Spring10

Women’s Studies 1130

Introduction to Women’s Studies

Dr. Nancy Turner Office hours: MW 12-1, 2-3PM

Office: 332 Warner Hall T 3-4 PM
Office phone: 342-1789 Th 1-5 PM
E-mail: turnern@uwplatt.edu F 12-1 PM
& by appt.

OVERVIEW: The purpose of gender studies is to help students come to a better understanding of themselves as responsible
individuals operating within a gendered cultural context, paying special attention to perspectives involving women. A course
that meets liberal arts requirements in gender studies will enable students to engage in personal reflection and explore the
implications of: 1) the cultural constructs that create and perpetuate gender-based stereotypes and unequal power relationships;
2) the contributions of diverse populations of women and persons of varied sexual orientations in transforming knowledge; 3) the
influence that students’ gender and experiences have on their attitudes toward others.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES: Women's Studies as a field seeks to theorize, document, uncover, and revise our
existing knowledge about women. By its very nature it is an interdisciplinary field; therefore, using the lenses of the social
sciences, history, science, journalism, and the humanities, this course will explore the ways in which gender limits, as well as
expands, women's experiences of family, work, health, sexuality, and social relationships. It is a major goal of this course to "shake
you up"—to alter your view of the world (at least a little) as you are forced to think more deeply about what it might have meant
in the past to be a woman, what it means today to be a woman, and what it may mean in the future to be a woman. The course
will also explore why particular things are gendered “feminine” or “masculine” in a particular society.

TEXTS: There are four books assigned for this course, each of which can be found in the University Textbook Center. They are:

Ruth, Sheila. Issues in Feminism, 5th Edition. Mayfield Publishing, 2001.

Ward, Martha C. A World Full of Women, 4th Edition. Allyn and Bacon, 2005.
Valenti, Jessica. Full Frontal Feminism, Seal Press, 2007.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Infidel, Free Press, 2007.
Handouts provided by the instructor.

EXAMS: There will be 2 (1-hour) exams in this course. Each exam will consist of 8-10 identification/definition items and one short
essay. The exams will cover the material presented in the readings, lectures, and the films/videos. There will also be one take-
home exam dealing with the information presented in the textbook A World Full of Women.

GROUP POWERPOINT PRESENTATION: Each student will participate with 2 to 3 other students in preparing in a group
PowerPoint presentation of a chapter from Martha Ward’s book , A World Full of Women. Each presentation will be no more than
ten minutes long, summarizing for fellow students their chapter’s main points.

READING QUIZZES: A portion of most class periods will be devoted to a discussion of the assigned readings or issues raised by
the instructor. Each student is expected to participate actively in the discussions and to ask and answer questions. Obviously this
requires each student to do the readings assigned for each class period and to pay attention in class. To encourage students to
keep up with the assigned readings, there will be 7 announced quizzes over specific assigned readings. The format of these
reading quizzes will be 3-4 short answer questions.

REACTION PAPER: One 2-3 page, double-spaced reaction paper is required. For this paper, students must select one of the
topics concerning women we have covered (for instance: patriarchy, nature vs. nurture, women as wives and mothers, women
and work, women and social class, sexual harassment, abortion, rape, domestic violence, women and body image, women in the
Muslim world, or the early life of Ayaan Hirsi Ali) and write up, in paper form, their detailed reaction to the topic as it was
presented in class.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance will not be officially taken, but attendance at all scheduled class periods is necessary and
expected. If a student misses a class, s/he is responsible for finding out what material was covered and what assignments or
handouts were distributed during the missed class period.
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GRADING:

7 reading quizzes @ 9pts each =63pts

2 In-class exams @100pts each =200pts
1 Take-home exam =100pts
1 Group Chapter presentation =50pts
1 In-class paper =50pts
1 Reaction Paper =50pts
Total 513pts

Schedule of Assignments:

January
20 Introduction
25 RDG QUIZ Shira Tarrant, “The Men’s Auxiliary: A Brief History of Men and Feminism” (handout)
27 Patriarchy: "Basic Concepts" (IF 28-30); "Conceptions of Patriarchy" (IF 61-64; 73-74); “Discrimination: the Effects of
Sexism on Public Institutions” (IF 344-354)

February
1 RDG QUIZ Nature vs. Nurture: Judith Lorber, “ ‘Night to his Day’: The Social Construction of Gender” (handout);
Karin A. Martin, “Becoming a Gendered Body: Practices of Preschools” (handout); “Girls’ math fears may start with
female teachers” (handout)
3 Women as Wives and Mothers: "The Effects of Sexism on Women's Private Lives" (IF 249-258); Friedan, "The Problem
That Has No Name" (IF 570-574); Hochschild, "The Second Shift" (handout); Judy Seyfer , “Why I Want a Wife”
8 RDG QUIZ Women and Work: “Legal changes open doors to working women” (handout); “Women and the Business
World” (handout); “Study finds you’ve come too far on TV, Baby” (handout); “Many moms assume burden of child-
care costs” (handout); “Men more likely to leave spouse who has cancer” (handout);
10 Sexual Harassment: Ellen Bravo and Ellen Cassedy, "What Sexual Harassment Is—and Is Not" (handout); “The ‘new’
sexual harassment is more subtle” (handout); “Military more likely to kick out lesbians” (handout); Women and Social
Class: Dorothy Allison, “A Question of Class” (handout)
15 Abortion: If These Walls Could Talk (video)
17 RDG QUIZ “Abortion” (IF 267-274); Voss “The Easiest Choice I Ever Made” (handout); Newsweek “The Abortion
Evangelist” (handout)
22 IN-CLASS EXAM #1
24 Rose Weitz, “A History of Women’s Bodies” (handout); Rape: “Rape victims offer advice to today’s college women”
(handout); “Girl, 9, details rape in Congo to photographer” (handout);

March
1 Ward Group presentations
3 Ward Group presentations
8 Ward Group presentations
10 RDG QUIZ Domestic Violence; Full Frontal Feminism Chapter 4
15-19 Spring Break
22 “Violence” (IF 274-280);
24 Ward Take-home Exam due;
29 Women and Body Image: Killing Us Softly III—video
31 “Muslim Women Uncover Myths about the Hijab” (handout); “Under the Abbaya: Female TV Producers in Saudi
Arabia” (handout);

April
5 NO CLASS
7 RDG QUIZ; G. Brooks “Whom No Man Shall Have Deflowered Before Them” (handout);
12 IN-CLASS EXAM #2
14 Infidel pp. 1-88
19 RDG QUIZ; Infidel pp. 89-122; pp. 134-144; pp. 163-180
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21 Infidel pp. 183-211; pp. 237-260
26 Full Frontal Feminism In-Class writing
28 Full Frontal Feminism

May
3 RDG QUIZ Shira Tarrant “Constructing Masculinity: Putting the How and the Why in the XY” (handout)
5 Reaction Paper Due