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Dr. Elizabeth Howells |
Course Description:
WMST 1101 Catalog Description: Introduction to the major issues and problems in the field of Women's Studies. Investigation and analysis of women's roles in society, theoretical and practical aspects of equality and gender difference, and the constructions of sex and gender as understood from socio-historical, multicultural, and interdisciplinary perspectives. The dynamics and working of gender in such areas as family, work, education, imagery in popular culture, law, technology, environmentalism, sexuality, health, and access to information on reproductive options.
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of Women's Studies through critical reading, writing, and thinking about its history, issues, themes, theories, and applications. We will come to understand the tools of the discipline, its discourse and methodologies, in order to begin to apply them ourselves in written and oral projects. Finally, we will bring the academic aspects of the discipline to life through engaged discussion and active participation.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Susan M. Shaw and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions. McGraw Hill 0072822422
Gloria Anzaldua. Borderlands Aunt Lute Books 1879960567
Bell hooks. Ain't I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism. South End Press 089608129X
Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards. Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future . Farrar Straus and Giroux 0374526222
Naomi Wolf. The Beauty Myth . Perennial 0060512180
Mary Pipher. Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls Ballantine Books 0345392825
REQUIREMENTS
I believe that the best writing is derived from good reading; therefore, this class is reading intensive. I try to balance the reading load by giving you time to respond to the reading in class. In order to encourage you to keep up with the reading and to ensure your preparedness to participate in class discussions, you should expect to be asked to respond to your reading (textbook or handouts) in class every day. These in-class reading responses will sometimes take the form of quizzes, sometimes they will be a written response to a particular prompt, and sometimes they may be more creative or experimental. At times, they may even be oral responses or participation responses. In other words, your participation in class discussion is factored in here. These responses will require that you read the assigned texts thoroughly in order to be successful. You will need to be active readers! As opposed to reading journals, these responses will become a record of your thinking about your reading and classwork and will become an occasion for you to reflect and make connections. Reading responses will be worth 20% of your final grade.
You will be responsible for two papers over the course of the term. The first is a five-page narrative paper outlining your history as a gendered person. The second is a five to seven page analysis of gender in some cultural text. These two essays will be discussed more fully in separate assignment sheets. Please read and reread these assignment sheets and follow them closely. The essays should meet the assigned page requirements and should be double-spaced in a font like Times New Roman 11 or 12. The heading should include your name, the date, and the title, no need for more. Use 1 or 1.25 inch margins. Avoid insulting page lengthening goofball spacing font arrangements.
Essay One will be worth 15%. Essay Two will be worth 20%.
• Book Club Participation and Group Presentations
For this requirement, we will produce and perform knowledge in another way—not through a single-authored essay or exam—but through group work. You will examine entire books on issues important to women's studies in small groups as a “book club.” This will give you the opportunity to delve into a book examining a particular concern: education, adolescence, beauty, race, ethnicity, etc.. You will have the opportunity to select one text to read for this requirement which will determine your book club groups. You and your group will read and reflect on the arguments this text is making about the nature of women's studeis. You will decide how to spend class sessions processing the text and then determine how you will share your observations with the rest of the class. Your reflection on this process and group presentation will comprise 15% of your final grade.
• Activism Project
This discipline is unique in origin. As it was derived from activism, the field itself should maintain its connection to activism. Therefore, at some point over the course of the semester you will conduct some example of activism. This project will be further described in a forthcoming assignment sheet. This presentation and reflection is worth 10% of your final grade.
• Final Exam
You do not have a midterm in this course; therefore, it is essential that you organize your materials and participate in an engaged way over the course of the term to be prepared for your cumulative final. This exam will demand you draw upon reading, presentations, and class discussions over the course of the term. This requirement will be further described in a forthcoming review sheet. It will be worth 20% of your final grade.
ATTENDANCE
This is a class that depends on your being there. Your participation, readings responses, and quizzes cannot be made up. Therefore, you must be in class. You are allowed three absences. No excuses. No penalties. After three your grade will be dropped a letter per absence; you will be dropped from the course with a WF after seven absences. Excessive tardiness will also impact reading response averages and accumulation of absences.
FINAL GRADES will be based on the following scale:
A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=GRADES BELOW 59
PLAGIARISM
All students at AASU must agree to abide by the Honor Code and Code of Conduct found in the appendix to the catalog. Be aware that plagiarism can result in dismissal from the university, failure of the course, or failure of an assignment. Cite any sources you use at any time in this class whether you are quoting directly or paraphrasing. See me or consult the Armstrong Atlantic State University Handbook if you are ever uncertain about the issue. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, AASU provides appropriate and reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Documentation and services are available at the Office of Disability Services located in Student Affairs in the MCC.
This syllabus is subject to revision at the instructor's discretion.
SCHEDULE:
m1.10 Introduction to Course
w1.12 Women's Voices (hereafter WV ), Ch. 1, pp.1-27 (27)
m1.17 NO CLASSES
w1.19 WV , Ch. 1, pp.28-57 (29)
m.1.24 PAPER #1 DUE, WV , Ch. 2, pp. 58-85 (28)
w1.26 WV, Ch. 2, pp. 86-110 (24)
m1.31 WV, Ch. 3, pp. 113-136 (23)
w2.2 WV, Ch. 3, pp. 137-157 (14)
m2.7 WV, Ch. 4, pp. 153-174 (21)
w2.9 Book Club
m2.14 WV, Ch. 4, pp. 175-196 (21)
w2.16 WV, Ch. 5, pp. 199-236 (37)
m2.21 WV, Ch. 6, pp. 239-258 (18)
w2.23 WV, Ch. 6, pp. 258-284 (26)
m2.28 WV, Ch. 7, pp. 287-321 (34)
w3.2 WV, Ch. 8, pp. 324-354 (27)
m3.7 PAPER #2, WV, Ch. 8, pp. 351-383 (32)
w3.9 Book Club Meeting
SPRING BREAK
M3.21 WV, Ch. 9, pp. 385-405 (20)
W3.23 WV, Ch. 9, pp. 406-421 (15)
M3.28 WV, Ch. 10, pp. 424-444 (20)
w.3.30 WV, Ch. 10, pp. 444-461 (17)
m.4.4 WV, Ch. 11, pp. 463-493 (30)
w.4.6 Book Club Meeting
m.4.11 WV, Ch. 11, pp. 493-515 (22)
w.4.13 WV, Ch. 12, pp. 516-549 (33)
m.4.18 Activism Reports Due
w.4.20 Book Club Meeting
m.4.25 Book Club Presentation
w.4.27 Book Club Presentation
m.5.2 WV, Ch. 13, pp. 552-591 (39)
FINAL EXAM