WMS 101 - Introduction to Women's Studies - Spring 1992 SUNY Plattsburgh Instructor: John Kellermeier - KELLERJH@SNYPLAVA.BITNET Course Requirements: 1. Attendance: Students will be allowed 2 unexcused absences only. Each unexcused absence over 2 will lower a student's final grade by 5 percentage points. To have an absence excused you must receive permission from me either before the absence, or in case of emergency, before the next class. You will then be given extra work to make up for the missed class. 2. Required Readings: _Changing Our Power: An Introduction to Women Studies_, by Cochran, Langston and Woodward Stories of the week on reserve in Feinberg Library Other readings on reserve in Feinberg Library. 3. Journals (70 points): Students are required to keep a journal. The purpose of this journal is to record your thoughts and feelings about the course and the material you are learning and to maintain communication between the instructor and the class. The journal entry should focus on the reading and class discussions of the previous week, giving your personal reactions to the material. In addition, you can use your journal to make any comments to me you wish about the course or anything else. Journals must be handed in on Monday of each week from January 27 to May 4 (excluding March 16). Each week's entry must be of at least one page in length and will be worth 5 points. Journals will be accepted late one class period only and will then be worth 3 points. In your first journal entry (due January 27), tell me a bit about yourself, such as, why you are taking this course, what expectations you have of this course, what are your interests, etc. 4. Quizzes (240 points): There will be twelve quizzes each worth 20 points. These quizzes will be handed out on each Wednesday and will be due one week after they are handed out. 5. Outside Activities (80 points): Students will attend a total of four outside activities related to the study of women and write a 1-2 page summary and critique of the activity, worth 20 points each. At least two of these must be completed by March 12. Each critique must be handed in within one week of the outside activity. More information on the critique is given in a separate sheet. Choose activities from the following: * Women's Studies Forums * Center for Women's Concerns Meetings * Any lectures dealing with women's issues that do not duplicate class lectures 6. Study Guides for the Story of the Week (70 points): Each student is to complete a study guide for each story of the week an to hand it in at the beginning of the class for which the story is assigned. Each study guide will be worth 5 points. 7. Final Exam (150 points): Take-home final. Due May 13. Note: All outside activity critiques and the final exam as well as quizzes as noted must be typed and will be graded for proper written English and spelling. In addition, with the exception of the final exam, you may earn a rebate of up to 50% of the points taken off on any such assignment. To do this you must rewrite the entire assignment and resubmit it along with the original graded assignment. This must be turned in within one week of the date that the original assignment was returned to you. The rewritten assignment will then be graded. One-half of the difference between the scores on the rewritten work and your original work will be added to your score for that assignment. Grades will be determined according to the following scale: Grade: A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D Percentage: 90 87 83 80 77 73 70 67 63 60 Course Schedule Page numbers for readings are from Changing Our Power. An "R" under page denotes reading on reserve and and "S" under page denotes a Story of the Week, also on reserve in Feinberg Library. # Date Topic Reading Page Films --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1/22 Introduction "One Fine Day" ------- 2 1/27 Socialization Women - Which Includes Me R "Still Killing Words and Change R Us Softly" X R The Mer-Child R Story of the Week Harmonic Conception S 3 1/29 Media Women-bashing Comics: The R "Stale Roles ------- Torturing Women as Fine A R and Tight "Dreamworlds": How the Me R Buns" Homophobia and Heterosexi R 4 2/3 Theoretical Bases Introduction 3 Feminist Theories and the 14 Patriarchy and Privilege 29 Story of the Week Elethia S 5 2/5 Racism and Classism Something about the Subje 7 ------- Racism and Women's Studie 11 Tired of Playing Monopoly 146 6 2/10 History Reclaiming Our Pasts 48 Real Women and the Cult o 66 From Pyre to Hearth 53 Equality or Submersion? F R Story of the Week Making a Change S 7 2/12 History Who Will Braid My Hair 51 ------- Chest of Kimonos - A Fema 81 The Growth of the Modern 89 Black Bondage/White Pedes R 8 2/17 Race, Ethnicity, Some Home Truths on the C 115 and Lesbianism Asian American Women: Not 126 Steadily, One by One, Pul 194 Open Letter to Chicanas - 202 Story of the Week Storyteller S 8 2/17 Iroquois Women Return to the Bear Paw 60 ------- The Creation Story R This Is History R 10 2/24 Race, Ethnicity, Esther's Story 184 and Lesbianism Lost 188 Sounding the Good Name 189 Mixed Bloods, Half Breeds 26 American Jewish Hopes and 191 Anti-Semitism in the Lesb 180 I Am a Woman who Chooses 238 The Trouble with Normal I 109 Note to a Younger Brother 300 Story of the Week Only a Phase S 11 2/26 Lesbians and Loving Women: Lesbians Li R Members of ------- Bisexual Women Dykes to Watch Out For R LGBA Don't Call Me R Conflicts R Myths/Realities of Bisexu R Reflecting on Physical Di R From the Closet to the St R 12 3/2 Homophobia and Marriage As a Restricted R Biphobia Homophobia and Sexism R Story of the Week Gracefully Afraid S 13 3/4 International Women Integrating Women into Mu 211 ------- Juana's Testimony 157 Afrikaners, Liberals, and 164 Toward International Femi 230 14 3/9 Sexism, Disablity, Disability, Sexism and th 39 and Ageism The Women in the Tower 173 Outside the Sisterhood: A 169 Yes, It Was My Grandmothe 371 Story of the Week A Mistaken Charity S 15 3/11 Work. Poverty. Women and Work: Two Jobs 134 ------- My, My, My, What We Got T 156 3/16 No Class - Spring Break 3/18 No Class - Spring Break ------- 16 3/23 Violence, Sexual Introduction with Dialogu 243 Harassment, Sexual Harassment: Defini 260 Prostitution Using and Losing Our Kids 273 Story of the Week Houston, Houston, Do You S 17 3/25 Violence, The Rape Culture 276 -------- Theoretical Bases For Battered Women 290 Sexual Abuse: Smashing th 250 18 3/30 Experiences of Coming Apart 266 "Rethinking Rape" Violence Stealing the Planet 301 In Order to Survive 258 Smiles 265 I Am Laughing 297 With Due Respects to La L 302 Story of the Week Seventeen Syllables S 19 4/1 Creation Introduction 304 ------- Theoretical Bases Poetry Is Not a Luxury 307 Speaking in Tongues: A Le 361 Speaking in My Own Tongue 369 20 4/6 Celebrating Women Coalition Politics: Turni 310 of Color Women of Color: Towards a 372 Where Are All the Colored 338 Ain't I a Woman? R Story of the Week Morality Meat S 4/8 No Class - Showcase 21 4/13 Community Action Punch, Kick and Shout 319 Celebration, A Lesbian Theme 336 Critique, and Raisin Eyes 334 Challenge Feminist Theater: Salutin 342 European and American Wom 389 Dare to Write: Virginia W 346 Story of the Week I Stand Here Ironing S 22 4/15 Spirituality Namaste 401 -------- womanmansion/to my sister R Why Women Need the Goddes R All Our Relations R Beyond Bisexual R Our Lost Heritage: New Fa R 23 4/20 Sexuality Female Sexuality 322 Dian Ulner Reproductive Rights 328 Pubescence at 39 332 Organs and Orgasms R The Great Orgasm Robbery R Sex: The Tyranny of Frequ R Story of the Week Where Are You Going, Wher S 24 4/22 Sexuality Dian Ulner ------- 25 4/27 Men's Responses to Masculinist Perspectives R Feminism The Profeminist Men's Mov R Story of the Week Recuerdo S 26 4/29 Gender Issues in Healing the Wounded Fathe R -------- Men's Lives Some Scars Don't Show R Ah, Ya Throw Like a Girl R Pigskin, Patriarchy and P R Oh, My Loving Brother R Men and Their Health: A S R A New Vision of Masculini R 27 5/4 Ideas for the Future Feminism as Survival...An 396 Story of the Week The Chipko S 28 5/6 Review and Conclusions -------- 5/13 Final Exam Due Readings on Reserve 1. READINGS ON SOCIALIZATION a. "Woman - Which Includes Men, Of Course", Theodora Wells, from Issues in Feminism, Sheila Ruth, ed. b. "Words and Change", Gloria Steinem, from Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions c. "X", Lois Gould, from MS, May 1980 d. "The Mer-Child", Robin Morgan, from MS, July/August 1991 2. READINGS ON MEDIA a. "Women-bashing Comics: The Joke's on Us", Judy Brown, from Mademioselle, April 1988 b. "Torturing Women as Fine Art: Why Some Women and Men are Boycotting Knopf", Robert Brannon, from On the Issues, Fall 1991 c. "'Dreamworlds': How the Media Abuses Women", Fred Pelka, from On the Issues, Winter 1991 d. "Homophobia and Heterosexism in the Mainstream Media", Craig Davidson, from Empathy, Volume 2, #2 3. "Equality or Submersion? Feme Covert Status in Early Pennsylvania", Marylynn Salmon 4. "Black Bondage/White Pedestal", Carol Hymonowitz and Michaele Weissman 5. "The Creation Story", Mohawk Traditional Teaching 6. "This Is History", Beth Brant 7. "Loving Women: Lesbians Life and Relationships", Lesbians Revisions Group 8. READINGS ON LESBIANS AND BISEXUAL WOMEN a "Dykes to Watch Out For", Alison Bechdel b. "Don't Call Me", Janet Bobac, from Bi Another Name, Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu, ed. c. "Conflicts", Sheilah Mabry, from Bi Another Name, Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu, ed. d. "Myths/Realities of Bisexuality", Sharon Forman Sumpter, from Bi Another Name, Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu, ed. e. "From the Closet to the Stage", Robyn Ochs, from Bi Another Name, Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu, ed. f. "Reflecting on Physical Disability and (Bi)sexuality", Pamela Walker, from Bisexuality: A Reader and Sourcebook, Thomas Geller, ed. 9. "Marriage As a Restricted Club", Lindsay Van Gelder, from MS, February, 1984 10. "Homophobia and Sexism" Suzanne Pharr, from Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism 11. "Ain't I a Woman?", Sojourner Truth, from Issues in Feminism, Sheila Ruth, ed. 12. READINGS ON SPIRITUALITY a. "womanmansion/to my sister/mourning her mother/", hattie gossett, from Memories and Visions: Women's Fantasy & Science Fiction, Susanna J. Sturgis, ed. b. "Why Women Need the Goddess", Carol Christ, from Womanspirit Rising: A Feminist Reader on Religion, Carol Christ and Judith Plaskow, ed. c. "All Our Relations", Sawnie E. Morris, from Out/Look, Spring 1990 d. "Beyond Bisexual", Annie Sprinkle, from Bi Another Name, Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu, ed. e. "Our Lost Heritage: New Facts on How God Became a Man", Riane Eisler, from The Humanist, May/June 1985 13. READINGS ON SEXUALITY a. "Organs and Orgasms", Alix Shulman b. "The Great Orgasm Robbery" c. "Sex: The Tyranny of Frequency". Joan Liebmann-Smith 14. READINGS ON MEN'S RESPONSES TO FEMINISM a. "Masculinist Perspectives", Kenneth Clatterbaugh b. "The Profeminist Men's Movement: New Connections, New Directions", John Stoltenberg 15. READINGS ON GENDER ISSUES IN MEN'S LIVES a. "Healing the Wounded Father", Joseph H. Pleck, from New Men, New Minds, Franklin Abbott, ed. b. "Some Scars Don't Show", Ken Fremont-Smith, from New Men, New Minds, Franklin Abbott, ed. c. "Ah, Ya Throw Like a Girl", Mike Messner, from New Men, New Minds, Franklin Abbott, ed. d. "Pigskin, Patriarchy and Pain", Don Sabo, from New Men, New Minds, Franklin Abbott, ed. e. "Oh, My Loving Brother", Clinton Joyce Jesse, from New Men, New Minds, Franklin Abbott, ed. f. "Men and Their Health: A Strained Alliance", Sam Julty, from New Men, New Minds, Franklin Abbott, ed. g. "A New Vision of Masculinity", Cooper Thompson, from New Men, New Minds, Franklin Abbott, ed. Story of the Week on Reserve 1. "Harmonic Conception", Nona M. Caspers, from Memories and Visions: Women's Fantasy & Science Fiction, Susanna J. Sturgis, ed. 2. "Elethia", Alice Walker, from You Can't Keep a Good Woman Down 3. "Making a Change", Charlotte Perkins Gilman, from The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings 4. "Storyteller", Leslie Marmon Silko, from The Third Woman, Dexter Fisher, ed. 5. "Only a Phase", Leslea Newman, from A Letter to Harvey Milk 6. "Gracefully Afraid", Mary Anne Ashley, from When I Am Old I Shall Wear Purple, Sandra Martz, ed. 7. "A Mistaken Charity", Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, from With Wings, Marsha Saxton and Florence Howe, ed. 8. "Houston, Houston, Do You Read?", James Triptree, Jr., from Worlds Apart, Camilla Decarnin, Eric Garber and Lyn Paleo, ed. 9."Seventeen Syllables", Hisaye Yamamoto, from The Third Woman, Dexter Fisher, ed. 10. "Morality Meat", Racoona Sheldon, from Despatches from the Frontiers of the Female Mind, Jen Green and Sarah Lefanu, ed. 11. "I Stand Here Ironing", Tillie Olsen, from Tell Me a Riddle 12. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", Joyce Carol Oates, from We Are the Stories We Tell, Wendy Martin, ed. 13. "Recuerdo", Guadalupe Valdes Fallis, from The Third Woman, Dexter Fisher, ed. 14. "The Chipko", Sally Miller Gearheart, from Love, Struggle & Change: Stories by Women, Irene Zahava, ed.