WGST 202 Gender, Difference, and Power

Spring 2014 MWF Section1: 10:00-10:50am Jepson 123 Section 2: 11:00-11:50am Rosauer Center 218
Office Hours: MWF 3-5pm and by appointment Office: 311 E Boone, Womens and Environmental Studies House, 2nd Floor, #5 Email: diazs@gonzaga.edu Phone: x 5779

Course Description
Using an interdisciplinary feminist perspective, this course will examine the construction and practice of gender in various contexts, with an emphasis on the intersection of gender, race, class, sexuality, nationality, and (dis)ability in the lives of women. Topics include womens rights, sexuality and health, family life and work, militarism, globalization, environmental issues, representations, and social change. This course meets the Social Justice and Social Science Core requirements.

Learning Objectives
It is assumed that, consistent with Gonzagas Jesuit social justice mission, students desire and are committed to working toward a more just world. Our responsibility is to demonstrate understanding and comprehension, thoughtful consideration, dialogue, and mutual respect. Although we may not always agree about our interpretations of the various materials, we can commit to encounter and engage course readings, course goals, and each other with openness, careful listening, honesty, and mutual respect. The learning objectives for this course are: Knowledge and Understanding 1) Distinguish and identify key concepts pertaining to gender, feminism, womens studies, and womens movements in the U.S., and contextualize these transnationally. 2) Identify and explain salient practices of gender, race, sexuality, and (dis)ability; as well as class and nationality, as these are experienced in U.S. society. 3) Recognize and explain how theoretical orientations are tied to activism and social change movements. 4) Describe and provide examples of forms of oppression and resistance by individuals and activist movements in the U.S. and transnationally. Skills: Analysis & Synthesis 5) Analyze and critique the content, theories, and methods in the materials assigned for class.

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6) Explore how your knowledge affects your actions beyond the classroom. 7) Critically apply class frameworks to in-class materials and extracurricular activities. 8) Increase your capacity to synthesize materials critically in group dialogues. Everyday Life 9) Become more critically aware of how social privilege and oppression play out in your own life. 10) Recognize the uniqueness of each individual in the context of group memberships.

Required Texts
Available at the University Bookstore: Kirk, Gwyn & Margo Okazawa-Rey (2012) Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. McGraw Hill. MUST BE 6th Edition! Seager, Joni (2008) Penguin Atlas of Women in the World. Penguin Books. MUST BE 4th Edition! Any additional readings for this class will be available on the class website on the "Schedule" page.

Grading
Grades will be updated and published periodically via Blackboard Grade Center. All grading will be done electronically, so make sure to check the Grade Center for feedback. You may wish to set it to notify you when new grades are posted.
30% 15% 10% 20% 22% 3 Mid-term Exams (10% each) Final Exam 2 Beyond the Classroom Write-ups (5% each) Daily Responses Participation (See Participation section below)

1% 1% 1%

Goals Mid-term Self-evaluation Final Self-evaluation

Exams
Exams dates are listed on the schedule below. Exams will cover reading materials, lectures, films, and discussions. You should purchase 8 blue exam books for this course as we will have 4 exams. You must bring your blue books with you on the day of the exam. If you forget your blue book, you will automatically lose 5% off the top of your score. Exam scores will be posted on the Grade Center. Missed exams may be made up at my sole discretion based on documented emergencies only.

WGST 202 Spring 2014 Beyond the Classroom

Gender, Power, and Difference

You are required to attend two of activities outside of class and write 2-3 page report following the guidelines on the Blackboard. These write-ups will assess your ability to think critically and make connections between course themes and the world outside the classroom. A list of appropriate activities and guidelines for the write-ups are posted on Blackboard. If you know of an event that you feel should be added to this list, please send me an email with the details and I will post it! If, due to work, care commitments, or some other obstacle, you are unable to attend any activities outside of class please let me know as soon as possible so that we can arrange for an alternative project. The first write-up will be due February 28th at 5 pm on Blackboard. The second will be due May 2nd at 5 pm on Blackboard.

Participation
In order to create a community of learners, I ask for your active and thoughtful participation in every class session. This is a discussion-based course; therefore it is critical that you attend class regularly. Poor attendance will negatively impact your participation gradeworse it will cheat you out of an opportunity to grow personally, intellectually, and politically. To demonstrate participation in the class you must: Be engaged in the class. It is essential that you both listen carefully and engage with your fellow classmates by participating in in-class activities and working collaboratively with your peers. Be an active member of in-class discussion contributing thoughtful, critical insights about the readings or other students comments. Come to class prepared to participate. This means you will come to class having read all required readings for the day prior to the beginning of class. Bring the textbook or reading material to class, along with any notes or questions you have about the readings. Secondary Mode of Participation: 1. ONLINE: make additional, critical comments or submissions on the discussion board. Hint: This offers students who miss class or who have been quiet in class a chance to earn credit for participation. 2. ONLINE: Post an artifact (news, video clip, advertisement, data) to class that is relevant to the day's topic and make a critical comment about it. 3. Submit a thoughtful reading question (with answer) to me by noon the day before that reading is to be discussed in class. 4. Submit a thoughtful exam question (with answer) to me one week before the day of an exam. 5. I may offer additional alternatives as we proceed.

WGST 202 Spring 2014 Daily Responses

Gender, Power, and Difference

Each day of class you will have a mini assignment due which I call the "daily response." I will post a discussion question on Blackboard in the afternoon, the day before each class. It is your responsibility to check the Daily Response page on Blackboard for the questions. You will write a short response to each discussion question and submit it to your journal on blackboard. Your response should be no more than 4-5 sentences. You will post your responses as Journal entries BEFORE class begins. Responses ensure that you are prepared to discuss the materials in class which will maximize your learning. As such, they may not be made-up after the fact. Responses are not graded, but if you do not submit them before class, you will receive a zero for your response question point for that day. Keep in mind that your responses will be visible to your classmates, so think carefully about what you share in that space.

Goals & Self-Evaluation

Because many of our learning objectives center on reflection, I ask each student to write goals at the beginning of the semester, a mid-term self-evaluation and a short final evaluation. These are ungraded (if you complete them you get full credit) but are worth 1% of your grade each. Instructions will be posted on the class website. Goals are due at the end of the first week of class (1/17) by 5 pm. Your mid-term self-evaluation is due March 7 at 5 pm and the final self-evaluation is due the day of your final exam at 5 pm. Each of these assignments will be submitted online on Blackboard. Because I practice what I teach, I will ask you to complete a mid-term course evaluation on Blackboard. This will be an opportunity for you to give me anonymous feedback about the course.

Schedule
Topics, readings, and due dates are listed on Blackboard. I place the schedule online to allow us to be flexible and responsive to student learning objectives. The electronic schedule significantly reduces confusion in case of changes. However, if you require a paper copy please come see me. Though I will notify you of major schedule changes, be sure to check Blackboard regularly.

Expectations and Policies

Email Due to the volume of email I receive, I require that students write WGST 202 in the subject line of all email you send to me. If you do not do this I may not see your email or respond promptly. Course related emails will be sent to your Gonzaga email account. You are responsible for regularly checking this account.

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If you have a procedural question, I require that you ask at least one of your classmates before you send me an email. Seminar Environment IMPORTANT: Please read the Seminar Guidelines for more detailed guidance about the classroom environment. In this class we will create a community where we respect and learn from one another. We will frequently deal with personally challenging material. You may find yourself in strong disagreement with your classmates. Thus, it is important that we communicate respectfully and keep our minds and our ears open. It is important that you learn to really listen to your classmates. To achieve this, it is vital that you attend class. Our time together is not frivolous or unnecessary; it is a unique space where you and your peers are able to discuss ideas and apply skills that will not only help you in your future studies but also expand your intellectual and personal world views. The more you engage in this academic community, the more you will learn the more we will ALL learn. As with class attendance, it is important for you to participate in class discussions and online as thoroughly as possible. Finally, please do not engage in activity that may detract from the learning of your classmates. Cellphone use (including text messaging) is strictly prohibited. Laptops must be used only for class related purposes (not video games, facebook, etc). Out of respect to your classmates and instructor, please limit your use of fragranced personal products (heavy colognes, fragrant lotions, etc). Academic Freedom This course is framed using feminist theories, methods, and political praxis. As part of the GU and Jesuit commitment to honing critical thinking and becoming people for others, I invite students to practice their own feminist theorizing in this course. Each member of the class is expected to be critical and thoughtful. However, no one is required to become a feminist or adopt any particular theoretical stance. Each of us is expected to respect and understand the variety of views expressed by the scholars well read and by our fellow classmates. I do not agree with all of the ideas expressed by the feminist thinkers whom you will read this semester. Nor do I expect you to agree with everything we read. However, we will all critically examine why we agree or disagree with a particular stance and articulate our assessments using the standards of intellectual reason and debate. Illness If you become ill with flu-like symptoms (high fever and cough or sore throat), please be respectful to your classmates, coworkers, and neighbors (not to mention your professors!) and make every effort to isolate yourself by staying at home or in your room. Public health authorities ask that you not return to work or classes until you have not had a fever for 24 hours without taking fever-lowering medication. It is your responsibility to contact me as soon as possible if you are ill. While I will be flexible with you, I may require documentation of your illness. And, you are still responsible for all missed work. You may

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also be asked to complete additional or alternative assignments to make up for missed participation points. Late Work Late Daily Responses will not be accepted for credit unless you have made a prior arrangement with me. This is because the learning opportunity they provide, as a stimulus to in-class discussion, is timesensitive. Any exceptions are at my sole discretion and must be arranged in advance or be the result of a documented emergency. If you have an emergency OR think you will miss an exam or be late with a response question, PLEASE tell me as soon as possible so I can help you determine your options. I AM willing to be flexible with you, but I need to know! Four things to do if you are absent: 1. 2. 3. 4. Email me to let me know why you are/were unable to come to class. Ask a classmate to borrow class notes. Check the announcements section of blackboard. DO NOT ask me if you missed anything in class; you did.

Grade Challenges From time to time a student may disagree with the grading of an assignment. If you disagree with the grade you received and would like me to reconsider, you must write me a letter explaining exactly what you disagree with and why. Provide me with a justification for the grade you think you should have received. You will submit the letter to me in hard copy no later than one week after you receive the grade in question. I do not guarantee I will change the grade, but I will consider your request to reevaluate your work. Academic Integrity I take GUs Academic Citizenship policy very seriously. You may review the policy here: http://www.gonzaga.edu/catalogues/13-14-catalogue/undergraduate/degree-requirements/academiccitizenship.asp. There is one person who is hurt more than anyone else when you cheat; you. So, please dont. Accommodations Please let me know as soon as possible if you require accommodations of any sort. This includes physical, learning, and/or mental health difficulties. I can work with Disability Resources, Education, & Access Management (DREAM) to provide what you require. I am very willing to take suggestions specific to this class to meet your needs. The DREAM office can be contacted at disability@gonzaga.edu or by phone at 509-313-4134. More information on support at Gonzaga may be found on the DREAM website at: http://www.gonzaga.edu/DREAM