HUMA 500 /ECS 550 – Critical Methods in the Humanities / Critical
Methods in Cultural Studies
What Is Sexual Difference?
University of New Hampshire, Humanities Program, Spring 2009
Professor: Catherine Peebles
Course meetings: MWF, 12:10-1:00, Murkland Hall, room 201
Office hours: MW, 11:10-12:00, 1:00-2:00, and by appointment. Huddleston Hall, 104
This course allows students to do extended, in-depth research on one topic throughout the
semester. It is designed to help Humanities majors, European Cultural Studies majors, and
university students in general master the art of serious paper-writing in the humanities. The
Humanities Program also hopes that this course will prepare and encourage more liberal arts
students to apply for UROP and IROP grants, which require the submission of a research
proposal as part of the application process. Students write a final research paper of 15-20
pages. Before this, students will also produce an annotated bibliography and a research
proposal of five pages. There will also be two in-class exams on the course material, one
toward the middle of the semester, and one at the end. This course will address one main topic,
and students will choose the focus of their research from an area within that general topic. For
Fall 2011, the course topic is: What Is Sexual Difference?
We will be investigating representations of sexual differnce in several major works. They are:
1. Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, Introduction and chapter 2; “Female
Sexuality,” and “Femininity” (on Bb)
2. Shoshana Felman, What Does a Woman Want? Reading and Sexual Difference,
chapter 4 (Bb)
3. Katherine MacKinnon, Feminism Unmodified, Introduction, chapters 1-3, 13, and
“Afterword” (Bb)
4. Drucilla Cornell, “Feminism Always Modified” (Bb)
5. Monique Wittig, The Straight Mind
6. Elizabeth Grosz, “Sexual Difference and the Problem of Essentialism” (Bb)
7. Joan Scott, “‘Experience’” (Bb)
8. Jane Flax, “The End of Innocence” (Bb)
9. Luce Irigaray, readings to be determined
10. Billy Wilder, “Some Like It Hot” (1959, 122 minutes)
11. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
12. Students should also buy a copy of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers, sixth edition.
All books are available at the Durham Book Exchange, on Main Street. The Kant, Hegel, and
Irigaray excerpts are available on Blackboard, and students should print them out and bring
them to class on the scheduled days.
Academic Honesty:
I take the UNH Academic Honesty policy seriously, since trust is essential to any intellectual
community, whether a whole college, a large course, or a small seminar. I refer any instance of
academic dishonesty to the student's college dean and recommend dismissal from the
university as the most appropriate penalty. Be sure you are familiar with UNH’s academic
honesty policy, which you can reread in the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook.
You are responsible for knowing what plagiarism is, and making sure you do not commit it. If
you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism, you may see the on-line tutorial at:
http://www.unh.edu/liberal-arts/plagiarism/plagiarismHome.cfm
Course Requirements:
Coming to class prepared, having done the assigned reading and made extensive notes on it,
and having carefully reviewed seminar notes. Students are expected and required to devote a
minimum of six to eight hours per week to class preparation, which counts for 10% of the
final grade. Preparing for this course involves reading and rereading the assigned work
carefully, underlining important passages, making notes in the margins, and making notes in
your notebook. Your own notes should range from copying significant sections of a text and
definitions of new vocabulary words, to writing down specific questions you have, to
formulating critical responses and interpretations. You are required to look up vocabulary
words with which you are unfamiliar (the Oxford English Dictionary, which is available
through the Library tab on Blackboard, is the best source). And you are required to bring
formulated questions to each class meeting. This course is run as a seminar, which means
that all of the participants are expected, equally, to contribute to our sessions. Your class
preparation grade will be based upon your contribution of salient questions and interpretations,
and your ability to respond cogently to questions concerning the assigned readings.
Attendance is required. A student who misses three classes during the semester will lose a full
letter grade for each subsequent absence, and is required to make an appointment and discuss
the problem with her/his instructor. There is no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused”
absences. The penalty scheme for attendance takes into consideration the occasional
emergency or illness. Accordingly, students are allowed three absences with no penalty. After
that, each absence lowers the grade by one letter-grade.
Exams, proposal, research paper. There will be two exams during the semester. The exams
will consist of short-answer questions and essay questions, so that students will have the
opportunity to demonstrate both their thorough knowledge of the texts and their understanding
of the works’ themes and theoretical problems. The research proposal should be five pages
in length, and should lay out the proposed thesis and structure of the paper. The accompanying
annotated bibliography should include at least eight works: the primary text and at least
seven secondary texts (books, book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles). For this course,
students are required to find their secondary texts in books, book chapters, or peer-reviewed
journals. Finally, the research paper is due on the last day of class. The paper should be 15 to
20 pages in length, and should treat extensively one major work from our syllabus. We will
discuss students’ paper ideas in class; and students should bring up their concerns and ideas
frequently, as this is the best way to begin making progress together. In addition to these
assignments, students will also give at least one in-class presentation on one of our works,
and these presentations should include reflection on one significant secondary source. The
presentations should focus on one particular question the student has about the work, and
should address how one scholar has approached the question. Students turn in a copy of the
presentation on the day they deliver it. The final grade will be an average of the above
components, as follows:
Exam 1
Exam 2
Research proposal
15%
15%
15%
presentation
research paper
class preparation
15%
30%
10%
Reading Schedule____________________________________________________________
8/29
8/31
9/2
Introduction to the course
Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, Introduction and chapter 2
Sigmund Freud, The Interpretation of Dreams, Introduction and chapter 2
9/5
9/7
9/9
Labor Day: No Class
Sigmund Freud, “Female Sexuality,” “Femininity”
Sigmund Freud, “Female Sexuality,” “Femininity”
9/12
Reviewing Freud, beginning Shoshana Felman, chapter 4 of What Does a Woman
Want? Reading and Sexual Difference
Shoshana Felman, chapter 4 of What Does a Woman Want? Reading and Sexual
Difference
Shoshana Felman, chapter 4 of What Does a Woman Want? Reading and Sexual
Difference
9/14
9/16
9/19
9/21
9/23
Freud and Felman: questions and analysis
Freud and Felman: questions and analysis
Exam #1: in-class, short-answer format
9/26
Katherine MacKinnon, Feminism Unmodified, Introduction, chapters 1-3, 13, and
“Afterword”
Katherine MacKinnon, Feminism Unmodified, Introduction, chapters 1-3, 13, and
“Afterword”
Katherine MacKinnon, Feminism Unmodified, Introduction, chapters 1-3, 13, and
“Afterword”
9/28
9/30
10/3
10/5
10/7
Drucilla Cornell, “Feminism Always Modified”
Drucilla Cornell, “Feminism Always Modified”
Drucilla Cornell, “Feminism Always Modified”
10/11 Monique Wittig, The Straight Mind
[Note: this class is on Tuesday the 11th, which follows a Monday schedule this week,
because of Fall Break.]
10/12 Monique Wittig, The Straight Mind
10/14 Monique Wittig, The Straight Mind
[Note: Be sure to watch “Some Like It Hot” twice before we begin discussing it on 10/31.]
10/17 Monique Wittig, The Straight Mind
10/19 Monique Wittig, The Straight Mind
10/21 Monique Wittig, The Straight Mind
10/24 Exam #2: short-essays, in class
10/26 Library session with Professor Deanna Wood
10/28 Session: writing a solid research proposal
10/31 “Some Like It Hot,” directed by Billy Wilder (1959)
11/2 “Some Like It Hot,” directed by Billy Wilder (1959)
11/4 “Some Like It Hot,” directed by Billy Wilder (1959)
Elizabeth Grosz, “Sexual Difference and the Problem of Essentialism,” Joan Scott,
“‘Experience,’” Jane Flax, “The End of Innocence”
11/9 Elizabeth Grosz, “Sexual Difference and the Problem of Essentialism,” Joan Scott,
“‘Experience,’” Jane Flax, “The End of Innocence”
11/11 Veteran’s Day: NO CLASS
11/7
11/14 Elizabeth Grosz, “Sexual Difference and the Problem of Essentialism,” Joan Scott,
“‘Experience,’” Jane Flax, “The End of Innocence”
11/16 Elizabeth Grosz, “Sexual Difference and the Problem of Essentialism,” Joan Scott,
“‘Experience,’” Jane Flax, “The End of Innocence”
11/18 Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
11/21 Research proposal due (five pp. plus annotated bibliography); second library session
11/23 Thanksgiving Holiday: NO CLASS
11/25 Thanksgiving Holiday: NO CLASS
11/28 Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
11/30 Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
12/2 Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
12/5
12/7
12/9
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Final papers due.
Note: We will make changes to our schedule according to our progress as a group.