Short research reports.

Feminism, due Friday, Sept. 2.

What is feminism? Who or what is a feminist? Using dictionaries, encyclopedias, and/or the internet, find multiple definitions for feminism and feminist. (The library may have some good resources: check out the databases at http://library.hws.edu.) What patterns do you see? Where are there contradictions? Which definitions make the most sense to you, and why? Can we speak of “feminism” in the singular, at all?

Write a 300–600 word (typed) discussion of the definition(s) of “Feminism,” being sure to cite your sources for both quoted and paraphrased information. Please consult the Format for Written Work and A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism on your syllabus before writing and submitting. Be prepared to discuss your findings in class.

Gender and work, part 1, due Wednesday, Sept. 28. Select an occupation/career track to research, one that you may wish to pursue yourself (e.g., doctor, teacher, artist, stock-broker, astronaut). Using the most current government data available, determine the sex distribution for your occupation. Then, determine the difference in median weekly earnings between women and men in this occupational category. A very useful source here is Median Weekly Earnings of Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers by Detailed Occupation and Sex, online at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat39.pdf. You may have to resort to general categories close to your desired occupation.  For example, since there’s no separate category for professors by field of specialization, I’d use the category “Postsecondary teachers” (under Education, training, and library occupations) and find this profession was 401/917 female (43.7%) and 516/917 male (56.3%) in 2016. I’d learn that in 2016, the median weekly earnings for women in this category were $1144 and for men $1405. Women’s earnings, then, are 81.4% of men’s in this category. (Note: try also the May 2015 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, United States, online at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm. These data are broken down by major occupational groups but not by sex. Professors would look under the heading Education, training, and library occupations, and I might find it relevant that the mean annual wages for Arts, Communications, and Humanities Teachers, Postsecondary, is $73,660, which would presumably put the weekly median for this profession at $1417.) There are also some promising sources under “Gender Pay Gap in the United States,” Wikipedia (online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_pay_gap_in_the_United_States). You are of course free to find different sources as well.

What statistics did you uncover about your possible career track, and how do you respond to these figures? Write a 300–600 word (typed) discussion of your findings, being sure to cite your sources for both quoted and paraphrased information. Please consult the Format for Written Work and A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism on your syllabus before writing and submitting. Be prepared to discuss your findings in class.

Gender and work, part 2, due Monday, Oct. 3. Briefly interview at least two fellow college students (at least one male and one female) regarding their future work and family expectations.  Questions can include, but are not limited to, expectations regarding marriage, children/child-rearing, household responsibilities, career goals, salary, etc.; you get to choose what to ask. Take notes on what they say. Ask follow-up questions. Note: they do not have to be HWS students.  

How would you characterize your interviewees’ career and family goals, and how do you respond to what you learned? Given what you’ve learned from readings and research, do your peers’ expectations seem realistic? Are their expectations guided by traditional family arrangements? As you discuss these items, feel free to draw comparisons or contrasts to your own work and family expectations. Write a 300–600 word (typed) discussion of your findings, being sure to cite your sources for both quoted and paraphrased information. Please consult the Format for Written Work and A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism on your syllabus before writing and submitting. Be prepared to discuss your findings in class.

Reproduction, due Friday, Oct. 21.

Reproduction encompasses a range of other issues:  abortion ... birth control ... reproductive technologies ... Viagra ... infertility ... adoption ... family planning, etc.  Using the internet (Google is fine), spend some time surfing to discover the most contemporary news and activity surrounding the politics of reproduction.  Pay close attention to which organizations are posting the information, and contextualize the “facts” you read:  how reliable / balanced are they? As you read, make note of especially helpful websites, and try to keep in mind most of these questions:

• What is the state of the abortion debate? Who are the major players?
• What are the viable, affordable birth control options for women?  
• What are the birth control options for men?  
• What is the status of birth control globally, for women in other places? 
• What is the latest research regarding birth control for women? 
• How is female vs. male infertility being addressed?
• What are the latest reproductive technologies for men and for women? 
• What are the pressing reproductive issues for lesbians and gays? 
• What are some of the most pressing reproductive issues globally?
• How effectively does the internet function as a location for information, advocacy, and activism around reproductive issues?

As you read, jot down some responses to the questions above, and then generate a Top Ten List of what you consider to be the most pressing/important contemporary issues related to the politics of reproduction today. Bring this list to class and be prepared to discuss it, and append a short bibliography of useful websites at the end. Please consult the Format for Written Work and A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism on your syllabus before writing and submitting.