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Assignments
|
Further Reading | E-mail Dr. Ames | Extra
Credit
Class-Only Discussion
| L&G
Resources
The study of sexuality, particularly transgressive sexualities such as those of Lesbians and gay men, requires examining biology and sociology, psychology and genetic science, gender studies and history. What does it mean to be Lesbian or gay, especially in a heterosexist society? How do individuals become heterosexual or not? We will sample the scholarship about these issues and arrive at some conclusions—or at least at more specific questions.
Given, though, that Lesbians and gay men are transgressive in heterosexist society, we will also examine the movements in the United States and around the world for equal rights and for liberation. We will see how social institutions are changing as a result of these efforts, and how much change is still required.
Course
expectations
Readings, class discussions, and lectures are all important in understanding the material. Lectures will cover material NOT covered in the books. Faithful class attendance is required, as is careful and prompt reading as assigned.
There will be three in-class exams, each worth 20%, for a total of 60% of your course grade. You may use your notes, including notes on the books (but not the actual books), for the exams. Dates for each exam are included in the reading schedule below.
There will be several in-class, structured discussions and several on-line discussions throughout the semester. (Instructions for the on-line discussions will follow separately.) Participation in the on-line and class discussions will be worth 10% of your course grade.
Each student, in a group, will lead discussion for one class period on the gay movement in another country, as assigned by the professor. These individual discussions will also be brought together for a college-wide forum on December 6th. (Details will follow separately.) These discussions will be worth 10% of your course grade.
Finally, in groups you will research and analyze a specific social institution’s effect on Lesbians & gay men (and vice versa). (More details will follow separately.) That research will be presented orally to the rest of the class as well as in a paper. The group project will be worth 25% of your course grade.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Peter M. Nardi & Beth E. Schneider (eds.). 1998. Social Perspectives in Lesbian and Gay Studies: A Reader. New York: Routledge.
Barry D. Adam, Jan Willem Duyvendak, & Andre Krouwel (eds). 1999. The Global Emergence of Gay and Lesbian Politics: National Imprints of a Worldwide Movement. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
3 Chapters from: Davidson & Moore (eds.). 2001. Speaking of Sexuality. Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing Company. (chapters on reserve at the library)
READING SCHEDULE: Keep
up! The readings are very uneven. Plan ahead!
(Come to class even if there are no new readings assigned for that day!)
TOPIC
Date: Read:
Introduction
8-29
Biology and/or Social Constructionism
9-5 Speaking
of Sexuality (all chapters on reserve in the library)
Pillard & Bailey, “Human Sexual Orientation Has A Heritable
Component”
Byne, “Why We Cannot Conclude Sexual Orientation is a Biological
Phenomenon”
Golombok & Tasker, “Do Parents Influence the Sexual Orientation of
Their Children?”
Social
Constructionism
9-12
Social Perspectives in
L&G Studies
Gayle S.
Rubin, “Thinking Sex: Notes for a
Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality”
Steven
Epstein, “Gay politics, Ethnic Identity:
The Limits of Social Constructionism”
Carole S.
Vance, “Social Construction Theory: Problems
in the History of Sexuality”
Identities
and Communities
9-19
Social Perspectives in
L&G Studies
Nancy
Achilles, “The Development of the Homosexual Bar as an Institution”
Carol Warren,
“Space and Time”
Martin P.
Levine, “Gay Ghetto”
Stephen O.
Murray, “The Institutional Elaboration of a Quasi-Ethnic Community”
Susan
Krieger, “An Identity Community”
Barry D.
Adam, “Structural Foundations of the Gay World”
9-26
Social Perspectives in
L&G Studies
Barry M.
Dank, “Coming Out in the Gay World”
Barbara Ponse,
“The Social Construction of Identity and its Meanings”
Richard
Troiden, “A Model of Homosexual Identity”
Gilbert Herdt,
“Gay and Lesbian Youth”
Combahee
River Collective, “A Black Feminist Statement”
Gloria
Anzaldua, “Bridge, Drawbridge, Sandbar, or Island:
Lesbians of Color”
Tomas
Almaguer, “Chicano Men: A
Cartography of Homosexual Identity and Behavior”
Exam #1 (1st Half of Class)
Social
Movements
10-3
Global Emergence (2nd
Half of Class)
Adam,
Duyvendak, & Krouwel, “Introduction”
10-10
Global Emergence (Student-led
discussions)
Barry D.
Adam, “Moral Regulation and the Disintegrating Canadian State”
Steven
Epstein, “Gay & Lesbian Movements in the United States”
James N.
Green, “The Building of a Brazilian Movement”
Stephen
Brown, “Democracy and Sexual Different: The
L&G Movement in Argentina”
10-17
Global Emergence (Student-led
discussions)
Ken
Plummer, “The Lesbian and Gay Movement in Britain”
Judith Schuyf
& Andre Krouwel, “Dutch L&G Movement:
Politics of Accommodation”
Olivier
Fillieule & Jan Willem Duyvendak, “Gay & Lesbian Activism in France”
Ricard Llamas
& Fefa Via, “A History of the L&G Movement in Spain”
10-24
Global Emergence (Student-led
discussions)
Scott
Long, “G&L Movements in Eastern Europe:
Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic”
Mai Palmberg,
“Emerging Visibility of Gays & Lesbians in Southern Africa”
Wim Lunsing,
“Japan: Findings Its Way?”
Geoffrey
Woolcock & Dennis Altman, “The G&L Movement in Australia”
10-31
Global Emergence
Adam,
Duyvendak, & Krouwel, “Gay and Lesbian Movements Beyond Borders?”
Exam #2 (1st Half of Class)
Social
Institutions and Lesbians & Gays
11-7 Social
Perspectives in L&G Studies (2nd
Half of Class)
Beth E. Schneider, “Peril & Promise:
Lesbians’ Workplace Participation”
Kath Weston, “Families We Choose”
Peter M. Nardi & Ralph Bolton, “Gay-Bashing:
Violence & Aggression Against G&L”
Steven C. Dubin, “Gay Images and the Social Construction of
Acceptability”
Barry D. Adams, “Anatomy of a Panic”
11-14 Student Group Presentations
11-21 BREAK
11-28 Student Group Presentations
Conclusions
12-5
12-6
Special Class Session: Women's Studies Forum Presentation
12:20pm-1:15pm
12-12 Exam #3 7:00pm
Last modified 18 October 2001
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