WMST 100-02. Introduction to Women's Studies. Fall 2021.
Professor Lara Blanchard
tel: x3893
Art & Architecture Department, 208 Houghton House

Lectures: MWF 1:20-2:20pm, 112 Houghton House

Office hours: Mondays 10:30am–12:00pm and Thursdays 2:45–4:15pm, or by appointment, in person or via Zoom

 

Course description:
This course introduces the vast, complex, changing field of women’s studies. Students will be asked to become conversant with the history of feminism and women's movements (nationally and transnationally), to understand and theorize women and gender as categories of analysis, to think through differences that divide and unite, to reflect and move beyond individual experience and to connect feminism to everyday life. Students will be encouraged to raise their own questions about women, gender, feminism(s), modes of women's organizing, and the production of knowledge. While it is impossible to cover all pertinent topics in one semester, this course introduces various specific issues and histories that, taken together, highlight the complexity of Women's Studies as both scholarly endeavor and activist field. It addresses three of the aspirational goals of the curriculum: a critical understanding of social inequalities (substantially), a critical understanding of cultural difference (partially), and an intellectual foundation for ethical judgment as a basis for socially responsible action (partially).

 

Learning objectives:
One objective is for students to gain practical skills useful in any humanistic discipline, including how to analyze texts, how to do research, and improved proficiency in writing. More conceptual learning objectives include understanding how women and gender as categories of analysis intersect with history, politics, religion, society, and culture.

 

Required books (all on reserve at the Library):

  • Freedman, Estelle B. No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women. New York: Ballantine Books, 2002. (REQUIRED; ISBN-13: 978-0345450531)
  • Findlen, Barbara, ed. Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation. New expanded ed. Emeryville, Calif.: Seal Press, 2001. (REQUIRED; ISBN-13: 978-1580050548)
  • Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Minneapolis, Minn.: Graywolf Press, 2014. (REQUIRED; ISBN-13: 978-1555976903)
  • Ehrenreich, Barbara, and Arlie Russell Hochschild, eds. Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy. New York: Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt and Company, 2002. (REQUIRED; ISBN-13: 978-0805075090)
  • Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own. Reprint. Annotated and with an introduction by Susan Gubar. Reprint. Orlando, Fl.: A Harvest Book, 2005. (REQUIRED; ISBN-13: 978-0156030410)

 

Certain supplementary materials will be available via Canvas):

  • Daily handouts will be posted in the folders Files | Handouts (parts 1 and 2).
  • Links to supplemental readings will be posted in the folder Files | Readings.
  • Presentations will be posted in the folders Files | Presentations.
  • Discussion questions that count toward participation will be posted on the Canvas Discussion Board.
  • Assignments will be posted in the folder Files | Assignments.

 

Weekly schedule (please note: schedule may be subject to minor changes):

DEFINING TERMS: WOMEN’S STUDIES, FEMINISM(S), PATRIARCHY, WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

Aug. 23 (M).    Overview of the course.

Aug. 25 (W).    What is women’s studies?

  • Jean Fox O’Barr, “The Necessity of Women’s Studies in a Liberal Arts Education,” in Feminism in Action: Building Institutions and Community through Women’s Studies (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1994), 85–93.

Aug. 27 (F).     What is feminism?

Aug. 30 (M).      What is patriarchy?

Sept. 1 (W).     Virtue and patriarchy in different cultures: two case studies.

  • Patricia Buckley Ebrey, trans., “The Book of Filial Piety for Women Attributed to a Woman Née Zheng (ca. 730),” in Under Confucian Eyes: Writings on Gender in Chinese History, ed. Susan Mann and Yu-Yin Cheng (Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California Press, 2001), 47–69.
  • Pat Boone, “The Happy Home Corporation,” chapter 5 in ‘Twixt Twelve and Twenty (New York: Dell, 1960), 79–91.

Sept. 3 (F).       Women’s rights.

 

IDENTITY POLITICS: RACE AND ETHNICITY, RELIGION, NATION.

Sept. 6 (M).     Race and American feminism.

Sept. 8 (W).     Race and American feminism: women’s voices.

  • Sonja D. Curry-Johnson, “Weaving an Identity Tapestry,” in Barbara Findlen, ed., Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation (Emeryville, Calif.: Seal Press, 2001), 51–58.
  • Claudia Rankine, Citizen: An American Lyric (Minneapolis, Minn.: Graywolf Press, 2014), I, 5–18.

Sept. 10 (F).     Race and sexual identity.

  • Cheryl Clarke, “Lesbianism: An Act of Resistance,” in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, ed. Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa (Watertown, Mass.: Persephone Press, 1981), 128–37.
  • JeeYeun Lee, “Beyond Bean Counting,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 67–73.

Sept. 13 (M).     International feminisms.

  • Freedman, “The Global Stage and the Politics of Location,” chapter 5 in No Turning Back, 95–119.
  • Gloria Anzaldúa, “Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to 3rd World Women Writers,” in Moraga and Anzaldúa, This Bridge Called My Back, 165–73.

Sept. 15 (W).     Gender, religion, culture, and identity: the veil.

  • Marjane Satrapi, “The Veil,” in Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (New York: Pantheon Books, 2003), 3–9.
  • Sarah C. Bell, “Nubo: The Wedding Veil,” in The Veil: Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics, ed. Jennifer Heath (Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California Press, 2008), 171–73.
  • Aisha Lee Fox Shaheed, “Dress Codes and Modes: How Islamic Is the Veil?” in Heath, The Veil, 290–306.

 

WOMEN’S LABOR AND GLOBALIZATION.

Sept. 17 (F).     Domestic labor.

  • Freedman, “Never Done: Women’s Domestic Labor,” chapter 6 in No Turning Back, 123–44.
  • Barbara Ehrenreich, “Maid to Order,” in Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell Hochschild, eds., Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy (New York: Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt and Company, 2002), 85–103.

Sept. 20 (M).     Gender and economics.

  • Freedman, “Industrialization, Wage Labor, and the Economic Gender Gap,” chapter 7 in No Turning Back, 145–69.
  • SHORT RESEARCH REPORT: GENDER AND WORK, PART 1 due via Canvas, 11:59pm.

Sept. 22 (W).     Gender, work, and family: social policies.

  • Freedman, “Workers and Mothers: Feminist Social Policies,” chapter 8 in No Turning Back, 170–99.
  • Susan Cheever, “The Nanny Dilemma,” in Ehrenreich and Hochschild, Global Woman, 31–38.

Sept. 24 (F).     Gender, work, and family: child care.

  • Arlie Russell Hochschild, “Love and Gold,” in Ehrenreich and Hochschild, Global Woman, 15–30.
  • Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, “Blowups and Other Unhappy Endings,” in Ehrenreich and Hochschild, Global Woman, 55–69.

Sept. 27 (M).     Women as migrant workers.

  • Nicole Constable, “Filipina Workers in Hong Kong Homes: Household Rules and Relations,” Ehrenreich and Hochschild, Global Woman, 115–41.
  • Joy M. Zarembka, “America’s Dirty Work: Migrant Maids and Modern-Day Slavery,” in Ehrenreich and Hochschild, Global Woman, 142–53.
  • SHORT RESEARCH REPORT: GENDER AND WORK, PART 2 due via Canvas, 11:59pm.

 

BODY POLITICS: HEALTH, BEAUTY, SPORTS, REPRODUCTION, SEX, VIOLENCE.

Sept. 29 (W).     Health and disability.

  • Freedman, “Medicine, Markets, and the Female Body,” chapter 9 in No Turning Back, 203–28.
  • Cheryl Green, “One Resilient Baby,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 272–80.

Oct. 1 (F).     Health, beauty, and size.

Oct. 4 (M).     Health, beauty, and size: women’s voices.

  • Abra Fortune Chernik, “The Body Politic,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 103–11.
  • Nomy Lamm, “It’s a Big Fat Revolution,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 133–41.

Oct. 6 (W).     Beauty and race in America.

  • Gerald Early, “Life with Daughters: Watching the Miss America Pageant,” The Kenyon Review, n.s., 12, no. 4 (Autumn 1990): 132–45.

Oct. 8 (F).     Women and sports.

(Oct. 9–12, FALL RECESS)

Oct. 13 (W).     Reproduction in the U.S.: history and policies.

Oct. 15 (F).     Reproduction: women’s voices.

  • Inga Muscio, “Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners and the Power Within,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 112–17.
  • Allison Crews, “And So I Chose,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 142–49.
  • SHORT RESEARCH REPORT: REPRODUCTION due via Canvas, 11:59pm.

Oct. 18 (M).     Sexuality and self-determination.

  • Freedman, “Sexualities, Identities, and Self-Determination,” chapter 11 in No Turning Back, 253–75.
  • Lisa Tiger, “Woman Who Clears the Way,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 153–64.

Oct. 20 (W).     Sex-positive feminism: women’s voices.

  • Rebecca Walker, “Lusting for Freedom,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 19–24.
  • Lisa Palac, “How Dirty Pictures Changed My Life,” in Next: Young American Writers on the New Generation, ed. Eric Liu (New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1994), 146–63.

Oct. 22 (F).     Sex work.

  • Alexandra Lutnick and Deborah Cohan, “Criminalization, Legalization or Decriminalization of Sex Work: What Female Sex Workers Say in San Francisco, USA,” Reproductive Health Matters: An International Journal on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights 17 (2009): 38–46.
  • Denise Brennan, “Selling Sex for Visas: Sex Tourism as a Stepping-stone to International Migration,” in Ehrenreich and Hochschild, Global Woman, 154–68.

Oct. 25 (M).     Film: Sut Jhally, dir., Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women (Northampton, Mass.: Media Education Foundation, 2010).

  • FIRST TEST due via Canvas, 11:59pm.

Oct. 27 (W).     Gender and violence.

  • Freedman, “Gender and Violence,” chapter 12 in No Turning Back, 276–302.

Oct. 29 (F).     Sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement.

Nov. 1 (M).     Sexual assault.

 

WOMEN AND CREATIVITY.

Nov. 3 (W).     Creativity and feminism.

  • Freedman, “New Words and Images: Women’s Creativity as Feminist Practice,” chapter 13 in No Turning Back, 305–25.
  • Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own (reprint, Orlando, Fl.: A Harvest Book, 2005), ix–xviii, xxxv–lxi.

Nov. 5 (F).     Group work day.

  • (Start reading Woolf, A Room of One’s Own, 3–112.)

Nov. 8 (M).     Women as writers.

  • Woolf, A Room of One’s Own, 3–112.

Nov. 10 (W).     Women as visual artists.

  • Carol Snyder, “Reading the Language of The Dinner Party,” Woman’s Art Journal 1, no. 2 (Autumn 1980–Winter 1981): 30–34.

Nov. 12 (F).     Women and crafting.

  • Floris Barnett Cash, “Kinship and Quilting: An Examination of an African-American Tradition,” The Journal of Negro History 80, no. 1 (Winter 1995): 30–41.

Nov. 15 (M).     Women and music group presentations.

 

POLITICS AND ACTIVISM.

Nov. 17 (W).     Women and politics.

Nov. 19 (F).     Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Nov. 22 (M).     Activism and empowerment.

  • Frida Kahlo and Kathe Kollwitz, “Transgressive Techniques of the Guerrilla Girls,” Getty Research Journal no. 2 (2010): 203–8.
  • Kevin Dunn and May Summer Farnsworth, “‘We ARE the Revolution’: Riot Grrrl Press, Girl Empowerment, and DIY Self-Publishing,” Women’s Studies 41, no. 2 (2012): 136–57, especially pp. 146–56.

(Nov. 24–28, Thanksgiving Recess)

Nov. 29 (M).     Citizen and politics.

  • Rankine, Citizen, VI, 81–135.

Dec. 1 (W).     Advocating for change.

  • Erica Gilbert-Levin, “Class Feminist,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 165–72.
  • Daisy Hernández, “Bringing Feminism a la Casa,” in Findlen, Listen Up, 209–11.
  • Angela Y. Davis, “Justice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Communities” and “Difficult Dialogues,” in The Meaning of Freedom and Other Difficult Dialogues (San Francisco: City Lights Books, 2012).

Dec. 3 (F).     Conclusions.

(Dec. 4–6, Reading Days)

Dec. 7 (Tu).     SECOND TEST due via Canvas, 10:00pm.

Communications:
I am happy to meet with you outside of class at a mutually convenient time, in person or via Zoom (see Office hours above). The best way to reach me to set up an appointment is by e-mail, but please note that I regularly read e-mail only between 9:00am and 4:30pm. If I need to contact students, I generally will do so via HWS e-mail and through Announcements on Canvas (see Websites below). You should develop the habit of checking both on a regular basis (I recommend doing so daily).

 

Attendance policy:
I expect you to attend class regularly; attending and engaging in class time with me and your peers is important for your learning. If, however, you need to miss a class (for reasons including celebration of your religion, athletic participation, field trips for a different class, or illness), I expect you to notify me as soon as possible.

In the event that you find yourself experiencing symptoms of illness, I request that you do the following:

  • Stay home! This is best way to prevent spreading COVID-19 as supported by scientific evidence.
  • Follow any guidance you may receive from the COVID-19 Daily Symptom Tracker.
  • I expect that you will contact me to discuss missed coursework. In the case that you are not able to make up missed coursework by the end of the semester, we will need to consider options that may include a medical withdrawal or incomplete for the semester, which will be done in consultation with your class Dean.

In addition, those of us meeting in person all share responsibility for the health and safety of all in the classroom environment. Until further notice, all students, visitors, faculty and staff (regardless of vaccination status) must be masked when indoors during class times, teaching fellow hours, and when present in any building on the Arts Campus (Houghton House, the Davis and Solarium Galleries, Goldstein Family Carriage House, and the Katherine D. Elliott Studio Arts Center). Masks are freely available in all buildings on the Arts Campus and at Campus Safety and must be worn properly, fully covering the wearer’s mouth and nose. Please ask a member of the Art & Architecture Department faculty or staff for assistance if needed. Anyone who refuses to comply with this policy will be asked to leave the premises. We thank you for your commitment to the maintenance of a healthy work and learning environment during this time.

Be assured that I will do what I can to work with students to facilitate their successful completion of the course. I encourage you to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

 

Course requirements:

1.        Class participation (20%). This includes participating in discussions in class meetings and/or responding to questions on the Canvas discussion board. I grade participation weekly, as follows: A (95) for thoughtful commentary in class or on the discussion board that is analytical in nature or synthesizes material from readings and/or other classes; B (85) for answering a discussion question very briefly or in a way that suggests some misunderstanding; C (75) for being a passive observer of class discussions; D (65) for not paying attention or being disruptive or disrespectful in class; zero (0) for lack of participation in any modality.

2.         Short research reports (20%). These should be 300–600 words in length. More details to follow.

3.         Response papers (10%). You will be required to attend and write responses to two (2) gender-related “events” (speakers, films, performances, actions, readings, etc.) before the end of the term. More details to follow.

4.         Group project (10%). This project will focus on women in music, with presentations in class on Monday, Nov. 15. More details to follow.

5.         First test (20%), due Monday, Oct. 25, 11:59pm, via Canvas. This is a take-home test covering material through Friday, Oct. 8.

6.         Second test (20%), due Tuesday, Dec. 7, 10:00pm, via Canvas. This is a take-home test covering material from Wednesday, Oct. 13 through Friday, Dec. 3.

 

Format for written work:
Please follow these guidelines when you write your papers and tests.

1. Type all work in a 12-point font.
2. Double-space.
3. Leave one-inch margins on all sides.
4. Number your pages.
5. Put your name and the date on the first page.
6. Check that your spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct--these are crucial to effective communication of your ideas. Your grade will drop if you have excessive errors.
7. If you cite another source, you must use a.) parenthetical references or footnotes, and b.) a list of works cited. (See A note about cheating and plagiarism below.) Make sure that you follow an appropriate documentation style: I recommend Chicago-style, MLA, or APA.

You can submit written work via Canvas. Please upload a Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx) or a Portable Document Format file (.pdf): these are the only formats that Canvas will accept. PLEASE NOTE: I do not accept papers via e-mail.

 

A note about cheating and plagiarism:
I will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. It destroys the trust that I have in you to do your best, it is unfair to the other students, and you will not learn anything if you resort to cheating. If I find that you have cheated on a test or on a written assignment, you will receive a zero for the assignment and I will contact the Deans and/or the Committee on Standards about your case. If a case goes to the Committee on Standards, I follow the Committee's recommendation; if it also finds evidence of cheating or plagiarism, the recommendation is usually failure of the course at a minimum.

In accordance with the Colleges’ Academic Policies (http://www.hws.edu/catalogue/policies.aspx) and the Handbook of Community Standards (http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/pdf/community_standards.pdf), pp. 11, 27–29, I define cheating as giving or receiving assistance on any assignment for this course, including all paper assignments and tests, except as directly authorized by me. The Colleges define plagiarism as “the presentation or reproduction of ideas, words, or statements of another person as one’s own, without due acknowledgment.” In application, this means that in all assignments, you need to cite your sources. When quoting directly from a text—say, five words or more in succession—you need to put those words in quotation marks and include a parenthetical reference or footnote citing the source. When rewriting a passage from a text in your own words, you don’t need the quotation marks but you do still need the parenthetical reference or footnote. In addition, all sources that you cite need to be included in a list of works cited at the end of the assignment. If you don’t understand exactly what constitutes plagiarism, or how to use parenthetical references or footnotes, please ask me. I would prefer to explain what it is and how to avoid it before it happens rather than after.

 

Grading:
Tests and the group presentation receive numerical grades. Class participation, short research reports, and response papers will receive an A (95), B (85), C (75), D (65), or zero (0). If you are unsatisfied with a grade, please prepare a written statement explaining what grade you think you should have received and why, and submit it to me along with the assignment for review.

I mark down three points for each calendar day that an assignment is late. If you think you will need an extension, you should talk to me as early as possible before the assignment is due.

My grading scale is as follows:

 

 

A+  97-100

A  93-97

A-  90-93

 

 

B+  87-90

B  83-87

B-  80-83

 

 

C+  77-80

C  73-77

C-  70-73

 

 

D+  67-70

D  63-67

D-  60-63

 

 

 

F  0-60

 

 

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL):
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, we encourage you to learn collaboratively and to seek the resources that will enable you to succeed. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is one of those resources: CTL programs and staff help you engage with your learning, accomplish the tasks before you, enhance your thinking and skills, and empower you to do your best. Resources at CTL are many: Teaching Fellows provide content support in 16 departments, Study Mentors help you manage your time and responsibilities, Writing Fellows help you think well on paper, and professional staff members help you assess academic needs.

I encourage you to explore these and other CTL resources designed to encourage your very best work. You can talk with me about these resources, visit the CTL office on the 2nd floor of the library to discuss options with the staff, or visit the CTL website at http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/index.aspx.

 

Disability accommodations:
If you are a student with a disability for which you may need accommodations and are new to our office, you should self-identify for services by scheduling a Welcome meeting with Disability Services at the Center for Teaching and Learning (the link to do so is on the top right of the webpage http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/disability_services.aspx). Disability-related accommodations and services will be provided when the registration and documentation process is complete. The guidelines for documenting disabilities can be found at the website.

Returning students may request their accommodation letter by e-mailing the request to ctl@hws.edu or by using the link at the top right of the webpage to schedule a meeting (should you feel one is necessary).

Please direct questions about this process or Disability Services at HWS to ctl@hws.edu or x3351. Jamie Slusser, Disability Services Administrator and Accommodation Specialist, and Christen Davis, Associate Director of CTL for Disability Services, are the main contact staff for Disability Services.

 

Websites:
There are two websites for this course: one at my homepage, http://people.hws.edu/blanchard/WMST100/; and one at Canvas, https://canvas.hws.edu/. This syllabus, written assignments, and links to online resources for women's studies can be found at both. The Canvas site also has a course calendar, daily handouts, discussions, and an online gradebook; I plan to post other relevant materials there as well.

To use Canvas, log in with your campus username and password. Once you have logged in, you should see, at the left of the screen, a link for Courses you are enrolled in, as well as links for your Account, Dashboard, Calendar, Inbox, Commons, and Help.

It is essential for you to get in the habit of logging into Canvas regularly, as one way I will communicate with the class is via Canvas announcements, and I will post assignments and other course materials there. If you click on the Account link and then on Settings, you can set up Canvas to notify your e-mail or your cell phone about recent activity. I strongly recommend that you set Canvas to send you notifications of announcements ASAP.

For further assistance with Canvas, click on the Help link at the bottom left, and then on “Canvas Resources for Students.” You should look for the Canvas Student Guide (https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Student-Guide/tkb-p/student) or—for visually oriented people—the Video Guide (https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Video-Guide/tkb-p/videos). Alternatively, contact the Help Desk of Instructional Technology through the Client Portal (https://hws.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1889/Portal/Home/), at x4357, or at helpdesk@hws.edu.

 

Technology policy:
Some learning materials will be provided via online platforms such as Canvas (regularly) and Zoom (infrequently). Because of this, your access to a strong internet connection regularly is imperative to your success. I understand that we do not all have access to the same set of resources when not on campus. If this requirement sets up a currently unattainable goal for you, please contact me, your Dean, or the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs for additional assistance.

Because this class may occasionally use Zoom, please be sure you have Zoom installed on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Zoom classes may not be recorded or distributed by anyone other than me, the instructor. Below are tips for participating in a Zoom session:

  • join the meeting early and test speaker, microphone, and camera settings;
  • keep speakers away from microphones to avoid feedback;
  • mute your microphones upon entry to the meeting; and
  • do not join a meeting from multiple devices.

I encourage you to bring a laptop or tablet with you to class as it may be useful to you in note-taking, but please remember: using personal electronic devices in the classroom can also be a distraction for you and for other students. Therefore,

  • please silence notifications on all devices so that your work is not interrupted;
  • please be respectful and do not use your devices for non-class related tasks, such as social media; and
  • please minimize device use during whole-class, in-person discussions.

Electronic video and/or audio recording is not permitted during class unless you obtain permission from me. If permission is granted, any distribution of the recording is prohibited.

Please let me know if there are reasons you cannot follow the above guidelines.

 

Intellectual property statement:
My course materials, including this syllabus, lectures, presentations, tests, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. I am the exclusive owner of copyright for those materials that I create. I encourage you to take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not, however, reproduce or distribute notes or course materials publicly without my express written consent, nor may you knowingly allow others to do so. This includes providing materials to commercial course material suppliers such as CourseHero, Chegg, and other similar services. Students who publicly distribute or display copies or modified copies of an instructor’s course materials, or help others to do so, may be in violation of Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ policies on intellectual responsibility, found in the Handbook of Community Standards, p. 10.

 

©2021 Lara C. W. Blanchard. All rights reserved.