. .

Department of
Women's
Studies

Women's Studies 110

Women, Culture, and Society

If you have any questions regarding this syllabus, assignments, etc. , please email me. I will usually contact you within 24 hours with a response.

Accommodation of students with disabilities
Students who wish to have an accommodation for disability are responsible for contacting the instructor as soon as possible. The Office of Disability Services (150 Pomerene Hall; 292-3307; 292-0901 TDD) verifies the need for accommodations and assists in the developments of accommodation strategies.

Course Description:
Women's Studies 110 is an introductory survey course on women and gender in the social sciences that fulfills the GEC requirement in the social sciences and the social diversity requirement. This course will be a survey of the fundamental concepts of Women's Studies. We will examine the background of Women's Studies as a discipline, the history of women's movements, issues of inequality and privilege, various social issues. We will also gain an understanding of the basic tenets of feminism, and learn to apply feminist principles to our classroom experience. Throughout the course, we will look at women's issues through a lens that is conscious not only of gender, but also of race, class, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, age, and ability.

Course Objectives:

• Examine essential feminist ideas, including privilege, oppression, intersectionality, and the social construction of gender
• Understand the ways in which social institutions and meanings about gender, race, class, and sexuality mutually inform and constitute one another
• Develop critical reading, writing and thinking skills
• Recognize the importance of feminist activism in the struggle for women's liberation and evaluate past and present attempts at dissolving systems of domination

Text:
Reading Women's Lives. **Be sure to get the edition compiled by Adriane Brown—other editions will NOT work.

Carmen
Carmen, accessible through the OSU homepage, will be used in this class. I have set up several discussion boards to assist you in earning participation points. A number of course documents and readings will be posted here, and you can check your grades on this website as well. We will take time on the first day of class to go over procedures for using Carmen.

Attendance
Attendance is required. You will be allowed 2 free absences, but 10 points per day will be deducted from your participation grade for any additional absences. Two tardies of more than 15 minutes each will be counted as one absence. The same policy applies to leaving class early. I may be willing to alter this policy slightly with proper documentation. If you must miss class for school-sponsored activities, religious observances, etc. , please speak to me. Fall athletes and other students participating in university-sponsored fall activities should make an appointment to meet with me at the beginning of the semester.

Participation
All students are required to participate in discussions and in-class activities. Participation accounts for 12% of your final grade. If you generally have difficulty speaking up in classes, you should make sure to post regularly on the Carmen discussion boards. From time to time, I may give out small assignments that will contribute to your participation grade.

Throughout this class, we will discuss a variety of topics that you may find controversial or sensitive. As such, it is imperative that we abide by a general set of rules to govern class discussions. It is perfectly acceptable to disagree with perspectives expressed by your classmates, instructor, or texts, but it is never acceptable to launch personal attacks while doing so. Do not speak while someone else is speaking or interrupt anyone. Always make sure that your remarks pertain specifically to the course materials at hand.

You will be automatically be deducted 5 participation points for doing the following during class time: text messaging; sleeping or resting your head; reading; listening to music; or surfing the web. If you have other things to do, you are better off staying home than disrupting the rest of the class with disrespectful behavior.

Academic Misconduct
It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487) . For additional Information, see the Code of Student Conduct: http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/info_for_students/csc.asp) .

Statement on Plagiarism:
As defined by University Rule 3335-31-02, plagiarism is the representation of another's works or 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 class 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 and plagiarism search engines make documenting the offense very simple.

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

Assignments:
All papers should be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. font with 1-inch margins unless otherwise announced.

Quizzes: You will have frequent, unannounced quizzes which will cover readings, videos, discussions and lectures. The format will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and essay questions.

Interview Paper: Due 5/12. Specific details will be announced later in the quarter.

Exams: There will be a midterm and a final encompassing previously-covered readings, videos, lectures, assignments and in-class activities. The midterm (4/28) will cover the first half of the course, and the final (6/3) will cover the second half. Both exams will be mixed-format.

Grading
Quizzes: 6@15 pts each = 90
Participation: 60
Interview Paper 100
Midterm Exam: 100
Final Exam: 150
500 total points possible

The grading scale will be as follows:
465-500 pts A
450-464 pts A-
435-449 pts B+
415-434 pts B
400-414 pts B-
385-399 pts C+
365-384 pts C
350-364 pts C-
335-349 pts D+
300-334 pts D
299 & below E

Grades will not be bumped up—the point scale is firm.

Extra Credit: Throughout the quarter, I will announce various events occurring around campus and Columbus. If you attend one of these events and turn in a short write-up (1 page) via the Carmen dropbox within one week of attending, you will receive 10 points extra credit. I may also include extra credit points on the exams.

Late Work: Work that is not turned in by the end of the class period on a due date will be considered late and subject to automatic grade reductions. A paper turned in on the due date (but after class ends) will receive a 5% reduction. One calendar day late will earn a 10% reduction, two receives a 20% reduction, and so on. Late papers must be turned in via email. Participation assignments and quizzes may only be made up in the case of university-excused absences IF the instructor is informed and the make-up is scheduled in advance. The midterm and final are subject to the same requirements, but certain allowances will be made for documented emergencies (such as a student's hospitalization) . Do not assume that you will be granted an extension until you have spoken with me.

Tentative Course Outline
*subject to change by instructor.

Readings are DUE on the dates they are listed. All readings are available in the course text, Reading Women's Lives, unless otherwise noted. Numbers in parentheses note the number of pages in each article.

3/24  Introduction to the course

Unit One: Feminisms and Women's Movements

3/26 Rich, Adrienne."Claiming an Education." Available on Carmen. (3)
Hogeland, Lisa."Fear of Feminism: Why Young Women Get the Willies." (8)
Faludi, Susan."Introduction: Blame it on Feminism." (18)
Screening: Family Guy, "I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar"

3/31 hooks, bell."Men in Feminist Struggle: The Necessary Movement." (8)
Johnson, Allan."Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us."
Available on Carmen. (8)
Truth, Sojourner."Ain't I A Woman?" (2)

Unit Two: Difference and Inequality

4/2 Lorde, Audre."Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference." (10)
McIntosh, Peggy."White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack." (8)

4/7 Allison, Dorothy."A Question of Class." Available on Carmen.
Sharonrose, Danahy."Myths/Realities of Bisexuality." (4)
King, Ynestra."The Other Body: Reflections on Difference, Disability, and
Identity Politics." (8)
Screening: People Like Us (excerpts)

Unit Three: Gender Socialization

4/9 Sittenfeld, Curtis."Your Life As a Girl." (10)
Pollitt, Katha."The Smurfette Principle." (5)
Lorber, Judith."The Social Construction of Gender." Available on Carmen (4)
Screening: "Are You Popular?"

4/14 Berkow, Ira."Walking Away, While He Still Can." (8)
Kimmel, Michael."Masculinity As Homophobia." (10)
Screening: Tough Guise

Unit Four: The Body

4/16 Bernstein, Beth and Matilda St. John."The Roseanne Benedict Arnolds: How
Fat Women Are Betrayed By Their Celebrity Spokespeople." (14)
Chernik, Abra Fortune."The Body Politic." (10)
hooks, bell."Straightening Our Hair." (10)
Screening: Killing Us Softly III

4/21 Milani, Farzaneh."The Deportation of Barbie From Iran." (10)
Levy, Ariel."Raunch Culture." Available on Carmen. (8)
Screening: South Park, "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset."

4/23 Feinberg, Leslie."To Be or Not To Be." Available on Carmen. (3)
Screening: Southern Comfort

4/28 MIDTERM EXAM

Unit Five: Health, Reproductive Rights, and the Family

4/30 Ramsay, Heather."Lesbians and the Health Care System: Invisibility, Isolation,
and Ignorance—You Say You're a What?" (14)
Roberts, Dorothy."From Norplant to the Contraceptive Vaccine: The New
Frontier of Population Control." (14)

5/5 Douglas, Susan and Meredith Michaels."The Mommy Wars: How the Media
Turned Motherhood into a Catfight." (14)
Ingraham, Chris."Excerpt from White Weddings." (12)
Screening: Roseanne, "Home Ec."

Unit Six: Women, Work, and the Global Economy

5/7 Mainardi, Pat."The Politics of Housework." (8)
Ehrenreich, Barbara."Excerpt from Nickel and Dimed. "
Institute for Women's Policy Research."Few Welfare Moms Fit the
Stereotype." (6)

5/12 Enloe, Cynthia."The Globetrotting Sneaker." (12)
Wilson, Ara."When Sex is a Job: An Interview with Chantawipa Apisuk of
Empower." (12)
Screening: Rich World, Poor Women
Interview Paper Due!

Unit Eight: Women and Religion

5/14 Cady Stanton, Elizabeth."Introduction to 'The Woman's Bible.'" (10)
Wadud, Amina."Gender, Culture, and Religion: An Islamic Perspective." (10)

Unit Eight: Violence Against Women

5/19 Roberts, Albert R."Introduction: Myths and Realities Regarding Battered
Women." (14)
Unknown."The Rape of Mr. Smith." (3)
Michals, Debra."Cyber-Rape: How Virtual Is It?" (12)


Unit Nine: Militarization, Technology, and Feminist Futures

5/21 Schmitt, Eric."War Is Hell. So Is Regulating Sex." (6)
Coronel, Sheila and Ninotchka Rosca."For the Boys: Filipinas Expose Years of
Sexual Slavery by the U.S. and Japan." (7)
Bunch, Charlotte."Whose Security?" Available on Carmen. (4)
Enloe, Cynthia."Sneak Attack: The Militarization of U.S. Culture." Available on
Carmen. (2)

5/26 Memorial Day—NO CLASS

5/28 Friedman, Jaclyn."Blogging White Female: Cyberintimidation crosses a line."
Available on Carmen. (1)
Gajjala, Radhika and Annapurna Mamidipudi."Cyberfeminism, Technology, and
International 'Development.'" Available on Carmen. (10)
Jain, Priya."Desperate Mormon Housewives." Available on Carmen. (6)

6/3 FINAL EXAM, 1:30-3:18 in regular classroom