Syllabus Women in global perspectives



SWM 554

Instructor: Sandra Gruner-Domic

Course: Tu 2-4:50

Office: Kap. 346 F

Office hours: Thursday 12-1or by appointment

e-mail: grunerdo@usc.edu

Women in Global Perspectives

Spring 2010

Course Description

The main goal of this course is to compare women’s experiences of immigration, transnationalism and global connectedness especially in places as in Europe and the United States, but also in some other regions. Many of these life experiences are transnational. Transnationalism as a social field that crosses geographic, cultural and political borders is becoming more present in everyday lives. This concept became very common in migration studies and was sometimes confused with globalization. We will discuss how concepts and theories, as globalization, transnationalism, world system development as well as gender, pertain in phenomena as care, domestic labor or sex work. To approach current women’s experiences it is necessary to understand race and ethnic relations in global arenas. We are going to analyze women experiences in contemporary multiethnic societies, but also in discourses and public debates about some issues as wearing a veil, religion, motherhood arrangements, international marriages and so called “honor killings”. By looking into these transnational phenomena we will analyze how new boundaries of social life are changing the concepts of society, contemporary popular culture as well as social institutions (as family, motherhood etc.) Choosing women as a subject is not only because we are studying about women. Looking onto the gender aspect in this course should enable us to analyze the dynamic of economic production, consumption and social reproduction in women lives. Race, ethnic, class, gender and believe systems are influencing specific localities at a new global scale. Comparing the experiences of women as workers, mothers, friends and sisters should give us a better understanding of the individual as well as the global process.

Required Readings

Books:

Valentine M. Moghadam; Globalizing Women: Transnational Feminist Networks (Themes in Global Social Change) (Paperback)

Barbara Eherenreich; Arlie Russell Hochschild: Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy, Hernry Hold &Co Publishers. New York 2002.

Denise Brennan: What's Love Got to Do With It? Transnational Desires and Sex Tourism in the Dominican Republic, Duke University Press 2004.

Laura Agustin: Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry

Zed Books, London, 2007.

Cynthia Enloe; Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics (Paperback)

Ivon Tasker and Diane Negra; Interrogating Post feminism: Gender and the politics of popular culture (Paperback) Duke University Press 2007

Martha Nusbaum; Women and Human Development Cambridge University Press, 2001

Optional:

Adelaida Del Castillo, Cynthia Cranford, Deborah Paredez, and Ernestine Avila, Denise A. Segura: Women and Migration in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Reader, Duke University Press 2007.

Objectives:

Throughout the course, you should be able to:

• compare and contrast the experiences of women in different global societies

• critically read and analyze concepts and theories about globalization, transnationalism as well as gender in phenomena of care, domestic or sex work.

• looking thru gender we will analyze the dynamic of economic production and social reproduction according to such factors as race, ethnicity, class or immigration status

• discuss new boundaries of social life and the changing concepts of society and social networks, notions of citizenship, development or human rights.

• compare similarities and differences between global societies especially in Europe and USA

Course Requirements:

Assignments 15%

Class participation 15%

Presentation of one topic in class 15%

Mid-term exam 20%

Research paper 35%

First draft research paper

Final research paper

Class attendance and participation:

Students are expected to complete all reading assignments listed in the syllabus, since they are necessary for an active engagement in class discussion. This course has a heavy reading load.

Class discussions and projects should be conducted and presented with respect for others. Everyone enrolled in the class is expected to actively participate in discussions.

A subjective point total out of 50 possible points will be used as the participation grade. Another 50 points will be for class attendance. You are allowed to miss two classes without penalty, for each other class missed you get 2 minus points. No more than 5 excused or unexcused missed classes will be accepted as precondition for giving your final research paper. If you miss many classes your research paper will be not accepted which makes 35% of your grade.

The presentation of one topic of the syllabus in class will be chosen by the student regarding his or her interests. The 20 min. presentation of a topic for the discussion in class will be 15% of the grade. Visual aids or a copy of the summary distributed to the class are suggested.

Assignments:

Students are expected to complete all reading assignments by the date listed in the syllabus. 50 points will be given for reading assignments

3 different assignments will be given during the course each of consider 33 points of your grade. 100 Points will make 15% of your grade.

Research Paper:

The research paper gives the student a chance to examine a topic in greater depth. In this paper of 10 up to 15 pages a particular concept or argument will be examined and reviewed critically. The student will focus on a particular question/issue and conduct research to answer it.

Consultation with the instructor could be required.

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