WMS 101C/D MWF 10:00-10:50/12:00-12:50 Hawkins 135
Kay Branagan Hawkins 102B Spring 2005
Office Hours: M-W 9:30-10:00, 2:30-3:00,
F 9:00-10:00
Or By Appointment
Tel: X4249 FAX: 564-4226 (WMS); 564-2555 (AAS)
E-mail: kay.branagan@plattsburgh.edu
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COURSE OBJECTIVES:
(1) to introduce students to theories of race, class, gender and affectional orientation as well as issues of power, privilege, and oppression and how these systems operate within our own lives.
(2) to address issues which emerge from discussions of the lives of women from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
(3) to begin to explore how our lives consist of the basic raw materials for changes and to look for commonalties which we may use as bases for action for those changes.
(4) to discuss some of the primary systems of domination and control which effect women’s lives and choices, particularly economics, violence, and heterosexism.
(5) to discover the ways that women have historically been able to make significant changes within their lives and within society and culture and to explore ways to continue to make that commitment to create a more just society for ourselves and for everyone both within the United States and worldwide.
TEXTS:
Documents on the electronic reserve web page (WMS 101 Course Page). The password is wms101. (Note: wms must be lower case and no spaces between any letters/numbers).
These articles will be noted in the syllabus by “**”.
Kesselman, McNair, Schniedewind. Women, Images and Realities: A Multicultural Reader. Mayfield Publishing Company, CA, 2003, third edition.
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale, 1985
Kay, Jackie. Trumpet, Pantheon Books, 1998.
Cleis Press, 1993.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE: Class attendance and participation are an essential part of the learning process. Therefore, students are allowed a maximum of two (2) unexcused absences without penalty. Official excuses must be in writing, and, except in an emergency, I should be contacted by telephone or e-mail prior to the class period. Please note: Leaving class early or arriving more than 5 minutes late without a legitimate excuse will constitute an unexcused absence.
GRADING:
Forums/Outside Activities Extra Credit
Short papers 60%
Final Project 20%
Class Participation (in-class writing/quizzes/ attendance 20%
FORUM/ACTIVITIES:
Extra credit for attendance at one Forum or women-centered equivalent events (play, lecture, workshop, etc. – check with me); the student will then submit a 1-2 page typed report to include a brief description, an analysis of the significance and how the topic relates to issues discussed in class, and your (brief) reaction to the event/topic. This is due no later than one week after the event/topic.
SHORT PAPERS:
A THREE TO FIVE page analysis of the articles assigned for that class period. Must be handed in at the beginning of class on the day of discussion in order to be used as a basis for discussion. The paper must be typed. There will be a total of 5 papers. No late papers accepted. There will be one make-up paper available. While all students are required to complete each reading assignment, students doing the assigned critical analysis are expected to lead that day’s discussion.
Grading for both the Forum papers and Short papers will be based on the following criteria.
8-10 Points Analysis is well-reasoned and concise; description
is succinct. (The more articulate the paper, the
higher the grade points.)
5-7 Points Analysis is weak and/or rambling; description is
succinct. (The stronger the analysis, the higher
the grade points.)
3-5 Points Analysis is poor to non-existent; description is
weak.
0-2 Points No analysis: extremely vague description. (Are
you sure you were at the right event? or read
the assigned articles?)
FINAL PROJECT:
An eight to ten page critical analysis of the assigned articles and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as a minimum of four related articles. Internet articles must be full text to qualify.
FILMS TO BE SHOWN DURING THIS COURSE:
As this course progresses, films relevant to the material under consideration will be shown. They will be selected from the following list.
Dreamworlds I and II
How We Won the Vote
Defending Out
Lives: Battered Women Fighting Back
Framing Lesbian
Fashion
Two in Twenty
You Have Struck a
Rock
Fundi: The Ella Baker Story
BD Women
Pornography
Point of View: Baptist Seminary
The Little Mermaid
Sara Baartman
Righteous Babes
Five Women of the
West
Ma Vie En Rose (My
Life in Pink)
Regret to Inform
SLIDES:
South African Women
Michigan Womyn’s
Music Festival
These films and slides were previewed, evaluated and selected for classroom viewing in order to expand upon the materials being presented and to allow students to understand the impact of political, economic, and social policies on individual people. Participating students who find these films objectionable are not required to attend viewings and will be given alternative assignments.
PLAGIARISM;
Plagiarism is using the words and/or ideas of others and failing to credit them in your writings. Direct quotes and paraphrasing another’s ideas MUST be footnoted. The sources for more general ideas MUST be noted in you bibliography. Plagiarism is also copying, in whole or in part, a paper submitted by another student or copying off the Internet. If I discover an incident of plagiarism the student will immediately be given a WE grade and be required to do an alternative assignment in order to change the grade. Sorry, ‘being stressed’ is not an excuse for plagiarism.
ADDENDA:
Any changes made in the requirements of the course, i.e. writing assignments and/or evaluation criteria, will be made known to participating students through verbal announcements in class and distributed addenda.
DATE: TOPIC: ASSIGNMENT
1/24 Intro Discussion of course content and
objectives
Small group assignments
1/26 How We Got the Vote **Inez Milholland
Boissevain: Years After Her Death
Remained Influential**
1/28 History/Herstory Text pp. 509-517 (#129 - #131)
Paper #1 Group A Due **Is Equality Indigenous?**
(includes **Women’s Rights**
**Unfinished Business**)
1/31 Second Wave Feminism Text pp. 518-550 (#132-#138):
pp. 7-40 (#1 - #8)
Handout in Class: The Story of the
Champlain Valley
2/2 Theory In Class Handouts
Text 423-442
(#109-#103)
2/4 The Gods of Our Fathers
2/7 Racism Text pp. 360-370
Paper #1 Group B Due (#89 - #94)
2/9 Classism Text pp. 371 – 393
Paper #1 Group C Due (#95 - #100)
**Childswap Society**
**Hard-Hatted Women**
2/11 Hetero Sexism Text pp. 394 – 411
Paper #1 Group D Due (#101 - #105)
**Marriage as a Restricted
Club**
2/14 It’s Elementary
2/16 Images of Feminity Text pp. 45 - 67
Paper #2 Group A Due (#9 - #17)
2/18 Work & Gender Text pp. 187 – 214
Paper #2 Group B Due (#50 - #58)
2/21 Law & Social Policy Text pp. 215 – 249
Paper #2 Group C Due (#59 – #63)
pp 332-354
2/23 Abortion and the Law
2/25 Family & Gender Text: pp. 250 – 281
Paper #2 Group D Due (#64 - #70)
**Lesbian Families**
**Ceremonies of the Heart**
**The Dad Debate**
2/28 Ageism Text pp. 412-422
(#106-#108)
**Zenzele**
3/2 Violence/Battering Text pp. 447 – 467
The Clothes Line Project (# 114 - #119)
Paper #3 Group A Due **WolfLand**
**2% & Chronicle of
Violence**
**When the Music Doesn’t
Play**
3/4 Violence/Sexual Text pp. 468 – 487
Paper #3 Group B Due (#120 - #124)
**The Story of
Grandmother**
3/7 Violence/Incest Text 488 – 502
Paper #3 Group C Due (#125 – #128)
3/9 Dreamworlds
II
3/11
Discussion
3/21 Global Feminism Text pp. 550-568
Paper #3 Group D Due (#139 - #141)
3/23 Regret to Inform
3/25 Candor & Sexuality Work Shop
Handouts
3/28 Learning Gender Text pp. 69-99
(#18-#24)
4/1 Gender **A Third Sex?**
4/4 Ma Vie En Rose **Beyond Blue and Pink**
4/6 Trumpet
4/8 Discussion Text pp 110-115 (#29)
4/11 Book & Gender Analysis Due Paper #4 (All Groups) Counts 2x!!
(Gender Issues in book and articles
only)
4/29 Health Care Text pp. 312-331
(#76-#80)
5/2 Fairy Tales **The Princess Who
Stood on Her Own Two
Feet**
**Rapunzel**
**Snow White**
**Fanshan**
**The Three Little Pigs**
5/4 In-Class Writing
5/6 TBA
Finals Week: Research Paper Due
(TBA) Discussion of Topic