Women & Men
in Contemporary Society
Instructor: Phoebe Fui-Yee Chin
SOC 223/WMST 223,
Section 002 Office: Faner #
Spring 2001 Phone:
MWF, 10-10.50
a.m. Email: phoebechin@netzero.net
Faner 1005 Office Hour: 11-12.30, MWF or by appointment
________________________________________________________________________
Required Texts:
Disch, E. 1997. Reconstructing
Gender: A Multicultural Anthology, 2nd edition. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Kimmel, Michael S. 2000.
The Gendered Society. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Course
Description:
This course is
designed to familiarize you with an overview of men and women’s roles in U.S.
society in particular, and other societies in general. We will also examine the gender roles in the
economy and the family aspects. Gender
is both a product of social interaction, we socially construct gender, and a
central force in shaping social life.
Some other
discussions will include the sociological aspect of gender ranging from
microsociological analysis of the gendered social interaction to
macrosociological discussion of societal and institutional arrangements for
gender.
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.
Assignments:
Quizzes: We will have quizzes periodically. They will be unscheduled. Sorry, no make up quizzes. There will be a total of 10 quizzes.
Quizzes will include multiple choice and short answer questions.
Extra Credit: Extra credit assignments may be offered
throughout the semester. I will let
you know about extra credit opportunities when the time is appropriate.
Journal: Each week you are to choose one of the
readings from the Reconstructing Gender text or The Gendered Society that we
will not be reading in class to write a journal on. There are roughly 30 essays that we will not be discussing in
class so you have plenty to choose from.
You may not use the same article more than once or write on an article
we will be discussing in class. For
each journal you should pick out an essay, read it, and present your thoughts
on it. There are no right or wrong
answers for this assignment. Your grade
will be based on turning in the assignment rather that the specific
content. You should write what you
really think. It is fine to disagree
with the authors of the readings and the instructor. However, I do expect you to put real thought into this. You should make specific references to
readings, lecture, and class discussion.
These assignments should be typed, double-spaced, and two-page
in length. Each entry is worth
10%. You should turn in a journal every
Friday. Late journals will not be
accepted. There are 12 journal
assignments. The best TEN of these
assignments will count toward your final grade.
Participation: You
should plan to speak up in this class.
Feel free to bring up points that you find especially interesting to
discuss. 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.
Participation will be considered as one of your extra credits that worth
10 points toward your final grade.
Active participation makes sure you receive your total 10 points. Excessive absences, lack of participation,
and things like tardiness and sleeping in class will cost you points.
Exams: The mid-term and final exams will include
short answer and essay questions. You
should draw upon your readings, the lectures, and class discussions to answer
these questions. Make-ups of exams may
be allowed if the student provides a written excuse from a qualified
professional.
Paper: You will write a ten-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. Your paper is due on April 20 at the BEGINNING of class. Late paper will result in a deduction of 10%
for each day missed.
Grading and
Evaluating Your Performance
Mid-term: 100 450-500
= A
Quizzes: 100 400-449 = B
Journal: 100 350-399 = C
Research Paper: 100 300-349 = D
Final Exam:
100 0 -299 = F
---------------------------
Total points: 500
Classroom
Norms
Attendance - You are
expected to attend class regularly. You
may miss up to five classes without being penalized. These absences include sick days, religious holidays, and
personal holidays. Any absences beyond
these five will result in a deduction of 25 points from your final average for
each day missed. 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.
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 excuse
for your absence. This means a
doctor’s excuse 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 -
Cheating/Academic Dishonesty: COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS REGARDING
PLAGIARISM AND OTHER FORMS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY WILL BE UPHELD IN THIS
COURSE. If you are not familiar with
the definitions and consequences of cheating or with your rights, refer to your
Student Conduct Code or see an academic advisor.
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. Any work that has been plagiarized will receive a failing grade
and may be turned in to the university as a violation of the student code of
conduct.
Readings - I will
not discuss everything that your texts cover.
I see no point in simply telling you what your book already told
you. However, you are responsible for
all of the information I ask you to read.
This means that if you read something that you do not understand, it is
up to you to ask me for clarification.
We will use class time to discuss and build on the readings. 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.
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
You should think
about these ground rules during all classroom interaction. You are expected to follow them at all
times.
1. Acknowledge that racism, sexism, classism,
and homophobia exists.
2. Acknowledge that one of the meanings of
racism/sexism is that we have been systematically taught misinformation about
our own groups and especially members of other groups.
3. We can not be blamed for misinformation we
have learned, but we are responsible for repeating misinformation after we have
learned otherwise.
4. Do not blame victims for their oppression.
5. We will assume that people are always doing
the best they can.
6. We will actively pursue information about
our own groups and those of others.
7. We will share information about our own
groups with other members of the class and we will never demean, devalue, or in
any way “put down” people for their experiences.
8. We have an obligation to actively combat the
myths and stereotypes about our own groups and other groups so that we can
break down the walls that prohibit group cooperation and group gain.
9. We want to create a safe atmosphere for open
discussion. Thus, at times, members of
the class may wish to make a comment that they do not want repeated outside the
classroom. If so, the student will
preface his or her remarks with a request and the class will agree not to
repeat the remarks.
** Ground rules by
Lynn Weber, Center for Research on Women, Memphis State University, Memphis, TN
38152.
Anticipated Course Schedule: K=
Kimmel D= Disch
Date Topic/Assignment Assigned
Reading
1/17&19 Introduction
and Overview K: ch 1; D:pp.1-15, p.580
1/22 Biology is Destiny K:
ch 2; D: ch 2, 49, 50
1/24 Multiracial Feminism D: pp. 59-68
1/26* Journal 1 due
1/29 The Psychology of Gender K:
ch4; D: p.132, 146
1/31 Cont.
2/2* Journal 2 due
2/5 The Social Construction of Gender K: ch 5; D: ch7,9,11
2/7 Cont.
2/9* Journal 3 due
2/12 The Gendered Family K: ch 6; D: ch 32, 33
2/14 The Chinese Family
2/16* Journal 4 due
2/19 The Gendered Classroom K:
ch 7; D: ch 8,39,41
2/21 Instructions for Research Paper
2/23* Journal 5 due
2/26 The Gendered Workplace K:
ch 8; D:38,42
2/28 Cont. D: ch 44, 45, 47
3/2* Journal 6 due
3/5 Library Research
3/7 Review
3/9* Mid Term Exam
3/12-3/16 Spring Break
3/19 Gendered Violence C: ch 11; D: ch 55,57
3/21 Violence against Women in Asia
3/23* Journal
7 due
3/26 Sexual Harassment D: p.571
3/28 Cont.
3/30* Journal 8 due
4/2 Gendered Sexualities K: ch 10; D: ch 20, 27
4/4 Cont.
4/6* Journal 9 due
4/9 Marriage & Friendship D:
ch 36, 37
4/11 Family Life D:
ch 32,33
4/13* Journal 10 due
4/16 Gendered Communication D:
ch 21,23
4/18 The Love Languages (Lecture)
4/20* RESEARCH PAPER & Journal 11
due
4/23 Health: African American Women D: ch 50, 52
4/25 Health: Asian Americans D:
ch 51
4/27* Journal 12 due
4/30 Religion D:
ch 64
5/2 Conclusions K:
Epilogue; D: ch 59
5/4* Final Review
5/8 TUE Final Exam 12.50-2.50 p.m.