INTRODUCTIONTOQUEERSTUDIES(fall,2015)
WGS201
Monday Wednesday,4:00-5:20
Classroom:145STB
Prof.Ernestoj.Martinez,Ph.D.Email:ffice:202 AlderBuilding
OfficeHours:T,3:00-5:00PM,orbyappointment
OfficePhone:(541)346-5523
GraduateTeaching Fellow:JeremiahFavara
School ofjournalismandCommunication
OfficeHours:TBA
REQUIREDTEXTS:
•AllreadingsareavailableasPDF'sonCanvas.
•Youareresponsibleforcompletingallreadingsbyclasstimeonthedayforwhichtheyareassigned.Youarealsoresponsible forbringingacopyofeach day's readingtoclass.Ifthereadingisanelectronicdocument,youmuststillbringacopytoclass.
COURSEDESCRIPTION:
Thiscourse introducesstudents to the dynamicand rapidly growing field ofqueer studies,aninterdisciplinary field whose goal isthe study ofsexuality asacomplex cultural, political, andintersectional formation. Ratherthan understand sexuality asmerelyafeature ofprivate intimacyor as result ofunchangingbiological forces, queer studies approachessexuality as a complexsocialconstruction,onethatintersectswith,and isinseparablefrom,otherconstructedfeaturesofour social world (e.g., class, race, gender, ethnicity, disability, and citizenship). As a fieldcommitted tosocial analysisand justice,queer studies prioritizes and bringscritical attention totheknowledge generated bylesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,andqueer people.Additionally,itraisesquestions about largersocial and institutional formations (e.g.,theconstruction of"normal"bodies and desires,theefficacyofa politics rooted inidentity,thesexualized practices ofracistand imperial violence, and the emergenceand mainstreaming ofminority identities and socialmovements).
STUDENT LEARNINGOUTCOMES:
Asaresultoftakingthiscourse,students willbeableto:
•Demonstrate anunderstandingofLGBTQhistory,culture, andpolitics
•Explaintheimportanceof"constructionist"and"intersectional"approachestoLGBTQ
identities,historyandpolitics
•Analyzemainstream LGBTsocial movements fromtheperspectiveofradicalcritics
•Synthesizecourse materialstodemonstrateanewunderstandingoftheirownexperience.
EVALUATIONOFSTUDENTPERFORMANCE
ResponsePapers:30%
Tworesponsepapersonthereadingassignmentsarerequired.Eachpapershouldbedouble
spacedandthreepagesinlength.Youmaychoosewhichreadingsyouwouldliketowriteabout,
butonepapermustbewrittenbyweekfour(Oct.2151
andtheotherpapermustbewrittenby
weeknine(Nov.25th).
Youhavetwooptionsforyourresponsepapers:
OptionOne-MotivatedQuestion: Writinga"motivatedquestion"isawayofengagingwiththereadingsbyemphasizingwhatisinterestingand/orpuzzlingtoyouaboutthetopicsweareaddressing.Amotivatedquestionisnotaquestionregardingclarificationofterms(e.g.,whatdoesFoucaultmeanby"discourse"?),norisamotivatedquestiona
matterofdesiringmorebiographicalorhistoricalinformation.Suchquestionsrequirelittleefforttoask.Amotivatedquestion,ontheotherhand,isolatesanidea,theme,orsetofarguments,andtakesthenextstepincriticallyengagingwiththem."Motivatedquestions"beginoftenbyquotingapieceofthewritingthatyoufindinterestingand/orsummarizingthesectionofthatarticle.Theythentransitiontoraiseconcernsandissuesaboutwhatmakesordoesnotmakesense,ortheymoveontodiscusswherethistopicorlineofthinkingtakesyouintermsofyourquestionsregardingsexualityandgender.
"Motivatedquestions"willbegradedontheirabilityto(a)accuratelysummarizesomethingimportantaboutthetext(i.e.,akeyargument)and(b)askaquestionorsetofquestionsthatreflectscriticalthinkingandengagement.Pleasenote:thereisnoneedtoliterallyaskasetofquestionsattheendofthepaper.Insteadoflistingaquestionorsetofquestions,forexample,youcanalsomakeaseriesofobservationsthatfurtherpushyourunderstandingofthesubjectmatter.
OptionTwo-KeyArguments:Youwill writea"keyarguments"responsepaperwhenyoudonotnecessarilyhavequestionsorobservationstomakeaboutthetext,butratherwhenyouwanttorememberkeyargumentsandclaims.Onewaytobeginthispaperistopretendthatthearticleorbookyouarereadingwillneveragainbeavailabletoyou(itwillbeburnedandbannedandnoonewilleverknowitexisted!).Giventhisdramatichypotheticalsituation,whatinformation doyouthinkyouwouldwanttoremember?Whatinformationwouldbeworthyofpassingalong?
"Keyarguments"paperswillbegradedontheirabilitytoaccuratelydescribethemostimportantargumentsinthearticle.
Exams(Two):70%
Twoexamswillbeadministeredduringthesemester,onetake-homemid-term(35%)andonetake-homefinalexam(35%).Bothexamswillconsistofshort-answerand/oressayquestions.
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StudentswithDisabilities
Jfyouhaveadocumenteddisabilityandanticipateneedingaccommodationsinthiscourse, pleasemakearrangementstomeetwithmeassoonaspossible. Pleaserequestthat thecounselorforstudents withdisabilitiessendaletterverifyingyourdisability.
IncompletePolicy
TheUniversitypolicyforincompletes isasfollows:
Anincompletemaybeissuedwhenthequalityofworkissatisfactory,butsomeminoryetessential requirement hasnotbeencompleted,forreasonsacceptabletotheinstructor.Undergraduatestudents haveonecalendaryeartomakeupanincompletemarkassignedbyaUOfacultymember. Earlierdeadlinesmaybesetbytheinstructor,dean,ordepartmenthead.FailuretomakeuptheIncompleteattheendofonecalendaryearwillresultinthemarkof"I"automaticallychanging toagradeof"F"or"N."
lncompletes forthiscoursewillnotbegivenunlessastudent hasextraordinaryreasonsforbeingunabletocompleteallrequiredcoursework. (Failuretodropthecourse bythedropdeadlineisnotasufficientreasonforissuinganincompletegrade.) Arequestforanincompletemustbemadewellbeforetheendoftheterm.
E-mailEtiquette
Asarule,youshould understand yourrelationshipstoprofessorsasprofessional relationships.When correspondingbye-mail,alwaysincludeasalutation ("DearProf.Martfnez")andaclosingthatidentifieswhoyouare("Sincerely,PerlaLedezma"). Usecompletesentencesandtrytobepolite.
LatePolicy
•Jf youarelatesubmittingyourresponsepaperorexam,youwillbepenalized10%ofyourfinalgrade.Foreverydaythatitislate,another 10%wiII bededucted.Exceptionswillbemadefordocumentedillnesses.
SCHEDULE(Subjecttochanges);
11.TheSocialConstructionofSexualityandGender
Wk.1September28
Introductiontothecourse
September30
Reading:(1)Rubin,Gayle."ThinkingSex"
Wk.2October 5
Reading:(1)Lugones,Maria."HeterosexualismandtheModern/ColonialGender
System"
October 7
Reading:(1)Foucault,Michel.SelectionsfromTheHistoryofSexuality:AnIntroduction and(2)Somerville,Siobhan."ScientificRacismandtheEmergenceoftheHomosexualBody"
jn.LGBTHi!!ltoryandIdentity
TheStonewall Riotsof1969andtheHBirth"oftheModernGayRightsMovement
Wk.3October12
Reading:(1)D'Emilio,John, "AfterStonewall"[Canvas]
In-classFilmScreening:BeforeStonewall(dir.ScagliottiandSchiller,1984)
October14
Reading:(1) ArmstrongandCrage,"MovementsandMemory:TheMakingoftheStonewallMyth" [Canvas]and(2)Film:ScreamingQueens:TheRiotatCompton'sCafeteria(dir.VictorSilvermanandSusanStryker)[LinktofilmprovidedonCanvas]
TheHarlem RenaissanceandtheCivilRightsMovement
Wk.4October19
Reading:(1)Carbadoelal.,''TheHarlemRenaissance"[Canvas]
October 21
Reading:(1)CarbadoandWeiss,"Introduction/'fromTimeonTwoCrosses:The
CollectedWritingsofBayardRustin[Canvas]
In-classFilmScreening:BrotherOutsider:TheLifeofBayardRustin
ResponsePaper#1DueToday(UploadontoCanvasby10AM)
Have"We"AlwaysExisted?
Wk.SOctober26
Reading:(1)Halperin,"SexBeforeSexuality:Pederasty,Politics,and Powerin
ClassicalAthens"[Canvas]
October28
Reading:(1)Horswell,"TowardanAndeanTheory ofRitualSame-SexSexualityandThird-GenderSubjectivity"{Canvas]
Sexualidentity,Reconsidered
Wk.6November2
MIDTERMDUETODAY (UploadOnCanvasby10AM)
Lecture:"MatiWork,"Bisexuality,and Asexuality
November4
Reading:(1)excerptsfromWith RespecttoSex:NegotiationHijra IdentityinSouth
India
Ill.RethinkingMainstreamPoliticsofInclusion,Equality,andLiberation
AIDSActivism:Not"Gay"asinHappy,but"Queer"asinFuckYou!
Wk.7November9
Readings:(1)Gould,"lifeDuringWartime:Emotions and TheDevelopmentofAct
Up"{Canvas]
In-class FilmScreening:HowToSurviveAPlague
November11
Reading:TBA
ThePoliticsofInclusion,Equality,andAccess
Wk.BNovember16
Reading:(1)Jakobsenand Pellegrini,"What'sWrongwithTolerance?"[Canvas]
and (2)Spade,Dean "What'sWrongWith Rights"{Canvas]
November18
Reading:(1)Duggan,Lisa."EqualityInc."{Canvas] and(2)Spade,Dean
"MutilatingGender''[Canvas]
ResponsePaper#2DueToday(UploadontoCanvasby10AM)
Same-SexMarriage,Revisited
Wk.9November23
Reading:(1)Warner,Michael."AgainstGay Marriage"{Canvas]
November25
Reading:(1}Vaid,Urvashi."NowYouGetWhatYouWant,DoYouWant More?"
ComingOut,Revisited
Wk.10November30
Reading:(1)Decena, Carlos."Profiles,Compulsory DisclosureandEthicalSexualCitizenship intheContemporaryUSA"[Canvas]and(2)Decena,Carlos."TacitSubjects"[Canvas]
December2
Reading:(1)Chavez, Karma."Coming OutasCoalitional Gesture?"
Wk.11December7
FINALEXAMDUETODAY(UploadonCanvasby10AM)