WS 310-1 WOMEN IN CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE         Fall 1993

San Diego Sate University
Dr. Barbara Watson                                  Office Hours:
Office:  AH 3142                                    T 1:00 - 3:00
Phone:   594-3738                                 TH 12:30 - 1:30
BWatson@sciences.sdsu.edu                        & by appointment
COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1.   To further understanding between people from different
     cultural backgrounds;
2.   To understand the problems and solutions women have
     encountered and found in societies that are structurally and
     culturally different from our own;
3.   To become aware of the significance of women-oriented
     interpretations of culture;
5.   And finally to get to know ourselves better through learning
     from and about others.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Aug. 31           Introduction

Sept. 2, 7     Early Views of Womanhood
                   (The meaning of the prehistoric "Venuses").
                              Reading: Rice, P.

Sept 9, 14     Evolutionist Theory and the Position of Women
               (The issue of male and female dominance)

Sept. 16       The Significance of the Cross-Cultural Study of
               Women

Sept. 21, 23,  Women in Men-Oriented Societies
     28        1.  The Mundurucu from South America  (Concepts and
               issues discussed:  Women and hunting; the division of
               labor on the basis of sex, the significance of descent
               and residence rules for women's position in society;
               women and culture change).
                              Reading:  Murphy, Y. and R.F. Murphy

Sept. 30       2.  The Mbowamb from New Guinea (Women's roles in
Oct. 5, 7      production and reproduction; value and impact of women's 
               activities).
                              Readings:  Strathern, M.

Oct. 12        EXAM

Oct. 14, 19    Women in Women-Oriented Societies
     21        1.  The Iroquois from North America  (Concepts and
               issues discussed; women as the center of social systems;
               the significance of women-oriented cognitive systems;
               women's activities and political power).
                              Reading:  Randle, M.

Oct. 26, 28    2.  The Guajiro from South America  (Concepts and issues
Nov. 2, 4      discussed:  women and education; women and urbanization,
               "Third World" women in the "First World").
               Readings:  Watson, L.C. Watson-Franke, M.-B. (both articles)
                          Watson-Franke, M.B. and L.C. Watson

Nov. 9, 11,    Female Bonding - Examples from Africa  (Concepts and
     16        issues discussed:  significance of human bonding;
               factors that facilitate or prevent female bonding;
               women's work and solidarity in West Africa ; women's
               solidarity and colonialism).
                              Readings:  Ifeka-Moller, C.
                                         Van Allen, J.

Nov. 11           Book Report on DeJesus due. (Optional)

Nov. 18, 23,   Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Islamic Nation
     30        (Concepts and issues discussed: the Muslim concept of
               sexuality; the social space of women and men; women's
               liberation and Islam).
                              Reading:  Mernissi, F. (selected chapters)

Dec. 2, 7,     The "Woman-Question" Past and Present
     9         Readings: The Woman Question.


FINAL EXAM - Tuesday, December 14th, 10:30 - 12:30


COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1.   Regular Attendance

2.   Midterm - essay exam       (40%)
3.   Final - essay exam         (60%)

NOTE: Optional book report (5-8 pp., typed, double-spaced) if you
wish to attempt a higher grade. Grade will only be included in
final grade if it is higher than the one for the mid-term.

If you do the book report the grade distribution will be as
follows:
     Midterm                 (20%)
     Book report             (20%)
     Final exam              (60%)

                  TAPING OF LECTURES IS NOT ALLOWED.


                             READING LIST

BOOKS (Available at Aztec Bookstore)


DeJesus, Carolina Maria. 1960. Child of the Dark. The Diary of
Carolina Maria de Jesus. (optional)

Mernissi, Fatima. 1987 (revised edition). Beyond the Veil:
Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim Society. Indiana University Press.

Murphy, Yolanda and Robert F. Murphy. 1985 (2nd edition). Women of
the Forest. Columbia Univeristy Press.

Watson-Franke, Maria-Barbara. 1983. Now You Are A Woman/ Ahora Eres
Una Mujer. (optional). Ediciones Euroamericanas.

ARTICLES (available at Aztec Shops - upstairs)

Ifeka-Moller, Caroline. 1975. "Female Militancy and Colonial
Revolt: The Women's War of 1929."

Randle, Martha C. 1951. "Iroquois Women - Then and Now."

Rice, Patricia. 1981. "Prehistoric Venuses: Symbols of Motherhood
or Womanhood?"

Strathern, Marilyn. 1972. "Producers and Transactors."

Van Allen, Judith. 1976. "'Aba Riots' or Igbo 'Women's War'?
Ideology, Stratification and the Invisibility of Women."

Watson, Lawrence C. 1972. "Sexual Socialization in Guajiro
Society."

Watson-Franke, Maria-Barbara. 1976. "To Learn for Tomorrow:
Enculturation of Girls and Its Social Importance Among the Guajiro
of Venezuela."

Watson-Franke, Maria-Barbara. 1979. "The Urbanization and
Liberation of Women: A Study of Urban Impact on Guajiro Women in Venezuela."

Watson-Franke, Maria-Barbara and Lawrence C. Watson. 1986.
"Conflicting Images of Women and Female Enculturation Among Urban Guajuro."

The Woman Queston. 1951. "The Role of Women in the Struggle for
Freedom;" "Appendix."