SOC 223/WMST 221 Section 3 Instructor: Heather Smith Feldhaus
Women and Men in
Contemporary Society Office: 3427 Faner
Spring 2002 Office
Phone: 453-7624
Mon, Wed, and Fri,
12:00-12:50 a.m. E-mail: hfeldhaus@globaleyes.net
Pulliam 0034 Office
Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri 8:00 a.m.-
10:00 a.m. and
by appointment
Required Texts:
Kimmel,
Michael S. 2000. The Gendered Society. New York: Oxford.
Disch,
Estelle. 1997, Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology, Second
Edition, Mountain View, CA: Mayfield
Publishing.
Course Rational and
Objectives:
This course is designed to familiarize you with an
overview of men’s and women’s roles in society, particularly focusing on their
roles in the economy and the family.
Explanations for and the outcomes of our gendered society will be
discussed in some detail, including the politicization of gendered concerns and
gendered violence. The course is
loosely divided into three substantive areas:
Part
I: Why are men and women different?
The title for this section of the class presupposes
that men and women are different and that we can explain those differences
using biology, psychology, or sociology. We will discuss some presumed
differences between men and women and test the various theories for their
accuracy and appropriateness.
Part
II: How are men and women different?
We begin the second part of the class by asking IF
men and women lead different lives. To
do this, we will contrast women’s and men’s experiences in three important
social institutions: the family, the economy, and the educational system. By the end of this section we should have a
clear understanding of the sociological differences between men and women.
Part
III: What is the outcome of gender differentiation?
In the final section of the course we will delve
more deeply into the implications of gender differentiation by focusing on some
of its violent and nonviolent outcomes: sexual assault, domestic violence,
compulsory heterosexuality, and interpersonal relations. Finally, we will discuss strategies for
addressing these outcomes of sexism.
Course Objectives:
1.
Demonstrate an understanding of such concepts as gender, discrimination,
feminism, and patriarchy.
2. Display basic knowledge of gender’s
significance in U.S. history, culture, and social structure.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking about the
dialogue emerging from different theories and perspectives pertaining to
gender, race, class, and sexuality.
4. Apply concepts from personal and/or family
experience to analyze gender as a form of human mutuality that must be
understood to enhance the common good.
Course Requirements
Exams: The mid-term and final exams will include
multiple choice and short essay questions.
You should be able to draw upon readings, the lectures, activities, and
class discussions to answer these questions.
Paper: You will write a five to eight page research
paper on any topic that falls within the bounds of this course topic. We will spend a portion of the class
discussing the details of this assignment on several occasions. On March 4 you should hand in your
topic, a paragraph describing the basic outline you plan to follow, and a list
of at least 5 academic journal articles you plan to use in writing your
paper. This is worth 50 points. If you need assistance picking a topic I
will be glad to help you find one that is manageable and recommend suitable
articles. It will be to your advantage
to stay in contact with me about your progress with your paper. I can save you a great deal of time and
stress if you let me. It is best to
identify an interest early and begin thinking about where you want to take
it. Your final paper is due on April
19 at the BEGINNING of class. If
you would like to turn in drafts of your paper for feedback prior to this date
I will be happy to look at them.
Quizzes: We will have quizzes periodically. They will be unscheduled and will cover
readings that have not yet been discussed in class. This is both an incentive to read and an incentive to ask me any
questions you have about the readings at the beginning of class. There will be a total of 7 quizzes but only
your top 5 grades will be counted.
Quizzes will include multiple choice and short answer questions.
Journal: There are five journal assignments
throughout the semester (see course schedule).
For each journal assignment you will be asked to look at some aspect of
the social world and use the knowledge you have gained in the course to
interpret what you see. You will be
given detailed instructions on how to complete each assignment at least one
week prior to its due date. Your
writing style may be informal but you should include terms and concepts from
the readings and lecture to ground your discussion in the subject matter. Your
journal entry should be roughly 2 pages long but it will be graded for content
rather than length. Each entry is worth
10 points. Point values will be
assigned based on the extent to which the journal demonstrates an understanding
of the material and an ability to apply knowledge gained in the course.
Participation:
You should plan to speak up in this class.
Feel free to bring up points that you find especially interesting or
would like to hear more about.
Questions are always welcome. If
you see something outside of class that you think relates to our discussion
feel free to bring it up. Disagreement
is fine as long as it is done respectfully.
Our differences are what will make the discussion interesting. If you are uncomfortable speaking in class
you may participate by talking with me after class, sending me e-mail questions
and comments, or handing in written questions or comments. Participation is worth 50 points toward your
final grade. Good attendance and active
participation make sure you receive your total 50 points. Excessive absences, lack of participation,
and things like tardiness and sleeping in class will cost you points.
Extra
Credit: You may supplement your quiz,
journal, and participation scores with extra credit activities. To obtain extra credit you must participate
in an activity or lecture relative to the course. You should attend the event and then write a three-page paper
describing the activity, its pertinence to this course, and your own
impressions. This should be a thoughtful
discussion that clearly ties what you saw or did to what we are learning in the
course. Pure description will not
receive many points. I will point out
good opportunities as they present themselves and if you see something you
think might be appropriate ask if it can be used for extra credit. The maximum number of extra credit points
that can be earned is 20. However, a
paper worth twenty points must include a very good and insightful analysis of
what happened and how it applies to course concepts. Most extra credit assignments in the past have earned
approximately ten points. You may turn
in multiple papers in order to gain your 20 points total. The last day to turn in extra credit
assignments is May 3.
Grading and Evaluating Your
Performance
Mid-term: 100
Quizzes: 50
Journal: 50
Paper
Topic: 50
Participation: 50
Research
Paper: 100
Final
Exam: 100
Total
points possible: 500
450-500
= A
400-449
= B
350-399
= C
300-349
= D
0 -299 = F
Classroom Norms
Attendance
- You are expected to attend class regularly.
You may miss up to five classes without being penalized. After five days you will be penalized 20
points for each absence. I will take
attendance daily.
Tardiness
- You should come to class on time.
Walking into class late is disrespectful to both your instructor and
your fellow students and will not be tolerated. Excessive tardiness will result in a loss of participation
points.
Missed
Work - You are responsible for information you miss. You should borrow notes from a classmate. Work can only be turned in late if you have
a reasonable explanation for your absence.
This means a doctor’s note or other official document. Otherwise, the assignment will receive a
grade of zero. You are welcome to turn
in such assignments in order to get feedback even though you will not receive a
grade.
Plagiarism
- You should be aware of plagiarism in every paper or assignment you
write. Any time you use the ideas of
someone else you must give them credit.
You should put quotation marks around all direct quotations and cite the
author at the end of the passage. If
you are unsure of the proper way to do this see me before you turn in any
work. If you turn in work that has been plagiarized I will report you to the
dean as having violated the Student Code of Conduct and you will receive a
failing grade for the course.
Readings
- I will not discus everything that your texts cover. Lectures and classroom discussion are designed to build upon what
you learn from the text. I write each
lecture with the assumption that you have read the assigned readings for the
day. In order to follow the lecture and participate in the class discussions it
will be necessary to do the readings before coming to class. You are responsible for all of the
information I ask you to read so it is important that you ask me for
clarification on any point that you don’t understand.
Office
Hours - You should make use of my office hours. If you have any concerns about the class I will be quite happy to
discuss them with you. I realize some
people feel uncomfortable speaking out in a group. It is fine to come and talk to me in private about issues that
interest you. I prefer you interact
with the class but speaking to me also counts as participation.
E-mail
- My e-mail address is listed on the first page of this syllabus. E-mail can be
used as a general means of contacting me.
You can e-mail me comments about class, questions, paper drafts, or
anything else that you think I should be aware of. I check this e-mail account often.
Ground Rules to Keep in Mind
We
will discuss many controversial issues.
You are expected to listen to the viewpoints expressed by others. If you disagree with what someone has said,
you are encouraged to express your disagreement but you must do so in a civil manner. Failure to treat other individuals in the course with dignity and
respect will result in zero (0) class participation credit and may result in
additional course sanctions. This is
not an attempt to create an atmosphere of political correctness; rather, the
goal is to establish a norm of open dialogue in which opinions may be expressed
and mutually discussed.
Further,
as a class we must acknowledge that racism, sexism, classism, ageism and
homophobia exist. One of the outcomes
of the existence of these oppressions is the potential for learning
misinformation about groups that are different from ourselves. We have an obligation, as a class, to learn
from each other, to learn about ourselves, and NOT to continue to repeat
misinformation after we have learned otherwise.
Finally,
there may be occasions during the semester when an individual will make a
comment that they will want to keep within the confines of the classroom. Please respect their privacy and do not
repeat any personal discussions that may arise in the classroom.
Schedule
This
schedule represents a tentative plan for readings, lectures, and
assignments. Any changes will be
announced in class. RG refers to Reconstructing
Gender. TGS refers to The
Gendered Society. Supplemental
readings may be provided or recommended at later dates.
Week
1 - Jan 14, 16, and 18 Introduction, Overview, Basics of Sociological Theory
TGS - p. 1-17
#6 Zinn and Dill –
Theorizing Difference from Multiracial Feminism
Week
2 – Jan 21, 23, and 25
(Monday off for MLK Day) The Biological Perspective
RG – #20 Coventry – The
Tyranny of the Esthetic
#49 Sabo – Masculinities and Men’s Health
Week
3 – Jan 28 and 30, Feb 1 (Journal
Friday) The
Cross-Cultural Perspective
RG – #26 Jaimes and Halsey –
American Indian Women
#37 Williams – The Relationship Between Male-Male
Friendship …
TGS Chapter 4
RG #14 Saltzberg and Chrisler –
Beauty is the Beast
# 13 Kimmel - Masculinity as Homophobia
TGS - Chapter 5
RG – #7 Lorber – The Social Construction of Gender
#15
Thompson – “A Way Outa No Way”
Week
6 – Feb 18 - Discussion of the paper
Feb 20 –
Review for Midterm
Feb 22 – Midterm Exam
Week
7 – Feb 25, 27, and March 1 - Family
TGS - Chapter 6
RG – #32 Rubin – The Transformation of Family Life
#33 Gerson The Dilemmas of Involved Fatherhood
Week
8 – March 4, 6, and 8 (paper Topics Due
Monday) Education
RG #38 The Miseducation of Boys
#41 Tales out of Med School
#42 Schollarly
Studies of Men
Week
9 - March 11, 13, and 15 Spring
Break
Week
10 – March 18, 20, 22 Work (Journal
Friday)
TGS Chapter 8
RG
# 43 It’s a Family Affair
#44 Sex Differences in Moving up and Taking Charge
#48 The Globetrotting Sneaker
RG – #23 Tannen – You Just
Don’t Understand
#24 Petrie – Real Men Don’t Cry… and Other “Uncool” Myths
Week
12 - April 1, 3, 5 – Guest Speaker
(material will be in the final so pay close attention)
Week
13 – April 8, 10, 12 (Journal
Friday)– Sexuality
RG #27 How Men have (a) Sex
#29 Forbidden Fruit
#30 The Impact of Multiple Marginalization
TGS Chapter 11
RG – #54 Gibson, Warrior Dreams
#56
Jensen – Using Pornography
#57 Goodwin – The Ultimate Growth Industry: Trafficking in
Women and Girls
RG - #62 Allen – Stopping Sexual
Harassment
#63 National Organization of Men Against Sexism –
Statement of Principals
RG - #64 Howe, Fighting Gender
Apartheid Under the Taliban