Syllabus: Social Science Seminar, Fall 2003

"Where the Girls' Are": Introduction to U.S. Women's History and Gender Studies
This course will introduce students to scholarship on women and gender in the United States. Students will examine the unique historical position of women, analyze gender relations, and learn to identify how gender structures power. The course aims to offer students a sampling of topics in women's history and a brief introduction to gender studies through readings, lectures, discussion, and film. A main goal of the course is for students to apply their knowledge and perspectives on gender by writing a short biography of a woman in their family or other figure approved by the teacher.

Grading: Class participation, including discussion, quizzes, reports, debates, etc. . . , is 20 percent of your grade. You will serve as discussion facilitator from time to time as part of this grade. You are expected to take notes on all of the readings. You will have a mid-term exam worth 25 percent, a 4-5 page biography worth 30 percent and a final exam worth 25 percent

Topic #1 Introduction: Defining Feminism and its relationship to the field of women's history and gender studies

Assignment 1. Turn one of the lists generated in class into a very brief biographical sketch with attention to how the personal life of the woman intersects with a larger historical narrative.

Assignment 2. Selected reading in Becker Library reserves. Read to identify definitions of feminism and feminist goals. You are always expected to take reading notes. These will be checked from time to time as part of your participation grade. You may find the women's studies articles on Lexus Nexus to be helpful. You may also want to look at websites. Feel free to browse sites once you have done some reading in the reserve stacks and on Lexus Nexus.

Topic #2 Women and Power

Assignment 1 Ellen DuBois, "The Radicalism of the Woman Suffrage Movement: Notes Toward the Reconstruction of Nineteenth-Century Feminism," Read this article from LexisNexis. It is document 648. Brief paragraph identifying her thesis due in class Thurs.

Assignment 2 Core lecture: Title TBA, Review terms: separate spheres, new woman, domestication of politics, ERA, Women and the New Deal

Assignment 3: Core lecture: Why did women encounter such difficulty claiming power after winning the vote? Review lecture notes. Visit Emily's List. Identify what this organization is and what it claims to have achieved. Click on "history" and read how the organization was formed.

Assignment 4. Chapter 1 from Ann Richards' Straight from the Heart.

Assignment 5 Richards, chapter 8, Who is Richards appealing to in this chapter? What history about herself does she provide that identifies her as a woman of her generation as well as a politician?

Assignment 6 Richards, chapter 9

Assignment 7 Richards, chapter10

Assignment 8 Richards chapter 14 & 15

Assignment 9 Core Lecture: Women's liberation movement: frying the bacon and dishing it out. Check out this post women's liberation movement group The Guerrilla Girls.

After you have read the abstract, introduction, and three documents at the Binghamton website above, look at the Guerrilla Girls actual webpage. Check out this page and read 3 "hotflashes" from the page. Maker your own guerrilla girl poster. More details will be discussed in class.

Assignment 10. Women's World Cup 1999 (handouts). See July 1999 cartoon

TOPIC 3 "OUR BODIES, OURSELVES"

Assignment 1. Read the overview of the lesson plan on the birth control movement (http://womhist.binghamton.edu/teacher/dennett.htm)

Read the articles in #1 under lesson ideas and answer the questions.

Assignment 2. Roe reading. Watch American Experience: "The Pill."

Assignment 3. Review core lecture on women's health movement

Assignment 4. Begin preparations for writing your short biography. Specific assignments made in class

Topic #4 From Rosie the Riveter to Leave it to Beaver

Assignment 1. "Rosie the Riveter" - primary document. Film shown in class

Assignment 2. Gathering images from the fifties: conformity v. rebellion: Anne Moody excerpt

Assignment 3. Exploring the power of popular culture. "Leave it to Beaver," "I Dream of Jeannie," "I Love Lucy," and "Bewitched."

Topic #6 "Where the Girls Are"

Assignment 1. Read introduction to Susan J. Douglas, Where the Girls Are: Growing up Female with the Mass Media

Assignment 2. Read Douglas, Chapter 1, "Fractured Fairy Tales"

Assignment 3 Read Douglas, Chapter 6, "Genies and Witches"

Assignment 4 Read Douglas, Chapter 12, "I'm not Feminist But. . ."

Assignment 5 Brainstorm writing due

Assignment 6. Theme of biography due

Assignment 7. First draft due

Paper due Nov. 14. Be prepared to share your work in class.

Review for final exam