Homegirl Books

Homegirl Books

Part 1: Discussion board activity for Chapters 2 and 3 (i.e. “Beginning Field Work” and “Norte and Sur: Government, School, and Research Perspectives”) in Homegirls: Language and Cultural Practice Among Latina Youth Gangs (Mendoza-Denton 2008)
For this discussion activity, here is what you need to do:
• Read Chapters 2 & 3 in the Homegirls book.
• Do two posts, one for each chapter listed above.
o In one post, work on responding to one of the thread prompts that I have provided.
o In the other post, you can respond to a thread question or another students’ post by relating some experience or knowledge you have to a book topic. Or, create your own thread on a book topic that is not represented by one of the question prompts.
Use the guidelines that we have been using all semester for your posts. Notably, aim for around 150 words per post, be considerate of your fellow classmates, and use page numbers when you are referencing a specific part of the book.
PROMPT 1 (ch.1)
What is ethnography? How does Mendoza-Denton use ethnography in her research? What ethnographic advantages did Mendoza-Denton have in researching these girl gangs?
PROMPT 2 (ch.2)
What is semiotics? With respect to the indexical markers that help construct Norteña and Sureña identities, why did Mendoza-Denton have a “semiotic crisis”?
PROMPT 3 (ch.3)
How does Mendoza-Denton discuss the high school girl gangs in relation to other gangs, especially prison gangs? What support does Mendoza-Denton have for arguing that Norteño/Sur gang battles are not really about turf rights and criminal activity?
Part 2: Discussion board activity for Chapters 4 and 5 (i.e. “Hemispheric Localism: Language, Racialized Nationalism, and the Politicization of Youth” and “‘Muy Macha': Gendered Performances and the Avoidance of Social Injury”) in Homegirls: Language and Cultural Practice Among Latina Youth Gangs (Mendoza-Denton 2008)
For this discussion activity, here is what you need to do:
• Read Chapters 4 & 5 in the Homegirls book.
• Do two posts, one for each chapter listed above.
o In one post, work on responding to one of the thread prompts that I have provided.
o In the other post, you can respond to a thread question or another students’ post by relating some experience or knowledge you have to a book topic. Or, create your own thread on a book topic that is not represented by one of the question prompts.
Use the guidelines that we have been using all semester for your posts. Notably, aim for around 150 words per post, be considerate of your fellow classmates, and use page numbers when you are referencing a specific part of the book.
PROMPT 1 (ch.4)
How does Mendoza-Denton define “hemispheric localism”? Why does she argue that the concept of hemispheric localism is so important for her study of the girl gangs?
PROMPT 2 (ch.4)
How does Mendoza-Denton show that the Spanish/English language practices of Cholas often contrast with the ideologically driven perceptions of these practices?
PROMPT 3 (ch.4)
What is the semiotic framework that enable gang girls to display affiliation for either the US/North or Mexico/South? How do country of origin and ethnic phenotype play a role in this framework? What must a person do to switch sides?
Part 3: Discussion board activity for Chapters 6 and 7 (i.e. “Smile Now Cry Later: Memorializing Practices Linking Language, Materiality, and Embodiment” and “Icons and Exemplars: Ethnographic Approaches in Variationist Sociolinguistics”) in Homegirls: Language and Cultural Practice Among Latina Youth Gangs (Mendoza-Denton 2008) For this discussion activity, here is what you need to do:
• Read Chapters 6 & 7 in the Homegirls book.
• Do two posts, one for each chapter listed above.
o In one post, work on responding to one of the thread prompts that I have provided.
o In the other post, you can respond to a thread question or another students’ post by relating some experience or knowledge you have to a book topic. Or, create your own thread on a book topic that is not represented by one of the question prompts.
Use the guidelines that we have been using all semester for your posts. Notably, aim for around 150 words per post, be considerate of your fellow classmates, and use page numbers when you are referencing a specific part of the book.
PROMPT 1 (ch.6)
What is a “non-participant narrative”? Why is the use of these narratives important for gang membership and unity?

PROMPT 2 (ch.6)
What is the significance of Sureña poetry notebooks? What is the historical significance?

PROMPT 3 (ch.6)
What is the broader as well as the local gang significance of “Smile Now Cry Later”?
Part 4: Discussion board activity for Chapters 8 and 9 (i.e. “Variation in a Community of Practice” and “‘That’s the Whole Thing!': Discourse Markers and Teenage Speech”) in Homegirls: Language and Cultural Practice Among Latina Youth Gangs (Mendoza-Denton 2008)
For this discussion activity, here is what you need to do:
• Read Chapters 8 & 9 in the Homegirls book.
• Do two posts, one for each chapter listed above.
o In one post, work on responding to one of the thread prompts that I have provided.
o In the other post, you can respond to a thread question or another students’ post by relating some experience or knowledge you have to a book topic. Or, create your own thread on a book topic that is not represented by one of the question prompts.
• Use the guidelines that we have been using all semester for your posts. Notably, aim for around 150 words per post, be considerate of your fellow classmates, and use page numbers when you are referencing a specific part of the book.
PROMPT 1 (ch.8)
What is /I/ raising? How does variability in /I/ raising show that there are common practices among Norteñas and Sureñas for displaying member status?

PROMPT 2 (ch.8)
What is the difference between “analyst categories” and “members’ categories”? How does Mendoza-Denton factor these category differences into the six social groups that she uses to organize the participants in her research on /I/?

PROMPT 3 (ch.8)
What sociolinguistic and other variables did Mendoza-Denton use to code the data in the research on /I/? Why are these variables important to consider for this kind of research?