Women's Studies 4000:
Advanced Seminar in Women's Studies
Winter, 1996
Ellen Balka Office Hours:
Science Building, 4079 Monday Noon-2:00
Phone: 737-2515 Tuesday 12-1 and by appointment.
Course Description:
An interdisciplinary seminar designed to focus on women's issues, methodology and theories of Women's Studies. Topics will include feminist perspectives on education, the relationship of feminist theory to feminist practice, uses of feminist theory, applying feminist theory, identifying strengths and weaknesses of contemporary feminist theories, and the women's movement in the United States and Canada.
Required Course Texts:
- Aaron, J.E. (1994). Little Brown Essentials Handbook. Little Brown & Co.: Toronto.
- Descarres-Belanger, F. & Roy, S. (1991). The CRIAW Papers/Les Documents de l'ICREF # 26: The Women's Movement and its currents of thought: A typological essay.
- Tong, R. (1989). Feminist thought: A comprehensive introduction. Westview Press: Boulder, CO.
Several Articles are on available in a course reader, (which I recomend that you purchase so that you can write on the articles), or on reserve in the QEII Library. If you are planning on copying the articles, you should buy the reader, which will cost less than copying the articles one by one). They are indicated in the course outline with an ®.
Course Requirements*:
Assignment: % of Grade: Due Dates:
Ungraded paper proposal (on form) 5 Beginning of class Jan. 30
Seminar presentation 5 To be scheduled
Seminar presentation written work 10 To be scheduled
Issue Sheets (each student must complete 3) 10 each Prior to class
Final Paper 30 5:00 p.m. April 9, S-4079
Class Participation (including attendance) 20 Ongoing
Women's Studies 4000: Seminar in Women's Studies
Winter, 1995
Reading Schedule:
Week Date Topic and Readings
1 Tues. Jan.16 Introduction to the course and each other;
What is theory and how is it related to practice?
2 Tues. Jan.23 Overview of Feminist Theory
Descarres-Belanger, F. & Roy, S. (1991). The CRIAW Papers/Les Documents de l'ICREF # 26: The Women's Movement and its currents of thought: A typological essay.
Collins, P. H. (1989). The Social Construction of Black Feminist Thought. Signs, 14 (4), 745-773.®
Whitney, P. (1995). An Introduction to Feminist Theory. Handout provided by author.
3 Tues. Jan. 30 Liberal Feminism
Chapter 1, Tong
Holleran, P.M. & Schwarz, M. (1988). Another look at comparable worth's impact on black women. The Review of Black Political Economy 16 #3.
4 Tues. Feb. 6 Marxist Feminism
Chapter 2, Tong
Benston, M. (1969). The Political economy of women's liberation. Monthly Review 21(4), 19-27. ®
Malveaux, J. (1985). The economic interests of black and white women: Are they similar? Review of Black Political Economy, 14 #1 5-27. ®
5 Tues. Feb. 13 Radical Feminism (1)
Chapter 3, Tong
Hurtado, A. (1994). Relating to privilege: Seduction and rejection in the subordination of white women and women of color. In A.C. Herrmann & A.J.Stewart, (Eds.).Theorizing feminism: Parallel trends in the humanities and social sciences.Westview Press: Boulder, CO. 136-154. ®
6 Tues. Feb. 20 Radical Feminism (2)
Chapter 4, Tong
Harding, S. (1994). Thinking from the perspective of lesbian lives. In A.C. Herrmann &J. Stewart, (Eds.).Theorizing feminism: Parallel trends in the humanities and social sciences. Westview Press: Boulder, CO. 343-357 ®
Rich, A. (1983). Compulsive Heterosexuality and Lesbian Experience. In A. Snitow, C. Stansell & S. Thompson (Eds.). Powers of Desire. N.Y.:177-205. ®
7 Tues. Feb. 27 Psychoanalytic Feminism
Chapter 5, Tong
James, K. (1992). Why feminists have become interested in psychoanalysis- or "La plus ca change..." Journal of feminist family therapy Vol. 4 (3/4). ®
Hamer, D. (1990). Significant others: Lesbianism and psychoanalytic theory. Feminist Review No. 34. ®
8 Tues. March 5 Socialist Feminism
Chapter 6, Tong
Barret, M., & McIntosh, M. (1985,June). Ethonocentrism and Socialist-Feminist Theory. Feminist Review, 20,
22-42.®
Mitza, H. S. (1986, February). The Dilemma of Socialist Feminism: A Case for Black Feminism. Feminist Review,22, 103-105.®
Ramazanoglu, C. (1986, February). Ethnocentrism and Socialist Feminist Theory: A Response to Barrett and McIntosh. Feminist Review, 22, 83-86.®
Kazi, H. (1985, February). The Beginning of a Debate Long Due: Some Observations on "Ethnocentrism and Socialist-Feminist Theory". Feminist Review, 22, 87-91.®
9 Tues. March 19 Existentialist Feminism
Chapter 7, Tong
Dietz, M.G. (1992). Introduction: Debating Simone de Beauvoir. Signs 18 # 1. 74-88. ®
Kruks, S. (1992). Gender and subjectivity: Simone de Beauvoir and contemporary feminism. Signs 18 # 1. 89-110.®
Simons, M.A. (1992). Lesbian connections:Simone de Beauvoir and feminism. Signs 18# 1. 136-161. ®
10 Tues. March 26 Postmodern Feminism
Chapter 8, Tong
Phelan, S. (1993). (Be)Coming Out:Lesbian Identity and Politics. Signs Summer 1993. 757-790. ®
Scott, J.W. (1994). Deconstructing equality-versus-difference: or, The uses of poststructuralist theory for feminism. In A.C. Herrmann & A.J. Stewart,(Eds.). Theorizing feminism: Parallel Recent trends in the humanities and social sciences. Westview Press: Boulder, CO. 358-371.®
11 Tues. April 2 The Women's Movement
12 Tues. April 9 Wrap-up and student presentations.
13 Tues. April 16 Final Papers Due, 5:00 p.m. in S-4079.
\Advanced Seminar in Women's Studies
Winter, 1996
Description of AssignmentsIntroduction:
In completing the assignments below, we hope to aid you in sharpening your ability to read critically and write concisely. Each assignment builds on those before it. The issue sheets are intended to encourage you to read and think critically on an ongoing basis. The final paper, based on your ongoing work with issue sheets and additional work in the library, is intended to aid you in applying your thoughts about theory in an academic voice.
Identifying your issue:
Students will be required to choose an issue that is meaningful to them at the beginning of the semester. In completing assignments, especially the issue sheets and final paper, students will be required to reflect on and write about what course readings and class discussions do or do not address with reference to their issue.
The issue you select will be the focal point of your work for the term. You should choose an issue that is interesting to you. It may have personal significance to you, though it need not. However, the issue you choose should be interesting enough to think about for 14 weeks. You will be required to submit a sheet of paper (that will be handed out in class) briefly describing a) what your issue is, b) why you have chosen that issue, and c) listing references to books related to your issue. This is mandatory, but ungraded.
Seminar presentations and written work:
Between weeks 3 and 11 students will be required to work in groups of two or three and take responsibility for preparing and presenting a seminar presentation on assigned readings (1 from Tong (1989) and 1 other assigned reading) and submitting a written critique of assigned readings to be handed in at the beginning of class on the day that material will be discussed. As a guide, students may want to follow the format below for their written critiques. Written critiques should be brief-no more than four double-spaced typed pages.
Some students have difficulty with identifying the three main points in the articles (as opposed to summarizing the articles). The brief example below may be helpful. If I were summarizing the story Little Red Riding Hood I would start out by telling you there was a little girl who had a red hood, and that she went through the woods with a basket of food to go to her grandmother's house, and when she got there she noticed her grandmother had very big ears and teeth (and so on). I would continue to re-tell the story in my own words. In contrast, if I were identifying the three main points of the story, I might say something like: sometimes things are not what they appear to be (as exemplified by the fact that the wolf was dressed like a grandmother), that sometimes people should be cautious (Little Red Riding Hood should not have gone through the woods, or should have been more suspecting when she noticed her grandmother's big ears) etc. Please see me if you are still confused about the difference between a summary and the main points.
Issue Sheets:
Between weeks 3 and 11, students will be required to submit 3 issue sheets (to be handed in at the beginning of class on the day readings addressed in the issue sheets will be discussed).
Students should write briefly (2 typed, double spaced pages) about what each assigned reading does or does not say about the issue they chose at the onset of the semester. No credit will be given for material handed in after an area is addressed in class discussions. It is strongly recomended that you follow the format for seminar presentations, for your issue sheets, though you may want to eliminate some aspects (other than the main points) for brevity).
Final Paper:
For your final papers, you will work with your issue sheets, class notes and with material from your semester's reading and writing. You will also have to complete additional work in the library. You are required to write a research paper (approximately 5,000 words, or 20 pages typed, double spaced) that discusses what feminist theory says about your issue.
DUE TUESDAY APRIL 16th, by 5:00 p.m., Science Building, Room 4079
Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss assigned readings. Assignments and papers are expected on the day they are due, prior to class. Late assignments and papers will not be accepted without a medical note.
Information about Grading
Students are expected to follow conventions of grammar when writing their assignments, and should refer to Little Brown Essentials Handbook if they have any questions about grammar and punctuation. Assignments will be corrected according to editing marks found on the inside cover of the handbook. All assignments will be marked according to the following criteria (reproduced from p. 59 of the 1995-1996 Memorial University Calendar):
"A" (80-100%) indicates EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE with clear evidence of
- a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter and principles treated in the course
- a high degree of originality and independence of thought
- a superior ability to organize and analyze ideas and
- an outstanding ability to communicate.
"B" (65-75%) indicates GOOD PERFORMANCE with evidence of
- a substantial knowledge of the subject matter
- a moderate degree of originality and independence of thought
- a good ability to organize and analyze ideas and
- an ability to communicate clearly and fluently.
"C" (55-60%) indicates SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE with evidence of
- an acceptable grasp of the subject matter
- some ability to organize and analyze ideas and
- ability to communicate adequately.
"D" (50%) indicates MINIMALLY ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE with evidence of
- rudimentary knowledge of the subject matter
- some evidence that organizational and analytic skills have been developed, but with significant weaknesses in some areas, and
- significant weaknesses in the ability to communicate.
"F" (below 50%) indicates FAILING PERFORMANCE with evidence of
- an adequate knowledge of the subject matte
- failure to complete required work
- inability to organize and analyze ideas and
- inability to communicate
or failure to complete required work.
Students are advised to familiarize themselves with the section of the Memorial University Calendar (1995-1996) titled 'Academic Offenses' on p. 60. In particular, students should note that it is considered an academic offense to submit work for one course which has been or is being submitted for another course without express permission to do so (Calendar, p. 60). In addition, academic offenses include submitting someone else's paper as your own, and not properly crediting sources in essays. If you have any questions about how to properly cite the work of others in your essays, you should speak to either your professor or teaching assistant prior to handing in your assignment.