Download sociology of gender - Clayton State University

SOCI/WST 4800 – SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER
Course Syllabus – SPRING 2015
Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact
the Disability Services Coordinator, Student Center 255, (678) 466-5445,
[email protected].
Instructor Information:
Dr. Le’Brian A. Patrick
phone: (678) 466-4892
e-mail: Le’[email protected]
internet: http://faculty.clayton.edu/lpatrick
Office:
Faculty Hall, Room 116A
Office hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Other times by appointment
Class Meetings:
Lecture Hall, Room B10
Class times:
12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays
Textbook Information:
Estelle Disch. Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology, 5th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009.
Text Coverage:
See Reading List.
Course Description and Learning Objectives:
This course is intended to provide a critical perspective on the gendered structure of society.
This course is designed to inform students of the existing academic literature on the sociology
of gender. The relationship of gender with racism, classism, and heterosexism will be
emphasized throughout the course. We will explore how gender shapes lives in various parts
of the world and we will question the effects of the institutional dimensions of families,
education, the workplace, and the state will offer an understanding of the social, economic,
and cultural factors that shape the experiences of groups of women and men who are placed
differently within them.
It is my aim to create a learning atmosphere that fosters critical and sociological thinking,
writing, and discussion. You will learn to go beyond merely digesting other people’s ideas to
engage actively with the material and to assess critically both commonly held assumptions
and sociological theories about gender and sexuality. We live in a society where gender is
created, defined, redefined, and contested all around us on a daily basis. This course is
designed to be a catalyst for moving beyond the roles of participant and passive observer
toward active sociological analysis of gendered processes.
Your aim in this class is to become familiar with what sociologists of gender know and to
understand how gender and gender relations influence the daily lives of individuals residing in
the United States and abroad. Further, you will expand your knowledge in the
interdisciplinary field of Women’s and Gender Studies by generating critical thinking and
analysis through critical reading and writing, and respectful listening and speaking.
Understand how gender is culturally constructed, how intersections of identity influence and
complicate these constructions, and how this impacts our lives and choices.
Number and Title:
Sociology of Gender
WST 4800 (CRN 21023)
Section 1
SOCI 4800 (CRN 21019)
Section 4
Credit Hours:
3.0 semester credit hours (3-0-3)
Catalog Description:
In this course we will take a critical analysis on the gendered structure of society. Students
will explore the existing academic literature on the sociology of gender. In addition, students
will take an intersectional approach to understand the relationship of gender with racism,
classism, and heterosexism throughout the course. We will explore how gender shapes lives
in various parts of the world and we will question the effects of the institutional dimensions of
families, education, the workplace, and the state will offer an understanding of the social,
economic, and cultural factors that shape the experiences of groups of women and men who
are placed differently within them.
Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites:
CRIT 1101 and ENGL 1102 and SOCI 1101/WST 2010
Computer Requirement:
Each CSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester
to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software
requirements for the student's academic program. Students will sign a
statement attesting to such access. For further information on CSU's Official
Notebook Computer Policy, please go to
http://www.clayton.edu/hub/itpchoice/notebookcomputerpolicy.
Computer Skill Prerequisites:
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Able to use the WindowsTM operating system
Able to use Microsoft WordTM word processing
Able to send and receive e-mail using OutlookTM or Outlook ExpressTM
Able to attach and retrieve attached files via email
Able to use a Web browser.
In-class Use of Student Notebook Computers:
Student notebook computers will not be necessary during the class period, but
students may use them, if they would like as long as it is not a disruption to
others. Computers will be required to access course materials and to
communicate with your instructor.
GeorgiaVIEW Desire2Learn (Online Classroom):
Some On-line activity will take place in Desire2Learn, the virtual classroom for
the course.
You can gain access to Desire2Learn, by signing on to the SWAN portal and
selecting :”GaVIEW” on the top right side. If you experience any difficulties in
Desire2Learn, please email or call The HUB at [email protected] or
(678) 466-HELP. You will need to provide the date and time of the problem,
your SWAN username, the name of the course that you are attempting to
access, and your instructor's name.
Major Student Activities:
Reading and studying from the course text book
Working assigned homework problems
Taking notes during class
Answering and asking questions during class
Taking examinations
Writing assignment
Program Learning Outcomes:
General education outcomes:
The following link provides the Clayton State University Core Curriculum
outcomes (see Area E, I and II):
http://www.clayton.edu/Portals/5/core_curriculum_outcomes_clayton.pdf
Evaluation:
In-class examinations: 3 exams @ 100 points
300
Assignments: 2 @ 25 points*
50
Final Project 1 @ 50 points
50
TOTAL
400
**The final examination will NOT be comprehensive.
Grading:
A
358 – 400 pts.
90 - 100%
B
318 – 357 pts.
80 - 89%
C
278 – 317 pts.
70 - 79%
D
238 – 277 pts.
60 - 69%
F
0 – 237 pts.
below 60%
Mid-term Progress Report:
The mid-term grade in this course, which will be issued on or by March 2, reflects
approximately 30% of the entire course grade. Based on this grade, students may choose to
withdraw from the course and receive a grade of "W." Students pursuing this option must fill
out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar, or withdraw on-line
using the Swan by mid-term, which occurs on March 6. Instructions for withdrawing are
provided at this link.
The last day to withdraw without academic accountability is Friday, March 6, 2015.
Assignments:
You have the option of choosing 2 small projects (each worth 25 pts.) out of the following 4 options. Due
dates for the projects are listed below in the course schedule and are non-negotiable. If you do not have the
specific project handed in on the due date it will be counted as late. I automatically deduct 10 points for
each day it is late, starting immediately after it is picked up at the beginning of class and each consecutive
day thereafter. Choose your projects wisely! These are meant to be fun, engaging, and educational.
1. Due February 11, 2015. Bodies. Collect 5 advertisements from women’s magazines such as
Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Seventeen, etc. that advertise feminine hygiene products – pads,
tampons, douches, yeast infection medicine. What do these images in the ads suggest? What are
common themes? What do the words and visual images tell readers? What messages do these sed
about women’s bodies? Collect 5 advertisements from men’s magazines such as GQ, Maxim,
Playboy, etc. that are selling masculine hygiene products. What do you find? What are the words,
visual images? What do these differences (if any) imply about women’s bodies in contrast to men’s?
How does this implication reinforce gender difference and subordination? You must attach the ads to
your paper! This paper should be between 2 to 3 pages.
2. Due February 25, 2015. Heteronormativity. Heterosexism is maintained by the illusion that
heterosexuality is the norm and by silencing all other forms and practices of sexuality. This
assignment will force you to think about the pervasiveness of heterosexuality. Think about and
reflect on the following: go into the card section at your local grocery or drug store and peruse the
love and anniversary cards, look at advertisements on TV commercials and magazines, watch
sitcoms, soap operas or TV dramas (on primetime), go observe in the UC/Main Street, at the mall or
in a park. How many performances of heterosexuality do you see? What does this mean for
individuals who do not identify as heterosexual? This should be a 2-3 page analysis of
heteronormativity.
3. Due March 18, 2015. Families and Work. Interview 3 women (preferably of different ages, social
classes, ethnicities, racial backgrounds, sexualities) about how they negotiate work; family issues.
Prepare an interview guide of 5 questions to ask each woman. Jot down each woman’s answers.
Write up your findings using a feminist, intersectional lens. This paper should be a critical analysis of
the themes that surface in these three different conversations about gender, work, and family. What
are some similarities? Differences? What do you think these differences are due to? This paper
should be 2-3 pages double spaced. Attach the interview guides, and jotted notes on each interview
to your paper.
4. Due April 1, 2015. Politics, the Law, and the State. Prepare a 2-3 page analysis of any current
global issue using a gender and intersectional lens. Provide me with a background of the issue and
detail how using gender/intersectional analysis can help expand upon and/or complicate the issue.
You must use at least 5 sources for this paper. They can be from newspapers magazines, books
websites, or academic journals. Examples of issues include: Women in middle eastern countries
entering sports, integrating women into military combat zones, the backlash against African women,
the First Family (Obamas), etc. The possibilities are limitless! This assignment is designed to keep
you aware that global politics are gender politics.
Final Project: Understanding Gender through Photovoice (50 pts.)
Due April 20, 2015
Photovoice is a type of research methodology that is used to understand social life and action. You will be
required to take 10 photographs of either real or symbolic ways that gender effects you in your everyday
life. These must be actual photographs and not images that you have taken off the web. Five of these
photos must be of ways that you experience or perform gender in your everyday life. For example, you can
use a photo of a high heeled shoe or a football. Five of these photos should be of how gender shapes your
individual identities and experiences. The other five photos must be of ways that gender is experienced or
performed in an institutional dimension (i.e. school, work, family, etc.). These pictures do not need to be of
you. For example, if you want to capture the gendered experience of parenting, you may use a photograph
of a father playing catch with his daughter or if you want to look at work, you can use a photo of a factory
worker. However, all of these photos must relate to you and your gendered life.
You must cut and paste each of these photos on your powerpoint slide or a piece of construction paper. If
you decide to use powerpoint, you must print this out on a colored printer. There should be 10 papers or
slides in total. Adjacent to each photo you will be required to write a theoretically informed (i.e.
intersectionality, gender as a social construction, doing gender, hegemonic masculinity) brief description of
why you chose this photo and what it means with regards to your gendered experience. You will be required
to use theoretical frameworks to guide your descriptions of the photos. Each description should be
approximately 5 sentences.
Course Schedule:
Week 1: Introduction/Not Just About Gender
Week 2: Gender Socialization
Week 3: Embodiment of Gender
Week 4: Communication and Gender
Exam 1: February 16 (M)
Week 5: Sexualities and Gender
Week 6: Families and Gender
Week 7: Education and Gender
Week 8: Gender and Work
Exam 2: March 30 (M)
Week 9: Gendered Violence
Week 10: Gender and Health
Week 11: Gender and Social Change
Final Exam: Date will be updated SOON!
Other Important Dates:
January 19-20 MLK Day
March 9 – 14 Spring Break
May 4 Classes End
Course Policies:
General Policy
Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the
Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities.
University Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish
specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the
students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the
course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades
and upon students’ ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the
right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for
institutional withdrawals or failing grades.
Course Attendance Policy
Class attendance is the responsibility of the student. While attendance is not
calculated in your final grade, attendance will be taken at the start of each class
period for instructor’s reference and university records. The student is expected to
attend all classes. A student who finds it necessary to miss class assumes
responsibility for making up examinations, obtaining lecture notes, and otherwise
compensating for what may have been missed. The course instructor will determine
the validity of a student’s reason(s) for absences for missed assignments and/exams
and will assist those who have VALID reasons. The student is responsible for
providing documentation of the reason for absence. Attendance is required for quiz
and examination periods. Any absence must be accompanied by a written excuse
from a doctor or other competent authority.
To sum it up: Attendance is not mandatory but it is intelligent. We are all adults and as adults
have the ability to make our own decisions, in this case regarding whether you would like to
attend class or not. However, with that being said, we are also held by those decisions and
their consequences. Tests will cover both materials from the text as well as unique material
from the lectures. Attendance or lack thereof, is the easiest way to either raise or lower your
grade.
Missed Work
Without a valid excuse, a grade of zero points will be assigned for the missed work. If
a valid excuse is provided:
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Any student missing an exam or a homework
assignment with proper documentation of an excused
absence will be allowed to take a makeup examination
or turn in the HW assignment. The conditions for doing
so are below:
1. The instructor is contacted within 24 hours of the
missed exam;
2. The student has one week from the scheduled
test or due date to take the makeup exam or
turn in the assignment; and
3. Any written documentation to determine the
validity of the absence is provided (e.g., doctor’s
excuse, bail bond receipt, police report, etc.)
NOTE: MAKE UP EXAMS ARE GIVEN IN ESSAY
FORMAT WORTH 100 POINTS.
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating and plagiarism are very serious matters and will not be taken lightly. Any student
caught using Crib sheets, using notes, sharing and/or copying answers from fellow students
will receive a zero for the assignment involved and reported to the Office of Student
Life/Judicial Affairs. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the university policies
regarding academic misconduct. Ignorance of these policies is not an excuse for their
violation. Judicial procedures are described beginning on page 14 of the Student Handbook
(Procedures for Adjudicating Alleged Academic Conduct Infractions)
Disruption of the Learning Environment
Behavior which disrupts the teaching–learning process during class activities will not be
tolerated. While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious
examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior. A student who
fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior
while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class. A student who is
dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible
following dismissal. If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and
may receive a grade of WF.
A more detailed description of examples of disruptive behavior and appeal procedures is
provided at:
http://www.clayton.edu/Portals/5/DisruptiveClassroomBehavior.pdf
Other Issues: NO CELL PHONE usage is allowed during lecture. Beepers/pagers, radios,
CD players, headphones, games, and any other electronic devices that have the potential to
disrupt class may not be used in class. This means that these devices should either be left at
home or turned off/vibrate and put away before entering the classroom. Failure to do so may
result in the student being asked to leave the class or the loss of points. Also, students should
NOT: talk during lecture, chastise other students for their views or comments, read the
newspaper during class, study for other courses, or sleep in class. Only students enrolled in
the course may attend (i.e., friends, family members and pets are not allowed).
Other Policies
Civility Statement:
All students are entitled to full participation in class without interruption, intimidation, harassment,
or violence of any kind. Specifically prohibiting those classroom behaviors that seriously disrupt the
learning climate in the classroom can be identified in such a statement and specifically addressed as
student code violations within the CSU Code of Student Conduct.
Diversity Statement:
The classroom environment must encourage student respect for individual differences and for the
expression of diverse viewpoints. CSU’s Statement on Diversity firmly declares that diversity is
fundamental to CSU’s mission. The University is committed to creating and maintaining a living and
learning environment that embraces individual difference. Cultural inclusion is of highest priority.
Operation Study
At Clayton State University, we expect and support high motivation and academic
achievement. Look for Operation Study activities and programs this semester that are
designed to enhance your academic success such as study sessions, study breaks,
workshops, and opportunities to earn Study Bucks (for use in the University Bookstore) and
other items