WGSST 110:Gender, Sex, and Power

Central Classrooms 226 Mondays & Wednesdays 1:30 – 3:18pm Spring 2012

Instructor: Nicole Engel Email:

Office: 337B University Hall Office Hours: Mondays 11:30am -1:30pm

ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

We all have varying abilities. Students who have verification from Disability Services are responsible for contacting the instructor as soon as possible to make necessary arrangements. The Office for Disability Services verifies the need for accommodations and assists in the development of accommodation strategies. Please let me know early on in the quarter what we can do to maximize your learning potential, participation, and general access in this course. The Office for Disability Services is located at 150 Pomerene Hall,

1760 Neil Ave, (614) 292-3307, TDD (614) 292-0901.

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the field of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and to feminist scholarship. It is designed to give students from a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines a basic understanding of the terminology, perspectives, and debates that constitute this field. We will examine the history offeminist political activism in the United States and we will learn some of the most significant concepts and frameworks feminists have developed.Although we will pay particular attention to the ways in which gender impacts our everyday lives, we will also examine the ways in which race, sexuality, class, physical ability, and age also impact our lives and inform public policies and institutions in the U.S. This course is a pre-requisite for both the major and minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. It also fulfills GEC requirements for: Cultures and Ideas,Social Science Individuals and Groups and Social Diversity in the US.

Course Objectives

  • Understand essential concepts in feminist theory.
  • Understand how gender shapes cultures and the social institutions that structure them.
  • Identify manifestations of privilege and oppression in society.
  • Develop and apply critical reading, writing, and thinking skills to issues of gender, race, class, sexuality, and ability.

Required Texts

  • Reading Women's Lives for Nicole Engel/WGSS 110/Spring 2012 available at SBX.
  • Additional readings can be found on CARMEN (these readings will be marked with an * on your syllabus)

Carmen

Carmen (OSU's online learning system) will be used in this course. To access Carmen, log on at and select this course from the list of Spring 2012 Classes.

I will use Carmen to post various class materials, changes to the syllabus, and any readings that are not included in Reading Women's Lives. You are expected to print the readings from Carmen and bring them to class with you on the day they are discussed.If you cannot bring the actual readings to class with you, then I expect you to bring notes on the readings to class with you. This last part is no joke. Showing up without the tools means you can't do the work.

Graded Assignments

Participation: 15 %

There are 2 components to your participation grade:

  1. Attendance: Attendance will be taken every day. You are permitted 2 unexcused absences, no questions asked. After 2 absences, your absences will have an adverse effect on your participation grade – after all, if you are not in class, you are not participating.
  2. Discussion: This course is a dialogue intensive course. Both prepared discussions and spontaneous conversations will be essential elements in this course. Class discussion is designed to help you become engaged with, and think critically about, the materials presented in the essays, films, and lectures we encounter. It is mandatory that you complete all of the reading in order to participate meaningfully in class discussion.
  3. We will also be discussing some controversial issues in this class. I ask that you all be open to exploring the world through a feminist lens. Respect and sensitivity toward others is required. Our critical thinking will be deployed to analyze ideas and arguments - personal attacks are not permitted. We will be exploring issues of personal and cultural relevance to us all, and will question the values and assumptions apparent in a wide variety of texts. You are not being asked to change your beliefs, but we all must contribute to an environment where everyone feels welcome to participate.
  4. *Note* In order to facilitate class discussion, turn off your computers and cell phones, refrain from talking while others are speaking, and do not pack up or leave early.

Reading Check-ins: 15 %

Check-ins are meant to ensure that you are completing and comprehending your reading assignments. 4 check-ins will be given over the course of the quarter. The lowest grade will be dropped. Check-ins are given at the beginning of class and CANNOT be made up unless you have an excused absence for that day.

Short Writing Assignments: 30 %

Short writing assignments are brief (3-4 page) reflection papers that will help you think more deeply about concepts that we will touch on over the course of the quarter. At the end of this syllabus, you will find a list of the assignments and the requirements for each. You will write 3short essays of your own choosing, and turn in each on their respective due date. Each short writing assignment is worth 10% of your final grade. It is your responsibility to make sure you have submitted 3 papers by the end of the quarter.

Mid-Term: 20 %

The in-class midterm will cover material from the first 5 weeks of class; this includes assigned readings, lectures, and films. It will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Exam Date: Wed 4/25

Final Project: 20 %

Final Project Options:

(You are required to submit a brief project plan on April 18th, and no late projects will be accepted.)

  1. Write a 6-8 page analysis of a film, television show, or other pop culture product that applies theories and concepts from at least four (4)sources used in class. You must use correct citations and attach a bibliography.
  2. Write and illustrate a children’s book that explains a theme from class, such as: feminism, gender socialization, intersectionality, the history of the women’s movement, etc. You can include images from magazines or photographs as well. The project should showcase critical thought and creative effort.
  3. Create a piece of artwork or write three thoughtful poems that address personal experiences relating to course material. Please include a 3-4 page explanation of your work that cites three sources from class, relating your art to course themes.
  4. Write a 5-6 page book review. Begin your review with a brief summary of the main points (1-2 pages), and conclude with a 4 page critical analysis of the text that addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the book, its intended audience, how the book fits into the field of Women’s Studies, etc. Please cite three related course materials in your analysis.

Books include:

  1. bell hooks, The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love, 2004
  2. Jean Kilbourne, Can’t Buy Me Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, 1999
  3. Barbara Ehrenreich, Nickledand Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, 2001
  4. Ariel Levy Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, 2005
  5. Jessica Valenti, The Purity Myth: How America’s Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women, 2009
  6. Jody Miller, Getting Played: African American Girls, Urban Inequality, and Gendered Violence, 2008
  1. Plan your own project. Examples: plan an action - such as a letter-writing campaign or a demonstration -in which five members of the class can take part; create a public service announcement or short video about a class theme; write a research paper about a topic that interests you, and demonstrate how it relates to feminist thought.

Additional Course Policies

Extra Credit: 5 points of extra credit may be earned by attending one campus or city event thatrelates to themes and topics discussed in class. A 1-2 page description of the event and how it relates to course concepts is due no later than one week after the event date.

Late/Make-Up Work: Assignments are due on the day listed on the syllabus. If you must be absent on the day an assignment is due, I expect to receive it in my email inbox by 1:30pm that day for it not to be counted as “late.” I will reduce a paper’s grade by one half grade for every day it is late (A  A-  B+, etc.). The midterm exam may only be made up in the case of university-excused absences and emergencies.

Do not assume that you will be granted an extension for anything until you have spoken with me.

Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism

As defined in University Rule #3335-31-02, plagiarism is “the representation of another’s works or their ideas as one’s own; it includes the unacknowledged word for word use and/or paraphrasing of another person’s work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person’s ideas.” Plagiarism is one of the most serious offenses that can be committed in an academic community; as such, it is the obligation of this department and its instructors to report ALL cases of suspected plagiarism to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. After the report is filed, a hearing takes place and if the student is found guilty, the possible punishment ranges from failing the course to suspension or expulsion from the university. Although the existence of the Internet makes it relatively easy to plagiarize, it also makes it even easier for instructors to find evidence of plagiarism. It is obvious to most teachers when a student turns in work that is not his or her own; plagiarism search engines make documenting the offense very simple.

  • Always cite your sources (your TA or instructor can help you with this)
  • Always ask questions before you turn in your assignment if you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism
  • Always see your TA or instructor if you are having difficulty with an assignment

To preserve the integrity of OSU as an institution of higher learning, to maintain your own integrity, and to avoid jeopardizing your future, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!

1

Grade Breakdown

Participation: 15%

Reading Check-ins: 15 %

Short Writing Assignments 30 %

Mid-Term: 20 %

Final Exam: 20 %

Total: 100 %

A = 93-100

A- = 90-92

B+ = 87-89

B = 83-86

B- = 80-82

C+ = 77-79

C = 73-76

C- = 70-72

D+ = 67-69

D = 63-66

D- = 60-62

1

WEEK / DATE / THEME & QUESTIONS / READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1 / 3/26 MON / Introduction to Course / ---
3/28 WED / What is Women’s Studies?
Defining Feminism
FILM: Iron Jawed Angels / Penny Weiss. “I’m not a Feminist, but…” (1-16)
Baumgardner and Richards. “A Day Without Feminism” (17-26)
Week 2 / 4/2 MON / What is Women’s Studies?
History: The 1st Wave
FILM: Iron Jawed Angels / Seneca Falls. “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” (27-32)
Sojourner Truth. “Ain’t I A Woman?” (33-34)
4/4 WED / What is Women’s Studies?
The Social Construction of Gender / Judith Lorber. “Night to his Day: The Social Construction of Gender” (69-84)
*Kate Bornstein. “My Gender Workbook”
Week 3 / 4/9 MON / What is Women’s Studies?
Understanding Oppression
Oral Herstory Paper Due / Redstockings. “Redstockings Manifesto” (35-38)
Marilyn Frye. “Oppression” (85-100)
4/11 WED / No class! / No class!
Week 4 / 4/16 MON / What is Women’s Studies?
History: the 2nd Wave, the Backlash, and the 3rd Wave
Gendering Childhood
Paper Due / Susan Faludi. “Introduction: Blame it on Feminism” (51-68)
*Additional readings from 3rd Wave anthologies on CARMEN
4/18 WED / What is Women’s Studies?
Difference Matters
Project Plan Due / Combahee River Collective. “A Black Feminist Statement” (39-50)
AudreLorde. “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference” (101-112)
Week 5 / 4/23 MON / How is Oppression
Maintained & Reproduced?
Privilege
Belonging Paper Due / Peggy McIntosh. “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack” (135-142)
Judith Katz. “Heterosexual Privilege: Owning My Advantage, Uncovering My Collusion” (143-146)
4/25 WED / -- Mid-Term / -- Mid-Term
Week 6 / 4/30 MON / How is Oppression
Maintained & Reproduced?
Beauty
Feminist Blogs Paper Due / Naomi Wolf. “Excerpt from The Beauty Myth” (147-160)
Stephen Hall. “The Bully in the Mirror” (161-180)
*T. DeneanSharpley-Whiting. “I See the Same Ho: Video Vixens, Beauty Culture, and Diasporic Sex Tourism”
5/2 WED / How is Oppression
Maintained & Reproduced?
Sexuality / *Anne Koedt. “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm”
*Heather Corinna. “An Immodest Proposal”
*Various authors. “The Orgasm Gap”
Week 7 / 5/7 MON / How is Oppression
Maintained & Reproduced?
Violence
Politics of Safety Paper Due / Robin Warshaw. “The Reality of Acquaintance Rape” (199-213)
“The Rape of Mr. Smith” (215-217)
*Jill Filipovic. “Offensive Feminism: The Conservative Gender Norms that Perpetuate Rape Culture”
5/9 WED / How is Oppression
Maintained & Reproduced?
Masculinity
Film: Dreamworlds III / *Michael Kaufman. “The Seven “P’s” of Men’s Violence”
*Whitney Walker. “Why I Fight Back”
Week 8 / 5/14 MON / How is Oppression Maintained & Reproduced?
Heteronormativity & Heterosexism
Heteronormativity Paper Due / Suzanne Pharr. “Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism” (113-134)
*Charlotte Bunch. “Learning from Lesbian Separatism”
5/16 WED / How is Oppression
Maintained & Reproduced?
Reproductive Justice / *Dorothy Roberts. “Introduction to Killing the Black Body”
*Several feminist blog posts, see Carmen
Week 9 / 5/21 MON / How is Oppression
Maintained & Reproduced?
Marriage, Motherhood, & Work / Judy Brady. “I Want a Wife” (181-184)
Susan Douglas & Meredith Michaels. “The Mommy Wars: How the Media turned Motherhood into a Catfight” (185-198)
*Eagly and Carli. “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership”
5/23 WED / How is Oppression Maintained & Reproduced?
In a transnational context
FILM: TBD / *TBD, to go along with film
Week 10 / 5/28 MON / Memorial Day: No Class
5/30 WED / Class Wrap-Up!

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Choose any 3 of these reflection papers and turn them in on their assigned due date.

Formatting for all writing assignments:

Margins: 1 inch margins all around

Spacing: Double-spaced

Font: 12 pt Times New Roman

Reference Page: You must include a Works Cited page or Bibliography.

Style: You can use any style you would like – MLA, APA, Chicago Style – whatever your home discipline uses is fine. Just BE CONSISTENT.

-- This is a great website that I use all the time to find out how to cite things in my style – MLA, APA, and Chicago are all included on this site.OWL at Purdue:

From this page, pick your style. Then select the “Formatting and Style Guide.”

-- How to cite our course text – MLA style:

Last name, First name. “Title of Essay.” Reading Women’s Lives. Ed. Nicole Engel. New York: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. Pg x – x.

Oral Herstory Essay (due 4/9)

Conduct an interview with an older woman (preferably born before 1965) focusing on the course of her life and how it has been shaped by her gender. Ask questions about important areas of her life, such as her childhood, family, education, dating and/or marriage, work, etc. You can also ask her what she thinks of women and feminists today; for example: does she believe that girls/women had it harder while she was growing up, or does she think navigating girlhood/womanhood is more difficult today? Why? Drawing on this interview, write a 3-4 page paper reflecting on what has changed, and what has stayed the same, in women’s lives.

Gendering Childhood Essay (due 4/16)

Spend some time in a toy store, or in the toy aisles of a department store. Collect data on the kinds of toys that are meant for girls and those that are meant for boys. How are they different? What messages may be being given with these toys? Are these messages implicit or explicit? Are there any “gender neutral” toys? Does the gendering of toys change by the age level of the children for whom they are intended?In a 3-4 page essay, discuss your findings and analyze what implications these toys may have on childhood gender socialization.

Belonging Paper (due 4/23)

For this assignment, you must write about one of the communities, groups, or subcultures that you feel you belong to. In a 3-4 page essay,convey how this community is understood/misunderstood by the larger culture - what are some of the stereotypes that exist about this community? How do you and the members of this community/subculture face these stereotypes and misconceptions? Alternatively, you could offer a constructive critique of your community; for example, you could also write about the misconceptions and stereotypes of other communities that exist within your community.

1

Feminist Blogs Paper (due 4/30)

For this essay, you will need to go online and look at 2-3 self-identified feminist blogs. Based on your research, write a 3-4 page essay analyzing the content of these blogs. What are some of the issues today’s feminists are writing about? Who is their audience? What kind of discussions are they generating online? What are the comments they are getting from their readers? Are they building a constructive dialogue online?

Politics of Safety Paper (due 5/7)

Ask three men and three women the following questions:

- Is your personal safety something you think about often?

- Are there particular moments when you feel more concerned about your safety? What are those moments?