Feminist Foundations: From Friedan Forward
WMST 3500.001
T/R 2:00-3:20pm
WH210
Instructor: Maia Cudhea, M.S.
Email:
***Email is, by far, the quickest and easiest way to contact me- I do not have a phone in my office.
Office: GAB 462 (or Chilton 300A)
Office Hours: Wednesdays 12:00-2:00pm, Thursdays 9:00-11:00am, or by appointment
Department of Women’s Studies Office: GAB 467, (940) 565-2098
***The department office is a good point of contact if you need to leave something for me (I have a mailbox there) or if you need a signature on a drop slip at the last minute.
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what Feminism is: I only know that people call me a
Feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.
–Rebecca West, in The Clarion, November 14, 1913
Repeatedly pronounced ‘dead’, feminism in the late twentieth century has again and again risen
phoenix-like in new and unexpected contexts, unnoticed by those who attended the funeral.
–Sara M. Evans, in Tidal Wave: How Women Changed American at Century’s End
Course Description: The catalog describes this course as exploring “the women’s movement in the United States from the 1960s to the present. Issues of gender equity, reproductive rights, economic disparity, work and the family, and political participation are discussed within the contexts of second and third wave feminism.”
In this pursuit, we will examine many questions, such as:What do feminist movements look like- yesterday, today, and tomorrow? Who are feminists? What can we learn from the history of the Women’s Movement? What gender equality issues have been addressed, and what issues remain? What new challenges have arisen? How have feminist activists, both past and present, worked to address these challenges? How will what we do today affect women 50, 100, or 500 years from now?
Because feminisms is much more accurate than the singular and because systems of privilege and systems of oppression besides gender also work to create the context of women’s experiences, we will look at the perspectives of a diverse group of writers, researchers, and activists. The broad range and diversity of material covered is intended to strengthen your skills of critical observation, thinking, and analysis.
Throughout this course, we will also step back to examine broader questions of scholarship and epistemologies: How do we study social movements? How do we study women? How do we study the world (you know, the whole general sort of mish-mash)?
Exploring these questions and formulating responses to them will help to shape not only our view of the past, but our approaches to the present- our selves, our families and communities, and, ultimately, our society itself.
Course Goals: My philosophy of teaching is pretty direct, and I do have an agenda. I teach (in both sociology and women’s studies) because I believe these fields of academic study play a crucial role in reducing structural inequality (based on sex, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, ability, and age). Therefore, in any course, my main goal is to move my students (and myself) towards a greater understanding of how we all play a role in both social inequality and the struggle for social equality. This course will focus on the experiences of feminist activists, the social construction of feminism, and socio-strucutral inequality in order to gain a better understanding of how gender equality movements influence our lives as individuals, our interactions with others, and our larger social structures. Most importantly, this class should prompt you to ask: “How can we create a more just future for ourselves and our children, through individual and collective action?”
Course Objectives: More specifically, by the end of this course students should be able to:
- To describe both the continuity and diversity of feminist movements in the 20th century U.S.
- To develop a critical eye towards the social meaning and image of “feminists/feminisms”
- To explain the variety of philosophical frameworks and social contexts underlying feminist activism
- To improve their skills in critical thinking, observation, analysis, communication, and self-awareness
Texts:The following texts are required. Although any edition is acceptable, I have provided ISBN numbers of the editions that I have.
We Don't Need Another Wave: Dispatches from the Next Generation of Feminists. Edited by Melody Berger. ISBN: 978-1-58005-182-8
The Color of Violence: The Incite! Anthology. Edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence. ISBN: 978-0-89608-762-0
Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women. By Susan Faludi. ISBN: 978-0-385-42507-4
The F-Word: Feminism In Jeopardy - Women, Politics and the Future. By Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. ISBN: 978-1-58005-114-9
These books are available from the UNT Bookstore, Voertmans, and the Campus Bookstore. They are also available from a variety of online retailers (Amazon.com, Half.com, etc.). Please let me know if you have trouble locating any of these texts.
Additional readings will also be assigned from a variety of texts and journal articles. These readings will be posted on Blackboard Vista for students to print or distributed in class. Please note that these readings are just as required as those from the texts.
Each class meeting will cover and expand on a selection of readings. Students are responsible for reading all of the assigned material before class and should come to class prepared to discuss, question, and build upon the assigned material. Failure to do so will make preparing for and completing assignments very difficult, especially the reading response papers and group handouts that students are responsible for. In addition, failure to complete assigned reading will decrease the quality (and fun!) of class discussions.
Grades: Your grades will be made up of the following components:
Personality Profile Presentations (50 points) and Presentation Handouts (50 points)100 points
Organizational Website Research Presentations (25 points) and Research Papers (75 points)100 points
Weekly Reading Response Papers (20 points each x 7 responses)140 points
Group Handouts (10 points each x 7 handouts) and Reading Group Member Evaluations100 points
Final (take-home) Exam Paper- Movie Analysis125 points
Total Possible Points565 points
Figuring your grade is very simple- you just add up the points. I do not average, divide, or do any “crazy math”; I just add up the points. As such, any extra credit/bonus points awarded can be added to any assignment you like; points are points are points and it does not matter how you add them up. I will simply sum your total and assign the grade as indicated in the chart below.
Points Earned / Grade Earned508 and over / A
452-507 / B
395-451 / C
339-394 / D
338 and under / F
***A Note on Late Assignments: All assigned work is due by the end of class time on the due date; late work will be heavily penalized. An assignment submitted after the end of class, but on the due date will receive a 25% deduction. An assignment submitted the 1st day after the due date will receive a 50% deduction. An assignment received the 2nd day after the due date will receive a 75% deduction. Assignments submitted on the 3rd day after the due date or later will not be accepted.
***A Note on Attendance: Regular and punctual class attendance is required of all students in Women’s Studies courses and will be considered in determining the student’s semester grade. Five (5) unexcused absences will result in a failing grade (F) for the course; this policy is rigorously enforced. Excused absences will be given for university-authorized activities only. All other absences will be considered unexcused (even if you have a note from the student health center, documentation of your flat tire, etc.).
Graded Assignments:
Personality Profile Presentations (100 points): Each student will have the opportunity to select a major feminist activist (from a list provided by the instructor) and will be responsible for presenting to the class (along with a printed one-page handout) a summary of this activist’s biography and important life accomplishments. Students will present in one of three groups (depending on the selected activists), each due on the date indicated on our Weekly Class Agenda (9/21, 11/2, and 12/7). More details about and grading criteria for this assignment will be distributed and discussed at the 2nd class meeting.
Organizational Website Research Presentations and Papers (100 points): Each student will have the opportunity to select a major feminist organization (from a list provided by the instructor) and will be responsible for presenting to the class an analysis of this organization’s website. Students will present in one of three groups, each due on the date indicated on our Weekly Class Agenda(9/23, 11/4, and 12/9). Students will also be responsible for submitting an essay detailing their findings more completely. These papers will be due one week after the in-class presentations, except for the last group, as indicated on our Weekly Class Agenda (9/30, 11/11, 12/9).More details about and grading criteria for these assignments will be distributed and discussed at the 2nd class meeting.
Weekly Reading Response Papers (20 points each x 7 responses = 140 points): Each student will write a Reading Response Paper for each major block of reading. This will include both a summary of the main points/thesis of the assigned reading and the student’s thoughtful response to that reading- failure to include either of these components will result in a less than desirable grade! Reading Response papers will be 1-2 pages in length; a handout with detailed guidelines will be distributed and discussed at the 2nd class meeting. Reading Response papers will be due throughout the semester, a few days after each reading is scheduled to be completed, as indicated on the Weekly Class Agenda (9/14, 9/21, 10/12, 10/19, 11/2, 11/23, 12/7).
Reading Group Handouts (10 points each x 7 handouts = 70 points) and Reading Group Member Evaluations (30 points):Based on the personalities and organizations selected for presentations, students will be placed into three groups; these groups are also reading groups. The purposes of Reading Groups are to both keep the reading workload manageable while not sacrificing covering content completely, as well as giving students each other as resources in understanding the course material. At several points during the semester, each Reading Group will be reading a different selection and will be responsible for reporting back to the whole class on their reading. This will take place through the creation of seven Group Reading handouts due throughout the semester, as indicated on the Weekly Class Agenda (9/7, 9/16, 10/7, 10/14, 10/26, 11/18, 12/2). Group Handouts will be approximately 1 page; a handout with detailed guidelines will be distributed and discussed at the 2nd class meeting.
Final Exam Paper- Analysis of Media Representations of Feminism/Feminists: Your final exam in this class will be a term paper which analyzes media representations of feminism and feminists in a mass media film. Students will select a film from a list provided by the instructor and write a 8-12 page paper focusing on the questions: Who are the feminists in this film? How can you tell? How does this film see/show feminists? Is this a feminist vision of feminism? How would you explain this vision of feminism? The answers generated to these questions will be developed into a coherent thesis and well-supported with references to material from throughout the course. A handout with more detailed guidelines as well as w list to select from will be distributed and discussedat the 2ndmeeting.
Course Policies:
Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual class attendance is required of all students in Women’s Studies courses and will be considered in determining the student’s semester grade. Five (5) unexcused absences will result in a failing grade (F) for the course; this policy is rigorously enforced. Excused absences will be given for university-authorized activities only. University policy requires that you provide your instructor with an official notification card issued by the university to explain your absence and to submit any makeup work while you were involved in university-authorized activities. All other absences will be considered unexcused (even if you have a note from the student health center, documentation of your flat tire, etc.). Students who miss 2 or fewer classes (for any reason, excused or unexcused) all semester will earn a 5 point bonus (see Grades for more information on bonuses). In addition, a student’s class attendance record will be the major factor in deciding any borderline grades.
Academic Dishonesty: Allow me to be clear- all of the work that you submit must be your own, original composition. Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be tolerated. Plagiarism includes copying from a classmate, cutting and pasting from websites, allowing others to copy your work, and failure to cite/document your sources appropriately. If you do not know how to cite/document your sources appropriately, you should obtain a style manual (such as ASA, APA, Chicago, MLA, etc), read it, and use it in composing your writing assignments. If you are not sure whether or not something is plagiarism, you should consult university policy or your instructor, and always err on the side of caution. A detailed explanation of UNT’s policy on academic dishonesty can be found on UNT’s website The University takes plagiarism and cheating very seriously. Plagiarized work will earn a zero for the assignment. Students will face action according to University guidelines for academic dishonesty. If you are unsure of exactly what plagiarism is, please see me.
Americans With Disabilities Act: The University of North Texas is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 – The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens. Students who require accommodation for a documented disability or condition, or who have other special needs that require consideration should let me know (in writing) as soon as possible (within two weeks) so that I can make any necessary adjustments. If you are not sure what constitutes a documented disability, whether you qualify, or how to request appropriate accommodation, please contact the Office of Disability Accommodation at (940) 565-4323.
Email Policy: Email is, by far, the best way to contact me. I check email frequently and will promptly reply to any emails you send me. Two important things you should keep in mind when e-mailing me (or any professor) are that the e-mails you send are professional communications and that they communicate something about you to your professor. What do you want to communicate about yourself? As professional communications, your e-mails should at a minimum 1) have subject lines that accurately express their purposes, 2) make a genuine attempt at correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, 3) open with a salutation and close with your name.
In other words, the following e-mail would not be sufficient:
“What is my test grade? Smelly McGee".
If you send me an e-mail that does not follow the three numbered conventions laid out above, you will receive a reply from me that simply reads “See Email Policy on your syllabus.” If that happens, re-read your e-mail to determine what needs to be changed, revise it, and please try again.
Withdrawals & Incompletes: See for the last day to drop this course. To avoid availability issues, plan and come to me ahead of time with a drop slip. If you are ever questioning whether you should consider dropping this course, please contact me by email or during office hours; I am always happy to discuss your progress and prognosis. Incompletes are the student’s responsibility to request and are only given in cases of extreme and documented situations.
Classroom Expectations:
- Punctuality is a sign of respect and commitment; please be on time to class. If you must arrive late or leave early, please do so with as little disruption to the class as possible.
- Please turn off all electronics, including cell phones, pagers, MP3 players, Blackberries, Palm Pilots, or any other personal communication device that may disrupt class.
- Other disruptions that indicate disrespect (including background conversations while others are talking, packing up early, or working on material for other classes) are also unacceptable.
- Use of laptops is not permitted in the classroom. If you have a physical condition or other special circumstances requiring the use of a laptop, please see me to make appropriate accommodations as soon as possible.
- The nature of this course dictates that we will be discussing topics that some students may find personally disturbing, controversial, or otherwise difficult to handle. In discussing these “hot topics”, students are expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of maturity, sensitivity, and respect in their language and behavior. Classroom discussion is an invaluable tool for increasing your understanding, so please help me increase this benefit by speaking up in class and showing respect for your fellow learners. You are under no obligation to agree with authors, other students, or the instructor. Rather, your obligation is to demonstrate comprehension and thoughtful consideration of perspectives you may not share. Critical thinking, a willingness to explore ideas, and respect for others are essential.
- Student behavior that interferes with the instructor’s ability to conduct class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in such behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and may be referred to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the conduct violates the Code of Student Conduct. The university’s expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums (including university and electronic classrooms, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc.) and can be found at
Other Questions, Problems, or Concerns: