Imperial Valley Campus
WS 310: Women in Cross-cultural Perspective
Spring 2014
Instructor: Dr. Jeanette Shumaker
Office: West Faculty 157
Office hours: T 3:45-5:15, W 3-4 & 6-7:15, Th 2-3
Phone: 760-768-5524 (or x65524)
Email: jshumake@mail.sdsu.edu
Website: See Faculty webpage via SDSU-IV Campus website
(Wait several days for replies to emails.)
Section and Enrollment Information
Class meeting: Th 4:10-6:50
Class location:
Schedule number:
Course Description
Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective involves comparative study of social, economic, political,
and ideological aspects of women's position in local and global contexts. Women's
status as impacted by modern, indigenous, transitional, and/or border cultures will be examined
through a variety of non-fiction and fiction texts and high-quality films. We will develop a
framework for thinking at the intersections of identity, politics, culture and knowledge to
explore the complex ways in which economic, political and cultural institutions affect
women’s lives around the world.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. To be better prepared to evaluate information about the non-western world
2. In class discussions, oral reports, weekly informal writings, and the final essay exam based
on assigned readings and films, students will speak and write in a thoughtful, informed way
about the role of women in a variety of cultures across the world, past and present
3. During class discussions, informal writings, oral reports, and the final essay exam, students
will compare their own situation and that of women they know to the situations and roles of
women from a variety of nations and historical periods
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4. In class discussions, oral reports, informal writings, and essay exams based on assigned texts,
students will display their ideas about how the role of women has changed over time in many
parts of the world, and how men’s roles are also changing today
Prerequisite:
Completion of the General Education requirement in Foundations of Learning II.B., Social and
Behavioral Sciences required for non women’s studies majors.
General Education:
This is one of the nine courses that you will take in GE Foundations. Foundations courses
cultivate skills in reading, writing, research, communication, computation, information literacy,
and use of technology. They introduce you to basic concepts, theories and approaches in a
variety of disciplines to provide the intellectual breadth necessary to help you integrate the more
specialized knowledge gathered in your major area of study into a broader world picture.
This course is one of two Foundations courses that you will take in the area of Social and
Behavioral Sciences. Upon completing this area of Foundations, you will be able to 1) explore
and recognize basic terms, concepts and domains of the social and behavioral sciences; 2)
comprehend diverse theories and methods of the social and behavioral sciences; 3) identify
human behavioral patterns across space and time and discuss their interrelatedness and
distinctiveness; 4) enhance your understanding of the social world through the application of
conceptual frameworks from the social and behavioral sciences to first-hand engagement with
contemporary issues.
Required Readings and Materials, available at IV Campus Bookstore
Kristof, Nicholas and Sheryl WuDunn, Half the Sky ISBN 978-0-307-26714-6 $25
Lahiri, Jhumpa, Interpreter of Maladies ISBN 0-395-92720-X $15
Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran ISBN 0-8129-7106-X $15
Course Website
SDSU Blackboard
Assessment and Grading
Assignments and Exams
Typed weekly informal writings on assigned readings and films (which can’t be turned in
late) are worth 55% of the course grade;
Your oral report, with Works Cited page, is worth 15%;
Your Final Essay Exam on assigned readings and films is worth 20%;
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Class participation and attendance is worth 10%.
Final Course Grades

3.85 or higher = A

3.5-3.84 = A-

3.15-3.49 = B+

2.85-3.14 = B

2.5-2.84 = B-

2.15-2.49 = C+

1.85-2.14 = C

1.5-1.84 = C-

1.15-1.49 = D+

.85-1.14 = D

.5-.84 = D-

0-.49 = F
Grading Policies

No weekly informal writings will be accepted late, even if an excuse of illness etc. is
provided. This portion of the course grade is meant to reward students who manage to
come to class well-prepared and on time despite the vagaries of life.

No laptops, phones, iPods or iPads etc. may be used during class or the student’s class
participation grade will be reduced. The same penalty is applied for holding side
conversations during class.

Class participation will be assessed via students’ willingness to speak up thoughtfully
during class discussion along with their attendance.
Course Activities and Schedule
Date
(Topic) Films TBA
(Readings to be completed prior
to class)
(Assignments /
Activities)
1/30
Slavery; grieving
Half Intro and Ch 1; Interpreter
Informal Writing
“Temp. Matter”; Reading p.3-8
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Date
(Topic) Films TBA
(Readings to be completed prior
to class)
(Assignments /
Activities)
2/6
Prostitution; war
Half Ch 2; Interp “Mr. Pirzada”;
Informal Writing
Reading 9-18
2/13
2/20
Speaking up; cultural
clashes
Half Ch 3; Interp “Interpreter”;
Rape; schools for girls
Half Ch 4; Interp “Real Durwan”;
Informal Writing
Reading 18-28
Informal Writing
Reading 28-39
2/27
Honor and shame
Half Ch 5; Interp “Sexy”;
Informal Writing
Reading 39-47
3/6
Death in Childbirth
Half Ch 6; Interp “Mrs. Sen’s”;
Informal Writing
Reading 48-59
3/13
More on Maternal Deaths
Half Ch 7; Interp “This Blessed
House”; Reading 59-69
Informal Writing
3/20
Family Planning
Half Ch. 8; Interp “Bibi Haldar”;
Informal Writing
Reading 70-77
3/27
Religion and women
Half Ch 9; Interp “Third and
Final”; Reading 81-91
Informal Writing
4/10
Education
Half Ch 10; Reading 91-115
Informal Writing
4/17
Microcredit
Half Ch 11; Reading 115-140
Informal Writing
4/24
Equality
Half Ch 12; Reading 140-164
Informal Writing
5/1
What We Can Do; discuss
Final Essay Exam
Half Ch 13, 14. Reading 164-189
Informal Writing
5/8
Final Essay Exam on
assigned books and films
Bring all three books plus blue
books and a pen.
Review assigned
books before class.
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Date
(Topic) Films TBA
(Readings to be completed prior
to class)
5/15
Present oral reports
Turn in Works Cited list.
(Assignments /
Activities)
Course Assignments
Oral Report
In ten minutes, present the ideas, themes, context, target audience and style of your
assigned book. Discuss your reactions, comments and questions. Briefly outline your ideas
for a lesson plan springing from this book for grades 8-12. Compare your assigned book to
other books you have read, or have heard about in other students’ oral reports. If you wish,
you may also summarize the author’s life. Hand in a works cited list when you give your
talk.
Final Essay Exam
The final essay exam will be a series of essay questions answered in blue books. The exam
will be open book, covering our assigned readings and films. A week before the exam, I will
present some sample questions that won’t appear on the exam, and we will then discuss
the content of the exam.
Course Writing Assignments
Weekly Informal Writings
Each week, bring a typed, one-page discussion of the assigned readings and films, including
reactions, comments and questions. Your weekly pages will guide our discussion of the
assigned readings and films.
Course Policies

The oral report may be rescheduled if a student has a crisis, and makes arrangements
for a different date in advance, not on the date of the oral report.

Plagiarism or cheating will be punished by failing this course. In additon, I must report
all cases of plagiarism and cheating to SDSU’s disciplinary office so that in cases of
multiple infractions, SDSU may expel students if they so choose. Plagiarism involves
copying other people’s work without giving them credit for it. For example, in the oral
report, a student plagiarizes who quotes or paraphrases a source without identifying
the source during the talk and in the works cited list. Another example of plagiarism is
copying text from the internet or friend and then placing the copied text into the
student’s informal writing or final essay exam. Talk with me if you need help avoiding
plagiarism or cheating.
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
See Blackboard for a copy of the syllabus and other course documents. (Additional list
items, as needed; add by pressing Enter; style is List Bullet)
Students with Disabilities
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately, to
discuss specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If you need
accommodation due to a disability, but have not registered with Barbara Romero in
Student Affairs, please do so before making an appointment to see me.
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