Prof. Abby Arnold

Contact information: asa8np@virginia.edu

·         I will do my best to respond to your email within 24 hours, 48 hours on the weekend. Please do not count on my responding to last minute emails the night before a significant project or paper is due, as I may not be available.

Class Description: Why are there separate Big Wheels for girls and boys? Why are politicians said to be “for women” and not “for men?” This course focuses on the social construction of gender and the ways in which gender norms and stereotypes are created, sustained and reproduced in the social world.  We will critically examine the institutions and cultural practices that shape our gendered lives, and explore the intersections between gender and race, class, age and sexual orientation.

Required Texts:

·         Friedman, Jaclyn and Valenti, Jessica eds. Yes Means Yes! Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape. Berkeley CA: Seal Press. 2008  ISBN 978-1-58005-257-3

·         Moran, Caitlin.  How To Be A Woman. New York: Harper Perennial. 2011.                           

 ISBN 978-0-06-212429-6

·         Kelly, Suzan, Gowri Parameswaran, Nancy Schniedewind, eds. Women: Images and Realities, 5^th edition. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012.  ISBN 978-07-351231-0

·         A course packet, available on Collab.

Learning Outcomes:

·         To identify the ways in which gender norms are culturally constructed and the social institutions and practices that maintain and perpetuate gender norms, stereotypes and conventions.

·         To understand and identify the intersection of gender with other cultural markers such as race, class, sexual orientation and age, and how these markers work together in an interlocking system.

·         To analyze the role American popular culture plays in maintaining and reproducing gender stereotypes.

·         To understand the contributions of feminist movement to our understanding of gender norms and to explore the reasons “feminist” is a ‘dirty word’ in much of our culture.

·         To further develop high level academic skills in critical reading, writing and thinking.

Assessment Components:

Weekly Response Papers: 25%

You will write a response to each week’s readings (at least 1 full page, 2 pp max).  These responses will focus on one of the readings, which you will apply to something you see in the world around you—a TV show, an incident at work, something in your family. You must quote from the text at least twice to support your views. You are allowed to skip one week’s response, for a total of  8 response papers. 

2 short essays: 20% (10% each)

These essays will ask you to apply gender theory to the world around you. You will turn in multiple drafts of these essays.

Class presentation (with another student): 15%

With another student, you will “teach” an article to the class.  Your presentation  will include your unpacking and discussing the major theories, terms and ideas in your article, giving real world examples of the ideas and leading a group discussion.

Research proposal and annotated bibliography: 10%

You will submit a proposal for your researched essay, and an annotated bibliography. This bibliography will require you to read 5 academic sources that we have not read in class.  You should decide on these sources based on your final paper topic and through discussion with me.  This bibliography should include citations in MLA format and a 1 paragraph synopsis of each text.

Final Researched Essay:  20%

You will research a topic inspired by class readings and discussions, and write an 8-10 page extended essay on that subject.

Class participation. 10%

Your class participation, including coming to class prepared, on time, with questions and ideas and the willingness to talk about them, is vital to the success of the class. If you miss more than one class it will affect your final grade.  Please note: This one absence includes summer vacations, illness, child emergency and any other life event that keeps you from class.  Use your one absence carefully— I am not going to distinguish between student emergencies, valuing one over another. You get one absence and after that your grade goes down. No matter what.

Delivery Mode : This class meets every Wednesday night from 7-9:45 PM during the summer session.  We also have a Saturday morning meeting on Saturday July 19 at 8AM.  This Sat. class is not optional—it is a required meeting time.  If for some reason the instructor or the university has to cancel a scheduled class meeting, you will be required to participate in some kind of class activity on Collab, to be determined if needed.

Required Technical Resources and Technical Components: You need a computer with internet access and word processing software. You will also need to access pop culture texts such as TV shows, internet sites, magazines, local stores, etc. You need a functioning printer so that you can print the readings on Collab and bring them to class.

 

Communication: Contact me on my email asa8np@virginia.edu.  I will reply in 24 hours, except on weekends when it may take me 48 hours. I am happy to set up appointments and conferences, contact me to set up an appointment.

 

Assignments: All assignments will be given in class and posted on Collab within 24 hours of the class meeting.

 

Resources:  All PDF class readings can be accessed on the Resources tab of Collab.

 

Gradebook:  Grades will be posted and kept on Gradebook in Collab, except for the initial grades given for Essays One and Two.