Last Updated – January 21, 2011
(Syllabus subject to change. Latest syllabus will be
posted on blackboard)
COURSE SYLLABUS
Women and Work
(WMST 307-001, HIST 389-003, GOVT 329-001, SOCI 395-006)
Class Location: Robinson Hall A101
Tuesdays 1:30 pm - 2:45PM
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Dr. Yevette Richards
Preferred contact method: e-mail through Blackboard
(courses.gmu.edu)
Phone: 703-993-2896
Office Location: Johnson Center Room 240C
Office Hours: (Tuesdays 3-5, Thursdays 12-1) or by
appointment
Teaching Assistant: Adila Laïdi-Hanieh
Email: "Adila R. Laidi-Hanieh" <ahanieh@gmu.edu>
Course Description
This course covers historical and contemporary
accounts of women's participation in paid and unpaid labor.
The primary and secondary labor markets are analyzed in
order to understand such phenomena as occupational sex
segregation, sexual harassment, and the glass ceiling, as
well as the role of race/ethnicity, class, citizenship and
education in determining women's opportunities and their
value as workers and as family providers. In addition the
course looks at the impact of globalization on women's work
with special attention to the feminization of migration
particularly in regard to the fields of domestic and care
work. The class will examine the reasons behind the
feminization of poverty, the spread of the sweatshop, and
the rise of export processing zones. The policies of the
state and of global agencies like the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund are considered in relation to
women's opportunities and their struggles to maintain a
subsistence living standard.
Texts
Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber and Gregg Lee Carter, Working
Women in America: Split Dreams
Nancy MacLean, Freedom Is Not Enough: The Opening of the
American Workplace
Liza Featherstone, Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle
for Worker's Rights at Wal-Mart
Grace Chang, Disposable Domestics: Immigrant Women Workers
in the Global Economy
Learning objectives
At the end of this course, students will …
have knowledge of major periods in the US of structural
economic change that have affected the nature of women’s
work;
understand the structural approach for analyzing women’s
work;
have acquired knowledge of critical issues affecting women
in the workplace, e.g. sexual harassment, glass ceiling and
other forms of discrimination and sex stereotyping;
understand how socialization and gender role expectations
in the home at work and in other institutions affect
women’s opportunities;
know the legal challenges that have advanced women’s
opportunities and rights in the workplace;
have knowledge of the diversity of women’s work experiences
by understanding the segmentation of labor markets by race,
class, gender, nationality, citizenship status, age,
affirmed or perceived sexual orientation, and other markers
of identity;
understand women’s labor by examining the connections
between the consumption in the developed world and
production in the developing world;
understand the economic forces behind the feminization of
labor and its links with the feminization of poverty;
be able to explain from a historical and contemporary
perspective the reasons governments have facilitated the
efforts to export cheap labor both.
Grade Policy
All course work is due on the appointed day. Half of a
letter grade deduction will be made daily for any late
assignments. Exams are only given on the assigned day,
unless the student provides acceptable documentation for
absence such as a doctor’s excuse.
Grading Scale
100-95 A+
94-93 A
92-90 A 89-87 B+
86-83 B
82-80 B79-77 C+
76-73 C
72-70 C69-60 D
59 and below F
Course Requirements and
Methods of Instruction and Evaluation
Student participation – 15%
Midterm exam - 30%
Class Paper on the MacLean book – 20%
Final exam - 35%
Student participation:
On three occasions students will identify a main argument
or theme that is presented in the literature. At least a
day before their assigned class meets students should
post the argument or theme along with a related discussion
question on blackboard. Be sure not to post a similar
question to one already posted by a fellow student.
Class Paper on the MacLean book:
Due April 5. Students will write an analysis of the book’s
major themes and provide an assessment of the author’s
arguments? If students wish to dispute or qualify any of
MacLean’s arguments they must do so by using scholarly
sources. Conjecture, personal experience, and nonscholarly sources of information cannot be used as
evidence.
Papers should be 4 to 5 pages, double-spaced with 12-point
font and regular one-inch margins. Students’ names and
other identifying information should be confined to the
header section and not be part of the text. A paper
shorter than 4 full pages will incur a significant grade
reduction.
*** All written work should be proofed for grammar and
spelling.
Midterm and final exams:
The midterm exam covers material from the beginning of the
semester. The final will cover only the material after the
midterm. These exams will consist of multiple choice, short
answer, and longer essay questions. Review questions will
be posted on blackboard.
*** Keep a copy of all the work you hand in and a copy of
all work that is returned to you.
Students who regularly participate in discussions may see
their final course grade bumped up to the higher grade if
their grade is borderline. If a student misses a lot of
classes and does not participate regularly, she or he will
not get added consideration in terms of raising grades.
About Writing Skills
Students may elect to visit the Writing Center on their own
to get help with writing strategies. After your first
writing assignment I may recommend students who would
benefit from improving their writing skills to visit the
writing center. These services are valuable and free.
“The Writing Center will not proofread your work for you,
but we will work with you to develop revision and editing
strategies that can last a lifetime. Our tutors want to
emphasize positive attitudes and helpful ways of thinking
about writing. We want you to become more confident and
effective writers across the curriculum and in your
personal and professional lives.”
http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/
703-993-1200 wcenter@gmu.edu
About Blackboard
This course management system is a very important tool for
this class. I will post on blackboard the syllabus,
instructions for all course assignments, deadlines,
recommended readings, and links to relevant web sites and
selected campus resources. If any changes occur in the
syllabus I will post an updated document. I will announce
in class any changes to the syllabus and also alert you
through the blackboard message board. I prefer blackboard
email for correspondence. I will check it often so please
avoid sending me an email through the George Mason email
system.
PLEASE NOTE: COURSE POLICIES
1. George Mason University Honor System and Code
Honor Code
George Mason University has an Honor Code, which requires
all members of this community to maintain the highest
standards of academic honesty and integrity. Cheating,
plagiarism, lying, and stealing are all prohibited.
All violations of the Honor Code will be reported to the
Honor Committee.
Plagiarism (statements from Mason Web Site)
Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or
factual information from another person without giving that
person credit.
http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/plagiarism.htm#plagiarism
Please familiarize yourself with the Honor System and Code,
as stated in the George Mason University Undergraduate
Catalog. When you are given an assignment as an individual,
the work must be your own. Some of your work may be
collaborative; source material for group projects and work
of individual group members must be carefully documented
for individual contributions.
http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/plagiarism.htm
2. Class Registration
Students are responsible for verifying the accuracy of
their own schedules. Students need to check PatriotWeb
regularly to verify that they are registered for the
classes that they think they are. This is particularly
important since students are no longer dropped for
nonpayment. Faculty may not allow a student who is not
registered to continue to attend class and may not grade
the work of students who do not appear on the official
class roster.
Deadlines each semester are published in the Schedule of
Classes available from the Registrar's Website
registrar.gmu.edu
The add and drop deadlines for classes:
Last Day to Add (Full-Semester Course): February 8
Last Day to Drop (Full-Semester Course): February 25
Selective Withdrawal Period (undergraduate students only):
Feb. 28 – Apr. 1
After the last day to drop a class, withdrawing from this
class requires the approval of the dean and is only allowed
for nonacademic reasons. 3. Accommodations for students with disabilities:
If you are a student with a disability and you need
academic accommodations, please see me and contact the
Office of Disability Resources at 703-993-2474. All
academic accommodations must be arranged through that
office.
The need for accommodations should be identified at the
beginning of the semester and the specific accommodation
has to be arranged through the Office of Disability
Resources. Faculty cannot provide accommodations to
students on their own (e.g. allowing a student extra time
to complete an exam because the student reports having a
disability).
COURSE SCHEDULE
January 25
Introduction and assignments for leading class discussion.
Please provide your top five date choices on blackboard by
January 26th at noon. Students who do not provide
information will be assigned to any dates left.
Historical Overview
January 27
Film - New York, a documentary film. [Episode 4], The Power
and the People, 1898-1918 (Triangle Fire)
Call Number: F128.3.N563 2005 episode 4 INTERNET
February 1
Hesse-Biber and Carter, “A Brief History of Working Women…”
Working Women in America, 20-46.
February 3
Hesse-Biber and Carter, “A Brief History of Working Women…”
Working Women in America, 46-71.
Sexual Harassment
February 8
Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Whose Story is it Anyway? Feminist
and Antiracist Appropriations of Anita Hill,” (402-440),
Toni Morrison, ed. Race(ing) Justice, (En)gender(ing)
Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas and the
Construction of Social Reality (Blackboard)
February 10
Kendall Thomas, "Strange Fruit," 364-389 Toni Morrison, ed.
Race(ing) Justice, (En)gender(ing) Power: Essays on Anita
Hill, Clarence Thomas and the Construction of Social
Reality (Blackboard)
February 15 cancelled
Class meets on February 16 (Wednesday)
Class will meet today at the Johnson Center Cinema for film
viewing and panel discussion.
Anita Hill vs. Clarence Thomas: The Untold Story
(KF8475.T48 A54 1995) (Sign attendance sheet)
Those absent from the event must write a two-page
reflection on the film or on the article below. Students
may view the film in the JC Library or in the Women’s and
Gender Studies Center (240C). (Due Feb. 22)
Anita F. Hill, “Tilting the Scales: The Changing Roles of
Women in the Law and Legal Practice: Embodiment of Equal
Justice under the Law,” Leo C. Goodwin Symposium, Nova Law
Review, 2006 (Blackboard)
February 17
Myrtle P. Bell et al., "Discrimination, Harassment, and the
Glass Ceiling: Women Executives as Change Agents," Journal
of Business Ethics, April 15, 2002 v. 37 i.1: 65-77. (EJournal)
Occupational Segregation and the Glass Ceiling
February 22
Film - Breaking the Glass Ceiling Part 1 (HD 6054.3.B74
1997)
Hesse-Biber and Carter, “Professional and Managerial
Women,” Working Women in America, 192-220.
February 24
Hesse-Biber and Carter, “Gender Inequality, Economic and
Legal Explanations…” Working Women in America, 72-91.
March 1
Midterm
March 3
Sojourner Truth Lecture Series: Anita Hill
1:30 pm Center for the Performing Arts, Concert Hall
(Sign attendance sheet at the event)
The Labor Connections between the
Women’s Movement and the Black Freedom Movement
March 8
MacLean, “The Fight Begins,” Freedom Is Not Enough: The
Opening of the American Workplace, 35-75.
March 10
MacLean, “Civil Rights at Work,” Freedom Is Not Enough: The
Opening of the American Workplace, 76-116.
March 15
Spring Break
March 22
MacLean, “Women Challenge Jane Crow,” Freedom Is Not
Enough: The Opening of the American Workplace, 117-154.
March 24
MacLean, “Conservatives Shift from ‘Massive Resistance’ to
‘Color Blindness’,” Freedom Is Not Enough: The Opening of
the American Workplace, 225-264.
March 29
MacLean, “The Lonesomeness of Pioneering,” Freedom Is Not
Enough: The Opening of the American Workplace, 265-299.
March 31
MacLean, “The Struggle for Inclusion Since” and “Epilogue,”
Freedom Is Not Enough: The Opening of the American
Workplace, 300-348.
April 5
Due: MacLean paper
Film - Taking the Heat: The First Women Firefighters of New
York City (HD8039.F52 U5 2005)
Web sites:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/takingtheheat/
http://takingtheheat.com/
The Maternal Wall and Low Wage Workers
April 7
Film - The Motherhood Manifesto (HQ759 .B59 2006)
Web site:
http://www.momsrising.org/film
April 12
Hesse-Biber and Carter, “Working Women and Their Families,”
Working Women in America, 221-246.
April 14
Film - Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
(HF5429.215.U6 W356 2005, DVD)
April 19
Liza Featherstone, Selling Women Short, 1-33, 42-58, 71-84,
96-100.
April 21
Liza Featherstone, Selling Women Short, 104-139, 143-153,
157-162, 171-176.
April 26
Liza Featherstone, Selling Women Short, 192-200, 207-208,
217-222, 229-230, 232-240, 250-253, 262-268.
Globalization and Economic,
Social, and Political Challenges
April 28
Film - Alienated Undocumented Immigrant Youth (HV4010 .A55
2005)
Web sites:
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/alienated_undocumented
_immigrant_youth/
http://www.evc.org/store/videos/alienated-undocumentedimmigrant-youth
Hesse-Biber and Carter, “Women in Everyday Jobs,” Working
Women in America, 141-173….
May 3
Grace Chang, Disposable Domestics: Immigrant Women Workers
in the Global Economy, 21-27, 32-48, 55-61, 70-79.
May 5
Grace Chang, Disposable Domestics: Immigrant Women Workers
in the Global Economy, 123-151, 158-165.
May 12
Final Exam 1:30PM – 4:15PM