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Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Women’s Studies

WST 3015

Spring 2019

Course Description:

Drawing on materials and methodologies from a variety of disciplines, this class explores the diverse experiences of women in past eras and in the present, and in the U.S. and abroad. The Honors section of this course will additionally examine critical theories of sex/gender, and contemporary feminism, including queer theory, intersectionality, and transnational feminism. Among the many texts we will use for the course are included the seminal anthology This Bridge Called My Back by Cherrie Moraga & Gloria Anzaldúa and Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins.

Class Assignments and Grading:

Grading will be based on the following assignments:

Undergraduates:

Class Participation: 10%

Introductory Paper Part I: 10%

Group Presentations: 25%

Mid-Term Analytical Paper: 15%

Journals: 25%

Final Analytical Paper: 15%

Grading Rubric:

A= 100-93 C(S)= 76-73

A-= 92-90 C-(U)= 72-70

B+= 89-87 D+= 69-67

B= 86-83 D= 66-63

B-= 82-80 D-= 62-60

C+= 79-77 E= 59-0

Assignment Descriptions:

Class Participation & In-Class Assignments: Participating in class is a very important part of your final grade. Participation in this course is defined as a) coming to class having read the assigned material, b) actively engaging in class conversation and, c) bringing to each class a question for discussion and/or a quote you want to discuss from the reading. Lack of preparedness in any of the above manners will impact your final grade.

Participation requires that you be consistently present in class. More than two unexcused absences will result in 5 points off your participation grade for each absence.

Please also note that tardiness will count against your participation grade.

Introductory Paper:

Part I: This introductory paper is meant to situate yourself and your respective identities within the broader discussions of this course on sex, gender, and feminism. Write a 2-page paper that answers the following question.

Prompt: Based on your individual identities (gender, sexuality, race, etc.) what does feminism mean to you?

This paper is due January 17th in class.

Part II: Revisit your response to part I of this paper completed at the beginning of the semester and answer the following in a 4-page paper.

Prompt: Based on your experience in this course, how has your definition of feminism changed? Has your identity as a “feminist” changed? Your response should incorporate 3-5 readings from the course as support for how your perspectives have changed or been enhanced.

Part II should be included with your Journal assignment (see below), which will be due on April 23rd in class.

In-Class Group Presentation: Students will sign up for an in-class group presentation to take place starting on Week 3. Each group will consist of 2-3 students. All presentations will be based on the topics assigned for that class day. This assignment consists of two parts: a) the group oral/visual presentation and b) individual 3 page reflection paper.

a) Oral/Visual Component: Your presentation should include the following,

• A slide show presentation that highlights the key points of the reading, has interesting visuals, and incorporates multi-media (i.e. images, clips, audio, music, etc.)

• Presentations should focus on 3-5 key points that you have chosen to discuss. These should be identified clearly at the beginning of the presentation.

• Presentation should end with 2-3 discussion questions to engage the class.

• Presentations should last no more than 30 minutes.

Your assessment for this part of the assignment will be peer based where I will also serve as one of the “peers”. More explanation and rubric will be made available before the start of presentations.

B) Reflection Paper: Each individual student will write a 3 page reflection paper on the group learning experience addressing the following questions,

a) What did you learn from working with your peers as you delved deeper into the

reading materials?

b) What was challenging in working with your group?

c) How did this experience, (i.e. working with your peers to put together the presentation, presenting the material in front of class, and engaging the rest of the class in discussion), enhance your learning about the themes/concepts covered in the material?

Reflection Papers are due via email by Friday of the week you presented.

Journal: Throughout the semester there will be in-class writing activities where I will give you a prompt based on that day’s discussion. For your journal you will be asked to choose 5 of these assignments, edit them, and turn them in as a journal. Each final journal entry should be 2 pages for a total of 10 pages.

In addition to these 5 pieces, you should include Part II of your introductory paper, described above as part of your Journal assignment.

Completed Journals will be due April 23rd in class.

Mid-Term and Final Analytical Paper:

You will be given a series of writing options and prompts from which you will choose one and write a 5-page paper. Further detailed instructions will be provided in class at least a week before the assignment is due. The assignments will be due as follows, Midterm: Friday March 1st by 5 p.m. via email and Final: Monday, April 29th by 5 p.m. via email.

ASSSIGNMENT DEADLINE SUMMARY

|Assignment |Due Date |

| | |

|INTRO PAPER PART I |1/17/18 in class |

|IN-CLASS PRESENTATION | |

|PRESENTATION REFLECTION PAPER | |

|MID-TERM ANALYTICAL PAPER |3/1/18 by 5 p.m. via email |

|JOURNAL (including Intro Paper Part II) |4/23/18 in class |

|FINAL ANALYTICAL PAPER |4/29/18 by 5 p.m. via email |

Technology in the Classroom: Cell phones should be silenced. No texting is allowed in class. Laptops should ONLY be used to take notes, do in class writing, and reference online course reading materials. If you are caught using your laptops for anything else not course related your participation grade will be significantly lowered.

Communication & Email Policy: The best way to communicate with me is via email. You should be aware however that I check my email M-F 9a.m.-5p.m. and sparingly on weekends. Therefore you should not expect quick responses from me if you email after 5 p.m. weekdays or during the weekends.

Communication is also key when it comes to any issues or challenges you may be having that prevent you from attending class, turning in an assignment on time, or impact your overall performance in class. Communicating with me as early as possible when confronted with an issue will ensure that I can work with you to maximize your success in the course.

Late Work & Incompletes: Late assignments require prior permission from the instructor and will be deducted 1/3 of a letter grade for each day they are late (ex: A- becomes a B+). Assignments over 5 days late will not be accepted.

In accordance with UF policies, an incomplete may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor as an interim grade for a course in which:

1) the student has completed a major portion of the course with a passing grade,

AND

2) been unable to complete course requirements before the end of the term because of extenuating circumstances, AND

3) obtained written agreement from the instructor and arranged for resolution of

the incomplete grade.

Academic Integrity:

UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge, which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code () specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor in this class.

Students Requiring Accommodations

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, dso.ufl.edu/drc/) by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter which must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

Required Texts:

All books are available for purchase at the college bookstore. Books are also available on reserve at the library. Additional articles will be available on Canvas.

Rory Dicker, A History of U.S. Feminisms, Seal Press, 2016

Cherrie Moraga & Gloria Anzaldua, This Bridge Called My Back, SUNY Press, 2015, 4th edition.

Patricia Hill Collins, Black Feminist Thought, Routledge, 2009.

Bring All Reading Assignments to Class!

Week 1: Introduction

1/8 Introduction and Syllabus

1/10 Adrienne Rich, “Claiming Your Education”

Week 2: Feminisms Legacies

1/15 History of U.S. Feminisms, Preface

Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, “A Day Without Feminism”

Susan Shaw and Janet Lee, “Women’s and Gender Studies: Perspectives and

Practices”

1/17 Linda Nicholson, “Feminism in ‘Waves’: Useful Metaphor or Not?”

Becky Thompson, “Multiracial Feminism: Recasting the Chronology of Second Wave Feminism”

Intro Paper Part I Due in Class

Week 3: Feminism Defined

1/22 History of U.S. Feminisms, Ch. 1

1/24 bell hooks, “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand”

Week 4: Feminist Waves

1/29 History of U.S. Feminisms, Ch. 2

1/31 Mary Wollstonecraft, “Introduction to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, “Declaration of Sentiments from The History of Women’s Suffrage”

Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Week 5: Feminist Waves

2/5 History of U.S. Feminisms, Ch. 3

2/7 Simone De Beauvoir, “From the Second Sex” (cut or add as recommended)

Betty Friedan, “The Problem That Has No Name from The Feminine Mystique”

Radicalesbians, “The Woman-Identified Woman”

Jo Freeman, “From the Bitch Manifesto”

Week 6: Feminist Waves

2/12 History of U.S. Feminisms, Ch. 4

2/14 Rebecca Walker, “Being Real: An Introduction”

Jeanne Delombard, “Femmenism”

Week 7: Intersectionality

2/19 From This Bridge Called My Back:

“Catching Fire: Preface to the 4th Edition”

“Acts of Healing”

“The Bridge Poem”

“When I was Growing Up”

“I am What I am”

“La Guera”

2/21 From This Bridge Called My Back:

“Invisibility is an Unnatural Disaster”

“Gee You Don’t Seem Like An Indian from the Reservation”

Week 8: Intersectionality

2/26 From This Bridge Called My Back:

“…And Even Fidel Can’t Change That”

“And When You Leave, Take Your Pictures With You”

“Asian Pacific Women and Feminism”

“The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House”

2/28 From This Bridge Called My Back:

“Lesbianism as an Act of Resistance”

“Letter to Ma”

Mid-term Paper Due Friday, March 1st by 5 p.m. via email

Week 9: Spring Break

3/5 No Class Spring Break

3/7 No Class Spring Break

Week 10: Intersectionality

3/12 From, This Bridge Called My Back:

“I Paid Very Hard for My Immigrant Ignorance”

“La Prieta”

“A Black Feminist Statement”

“Brownness”

3/14 Black Feminist Thought, Ch. 1 “The Politics of Black Feminist Thought”

Week 11: Intersectionality

3/19 Black Feminist Thought, Ch. 3 “Work, Family & Black Women’s Oppression”

Ch. 4 “Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images”

3/21 Black Feminist Thought, Ch. 6 “The Sexual Politics of Black Womanhood”

Week 12: Intersectionality/(Re)Defining Gender

3/26 Black Feminist Thought, Ch. 8 “Black Women & Motherhood”

3/28 Anne Fausto-Sterling, “The Five Sexes”

Anne Fausto-Sterling, “Should There Be Only Two Sexes”

Week 13: (Re)Defining Gender

4/2 Judith Lorber, “Believing is Seeing: Biology as Ideology”

Judith Lorber, “The Social Construction of Gender”

Wendy McKenna and Suzanne Kessler, “Transgendering: Blurring the Boundaries of Gender”

4/4 Riki Wilchins, “A Certain Kind of Freedom: Power and the Truth of Bodies”

Week 14: (Re)Defining Gender/Transnational Feminism

4/9 Wendy Somerson, “On the Complications of Negotiating Dyke Femininity”

Judith Halberstam, “An Introduction to Female Masculinity: Masculinity Without Men”

Julia Serano, “Reclaiming Femininity”

4/11 Heather Hewett, “Women’s Studies & Transnational Feminism”

Chandra Talpade Mohanty, “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship & Colonial Discourse”

Week 15: Transnational Feminism

4/16 Inderpal Grewal & Caren Kaplan, “Postmodernism and Transnational Feminist practices”

Uma Narayan, “From Dislocating Cultures: Identities, Traditions, and Third-World Feminisms”

Lila Abu-Hughod, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological

Reflections on Cultural Relativism and It’s Others”

4/18 Mrinalini Sinha, “Gender and Nation”

Week 16: Conclusion

4/23 History of U.S. Feminisms, Ch. 5

Journals Due in Class

Final Paper Due Monday, April 29th by 5 p.m. via email

-----------------------

Instructor: Prof. Elizabeth Garcia

Class Time: T 10:40 a.m.-12:35 p.m. & Th. 10:40-11:30 a.m.

Class Location: MAT 0051

Ofc. Hours: Tuesdays 1-3 p.m.

Ofc. Location: Grinter 392

Email: egarcia@latam.ufl.edu

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