Course Syllabus

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WS001 ONLINE: A VIRTUAL INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S STUDIES

COURSE SYLLABUS




Instructor: Natalie Jolly

Departments: Women's Studies and Rural Sociology

Mailbox: 122 Willard Building

Email: nataliejolly@psu.edu

URL: www.nataliejolly.com

Course URL: www.cyberfem.org

Office Hours: Online Tues 10-11am (in the chatbox) and by appointment. Because this is a webclass, I am unable to meet with any student in person.


Syllabus Map

Course Description | Course Overview | Required Course Material | Course Format | Required Assignments | Lesson Summaries


Course Description (return to top)

Women's Studies employs an interdisciplinary set of tools for analyzing women's experiences and studies the ways that sex and gender manifest themselves in social, cultural and political contexts. As an introduction to Women's Studies, this course is designed to:

  1. Acquaint you with some key issues, questions and debates in the field of Women's Studies

  2. Introduce you to some of the frameworks and concepts feminist scholars have developed

  3. Hone your ability to analyze arguments and “read” gender

  4. Increase awareness of the history and experience of women as half the world's population.

This course will concentrate on the experiences of women in the United States but, on occasion, we will broaden our scope.

This course does not only consider differences between women and men, but also explores differences among women. The readings and discussion will be designed to examine ideas about race, class, sexuality and other aspects of identity in addition to gender. Together we will discuss the relationships among these categories, and will analyze when and how such categories operate.

There is no single way to understand the controversial issues touched on in this course. Disagreement and debate are not only present in society at large, but are an important part of the theory and practice of Women's Studies. It is important to keep in mind throughout the course that there is no such thing as “the” feminist understanding of issues we will be covering; feminists are a diverse and complicated group. The goal is to expose you to some feminist tools for understanding and analyzing social phenomena, and to help you develop a more critically informed perspective on the issues.

 

Course Overview (return to top)

Course Mechanics: This on-line course follows a standard six-week summer semester. As such, course content is delivered in 12 lessons—with 2 lessons each week. The format for the lessons will be relatively consistent throughout the semester. Each week, you will have readings, discussion posts, weblogs and other on-line site visits and activities to perform. As a general guideline, you should finish the readings by Monday and Wednesday, allowing you plenty of time to complete the required weekly activities. When group projects are required, you may need extra time to complete activities, so plan accordingly. The activity completion time for most assignments is Wednesday at noon and Friday by 5pm.

Note about deadlines: If you encounter major technological problems, please email me the assignment that is due by the deadline in order to receive credit. Once the email has been sent, go back and try to fix the problem. All works must show up in its assigned space if you want to receive credit.

Our Virtual Community: An important part of an on-line course driven by feminist pedagogy is that it offers students an opportunity to develop a virtual community. Our class is designed to encourage you to develop one or several virtual selves that interact with others. Multiple spaces for dialogue are offered, such as message boards, weblogs, chatbox and email. We will make a commitment to each other to encourage the expression of critique and dialogue about course materials. In this forum, intimidating remarks, particularly of sexist, racist, or homophobic natures, will not be tolerated. You must treat each other with respect. Failure to do so is a failure to complete this course successfully.

Disclaimers: Some of the materials covered in this course may be considered challenging. Our classroom will remain an open space for the exchange of ideas. You have been warned.

Disability Policy: The Pennsylvania State University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have any questions about physical access, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.

Contacting Your Instructor: All email to the instructor should take place within the course website. Please anticipate a response within 48 hours.

Technical Requirements: Your computer must meet the ANGEL technical requirements to take this course.

The Learning Experience: In many ways this course will be both self directed and self propelling—you will get out of it what you put into it. An online course is not easier than a traditional resident course. You must be willing and able to commit the same amount of time as you would for attending class and studying for a traditional course. Online courses are a lot of work and they make great organizational demands on students. They also allow you to fashion the learning experience around your schedule—you can work in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning or anytime in between. Our classroom never closes.

 

Required Course Material (return to top)

Texts:

hooks, bell (2000) Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics . Cambridge , MA : South End Press. (noted as FIFE on your syllabus)

And

Shaw, Susan and Janet Lee (2004) Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings (2 nd Edition) New York : McGraw Hill (noted as WVFV on your syllabus)

And

Karp, Marcelle and Debbie Stoller (1999) Bust Guide to the New Girl Order . New York : Penguin Books (noted as BUST on your syllabus)

 

In addition to the required texts, you need to have an active PSU account and internet access ANGEL and our course website www.cyberfem.org. You will need to check our website daily to read and post to our course weblog and message board.

 

Course Format (return to top)

Understanding the world from the point of view of women is something very new for most of us. It is a slow and gradual process that, much like learning to walk, can only be accomplished once you learn the steps. Each step is crucial and only you can take it for yourself. Further, each step is cumulative; each day builds on the previous day. As a result, I have designed this course to foster daily, active learning on your part—all assignments, including the written ones, will ask you to “do” women's studies. You will find, therefore, that rather than having heavily weighted assignments due only once or twice during the term, the workload in this course will be smaller but continuous, with a wider variety of evaluative activities. In addition to individual reading, writing, and online discussion, you will engage in a variety of other activities.

 

Required Assignments (return to top)

You will risk failing the course if you do not complete all of the following assignments.

Weblog Participation

(65% of your grade)

The discipline of Women's Studies is concerned with the intersection of theory and practice and strives to find innovative ways to bridge the two. In an attempt to further this mission, you will have the opportunity to embark upon a feminist cyber learning weblog project informed by your growing knowledge of feminism and feminist thinking. Simply put, you will be using a weblog (or a blog) to discuss concepts and ideas presented in the course readings in an online community. Much of our class conversation will happen on the Student Discussion Blog, so you should anticipate checking it frequently.

Each lesson will begin with an overview post written by your instructor. You should begin the lesson by reading this post. If you have comments or questions about the material presented, feel free to post your thoughts on the General Class Forum within the Lesson Overview folder. Each of my Lesson Overview posts will contain several hyperlinks. You do not need to follow every hyperlink, these links are merely there to provide you with supplemental information if you are interested.

Your weblog assignments include the following:

  • Formal Discussion Post- once per semester

  • Discussion Comments- two per lesson

  • Student Project Blog- one per lesson

 

Formal Discussion Blog Post

(Approx. 150-250 words)

At one point during the semester, you will be required to post a formal discussion piece to the blog under the Formal Discussion Blog. Go to the calendar section of weblog to find out how to sign up for your Formal Discussion Blog Post. This single post is worth a substantial portion of your grade, so you should spend a fair bit of time crafting it. The content of your post should come from the assigned readings for that lesson as well as your instructor's Lesson Overview Blog and it should connect these materials to current events or real world scenarios. It should be provocative and be able to stimulate a discussion. I will grade your post based on your ability to demonstrate mastery of the lesson content and engage the learning and discussion of others in the course. The post that generates the most discussion will be awarded extra credit. All posts must be submitted 1 hour before group discussion opens on either Monday @ 8am or Wednesday @ noon, though they will not be published until the lesson officially opens.

Discussion Blog Comments

(Approx. 100 words)

During each lesson, you will be required to comment on the Formal Discussion Posts. You are required to comment even during the lesson that you write a Formal Discussion Blog Post. Think of these comments as our class discussion, where you engage with ideas and puzzle through the course material. You are required to make at least 2 comments per lesson, and they need to be no less than 10 hours apart to be eligible for full credit. (i.e. if you post at 8am on Monday morning, you must wait until 6pm to post your second comment.) To be eligible for full credit, you must read all the previous comments and make a new and unique contribution to the discussion. I will grade your post based on the addition it makes to the conversation. A comment that merely agrees with an already expressed opinion will not receive credit. Discussion comments will be GRADED RANDOMLY at four separate times during the semester, so you will not receive a grade for every comment. Remember, there is a 2 comment minimum during every lesson, though you may post as many comments as you like. Spirited participation may help borderline grades.

Student Project Blog

(Approx. 200-500 words)

We will employ a variety of learning strategies during the course of this semester. Each lesson, you are required to critically reflect on the readings and lesson overview by participating in a student project. These activities include both group and individual work and range from writing a feminist fairy tale to creating a budget for a family in poverty. Each project is due by NOON on the day that the lesson closes, and must be published in the appropriate Student Project Blog. See the website for more specific information on each project.

 

Critical Reflection Essay

(15% of your grade)

(Approx 900-1200 words (not including citations)

This course aims to sharpen your critical reflection skills, and one of the many ways I will encourage this is through a critical reflection paper. You will be required to critically reflect on one set of the course readings and draw on two outside sources to support your case. Your critical reflection paper should not merely review the topic. Instead, you should aim to:

Introduce & Summarize one or two particular topics that you found interesting and deserving of further attention

Pose critical questions about what is at stake in this debate for feminists

Analyze & Synthesize these ideas and discuss their relation to the week's reading and to feminism in general

Reflect on how this subject matter may relate to other issues we have discussed in the course

A good strategy to follow is to define a few key terms and focus your argument on a close reading of a single idea that threads through multiple readings. Don't forget to include a coherent thesis statement and to support your argument with concrete examples from the sources you use.

I strongly advise you to use the resources available at the Undergraduate Writing Center .

Please post your critical reflection paper in the folder entitled “Papers” on ANGEL.

 

Reading Quizzes

(15% of your grade)

On the first day of each new lesson, you will be required to take an open book and open note quiz on ANGEL. Quizzes will only be available on the first day of the lesson, so plan accordingly. NO MAKE UP QUIZZES WILL BE OFFERED AFTER THE DESIGNATED QUIZ PERIOD.

These quizzes will contain multiple choice, fill in the blank and true/false questions. This is a reading and discussion intensive course, so the best preparation for the quizzes will include close readings of the texts. If you know you will not be able to take a quiz you must consult with me prior to the quiz period to make alternative arrangements.

Plagiarism and any other cheating will result in a grade of F for this course and possible expulsion from the University. Refer to the class website for tips on how to cite sources appropriately and honestly.

Your continued presence in this classroom implies your acceptance of these policies.

 

Lesson Summaries (return to top)

 

Lesson 1 Introducing Women's Studies Virtually

Monday, May 15- Wednesday, May 17

Introduction to class materials and policies, introduction to course website and weblog

Reading Due by Monday @ 8am :

  1. Read your syllabus
  2. Read the course website and weblog
  3. Read your classmates' and group mates' introductions

Homework Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. Buy course textbooks:
    1. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions (WVFV)
    2. Feminism is for Everybody (FIFE)
    3. Bust Guide to the New Girl Order (BUST)
  2. Logon to the course website www.cyberfem.org and read about our course
  3. Register for the course website and weblog by selecting a username (screen name should not be your real name!) and password
  4. Select an avatar for your user profile
  5. Post your introduction on the General Class Forum
  6. Comment on Discussion Blog One
  7. Take Quiz #1 on ANGEL (Open only on Monday)
  8. Sign up for your Formal Discussion Blog Post and your Critical Reflection Paper:
    1. Log in to the course website
    2. Locate the WS001 People section of the green Menu Bar on the left of the course website
    3. Select My Learning Group from the Menu
    4. Select from the available lessons in the drop down menu
    5. Click the Sign Up button

 

Lesson 2 Introducing Feminism

Wednesday, May 17- Friday, May 19

Reading Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. FIFE Introduction (p. vii-x) & Feminist Politics (p. 1-6)
  2. WVFV A Day Without Feminism (p. 30-33)
  3. BUST Our Womanly Ways (p. 1-7)

Homework Due by Friday @ 5pm :

  1. Take Quiz #2 on ANGEL (Open on Wednesday only)
  2. Post comments on the Discussion Blog Two (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Introduce yourself to your group members in the Message Board and begin work on your first group project (due Friday, May 26)
  4. Surf around the website and become familiar with things
  5. REMINDER: Group #3 should prepare their Formal Discussion Blog Posts and their Critical Reflection Essay for Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Learning the History of Feminism

Monday, May 22- Wednesday, May 24

  • Group #3 Submits Discussion Blog Three Posts before Lesson 3 opens
  • Group #3 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 3 opens

Reading Due by Monday @ 8am :

  1. FIFE Sisterhood is Powerful (p. 13-18)
  2. WVFV Constitutional Argument (p. 479-480)
  3. BUST Girl on Girls (p. 303-310)

Homework Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. Take Quiz #3 on ANGEL (Open on Monday only)
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Three (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Continue to work on your first group project (due Friday, May 26)

 

Lesson 4 Learning Gender

Wednesday, May 24- Friday, May 26

  • Group #4 Submits Discussion Blog Four Posts before Lesson 4 opens
  • Group #4 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 4 opens

Reading Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. WVFV Learning Gender (p. 113-126) & Social Construction of Gender (p. 129-132) & X: A Fabulous Child's Story (p. 127-129)
  2. BUST (p. 183-188) & (p. 189-192) & (p. 202-208)

Homework Due by Friday @ 5pm :

  1. Take Quiz #4 on ANGEL (Open on Wednesday only)
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Four (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your first group learning activity to the website under Student Project One
  4. Vote on the best student project through the Class Polling section of the site

 

Lesson 5 Feminism & the Media

Monday, May 29- Wednesday, May 31

  • Group #5 Submits Formal Discussion Blog Posts before Lesson 5 opens
  • Group #5 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 5 opens

Reading Due by Monday @ 8am :

  1. BUST Media Whores (p. 265-272) & Bitch on Heels (p. 283-285)
  2. www.about-face.org
  3. www.mediareporttowomen.com/statistics.htm

Homework Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. Take Quiz #5 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Five (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your learning activity to the website under Student Project Two

 

Lesson 6 Sex & Sexuality

Wednesday, May 31- Friday, June 2

  • Group #6 Submits Formal Discussion Blog Posts before Lesson 6 opens
  • Group #6 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 6 opens

Reading Due by Monday @ 8am :

  1. FIFE A Feminist Sexual Politic (p. 85-92)
  2. WVFV Social Construction of Sexuality (p. 153-158) & Politics of Sexuality (p. 158-161)
  3. BUST Betty & Celina Part II (p. 93-96)
  4. http://www.siecus.org/pubs/fact/fact0013.html

Homework Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. Take Quiz #6 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Six (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your learning activity to the website under Student Project Three
  4. Vote on the best student project through the Class Polling section of the site

 

Lesson 7 Reproductive Rights

Monday, June 5- Wednesday, June 7

  • Group #7 Submits Formal Discussion Posts before Lesson 7 opens
  • Group #7 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 7 opens

Reading Due by Monday @ 8am :

  1. FIFE Our Bodies, Ourselves (p. 25-30)
  2. WVFV Reproductive Choice (p. 246-259)
  3. BUST Abortion Story (p. 242-247)
  4. www.naral.org/generation/index.cfm (surf ‘Walk in her shoes' & FAQ about Choice)

Homework Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. Take Quiz #7 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Seven (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your learning activity to the website under Student Project Four

 

Lesson 8 Pornography and Prostitution

Wednesday, June 7- Friday, June 9

  • Group #8 Submits Formal Discussion Posts before Lesson 8 opens
  • Group #8 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 8 opens

Reading Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. WVFV Prostitution (p. 376-379) & Confessions of a Feminist Porno Star (p. 421-422) & Pornography and Freedom (p. 452-456) & The Internet and Global Prostitution (p. 456-460)
  2. BUST Lesson Number One (p. 104-109)

Homework Due by Friday @ 8am :

  1. Take Quiz #8 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Eight (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Do the debate on the website under Student Project Five @ noon
  4. Vote on the best student project through the Class Polling section of the site

 

Lesson 9 Birth & Midwifery

Monday, June 12- Wednesday, June 14

  • Group #9 Submits Formal Discussion Posts before Lesson 9 opens
  • Group #9 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 9 opens

Reading Due by Monday @ 8am:

  1. Midwifery is Not the Practice of Medicine

Homework Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. Take Quiz #9 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Nine (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your learning activity to the website under Student Project Six

 

Lesson 10 Women and Poverty

Wednesday, June 14- Friday, June 16

  • Group #10 Submits Formal Discussion Posts before Lesson 10 opens
  • Group #10 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 10 opens

Reading Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. WVFV Public Policy (p. 473-474) & The Rhetoric and Reality of Welfare Reform (p. 493-505)
  2. Women's Poverty in the US

Homework Due by Friday @ 5pm :

  1. Take Quiz #10 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Ten (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your learning activity to the website under Student Project Seven
  4. Vote on the best student project through the Class Polling section of the site

 

Lesson 11 Women in the Public Sphere

Monday, June 19- Wednesday, June 21

  • Group #11 Submits Formal Discussion Posts before Lesson 11 opens
  • Group #11 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 11 opens

Reading Due by Monday @ 8am :

  1. FIFE Women and Work (p. 48-54)
  2. WVFV Living in McJobdom (p. 352-358) & What Is Sexual Harassment? (p. 331) & Hey, Why Don't You Wear A Shorter Skirt? (p. 359-370)

Homework Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. Take Quiz #11 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Eleven (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your learning activity to the website under Student Project Eight

 

Lesson 12 The Future of Feminism

Wednesday, June 21- Friday, June 23

  • Group #12 Submits Formal Discussion Posts before Lesson 12 opens
  • Group #12 Submits Critical Reflection Essay before Lesson 12 opens

Reading Due by Wednesday @ noon :

  1. FIFE Global Feminism (p. 44-47) & To Love Again (p. 100-104) & Visionary Feminism (p. 110-118)
  2. WVFV The Promise of Feminist Education (p. 552-564) & Real Men Join the Movement (p. 568-572) & A Day With Feminism (p. 589-592)

Homework Due by Friday @ 5pm :

  1. Take Quiz #12 on ANGEL
  2. Comment on Discussion Blog Twelve (minimum 2 comments, 10hrs apart)
  3. Post your learning activity to the website under Student Project Nine
  4. Vote on the best student project through the Class Polling section of the site
  5. PM your instructor with grades for each of your group members