An Introduction to Women's Studies - Project Blog

Project One Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:46:47 -0800

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice…

Writing a Feminist Fairy Tale

(Approx. 500 words)

How many hours a week would you guess that a 1 year old toddler watches television? Well, given that the American Pediatric Association recommends that children under 2 years of age don't watch any television, it's surprising that, on average, those one-year-old toddlers are watching about 6 hours a week ! And that's even better than the 20 hours (on average) that children ages 2-10 watch! So as parents across the country pop in the next Disney DVD, let's take a moment to think about the gender messages that come across and see if we can do a bit of intervention.

Project Two Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:46:26 -0800

What are YOU looking at?

Creating Critical Media Literacy

(Approx. 200 words each)

Average magazine readership among women is up. It climbed from 4.3 million in 1998 to 4.5 million and 2002 . What role do women's magazines play in shaping our ideas about gender?

Project Three Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:46:06 -0800

Project Three

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby!

Developing a Feminist Sex Education Curriculum

(Approx. 500 words)

Abstinence-only education is becoming common-place in America 's schools, even in the face of mounting evidence that suggests it is rarely effective in lowering teenage sexual activity. This trend is disconcerting, and suggests that young people today are having sex without full information about the risks of STDs and pregnancy.

Project Four Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:45:42 -0800

Calling Out Choice

Phoning Pharmacies

(Approx 250 words)

Emergency Contraception (a.k.a. the morning after pill, EC, Plan B) is a legal medication that prevents conception when taken within 72 hours of intercourse. It is available with a doctor's prescription from a number of pharmacies around the country. Unfortunately, many prescriptions go unfilled as pharmacists make refusals based on religious or moral beliefs.

Project Five Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:45:16 -0800

The Pornography and Prostitution Live @ Noon Debate

(Approx. 250 words each)

Feminists have not agreed on whether to oppose or support pornography and prostitution. And with good reason. There are numerous explanations as to why these practices are problematic, but there are just as many reasons why they may be empowering and emancipatory.

Group Project: In this exercise, each group will argue one side of the debate, based on the assignments below:

Project Six Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:43:35 -0800

Telling Stories

Finding out the Truth about Birth

(Approx 500 words)

Healthy, low-risk women are increasingly delivering their babies via cesarean section, or c-section . In fact, 3 out of 10 women will have a cesarean delivery. Given that cesarean section—along with a variety of other medical interventions—are more likely to harm the mother and child, why is birth becoming more medicalized in our country?

Project Seven Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:42:57 -0800

Making Ends Meet

Tackling Women's Poverty

(Approx 500 words)

Fifteen percent of American women live in poverty, and 1 out of every 4 children lives in poverty in this country. And while those statistics may seem shocking, they do little to convey the daily struggle for existence that these women and children endure. Why are so many women and children living in poverty? How might this situation increase women's vulnerability and make them more susceptible to other risks?

Project Eight Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:42:39 -0800

Looking Into the Crystal Ball

Investigating the Wage Gap

(Approx 250 words)

Ever since the Equal Pay Act of 1963, it has been illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work. Even so, there is a substantial wage gap that exists today, and on average women make $0.76 for every $1.00 that men make. Minority women fare even worse, and African-American women earn just $0.65 to every dollar earned by white men, and Hispanic women average a mere $0.54 per dollar.

Project Nine Instructions

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 20:42:18 -0800

Singing a Feminist Tune

(Approx 150 words)

Is today's popular music anti-feminist? Is it sexist? If you think it might be, then why do you think so many people getting down to music that objectifies and dehumanizes women ?

Group Project: Consider the lyrics to Beyonce's recent hit Check On It in the context of all that we have learned in this class. What are the messages implicit in her lyrics? What does her song teach about what it is to be a woman in today's world? Along with the chorus, choose either the first, second or third section of the song to rewrite . Incorporate as many of the themes we've covered in this semester as possible. If you feel inspired, send your rewrites to Sony Music with a message about supporting more pro-women music.