Short research reports.

Feminism, due Friday, Aug. 31.

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 https://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 Monday, Sept. 24. 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 434/985 female (44.1%) and 551/985 male (55.9%) in 2018. I’d learn that in 2018, the median weekly earnings for women in this category were $1208 and for men $1414. Women’s earnings, then, are 85.4% of men’s in this category. (Try also the May 2017 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 $78,160, which would presumably put the weekly median for this profession at $1503.) 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 Friday, Sept. 28. Consider how gendered expectations regarding work and family affect men’s and women’s participation in the labor force. For example, are married women more or less likely to work outside the home? What about women with children? What about married men, or men with children? Think intersectionally: are the expectations and realities different for people of different races or ethnicities? Useful articles to start with are Marisa DiNatale and Stephanie Boraas, “The Labor Force Experience of Women from Generation X,” Monthly Labor Review (March 2002): 3–15; available https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2002/03/art1full.pdf ; as well as Sharon R. Cohany and Emy Sok, “Trends in Labor Force Participation of Married Mothers of Infants,” Monthly Labor Review (February 2007): 9–16; available https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2007/02/art2full.pdf . But please cite at least four sources in your report.

As you discuss these questions, feel free to draw comparisons or contrasts to your own expectations around work and family. 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 Monday, Oct. 15.

Reproduction encompasses a range of 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 people who identify as LGBTQ? 
• 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 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. Be prepared to discuss your findings in class.