Introduction to Women and Gender Studies
WGS 2000/4000 Introduction to Women and Gender Studies (3 units)
Fall 2002
Teaching Team:
- LeeAnn Bartolini, Professor of Psychology
Office: B27; Ph: 257-1357; bartolini@dominican.edu
Office Hours: T,Th: 11-12; Th: 2-3 and by appt
- Sr Patricia Dougherty, Professor of History
Office: B24A; Ph: 257-0154; dougherty@dominican.edu
Office Hours: T: 2:15-3:45; F: 9:15-10:45; MW by appt.
- Carlos Rodriguez, Asst Professor of Literature and Language
Office: Ang 220; Ph: 257-1313; carlosr@dominican.edu
Office Hours: M: 4-5; W: 1-2; T by appt.
Required Texts:
E. Ashton-Jones, G.A. Olson, M.G. Perry, The Gender Reader, 2e ed.
Supplemental readings provided as handouts or on reserve (additional readings are assigned and/or distributed in class).
Course Description:
WGS 2000/4000 is a general introduction to the study of women and gender across disciplines from a western culture perspective. Core debates and theories concerning women, men, gender roles, and sexuality are explored and engaged within and between such diverse disciplines that include, but are not limited to, history, psychology, literature, feminist studies, and film studies. Required for Women and Gender minors yet useful for all majors.
Course Goal:
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the ways in which gender impacts cultural, economic, and psychological experiences, both contemporary and historical. (Assessed by class discussion and individual projects)
- Synthesize information from numerous disciplines as it relates to the impact of gender on individual lives, groups, and culture. (Assessed by quizzes and by individual projects)
- Apply feminist and gender theory to an analysis of gender, including an examination of the construction of femininity and masculinity. (Assessed by discussion, group work and activities.)
- Recognize the cultural, historical, and political issues that have created distinctions and disruptions among women and men. (Assessed by quizzes and presentations)
Course Requirements:
Attendance, Discussion/Participation and Group Work/Activities: Students are expected to come to class on time, to be prepared to participate appropriately and intelligently, and to remain in the classroom throughout the class period (unless a prior arrangement has been made with the teacher). Students are responsible for all material covered in class, including lectures, discussions, assignments, and announcements. Students taking this course for upper division units will present a summary of the main points (1 page typed) and lead a discussion on one article in the Gender Reader. We realize that there are legitimate reasons for an occasional missing of a class. In that event, contact us and let us know how you will make up the work. Missing more than two classes will impact the grade earned for this course. Any significant deficiency in preparation and/or participation will have negative consequences on the course grade. To eliminate unnecessary classroom disruption, all pagers, wireless phones, electronic games, radios, and other devices that generate sound must be turned off when you enter the classroom.
Quizzes: 9/23, 10/28 and 11/25. In the event of serious reason (e.g., illness or family crisis), make-up tests might be arranged with the teacher responsible for that test. Arrangements for make-up tests should be made during the instructor's office hours. See course schedule.
Project (Topic due: 9 Sept.; Annotated Bibliography due: 21 Oct.; Project due: 18 Nov.) Dominican is a microcosm of gender related issues that exist in the larger social world, a campus lab for understanding and engaging these topics. With this in mind, students write a “Proposal for Social Change,” a research project with three main components: 1) identification of a campus gender issue (see course topics or reader contents for suggested areas), 2) explication of that issue through research in the literature and of Dominican, and 3) proposal of some needed change or reform (8 pp and annotated bibliography). For students taking this course for upper division units, the project must be a minimum of 10 pages. (See separate sheet for specific directions.)
Web Project. Prepare text (Word/HTML) and images for a class website that features core elements of your “Proposals for Change” (including Title, Author, Key Findings,Visuals, Model or Solution for change on Dominican’s campus). Oral presentation of this project is on 9 December.
Course Grade
20% Attendance/Participation
30% Quizzes (3 @10%)
30% Individual project (Proposal for Social Change) Due: Nov 18.
20% Web Project.
In assigning grades, the instructors evaluate submitted work and observed participation only: personal circumstances or problems are not factors in determining the overall grade. Any significant deficiency in attendance, preparation, and/or participation will have negative consequences on the final course grade. The grade equivalent of scores is: A: 95-100; A-: 91-94; B+: 88-90; B: 84-87; B-: 81-83; C+: 78-80; C: 74-77; C-: 71-73; D+: 68-70; D: 64-67; D-: 61-63; F: 60 and below.
Writing assignments are due at the beginning of the class in which they are assigned; late papers are penalized a third of a grade (+, letter, -) for each day late. If a student anticipates a serious conflict with an assigned due date and another course's assignment, the student must meet with the teaching team three weeks before the due date.
Special Needs
If a student has a documented learning or other disability, s/he is entitled by law to appropriate, reasonable accommodations. Please see Iris Crossley in Academic Support (257-0187) in Alemany Library for more information first and then consult with the teaching team in a special appointment) early in the semester.
Writing Policy and Academic Honesty
Throughout this course you are encouraged to work with other students to share ideas and develop your understanding of women and gender studies. Discussing ideas is wonderful; sharing in the writing of a paper or copying (even if you change some words) is not. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work (published or unpublished) without citing your source.
A college-level paper is punctual, responds appropriately to the assignment, is neatly typed (double-spaced with appropriate font and margins), is well-organized, has correct syntax throughout, and contains few if any spelling and punctuation errors. Late papers are penalized a third of a grade (+, letter, -) for each day late. Good research and writing demonstrates that you have learned something from the assignment. Significant deficiency in any one or more of these areas is grounds for a grade below a C.
Students are responsible for adhering to the Dominican University of California policy for academic honesty which can be found in the 1998-2004 catalogs. Violating this policy (e.g., plagiarism) is grounds for failure in this course.
The details regarding acknowledging sources are found in any standard writing manual, such as MLA, Turabian, or APA. Students are expected to own, to consult and to follow one of these manuals. Useful websites for online reference to these manuals are:
| Citing Electronic Information in History Papers (http://www.people.memphis.edu/~mcrouse/elcite.html) |
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| Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association (http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html) |
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| A Writer's Practical Guide To MLA Documentation (http://webster.commnet.edu/mla.htm) |
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| Writer's Handbook: Documentation APA Style Citing Electronic Sources (http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/elecapa.html) |
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| The Columbia Guide to Online Style (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx_basic.html) |
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PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
(Readings under each date are to be completed before class. Please bring books and handouts to class.)
Aug 26 Introduction. Definitions. Women and Gender.
What is it? How is it constructed?
What is a woman? What is a man? What is gender?
Magazine exercise.
Audrey Lord: “Master’s Tool will not dismantle the master’s house” (Gender Reader, pp 328-331)
Sept 2: Labor Day—no class
Sept 9 Identity Politics and Theory.
Due: Topic for project.
Gender Reader, Ch. 2, Ch 3.
Sept 16 Women’s Struggle for Rights: Sr. Pat
Gender Reader, Ch. 5 (*skip Daly and Pope Pius XI), Ch 6,
and Sojourner Truth in Ch. 7.
Recommended videos: One Woman, One Vote (PBS; Vid. 0249, 109 min.); Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (PBS; Vid 0654-0655; 3hrs 30 min)
The Women’s Vote (Vid 0528, 24 min.); Susan B. Anthony: Rebel for the Cause (Vid. 0524, 50 min.); The Life of Sojourner Truth [videorecording] : Ain't I a Woman (Vid 0260; 26 min.)
Sept 23 Gender and the Body: LeeAnn Bartolini.
QUIZ 1.
Gender Reader, Ch. 7 beginning on p. 253.
Supplemental Readings:
Sept 30 Gender and the Body: Carlos Rodriguez
Gender Reader, Ch. 1.
Supplemental Readings:
Oct. 7 Women and Religion: Sr Pat
Guests: Kathy Whilden and Huda Aljamal
Gender Reader: Ch. 5 (Daly, Pope Pius XI)
“Genesis”: Ch. 1 & 2; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; Romans 16.
Bible, “Genesis”: Ch. 1 & 2; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; Romans 16.
Supplemental Readings: Handouts: "Lost Studies" and the packet
on Islamic women
Oct 14 Gender and Sexuality: Carlos Rodriguez
Gender Reader, Ch. 4.
Supplemental Readings:
Oct. 21 Gender and Sexuality: LeeAnn Bartolini
Due: Annotated Bibliography of project
Gender Reader, Ch. 12 (p. 441- )
Supplemental Readings:
Oct 28 Gender and Education/Economics: Sr Pat.
QUIZ 2.
Gender Reader, Ch. 10.
Recommended: A Room of One’s Own (Video 0151, 55 min.)
Nov 4 Gender Roles and Work: LeeAnn Bartolini
Gender Reader, Ch. 11.
Nov 11 Gender and Words/Images: Carlos Rodriguez
Gender Reader, Ch. 8 & 9.
Nov 18 Case Study. Experience of WWI: Sr Pat
PROJECT DUE.
Supplemental Readings:
Gilbert, Sandra M. "Soldier's Heart: Literary Men, Literary Women, and the Great War" (handout Nov. 11)
WEB assignment: Go to S.F. Palace of the Legion of Honor Web site: http://thinker.org/legion/collections/index.asp On the bottom of the page, put in the Search Imagebase: World War I poster; then choose, print, and study one of the 191 posters to present to the class. The focus of your study should be the gender roles depicted on the poster. Print the poster and bring it to class. Contrast the poster with one art work at World War I Art: http://www.art-ww1.com/ Print the art work and bring it to class.
Recommended: Jeannette Rankin: The Woman Who Voted No (Video 0328; 29 min.)
Nov 25 Case Study. Guys and Dolls: Barbie and G.I. Joe: Carlos Rodriguez
QUIZ 3.
Supplemental Readings:
Dec 2 Case Study. Day in the Life of Gender: LeeAnn Bartolini
Gender Reader, Ch. 13
Dec 9 Oral Presentation of Web project (2 pp) that will go on the web. (Text and Images)
