? Who does not? Who wants power and/or money? What happens as a result? o Where is this character relative to where the power and money in this society is located? 4. Consider how the text itself reproduces certain social beliefs and practices. What is the social effect of the literary work?

Turn over for so much Social-Power Perspective Fun!!

Name:

Class:

KEEP FOREVER

Reading From The Social-Power Perspective Some critics believe that human history and institutions, even our ways of thinking, are determined by the ways in which our societies are organized. Two primary factors shape our schemes of organization: 3. Economic Power: First, the class to which we belong determines our degree of economic, political, and social advantage, and thus social classes find themselves in conflict with each other. 4. Social-Class Membership: Second, our membership in a social class has a profound impact on our beliefs, values, perceptions, and ways of thinking and feeling. For these reasons, the Social-Power Perspective helps us understand how people from different social classes understand the same circumstance in very different ways. When we see members of different social classes thrown together in the same story, we are likely to think in terms of power and advantage as we attempt to explain what happens and why.
Strategies for applying the Social-Power Perspective include the following: 1. Explore the ways in which different groups of people are represented in texts. 2. Evaluate the level of social realism in the texthow is the society portrayed? 3. Consider certain characters in relation to others: o Who has the power and/or money? Who does not? Who wants power and/or money? What happens as a result? o Where is this character relative to where the power and money in this society is located? 4. Consider how the text itself reproduces certain social beliefs and practices. What is the social effect of the literary work?

Turn over for so much Social-Power Perspective Fun!!

When Close Reading a text through the Social-Power Perspective: 1. Read or Co-Read the passage first without making any marks. 2. Write down the context for this passage at the top of the page: Who (is speaking), When in the book/story, and To Whom (even if its the reader)? 3. Define any words you dont know by looking them up in a dictionary or online. Write a brief definition above the word or in the margins. 4. Circle & label words that strike you: Which words sound strong, noticeable? Which words do you like or respond to? Label these + or to keep track of the speakers diction. 5. Identify any literary devices: metaphor, simile, personification, imagery, sensory detail, alliteration, etc. Label these + or to keep track of the speakers tone. 6. Underline any connections you see to characters power and advantage. Does it look like this character has money and/or power? Could make money and/or gain power? Does it look like this character has the opportunity to achieve The American Dream? a. Write your ideas for power, advantage, and opportunity in the right side margin. 7. Summarize the significance of this passage at the bottom of the page: What does it tell us about the society, the character(s), or social power in this text? How is this significant to our larger discussion of power and advantage in American society? 8. Read or Co-Read the passage one more time to make sure youve covered all the details.

When Close Reading a text through the Social-Power Perspective: 1. Read or Co-Read the passage first without making any marks. 2. Write down the context for this passage at the top of the page: Who (is speaking), When in the book/story, and To Whom (even if its the reader)? 3. Define any words you dont know by looking them up in a dictionary or online. Write a brief definition above the word or in the margins. 4. Circle & label words that strike you: Which words sound strong, noticeable? Which words do you like or respond to? Label these + or to keep track of the speakers diction. 5. Identify any literary devices: metaphor, simile, personification, imagery, sensory detail, alliteration, etc. Label these + or to keep track of the speakers tone. 6. Underline any connections you see to characters power and advantage. Does it look like this character has money and/or power? Could make money and/or gain power? Does it look like this character has the opportunity to achieve The American Dream? a. Write your ideas for power, advantage, and opportunity in the right side margin. 7. Summarize the significance of this passage at the bottom of the page: What does it tell us about the society, the character(s), or social power in this text? How is this significant to our larger discussion of power and advantage in American society? 8. Read or Co-Read the passage one more time to make sure youve covered all the details.