(Writing Intensive/Non-Writing Intensive)

PREREQUISITE: Completion ENG 100

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the evolving role, status and identity of women in a multicultural society. Emphasis will be put on patterns of social change and their effect on contemporary issues.

COURSE PURPOSE:

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to Women's Studies, the newest major field in American universities and colleges. Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary exploration of the world of women. It looks at the experiences of women (and men) through the prism of gender. Since most of traditional scholarship and teaching has been primarily about men, part of the goal of Women's Studies is corrective: it involves the collection and addition of missing information and the correction of misconceptions about women. But this first step is preliminary to the more important and difficult task of rethinking the entirety of our knowledge in light of the new perspectives made available when women's experiences are taken as a valid starting point for understanding.

COURSE CONTENT:

This course will:

1. Introduce you to the interdisciplinary field of Women's Studies and its impact on traditional disciplines and methodologies currently existing in higher education.
2. Examine the competing explanations of the development of sex/gender systems and individual differences.
3. Explore the influence of gender-defining institutions such as schools, religion and government on women's lives.
4. Study the issues of choice and control that women face in the areas of communication, reproduction and employment.
5. Explore the sources of unity and diversity amongst women; the impact of the women's movement on men; and men's responses to feminism.
6. Explore ways to bring about active change in the way women are perceived and integrated into society.

 WEEKLY TOPICS:

Block I: Our Roots

Block II: Our Present

Block III: Our Future

EVALUATION:

WRITING INTENSIVE GUIDELINES:

As a Writing Intensive (WI) designated class, this course will:

1. Require students to do a significant amount of writing. A minimum of 4000 words or the equivalent of 16 typed pages. Various types of formal and informal writing will be required. Assignments will include: essays, position papers, an oral history, in-class writing assignments and a social policy research and recommendation paper.
2. Require writing assignments that deepen your understanding of the course materials.
3. Provide for personal interaction between the instructor and student as part of the writing process by written feedback on drafts, individual meetings on a research topic.
4. Establish writing as a major element in determining the grade for the course.
5. Please plan to date and keep all completed writing assignments, including drafts along with my comments and peer reviews, pre-writing activity and extra credit responses in a, three ring binder. I will review this record of your writings in the middle and at the end of the semester.
6. I reserve the right to sometimes make copies of especially thoughtfully written student's papers for the class to read as models. If you do not want a particular paper of yours reproduced for the class, please indicate this on that paper.
7. Writing is a tool to improve your thinking and expressing. The class will work together in a supportive, but discerning atmosphere to sharpen and polish our writing, critical thinking and expressive faculties.