Social Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies

Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies posted by duggu on 12/27/2007

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Abstract/Syllabus

Courseware/Lectures

Test/Tutorials

Course Highlights

This course features a detailed reading list and various course assignments.

Course Description

This course is designed as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women's and Gender Studies, an academic area of study focused on the ways that sex and gender manifest themselves in social, cultural, and political contexts. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions, and debates in Women's Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. This semester you will become acquainted with many of the critical questions and concepts feminist scholars have developed as tools for thinking about gendered experience. In addition, we will study the interconnections among systems of oppression (such as sexism, racism, classism, ethnocentrism, homophobia/heterosexism, transphobia, ableism and others). In this course you will learn to "read" and analyze gender, exploring how it impacts our understanding of the world.

Syllabus

Course Description

This course is designed as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women's and Gender Studies, an academic area of study focused on the ways that sex and gender manifest themselves in social, cultural, and political contexts. The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions, and debates in Women's Studies scholarship, both historical and contemporary. This semester you will become acquainted with many of the critical questions and concepts feminist scholars have developed as tools for thinking about gendered experience. In addition, we will study the interconnections among systems of oppression (such as sexism, racism, classism, ethnocentrism, homophobia/heterosexism, transphobia, ableism and others). In this course you will learn to "read" and analyze gender, exploring how it impacts our understanding of the world.

Course materials will include "classic" and contemporary women's studies scholarship from a variety of disciplines, as well as personal narratives of gendered lives. Topics covered include women and work, issues of women's health and reproduction, sexuality, families, motherhood, globalization, activism and women's political movements, body image and representation, and socialization. Many of the issues we will discuss are controversial, and it is important to note that there is no such thing as "the" feminist understanding of these topics. Your job is to make use of the analytical tools we are studying to develop a more critically informed perspective on the issues.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to do the following:

Recognize and understand a variety of methods of studying gender as a social institution.
Identify and explain how socially constructed categories of gender, race, class, and sexual identity function together to formulate systems of oppression that shape women's lives.
Apply concepts and theories of women's studies to their own individual life experiences.
Define and utilize basic terms and concepts central to Women's Studies, including sex, gender, sexuality, feminism, patriarchy, and oppression.

Course Requirements

Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies is a HASS-CI subject, which is subject to the following criteria:

Communication intensive subjects in the humanities, arts, and social sciences should require at least 20 pages of writing divided among 3-5 assignments. Of these 3-5 assignments, at least one should be revised and resubmitted. HASS-CI subjects should further offer students substantial opportunity for oral expression, through presentations, student-led discussion, or class participation.

Evaluation

Evaluation Table
ACTIVITIES	PERCENTAGES
Attendance and Participation, Including 4 of 5 Short (1-2 Pages) Homework Exercises	15%
Current Event Analysis Presentation and Write-up (2-3 Pages)	10%
3 Essays (5-7 Pages, with a Minimum Total of 18 Pages)	75%

Attendance and participation are critical to your success in this course. Each class session will focus on one or more topics and be accompanied by appropriate readings. Please be sure to read all assignments in advance, come to class on time and be prepared to discuss your reactions and ideas. Failure to attend will adversely affect your grade. Missing more than two weeks of class will cause you to fail the course. Active participation in large and small group discussion is necessary to receive full credit for the attendance and participation component of your grade. Short homework exercises count for part of this grade; you will have the opportunity to submit these 1-2 page exercises on five occasions. Four are required.

Current Event Analysis

Each student must present an analysis of a current event relating to class readings once during the term. Students will work in pairs to research and present an interpretation of a current event article of their choice pertaining to the week's topic. Your task is to make connections between concepts presented in an assigned reading (or readings) and a "real-life" example found in the news. This assignment requires close reading of the news item you choose, presenting your analysis in a coherent way to the rest of the class, along with several follow-up discussion questions. Sign-up for these presentations will begin in the first week of class.

Papers - 3 essays, 5-7 pages each

Each student will be responsible for submitting three papers during the semester. A choice of topics will be given 1-2 weeks in advance of the due date for each essay. These papers should demonstrate understanding of key concepts in the course by framing an argument in response to the essay question and supporting that argument with examples and quotation from relevant articles we have read.

Please note that you are required to schedule your first appointment with the C-I Writing Tutor in advance of the first paper deadline, during the period between sessions 3-7.

Additional Requirements

Please be sure that all assignments are word-processed, double-spaced documents in 12 point type of a conventional font. Make sure to include page numbers when quoting from source texts. SP.401 assumes abilities in spelling, sentence construction, punctuation, and other basic writing mechanics. For additional practice with these writing skills please visit the Writing Center. If English is your second (or third, fourth) language and you need or would like additional help with English composition, please speak to me right away.

Grading Policies

In order to receive a passing grade for this course, all assignments must be completed. Please talk to me in advance if you know you will have to miss class and/or need an extension on an assignment. It is preferable to negotiate an extension rather than be absent on a day a paper is due, as I will not accept late papers without prior notice.

Grading is according to the following guidelines:

A - denotes work that is of exceptional quality. Exceptional quality is represented by evidence of engagement with information and ideas in course materials and lectures, and from other sources, thoroughness, careful thinking, integration of material across topics, logical reasoning, precise and artful writing.
B - denotes work that is above average vis-a-vis your peers' work and the expectations of the assignment.
C - denotes work that fulfills the course requirements in every way, but only adequately.
D - denotes work that does not adequately fulfill requirements, but still deserves credit.
F - denotes work that does not deserve credit. This includes plagiarism, or copying others' work and submitting it as your own. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! You must always cite your sources; even borrowing someone else's ideas can count as plagiarism if you don't cite the original source.

For more information, see Avoiding Plagiarism

If you ever disagree with or have a question about a grade that you receive on a piece of work, first please read my comments carefully, weigh them against the assignment requirements, and if you are still unsure, make an appointment to discuss it with me. If you would like me to reread and reconsider the paper, or you think an error was made in grading, you may request a re-evaluation in writing within one week after the assignment is returned to you. Your reasons should be specific and supported by references to the grading criteria (above), to the expectations of the assignment, and to specific details from your paper.

Calendar

Calendar Table
LEC #	TOPICS	KEY DATES
1	Introduction to Course
2	"First Wave" Feminism
3	Seneca Falls and Beyond
4	Suffrage
5	Women and Madness
6	Hysteria, Neurasthenia, and Other Female Maladies
7	Oppression	First paper due
8	Socialization and Gender Roles
9	Socialization of Children
10	Theoretical Debates: Social Construction vs. Biological Essentialism	Revision of first paper due
11	Challenging the Binary: Intersex
12	Transgenderism
13	Film: Sir
14	Embodiment
15	Embodiment (cont.)
16	Body Image and Representation of Women	Second paper due
17	Body Image and Representation of Women (cont.)
18	Sexualities
19	Sexualities (cont.)
20	Women and Work
21	Women, Work, and Families
22	Families
23	Families (cont.)
24	Violence Against Women	Third paper due
25	Global Politics
26	Contemporary Feminism

Readings

Readings are also listed by session.

Required Texts

Clare, Eli. Exile and Pride. Cambridge, MA: South End Press, 1999. ISBN: 0896086054. (Clare)

Davis, Angela. Women, Race, and Class. New York, NY: Random House-Vintage, 1983. ISBN: 0394713516. (Davis)

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wall-Paper. New York, NY: Feminist Press, 1996. ISBN: 1558611584. (Gilman)

Richardson, Taylor, and Whittier, eds. Feminist Frontiers. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN: 0072824239. (FF)

Note: readings by session are referenced by the abbreviated key above.

Readings by Session

Readings
LEC #	TOPICS	READINGS
1	Introduction to Course
2	"First Wave" Feminism	Wollstonecraft, Mary. Vindication of the Rights of Women. New York, NY: Prometheus Books, 1989, chapter 9. ISBN: 0879755253. Davis. Women, Race and Class. pp. 1-86.
3	Seneca Falls and Beyond	"Declaration of Independence." Stanton. "Declaration of Sentiments." Douglass, Frederick. "Appeal to Congress for Universal Suffrage." Truth, Sojourner. "Ain't I a Woman?" In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 20. ISBN: 0072824239.
4	Suffrage	Burns, Ken. Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. 1999.
5	Women and Madness	Gilman. The Yellow Wall-paper. Optional Readings Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The 'Nervous Breakdown' of Women." In The Yellow Wallpaper. Edited by Erskine and Richards. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1993. pp. 67-75. ISBN: 0813519934. Smith-Rosenberg, Carroll. "The Hysterical Woman: Sex Roles and Role Conflict in Nineteenth-Century America." In The Yellow Wallpaper. Edited by Erskine and Richards. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1993. pp. 77-104. ISBN: 0813519934. Mitchell, S. Weir. Selections from Fat & Blood, Wear & Tear, and Doctor & Patient. In The Yellow Wallpaper. Edited by Erskine and Richards. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1993. pp. 105-111. ISBN: 0813519934. Gilbert, Sandra, and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic. In The Yellow Wallpaper. Edited by Erskine and Richards. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 1993. 115-123. ISBN: 0813519934. Hedges, Elaine R. "'Out at Last'? 'The Yellow Wallpaper' after Two Decades of Feminist Criticism." In Critical Essays on Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Edited by Joanne Karpinski. New York, NY: Hall & Co., 1992, pp. 222-233. ISBN: 081617315X.
6	Hysteria, Neurasthenia, and Other Female Maladies	Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "Hormonal Hurricanes: Menstruation, Menopause, and Female Behavior." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 334-347. ISBN: 0072824239.
7	Oppression	Frye, Marilyn. "Oppression." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 6-8. ISBN: 0072824239. Lorde, Audre. "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 22-24. ISBN: 0072824239. Schacht, Steven. "Teaching About Being an Oppressor: Some Personal and Political Considerations." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 24-29. ISBN: 0072824239.
8	Socialization and Gender Roles	Thornton Dill, Bonnie. "The Means to Put My Children Through: Child-Rearing Goals and Strategies among Black Female Domestic Servants." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 144-154. ISBN: 0072824239. Thorne, Barrie. "Girls and Boys Together... But Mostly Apart: Gender Arrangements in Elementary Schools." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 154-165. ISBN: 0072824239.
9	Socialization of Children	Kimmel, Michael. "What Are Little Boys Made Of?" In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 166-169. ISBN: 0072824239. Paley, Grace. "Inherit The War." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 169. ISBN: 0072824239. Risman, Barbara. "Ideology, Experience, Identity: The Complex World of Children in Fair Families." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 169-179. ISBN: 0072824239.
10	Theoretical Debates: Social Construction vs. Biological Essentialism	Lorber, Judith. "'Night to His Day': The Social Construction of Gender." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 33-51. ISBN: 0072824239. Kessler, Suzanne. "The Medical Construction of Gender." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 51-66. ISBN: 0072824239. Toilet Training (Sylvia Rivera Law Project video on gendered bathrooms) Optional Reading Mustafa, Nadia, Deirdre van Dyk, and Ulla Pion. "The Math Myth." Time, March 7, 2005, 50-60.
11	Challenging the Binary: Intersex	Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "Five Sexes Revisited: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough." The Sciences (March-April 1993): 20-25. Excerpt by Stone Phillips. Dateline, NBC, February 8, 2000. Story of David Reimer and the John Money twins case.
12	Transgenderism	Cameron, Loren. "Portrait of a Man." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 37. ISBN: 0072824239. Optional Readings Wilchins, Riki Anne. "17 Things You Don't Say to a Transsexual," and "What Does It Cost to Tell The Truth?" In Read My Lips. Ithaca, NY: Firebrand Books, 1997. pp. 27-40. ISBN: 1563410907. Feinberg, Leslie. "Allow Me to Introduce Myself." In TransLiberation: Beyond Pink or Blue. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1998, pp. 15-35. ISBN: 0807079510.
13	Film: Sir	LaRosa, Melanie. Sir: Just a Normal Guy. 2001-2002.
14	Embodiment	Discussion of Sir. Clare. Exile and Pride.
15	Embodiment (cont.)	Clare. Exile and Pride. Galler, Roberta. "The Myth of the Perfect Body." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 108-110. ISBN: 0072824239. Gimlin, Debra. "Cosmetic Surgery: Paying for Your Beauty." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 94-108. ISBN: 0072824239.
16	Body Image and Representation of Women	Richardson, Laurel. "Gender Stereotyping in the English Language." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 89-93. ISBN: 0072824239. Kleinman, Sherryl. "Why I'm Not a Lady (And No Woman Is)." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, p. 94. ISBN: 0072824239. Onishi, Norimitsu. "Globalization of Beauty Makes Slimness Trendy." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 468-470. ISBN: 0072824239.
17	Body Image and Representation of Women (cont.)	Banks, Ingrid. "Hair Still Matters." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 110-118. ISBN: 0072824239. Hooks, Bell. "Selling Hot Pussy: Representations of Black Female Sexuality in the Cultural Marketplace." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 119-127. ISBN: 0072824239. Le Espirutu, Yen. "Ideological Racism and Cultural Resistance." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 128-141. ISBN: 0072824239.
18	Sexualities	Bordo, Susan. "In Hiding and on Display." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 306-312. ISBN: 0072824239. Tolman, Deborah. "Doing Desire: Adolescent Girls' Struggles for/with Sexuality." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 312-323. ISBN: 0072824239. Mackler, Carolyn. "Sex Ed: How Do We Score?" In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 324-326. ISBN: 0072824239.
19	Sexualities (cont.)	Rupp, Leila. "Finding the Lesbians in Lesbian History: Reflections on Female Same-Sex Sexuality in the Western World." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 302-306. ISBN: 0072824239. Messner, Michael. "Becoming 100% Straight." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 327-331. ISBN: 0072824239. Deevey, Sharon. "Assessing Older Lesbians' Health Needs." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 371-372. ISBN: 0072824239.
20	Women and Work	Kessler-Harris, Alice. "The Wage Conceived: Value and Need as Measures of a Woman's Worth." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 185-199. ISBN: 0072824239. Bose, Christine, and Rachel Bridges Whaley. "Sex Segregation in the U.S. Work Force." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 200-209. ISBN: 0072824239. Reskin, Barbara. "The Realities of Affirmative Action in Employment." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 225-227. ISBN: 0072824239.
21	Women, Work, and Families	Padavic, Irene, and Barbara Reskin. "Moving Up and Taking Charge." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 209-225. ISBN: 0072824239. Hertz, Rosanna. "Working to Place the Family at the Center of Life: Dual-Earner and Single-Parent Strategies." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 250-259. ISBN: 0072824239. Ehrenreich, Barbara. "The Mommy Test." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 259-261. ISBN: 0072824239.
22	Families	Segura, Denise. "Working at Motherhood: Chicana and Mexicana Immigrant Mothers and Employment." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 261-275. ISBN: 0072824239. Thai, Hung Cam. "For Better or Worse: Gender Alllures in the Vietnamese Global Marriage Market." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 275-286. ISBN: 0072824239. Nsiah-Jefferson, Laurie. "Reproductive Laws, Women of Color, and Low Income Women." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 363-370. ISBN: 0072824239.
23	Families (cont.)	Walters, Suzanna. "Wedding Bells and Baby Carriages: Heterosexuals Imagine Gay Families, Gay Families Imagine Themselves." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 286-296. ISBN: 0072824239. Naples, Nancy. "A Member of the Funeral." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 296-299. ISBN: 0072824239. Zeldes, Kiki. Lifetime Commitment - A Portrait of Karen Thompson. 1994.
24	Violence Against Women	Yancey Martin, Patricia, and Robert Hummer. "Fraternities and Rape on Campus." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 389-398. ISBN: 0072824239. Allen, Robert, and Paul Kivel. "Men Changing Men." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 398-401. ISBN: 0072824239. Steinem, Gloria. "Supremacy Crimes." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 401-403. ISBN: 0072824239. Tetreault, Mary Ann. "Accountability or Justice? Rape as a War Crime." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 415-427. ISBN: 0072824239.
25	Global Politics	Enloe, Cynthia. "The Globetrotting Sneaker." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 453-457. ISBN: 0072824239. Kristof, Nicholas. "Iraq's Little Secret." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 452-453. ISBN: 0072824239. Woods, Harriet. "The Truth About Women and Power." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 444-451. ISBN: 0072824239.
26	Contemporary Feminism	Neuborne, Ellen. "The Next Feminist Generation: Imagine My Surprise." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 512-514. ISBN: 0072824239. Taylor, Verta, Nancy Whittier, and Cynthia Fabrizio Pelak. "The Women's Movement: Persistence Through Transformation." In Feminist Frontiers. Edited by Taylor Richardson, and Whittier. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004, pp. 515-531. ISBN: 0072824239.