| Women and Men in Contemporary Society SOC 223/WMST 223 Section 002 Fall 2002
Renzetti Claire M. and Curran Daniel J. 2002 Women, Men, and Society,
4th edition. Disch, E. 1997. Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology, 2nd
edition. Mountain
This course is an introduction to the study of men and women’s role in society. The course aim to introduce to you sex and gender system historically and cross culturally. The perspective of this course is to make you understand that gender relations have primarily a social rather than biological basis. Focusing on gender relation, the course examines a) how gender relations structure the gender roles of men and women in the family and economic organization in contemporary USA. The course also explores the relationship with race, class and sexual orientation. Course Objective:
Class discussion may, at times, concern controversial issues. Students
are expected to respect the viewpoints expressed by other. If you disagree
with what someone has said, you are encouraged to express your disagreement
but are expected to do so in a civil, respectable, and polite manner.
1. Acknowledge that racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia exist. **Ground rules by Lynn Weber, Center for Research on Women, Memphis State
University, Memphis, TN 38152. Attendance- You are expected to attend the class regularly. You may miss up to five classes without being penalized. These absences include sick days, religious holidays, and personal holidays. Any absences beyond these five will result in a deduction of 25 points from your final average for each day missed. I will take attendance daily. Missed work-Late papers will not be accepted in this course. Any deadlines regarding written work or student meetings will be announced will in advance of due dates. It shouldn’t be assumed that you will be given make-up exams if you miss a test day. Make up exam will be given under these conditions: (1) Written certification from a physician is presented indicating that the student was too ill to take the exam; (2) a written certification of death in the family is presented (3) written certification from a coach is presented stating that attendance was necessary at a previously scheduled intercollegiate event ; (4) when written certification is available for some –other-ordinary event that makes attendance at the exam impossible. Otherwise, failure to show up for an exam on the scheduled day will result in the score of a zero. Plagiarism - Cheating/Academic Dishonesty: COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS REGARDING PLAGIARISM AND OTHER FORMS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY WILL BE UPHELD IN THIS COURSE. If you are not familiar with the definitions and consequences of cheating or with your rights, refer to your Student Conduct Code or see an academic advisor. You should be aware of plagiarism in every paper or assignment you write. Any time you use the ideas of someone else you must give them credit. You should put quotation marks around all direct quotations and cite the author at the end of the passage. If you are unsure of the proper way to do this see me before you turn in any work. Any work that has been plagiarized will receive a failing grade and may be turned in to the university as a violation of the student code of conduct. Office Hours - You should make use of my office hours. If you have any concerns about the class I will be quite happy to discuss them with you. E-mail - My e-mail address is listed on the first page of this syllabus. E-mail can be used as a general means of contacting me. You can e-mail me comments about class, questions, paper drafts, or anything else that you think I should be aware of. I check this e-mail account often. Assignments: Quizzes: There will be three quizzes given periodically throughout the semester. Sorry, no make up quizzes. Each quiz is worth 10 points. Journal: Each week you are to choose one of the readings from the Reconstructing Gender text or Women, Men and Society that we will not be reading in class to write a journal on. You may not use the same article more than once. For each journal you should pick out an essay, read it, and present your thoughts on it. I would like you to illustrate your viewpoints with analytical descriptions, instead of just purely descriptive essays. Tell me why you take a particular stand or viewpoint by supporting them with theories you have learned from the class or textbooks. It is fine to disagree with the authors of the readings and the instructor. However, I do expect you to put real thought into this. You should make specific references to readings, lecture, and class discussion. These assignments should be typed, double-spaced, and two-page in length. Each entry is worth 20 points. The journals are due on scheduled dates at the beginning of class. Late journals will not be accepted. There are all together five journals. Exams: The mid-term and final exams will include short answers and essay questions. You should draw upon your readings, the lectures, and class discussions to answer these questions. Research Paper: You will write a five to eight page research paper on any topic that falls within the bounds of this course topic. We will spend a portion of the class discussing the details of this assignment on several occasions. On September 26, 2002 you should hand in your topic, a paragraph describing the basic outline you plan to follow, and a list of at least 5 academic journal articles you plan to use in writing your paper. This is worth 50 points. If you need assistance picking a topic I will be glad to help you find one that is manageable and recommend suitable articles. It will be to your advantage to stay in contact with me about your progress with your paper. It is best to identify an interest early and begin thinking about what you want to take it. Your final paper is due on November 5, 2002 at the BEGINNING of class. If you would like to turn in drafts of your paper for feedback prior to this date I will be happy to look at them. Group Presentation: You will be given 10-15 minutes to present a paper in the class. Also, you must develop 2-3 discussion questions, which can generate class discussion following the presentation. Make your presentation as interesting as possible. If you need to use the overhead projector or a VCR, please arrange with me two weeks before your presentation. Points will be given according to the content of your research paper, and the uniqueness of your presentation. Each presentation is worth 50 points. Topics of the Presentation will be handed to you in the second week. Video Show : At the end of the term you will watch a video that covers topics we have discussed in the class. I will hand you some questions beforehand and you are expected to answer the question and hand it to me with your final exam paper. Grading and Evaluating Your Performance Attendance 10 400-450 = A Schedule This schedule represents a tentative plan for readings, lectures, and assignments. Any changes will be announced in class. WMS refers to Women, Men and Society and RG refers to Reconstructing Gender. Supplemental readings may be provided or recommended at later dates. Week 1 August 20 Introduction, Overview, Basics of Sociological Theory August 27 The Biological Perspective (cont)
September 5 : The Cultural Perspective
September 17 : The Gendered Family cont . Group Presentation : Group
2 September 19 : Education (Journal 2 due) Week 6 September 26 The Gendered Workplace (Journal 3 Due) Week 7 : October 1 The Gendered Workplace (cont.) Group Presentation : Group 4 October 3 : Communication
October 10: Sexuality
October 15: Sexuality (cont.) Group Presentation : Group 6 October 17: Gender and Health Week 10 (Journal 5 due on Oct. 22 & Group Presentation : Group 5)
Week 11 ( hand in Final exam Question on November 5) November 7 : Gender and Violence Cont. Group Presentation : Group 8 Week 12 – November 12, 14 |