In the final exam, students are expected to draw on scholarly literature to analyse how the Handmaid's Tale speaks to a contemporary issue of global politics, such as those covered in the course. To do so, students can draw on, and further develop the group work they have been part of, but they do not need to do so. One clear theme covered in the course must be apparent, but feel free to address the intersections of two or more themes.

As to the format of the final exam, students can choose if they 1) prefer to record a mini lecture (uploaded video, max. 15 min, ca. 10 minutes talk by the student), or 2) if they prefer to write a take home essay (between 2,000 and 2,500 words).

1) The mini lecture should be max. 15 min. The student should talk ca. 10 minutes of this time. Voice overs while showing scenes from the TV series or a passage from the book is fine.

The mini-lecture must include the following:

a clear 'research problem'
analysis, using examples from either the TV series and/or books, with proper referencing.
discuss at least two suggested reading or other academic literature; recording can entail powerpoint, person talking, and/or multi-media with clips from the tv series, etc.

2) Take-home Essay

The essay can take any form. It can be an informal creative piece, an op-ed, a blogg post, a personal reflection, narrative, or a formal academic essay:

It should be written in 12 font 1.5 spaced with page numbers (for our readability on Speedgrader)

It must include:

a clear 'research problem'
an analysis, using examples from either the TV series and/or books, with proper citations and referencing.
relevant reference to at least two suggested readings or other academic literature.

The final assignment is graded on the scale U/G/VG.

Criteria:

All the elements stated above must be included.
Your essay should be substantiated with relevant sources and examples from your material, and these should be referenced properly in any referencing style as long as page numbers are included. If in doubt, please consult the referencing sources noted in the introductory lecture.
Your essay must explicitly and reflectively engage with relevant course literature. Feel free to gain inspiration from your group work. Importantly, your engagement with the course literature should show that that you have read and comprehended its content. By explicitly engage, we mean cite, reflect on, and –simply put—make your sources work for you! In practice that means citing them and mobilizing them in support of your analysis. When you use a key concept or theoretical insight, explain these, and reference your source. You can use quotations from the literature. Or, when you make a claim, you can offer an in-text citation to a text that is compatible with your views. Ask yourself "what reading have I done that has informed my view?" and then make sure that you tell the reader what these are and how they have informed the development of your thinking. You can also argue with your sources; put two sources in conversation with each other. Tip: for academic sources, a good way to find additional source material is through google scholar.

Assessment:

U – If all the above criteria are not fully met.

G – If all the above criteria are adequately met.

VG – If the mini-lecture/ essay meets the above criterion and shows excellent engagement with the obligatory books/TV series, and does an excellent job connecting the HandMaids tale/The Testaments with contemporary political problems.

The teachers grading the assignment will make an overall evaluation of the mini-lecture/ essay as to whether they fulfil the criterion. Proficiency in writing/speaking is not graded on its own but might influence the clarity of the answers. If, for instance, the language is so unclear that the teacher is unable to follow the line of reasoning or assess if the student has understood the literature, then the student may not be given a passing grade.