Prof. Janet Wirth-Cauchon
119 Howard Hall x4586
E-Mail: janet.wirth-Cauchon@drake.edu
Office Hours: Mon-Wed. 11:00 AM-12:00 Noon; Tues-Thurs. 11:00 AM-1:00 PM
The paradox of human nature is that it is always a manifestation of cultural meanings, social relationships, and power politics; 'not biology, but culture, becomes destiny.'
- Judith Lorber
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an exploration of gender relations in society and culture. It is also an introduction to sociological ways of perceiving the world, and so we will learn sociological frameworks from which to analyze these changing gender relations. What is "gender?" More than simply being a biological classification, gender is that set of ideas, roles, and meanings that a given culture attaches to being "female" or "male." A sociological perspective recognizes that gender is a fundamental organizer of social life, and that different cultures (and different social groups within cultures) have different gender arrangements. It also recognizes that ideas about gender difference, and the social arrangements that are built on such ideas, are a major basis of social inequality. One of the major goals of trying to better understand gender relations is to seek ways of lessening such inequality. Accordingly, we will read critical, feminist social analyses of gender, power, and culture. We will examine topics such as gender identity, childhood gender socialization, cultural definitions of femininity and masculinity, gender in media and advertising, and nature and ecology. During the last part of the course we will explore the recent feminist writing on how new technologies, such as cosmetic surgery, new reproductive technologies, and digital communications, are re-shaping the ways gender is constructed and lived in contemporary society.
Course Goals:
To explore the social construction of gender and its centrality to social life;
To use sociological analysis as a strategy for re-thinking current gender arrangements;
To gain an appreciation of the diversity of gender identities and gender arrangements;
To examine the power dynamics within gender relations;
To learn feminist critiques of new technologies and their effect on the construction of gender;
Goals for Women's Studies Courses
To reflect critically on the gendered construction of the world and her/his own place in and experience of that world;
To be familiar with feminist critiques of male dominance and feminist strategies of resistance to that dominance;
To engage with the various concerns, debates, and theoretical approaches within feminist discourse and women's activism;
To discuss race, class, gender, sexuality, and issues of power and privilege in thoughtful, informed, and productive ways;
To understand more fully women's realities and representations within specific fields of study through the acquisition and development of the necessary, specialized knowledge;
To suggest connections between her/his major field of study or career goals and feminist analyses;
to meet the challenges of living in a multicultural, globally-interdependent world.
READINGS
1. Course Packet: A course packet of readings is required for the course, to be purchased at Copycat, located at 2503 25th St., phone 255-9284.
2. The following books are required:
Gerd Brantenberg, Egalia's Daughters. Seal Press.
Judith Lorber, Paradoxes of Gender. Yale University Press, 1994.
Anne Balsamo, Technologies of the Gendered Body: Reading Cyborg Women. Duke University Press, 1996.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1) Class Participation (10%):
a) Verbal Contribution to Class Discussion: This is an interactive class, and so the production of knowledge is a responsibility shared by teacher and students. Therefore each of you has a role to play in creating knowledge, and that includes being involved in discussion. Thus, a key requirement of this course is thoughtful contribution to class discussion, grounded in your understanding or questions about the readings or the topic at hand.
b) Attendance: One of the most important requirements of the course is to attend each class period, on time, and prepared to discuss the readings assigned for that week. I will take attendance through the use of a sign-up sheet. It is your responsibility to make sure you sign the sheet each class period. Of course, emergencies arise, and in this circumstance, you must communicate with me prior to the class period if you are going to be absent. More than 3 absences will result in the loss of all credit for attendance and a zero for the attendance/participation portion of the course.
c) Group Facilitation of Class Discussion. Early in the semester the class will form into small groups. The main responsibility of your group is to prepare and facilitate discussion on a given week's readings. This will entail meeting with your group to plan your presentation, and the preparation of a handout or outline, with questions or themes for discussion. Group Discussion schedules will be finalized early in the semester.
c) E-Mail Discussion List: An electronic mail computer discussion group has been set up for this class. Directions for subscribing and using this discussion list appears at the end of this syllabus.
Writing
2) Three 5-6 page Essay Papers (55%; 15 for the first paper, 20% for the last two): You will write three 5-6 page Essay papers during the semester. The paper assignments will be provided to you.
***Late Papers Policy***: Except in the event of extreme circumstances, late papers will not be accepted. Late papers will have the grade lowered by one/half a grade per calendar day it is late.
4. Final Group Project (20%) During the final week of class, you will work with a group to design a final project. Your task will be to design a 20-25 minute interactive activity dealing with issues we cover in class, and to facilitate this activity during the final week of class. This is not to be simply a group presentation ( where you convey information to a mostly passive audience). Rather, the idea is to design a participatory activity in which all of the class is involved, AND which involves some serious exploration of concepts/themes relevant to the class. This may entail use of web materials, visual/audio materials, objects, printed materials, or it could involve design of exercises or group activities. Your project/activity must include a written portion, which describes the activity, its purpose and goals, and the specific discussion questions you are addressing. A more detailed handout will be provided to you. The group presentation and paper will be worth 20%. Final Paper due in class, during the Final Exam Period.
Grade Summary:
Class Participation 10%
Response Papers 15%
First Essay Paper- 5 pages 15%
Second Essay Paper 20%
Third Essay Paper 20%
Final Group Project 20%
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Total 100%
Note: This schedule may be revised, depending on our progress.
*Articles in the Course packet are indicated with an asterisk *.
Jan. 16 Course Introduction
Jan 23 Gender as Socially Constructed
Lorber, "Introduction" and "Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender".
Egalia's Daughters, Part One
Jan 30: Sex vs. Gender; Gender Socialization
*Renzetti and Curran: "Early Childhood Gender Socialization"
Egalia's Daughters, Part Two
Feb 6: Biological Essentialism
*Bem, "Introduction" and "Biological Essentialism"
Lorber, Chapter 2, "Believing Is Seeing: Biology as Ideology"
Feb 13 Gender Stratification
*Bem, "Androcentrism"
*Genesis
*J. Addelston and M. Stirratt, "The Last Bastion of Masculinity: Gender Politics at The Citadel."
Feb 20 Transgendering
*David France "An Inconvenient Woman." New York Times Magazine May 28, 2000
Lorber, Chapter 4, "Men as Women and Women as Men: Disrupting Gender"
Feb 27: Transgendering (cont.)
*Walter L. Williams, "Of Religions and Dreams: The Spiritual Basis of the Berdache Tradition"
*Evelyn Blackwood, "Sexuality and Gender in Certain Native American Tribes: The Case of Cross-Gender Females"
Mar 6: Ecofeminism; Winona LaDuke
The Indigenous Women's Network Our Future, Our Responsibility
Statement of Winona LaDuke http://www.igc.apc.org/beijing/plenary/laduke.html
"Winona Speaks: An Interview" from In These Times.
http://www.inthesetimes.com/kolb2422.html
*Paula Gunn Allen, "Where I Come From is Like This"
Mar 13 Gender, Nature and Culture
*R. Zingraff and A. Ladd, "The 'Female' At Risk in Nature and Nurture"
*U.K. Leguin, "Woman/Wilderness"
Mar 20: No Class; Spring Break
Mar 27 : Gender Ideology and Militarization
*Carol Cohn, "Wars, Wimps and Women"
April 3 Gender, Technology and the Politics of Appearance
Balsamo, "Introduction" (pp. 1-16); Chapter 2 "Feminist Body-Building" and Chapter 3, "On the Cutting Edge: Cosmetic Surgery and New Imaging Technologies"
April 10: New Reproductive Technologies
Balsamo, Chapter 4: "Public Pregnancies and Cultural Narratives of Surveillance"
April 17 Virtual Gender
*Turkle, "Tinysex and Gender Trouble
April 24 Final Projects
May 1 Final Projects
May 8: Closing and Course Evaluations; Final Papers Due
Criteria for Evaluation of Essay Papers
Your paper has a clear and specific topic (expressed as a thesis or as a questions).
Your topic relates to and engages with the course material.
You adequately support your ideas with evidence, examples, and/or arguments.
You make adequate and specific references to the texts you are discussing.
Your paper is well organized, with an introduction, the development of your argument, and a conclusion.
Your paper is clearly written and coherent: the reader can understand and follow the logic of your arguments.
Your argument allows for and explores the complexity of the topic and does not oversimplify.
Your paper is of at least the minimum length, 12 point font, double-spaced, spell-checked and turned in on time.