WOST 201 Intro to Women's Studies
Interdisciplinary study of the social construction of gender and its relationship to class, race, age, ethnicity, nationality and sexual identity. Analysis of the causes and implications for the changing definition of women in the contemporary world, especially in the US.
Dr. Adrienne McCormick
(716) 673-3125, adrienne.mccormick@fredonia.edu
Class: Fenton 153, TR 11-12:20 p.m.
Office: Fenton 279 Office Hours: TR 12:30-1:00, W 10-12 and 3-4, and by appt.
I. Course Description: Interdisciplinary study of the social construction of gender and its relationship to class, race, age, ethnicity, nationality, and sexual identity. Analysis of the causes and implications for the changing definition of women in the contemporary world, especially the United States.
II. Rationale: As an interdisciplinary course, this class is a location where majors, minors, and concentrators from a variety of locations come together to interact. The goals of professional programs are integrated with specific course goals, so that students from a variety of disciplines and professional programs will benefit from the intersection of analyses that take place in this classroom.
III. Required Texts: Grewal, Inderpal, and Caren Kaplan, Eds. An Introduction to Women's Studies: Gender in a Transnational World. 2nd edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2006. Bateman, Bron. People From Bones. Snitterfield, Warwickshire: Ragged Raven P, 2002.
IV. Course Objectives and Outcomes: All students will:
- attend class and participate in oral discussion regularly in order to demonstrate their engagement with the readings and their ability to articulate their responses.
- complete a midterm examination after the first two units of the course to demonstrate ability to synthesize information from the course, and write about it;
- complete a group presentation in order to demonstrate a) familiarity with an assigned topic; b) ability to articulate readings of that topic; c) research skills in locating materials; and d) ability to work collaboratively;
- write a personal health narrative to analyze personal experience in light of women's studies scholarship;
- write a substantial research paper to demonstrate the ability to use women's studies scholarly sources, and to produce a persuasive argument on a subject that is pertinent to women's studies research.
V. Instructional Methods and Activities: This class will be largely based upon discussion. Some classes will begin with instructor mini-lectures, and instructor-led discussion. But most of the time, students will be expected to lead discussion, especially through their presentations. Collaborative small-group discussions will also be used, as well as frequent video and other technological resources.
VI. Evaluation and Grade Assignment: Most of these assignments will be graded using traditional assessment methods. All writing assignments will be evaluated based upon their content and their style. Clear arguments and concise documentation using the MLA or APA styles are required. Grammar will also be taken into consideration in assigning grades. Oral presentations will be graded using performance assessment methods. I will take into consideration how well you balance the requirements of the presentation orally as well as in relation to research and preparation. Most important is your actual delivery of the oral presentation. See details under course procedures. The assignments will be weighed according to the following percentages and grade scale:
Attendance and participation 10%
Discussion Leader Days 20%
Personal Narrative Paper 20%
Exam 20%
Final Paper 30%
A 94-100
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D+ 67-69
D 64-66
D- 60-63
E below 60
VII. Bibliography: For a lengthy bibliography of sources, consult our Blackboard website.
HOW TO JOIN THE CLASS LISTSERV:
- Send a message to: listserv@listserv.fredonia.edu
- No subject necessary. In body of the message, type: subscribe wost20101. That's it. No other text.
- A confirmation message will be sent to you, which you must read and respond to.
- To post to the listserv, send a message to: wost20101@listserv.fredonia.edu. It goes to everyone!
- To communicate with me privately, send messages to adrienne.mccormick@fredonia.edu
How to Join ANGEL: Go to https://angel.fredonia.edu/. Click on Login instructions, and then on new users. It will give you the instructions you need. This course is WOST 201 Introduction to Women's Studies. Everyone is required to join the blackboard course. The areas we will use most often are course documents and websites.
Policy on plagiarism/academic dishonesty: To plagiarize is "to steal and pass off as one's own the ideas or words of another" (Webster's Seventh Collegiate Dictionary). Examples of plagiarism include presenting the ideas of another in one's own words without crediting the source, copying sentences, paragraphs or pages from a source without explicit reference to the pages from which the words were taken, and, of course, presenting another's entire work as one's own. If a student is not certain whether a particular practice may be considered plagiaristic, it is his/her responsibility to consult the instructor for whom he/she is writing the paper, exercise, or examination. SUNY Fredonia strongly condemns plagiarism and takes severe action against those who plagiarize. Disciplinary action may include failing the course, suspension from privileges or expulsion from college.
VIII. A. Course Policies and Procedures: Attendance and Participation are expected. Any more than three absences-excused or unexcused-will result in the reduction of your final grade by one letter grade per absence. Five or more absences for any reason may result in failure of the course. To receive 10 points in participation, you must come to class having read and thought about the assigned material, with questions already formulated. Full points also means participating in debates, and asking and responding to questions.
Discussion Leader Days: You will work in groups of two to help lead discussion for one class. Your responsibility will be to meet with me at least one week prior to the class, and come to that meeting having already read the material. Your group will do additional research on pertinent topics the class might be interested in, and can even give assignments. Your group will bring handouts to class of pertinent information, will distribute approximately four discussion questions that synthesize the topic for the week, and will then lead discussion. I will always be participating, but you will enter the class and be in charge for that day. This is not a presentation. It is a facilitation of discussion. Your group should absolutely use internet sources, overheads, and/or video, DVD, CD materials to supplement your activities, and tie the requirements for the assignment together. Finally, you will each turn in an evaluation to me of how your group worked together, how the work was split up, and how you thought your discussion days went. This last part will be due the first class after your assigned days.
Options:
Sept 8 History of Medicine and Midwifery
Sept 13 Sexual surgery and FGM.
Sept 15 Population Control and Reproductive Rights
Sept 20 Women's Health Education and Activism
Oct 4 New Social Movements and Identity Politics
Oct 6 Gender, Community and Nationalism
Oct 11 Feminist Organizing Across Borders
Oct 27 Women and Diasporas
Nov 1 Women, Work and Immigration
Nov 3 Gender and Economic Globalization
Nov 8 Global Food Production and Consumption
Nov 15 Women Writing Poetry (Writing the Body)
Nov 29 Ways of Seeing (Feminism and the Visual Arts)
Dec 1 Artistic Production and Reception
Dec 6 Consumer Culture and the Business of Advertising
Personal Narrative: Due Oct. 7. At least 5 pages. This paper is designed to get you thinking about your own experiences with the construction of gender, race, sexuality, and how these affect decisions you make about your own health. You have a lot of freedom with this assignment, but the basic requirement is that you engage with the readings from the first seven weeks of class. By this, I mean that you should quote from articles that we've read as you explore your own personal experiences. When starting to pre-write, ask yourself the following questions: what experiences have you had that contributed to your sense of being gendered? Were you aware of these processes? Did you ever feel limited by them? How do you take part in constructing your gender? How do social forces construct your gender? Also think about these same questions in relation to race. If you're white, think especially about how you have NOT had to think about your race and/or ethnicity. Feel free to also address sexuality, ethnicity, religion, regional affiliation, class, age, ability. Then, think about your personal health experiences and decisions. How have gender/race/ethnicity/sexuality played a role in your knowledge about your own mental, emotional, sexual, reproductive health? How do you contribute to your own health? What social forces affect your health? Use specific experiences to explore these issues, linking them to the readings we have done for the class. Finally, feel free to explore what you have learned from the readings and whether/how they have changed your thinking about any of these aspects of your experience. You may also disagree with the readings, as long as you support your assertions about any of these topics. Your narrative should be well organized and have a thesis that you will support as you explore each of these issues: the construction of gender, of race, and your health. The papers are confidential, so feel free to disclose things you might not otherwise, but I cannot require you to reveal anything you are not prepared to share in detail. Cite the articles from our book using MLA or APA format, and include a works cited page. Finally, TITLE YOUR WORK!!!!
Exam: There will be one exam, on the first two units of the course. The exam will include short answer and long answer essay questions, and will be completed in class.
Final Research Paper: Due during final exam time. 10 pages. Use MLA or APA in-text citations and a Works Cited page for all documentation of sources. You are free to research any subject that we have covered in this course. The research should be original, and thorough. You should be thinking about your interests as soon as possible, to give you time to do interlibrary loans of materials that you will need to produce your arguments. More specific details will be forthcoming. Possible topics include midwifery services in WNY or the US in general, compared to other national practices; feminist health activism, focusing on particular health issues such as AIDS, breast cancer, etc.; feminism and global food production; the effects of war on women refugees; women's access to reproductive care. You should try to incorporate a transnational focus into this paper. All topics must be approved in advance via email. Topics are due no later than November 11, but you should begin talking to me about your ideas late October.
VIII. A. Syllabus (subject to revision): August 23 T Course Introduction: Defining Women's Studies, Feminism, Transnationalism
Women's Bodies in Science and Culture
25 Th Intro to the book, xx-xxvi, and Part I, Social and Historical Constructions of Gender, 1-15, and Scott 19. 30 T Part I, 15-32, and Section 2, The Rise of Western Science, 33-40. 1 Th Western Science continued, 41-51. 6 T The Making of Race, Sex, and Empire, 52-74. 8 Th Medicine in a Historical Perspective, 75-85. Focus on midwifery. In-class viewing: Born in the USA, and /or Waterbirth. Discussion Leaders: 13 T Medicine continued. Focus on sexual surgery, 85-98. Clips from Boy Named Sue. DL: 15 Th Population Control and Reproductive Rights, 99-118. DL: 20 T Women's Health Education and Advocacy, 129-147. DL: 22 Th In-class viewing: Rachel's Daughters.
Gendered Identities in Nations and States
27 T Intro essay 149-154, and Citizenship and Equality, 155-173. 29 Th Gender and the Rise of the Modern State, 174-194. 4 T New Social Movements and Identity Politics, 195-215. DL: 6 Th Communities and Nations, 217-239. DL: 7 F Personal health narrative paper due in my office or mailbox by 4:30 p.m. 11 T Feminist Organizing Across Borders, 240-263. In-class viewing: clips from Calling the Ghosts. DL: 13 Th No class. Fall Break (12-14 October). 18 T Review questions (20 minutes). In-class viewing: Until the Violence Stops. Read Conclusion and Enloe, 496-498. 20 Th In-class examination on first two units of the class.
Gendering Globalization and Displacement
25 T Intro, 383-387, and Forced Relocations and Removals, 411-426. (Start emailing potential paper topics). 27 Th Diasporas, 427-428, 435-443. In-class viewing: clips from Adio Kerida and/or Fuego de Tierra. DL: 1 T Women, Work, and Immigration, 444-462. In-class viewing: Made in Thailand. DL: 3 Th The Gender Politics of Economic Globalization, 463-478. DL: 8 T Global Food Production and Consumption, 479-495. DL: 10 Th Feminism and food, gender and sustainable agriculture. Read BB folder. In-class viewing: Dam/Age: A Film with Arundhati Roy. 11 F Final Paper topics due by email.
Writing the Body
15 T Bron Bateman, People from Bones. Cixous, "The Laugh of the Medusa," and BB file. DL: 17 Th Bateman, in-class discussion with the poet.
Representing Women in Visual Arts and Mass Media
29 T Part III Intro 265-268, and Ways of Seeing, 269-281. Clips from Tracey Moffatt, Love. DL: 1 Th Artistic Production and Reception, 282-297. Clips from Hammer, Nitrate Kisses. DL: 6 T Consumer Culture & the Business of Advertising, 329-344. In-class viewing: Killing Us Softly III. DL: 8 Th Consumer Beauty Culture, 345-368; Cyberculture, 369-381. Also familiarize yourself with http://www.cyberfeminist.org/, on BB site.