Calendar

Women’s Studies Course Calendar—Spring 2017
Note: Assignments should be prepared for the class period listed.

Date
Discussion
Assignments **due on the day listed**
W
Jan 18
Introduction
Overview of syllabus

M
Jan 23

What is Women’s Studies?
What is feminism?

READ: Shaw and Lee, “What is Women’s Studies?” 1-22 (on reserve)
Valenti, excerpts from Full Frontal Feminism (on reserve)
WATCH: Adichie, “We Should All Be Feminists” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc )
***Ask five people you know for their definition of feminism. Record their answers; take note of their tone of voice and facial expressions as well as their words

W
Jan 25

Shaw and Lee: Rich, “Claiming an Education,”
Baumagardner & Richards, “A Day Without Feminism,”
hooks, “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand,”
Quindlen, “Still Needing the F Word” (on reserve)
*** Everyone writes a one-page response on the week’s readings & bring a hard copy to class
M
Jan 30

Systems of Privilege and Inequality

Shaw and Lee: 42-58
(Deadline for obtaining textbook)
W
Feb 1

*Taylor, “Cisgender Privilege” (on reserve)
Shaw and Lee:
Collins, “Toward a New Vision”
Lorde, “There is No Hierarchy of Oppression” (on reserve)
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
Feb 6

Shaw and Lee: McIntosh, “White Privilege,”
Pharr, “Homophobia”
Yeskel, “Opening Pandora’s Box”
Essay #1 DUE
Feminism Essay: Focus on your knowledge and opinion about how feminism touches your life. When writing this 2 page (typed, double-spaced) paper, consider the following questions:
Ø  What is your understanding of the term “feminism”?
Ø  How does it apply to you? Not to you?
Ø  What social issues interest or concern you? How does that link to feminism, if it does?
Ø  What do you hope to accomplish in this class? How might feminism assist you in accomplishing those goals?
W
Feb 8
Learning Gender

Shaw and Lee: 105-120
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
Feb 13

Shaw and Lee: Fausto-Sterling, “The Five Sexes,”
Lorber, “The Social Construction of Gender”
Settles, et al, “Through the Lens of Race”
*Bornstein, “Abandon Your Tedious Search” (PDF)
W
Feb 15

Shaw and Lee: Blackwood, “Trans Identities,”
Rosenberg, “(Rethinking) Gender”
Wexler, “Shame-O-Phobia,”
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
Feb 20

*Supplementary readings on masculinity (PDF)

W
Feb 22
In-class viewing of a video
 Essay #2 DUE
“Doing Gender” Paper: write a 2-page analysis of how you, personally, “do gender.” Using the analytical frameworks discussed in class, critically examine your own history of “doing gender” and how you would assess your relationship to both femininity and masculinity.
(No weekly responses due this week)
M
Feb 27


Sex, Power and Intimacy
Shaw and Lee, 164-181

W
Mar 1

Shaw and Lee: Valenti, “The Cult of Virginity,”
Baumgardner, “What is Bisexuality?”
Smith, “Dismantling Hierarchy,”
Springer, “Queering Black Female Heterosexuality”
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
Mar 6
Inscribing Gender on the Body
Shaw and Lee, 213-233

W
Mar 8

Shaw and Lee: Brumberg, “Breast Buds,”
Steinem, “If Men Could Menstruate,”
Grossman, “Beating Anorexia,”
Miya-Jervis, “Hold That Nose,”
Martin, “Love Your Fat Self,”
Davis, “Designer Vaginas”
Essay #3 DUE:
Gender in the Media Paper: Write a 3-page analysis of an advertising image regarding the ways in which the advertisement industry represents gender, race, and sexuality. Staple analysis to image. Pay close attention to both the visual images in the ad and the text that accompanies it. You are free to choose an ad that you think sends a negative message regarding gender, race, and/or sexuality, or you may chose one that you think is more positive, explaining why. Draw connections to assigned essays.
(No weekly responses due this week)
Mar 13-Mar 15
Spring Break—Enjoy! J
M
Mar 20
Health and Reproductive Rights
Shaw and Lee, 279-309

 

W
Mar 22

Shaw and Lee: Sanger, “My Fight for Birth Control,”
Cooney, “The Way It Was,”
Lewis, et al, “HIV Risk Behavior,”
Silliman, et al, “Women of Color and Their Struggle for Reproductive Justice”

***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday

M
Mar 27
Family Systems, Family Lives
Shaw and Lee, 354-371

 

W
Mar 29

Shaw and Lee: Goldman, “Marriage and Love,”
Miya-Jervis, “Who Wants to Marry a Feminist?”
Bruggink, “Don’t Give Up Your Day Job,”
Gomes, “Partners as Parents”
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
Apr 3
Women’s Work, Inside and Outside the Home
Shaw and Lee, 391-413

W
Apr 5

Shaw and Lee: Mainardi, “The Politics of Housework,”
Ehrenreich, “Maid to Order,”
Burk, “Power Plays,”
Baker, “The Women’s Movement Against Sexual Harassment,”
Leigh, “The Strange Relationship Between Feminism and Sex Work”
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
Apr 10
Resisting Gender Violence
Shaw and Lee, 503-524
Shaw and Lee: Smith, “Beyond the Politics of Inclusion,”
Swartz, “The Lost Girls,”
W
Apr 12

Davis, “Betrayed by the Angel”
Manuh and Bekoe, “Confronting Violence”
Roy, “Rape and War”
Hobday, Signorile, and Gillete, “Anti-LGBTQ Violence” (PDF)
Andrea Dworkin, "I Want a Twenty-Four Hour Truce During Which There is No Rape” at http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/dworkin/WarZoneChaptIIIE.html
Essay #4 DUE:
Gender Violence Paper: drawing upon course materials, write a 3-page paper responding to and addressing the concept of rape culture.  Include a discussion of the following in your narrative:
·       What are your comments on the notion of gender-based violence and rape culture?  Do you agree or disagree with the contention that we live in a rape culture?  Why or why not? 
·       Drawing from current television shows and commercials, movies, magazines, etc., can you identify some gender norms and values that support the notion of rape culture in the U.S.?
·       Can you present evidence against the notion of rape culture?
·       How might we diminish the incredible amount of gender-based violence in the U.S.?
M
Apr 17
Women Confronting and Creating Culture
Shaw and Lee, 450-472

W
Apr 19

Shaw and Lee: Leon, “If Women Ran Hip Hop,”
Lavigne, “Death Wore Black Chiffon,”
Acocella and Cousins “Singing and Dancing with Gender”
Lenhart, “Sexting,”
Pierpmeier,” Bad Girl, Good Girl”
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
Apr 24
Activism, Change, and Feminist Futures
Shaw and Lee, 640-654

W
Apr 26

 Shaw and Lee: Hogeland, “Fear of Feminism,”
Kimmel, “Real Men Join the Movement,”
Rosen, “Epilogue,”
Pollitt, “Amber Waves of Blame”
Bailey and Gumbs, “We are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For”
***Post your weekly response to course blog by 9pm on Tuesday
M
May 1
Last day of classes
Final Project DUE

* Course calendar is subject to change


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