WS 201: Introduction to Women’s Studies
Spring 2011
MW 1:50-3:20
Polk Library 22
Dr. Christie Launius
Office: Arts and Communication N314
Phone: 424-0892
e-mail: launiusc@uwosh.edu
Office Hours: MW 12:30-1:30 and by appt.
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women’s Studies. Because the
field is so large, we can only hope to read and discuss a sampling of the work that has been produced in
the last forty years or so. The basic goals of the course are to foster an understanding of how gender—as
a social construct—shapes peoples’ lives, and to understand gender’s complex relation to other social
constructs such as race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and nation. Emphasis will be placed on thinking
critically about culture, and on the application of ideas raised in class to our lives outside of the
classroom.
We will begin with a discussion of what we already know or have been told about feminism, and
then proceed to a discussion of why feminism is so often a “dirty” word (indeed, it’s not so jokingly
called “the f-word”) in our society. We will move into reading and thinking about the images of
femininity and masculinity with which we are surrounded from birth, and how these images contribute to
how we are socialized into our gender and learn gender roles. Throughout the semester, we will read and
think about issues of great concern to feminist activists and feminist scholars of Women’s Studies,
including race, class, sexuality, family, beauty and body image, popular culture, health, violence against
women, and work.
This course asks you to engage with various forms of feminist thinking and analysis. I imagine
that not only the material, but also the kind of analysis introduced here will be new to the majority of you,
which is to be expected. What I ask of everyone is to keep an open mind, to engage critically with the
material, and to display a willingness to learn. I expect students to discuss ideas openly but always in a
respectful manner. I hope everyone will constructively challenge others’ and their own assumptions
about women, gender, and feminism, but also listen respectfully to each other.
Required Texts:
Shaw, Susan M. and Janet Lee. Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2009.
Valenti, Jessica. Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters.
Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2007.
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Course Format and Requirements:
This course will revolve primarily around discussion. Students are expected to come to class every day
prepared to engage in discussion of the texts we’re reading. Students may be asked to work in groups,
and may be asked to share written work. Occasional lectures on history and background material may be
given. I strongly believe that each student gets out of class what s/he puts into it; being prepared for each
day’s discussion is therefore of utmost importance. I also believe that every student has something to
contribute to class—there is no question or comment too big or too small. Discussion is the time to ask
for clarification and context, to challenge the arguments contained in the readings, to make connections
between the readings and your lives, to challenge and affirm one another, etc.
Reading Quizzes: 10%
There will be a total of 11 reading quizzes given over the course of the semester; the dates will not be
announced. Each quiz will be worth a total of 10 points. The quizzes will consist of a series of T-F,
multiple choice, and/or short answer questions based on the day's readings. The questions will not be
opinion-based, but rather are designed to gauge how well you read and understood the day's readings. We
will often use your responses to jump-start the day's discussion. There will be no make-up quizzes given;
instead, the lowest quiz score will be dropped.
Hands-On Learning Assignment: 10% (TWO activities worth 5% apiece)
This part of your course grade is designed to move you out of the classroom to make connections between
our classroom and the world outside of it. You will attend two events on or off-campus that relate to the
issues presented in the course and write a two-page paper for each event that summarizes and ties it
explicitly to our readings and discussions. I will bring students' attention to events throughout the
semester.
It is advisable for students to turn in these assignments as they are completed, i.e. soon after attending an
event, but not later than Monday, May 2nd.
Gender Norm “Worksheet”: 15%
For this assignment, students will be asked to perform an act/activity that breaks one of the gender norms
that we'll be talking about this semester, and to answer a series of questions about that experience. The
purpose of this assignment is to offer you a way to experience first-hand and in an explicit way the effects
of gender norms on all of our lives.
Representation Essay Proposal and Outline: 5%
Students are required to submit a proposal and outline of their representation essay, which will give me
the opportunity to give you feedback during the process of writing it. An assignment sheet will be posted
to D2L.
Representation Essay: 10%
Students will write a 4-page paper analyzing the representation of gender and/or women in one film,
television episode, book, or advertisement. An assignment sheet will be posted to D2L.
Tests: 40%
Students will take two tests, each worth 20% of your grade. The tests will be taken in class and will
consist of short answer and longer essay questions. Study guides will be distributed in class
approximately one week prior to the exam.
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Presentation: 10%
Students will work singly or in pairs to prepare and give a presentation on a feminist topic of their choice
that is related to our course material. Once a topic has been chosen, students will find websites, blogs,
and news stories about that topic. The focus of the presentation will be on facilitating discussion of the
chosen topic, and on adding to and extending what we learned about it in our readings. Students are
encouraged to find material that ties the topic to our campus, city, and state. An assignment sheet with
additional details will be posted to D2L.
Attendance Policy:
Students are expected to attend class. I will circulate an attendance sheet at the beginning of every class
period: it is your responsibility to sign the sheet. If you are ever unsure about how many classes that
you have missed, please see me.
Statement on Academic Integrity:
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is committed to a standard of academic integrity for all students.
The system guidelines state: “Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of
their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic endeavors.”
(UWS 14.01, Wisconsin Administrative Code)
Students are subject to disciplinary action for academic misconduct, which is defined in UWS 14.03,
Wisconsin Administrative Code. Students on the UW Oshkosh campus have been suspended from the
University for academic misconduct.
Students are encouraged to review the procedures related to violations of academic honesty as outlined in
Chapter UWS 14, Wisconsin Administrative Code. The system guidelines and local procedures are
printed in the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Student Discipline Code 2008-2009 and can be found on
the Dean of Students website at http://www.uwosh.edu/dean/08.09DisciplinaryCode.pdf.
Specific questions regarding the provisions in Chapter UWS 14 (and institutional procedures approved to
implement Chapter UWS 14) should be directed to the Dean of Students Office.
Course Schedule:
(Note: Schedule Subject to Change)
Week 1
January 31st—Introduction to the course and each other
February 2nd—Read Chapter 1 of Valenti and Hogeland, “Fear of Feminism” (in Shaw and Lee); watch
“Straightlaced” and discuss
Week 2 Social Construction of Gender
February 7th—Read p. 124-145 and 244-249 in Shaw and Lee
February 9th—Read Ch. 10 of Valenti; also read Kivel, “The Act-Like-a-Man Box” (on e-res) and Orenstein,
“What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” (on D2L); watch “Spin The Bottle: Sex, Lies and Alcohol”
Week 3 Systems of Privilege and Oppression
February 14th— Read p. 59-75 in Shaw and Lee; gender norm worksheets due to D2L dropbox
February 16th—Read 91-101 and 110-118 in Shaw and Lee; also read Ayvazian, “Interrupting the Cycle of
Oppression: The Role of Allies as Agents of Change” (on-e-res)
Week 4 Sexuality
February 21st—Read p. 170-185 in Shaw and Lee; also read Ch. 2 of Valenti and Corinna, “An Immodest
Proposal” (on e-res)
February 23rd—Read p. 197-203; also read Meem, “Nature, Nurture, and Identity” (on e-res)
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Week 5 Beauty and Body Image
February 28th—Read p. 223-241 and 287-293 in Shaw and Lee; also read Ch. 11 of Valenti; Watch “Killing Us
Softly 3” and discuss
March 2nd—Read p. 241-243 in Shaw and Lee; also read Chernik, “The Body Politic” (on e-res); and Pozner,
“Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ Backlash” (link on D2L)
Week 6 Women’s Health
March 7th—Read 296-305 and 326-335
March 9th—Read 502-506, 508-511, and 528-29 in Shaw and Lee
Week 7 Women Confronting and Creating Culture
March 14th—readings TBA
March 16th—Test 1; representation essay proposals due
Week 8—spring break
Week 9 Resisting Violence Against Women
March 28th—Read p. 555-568 and Brad Perry, “Hooking Up With Healthy Sexuality” (on e-res); also read Valenti
Chapter 4
March 30th –Read 568-573 and Mimi Kim, “Alternative Interventions to Violence” (on e-res); watch “Breaking the
Rule of Thumb” and discuss
Week 10 Family, Romance, and Marriage
April 4th—Read p. 378-392 and Coontz, “The American Family” (on D2L)
April 6th—Read 402-404 in Shaw and Lee; also read Shattuck, “Men’s Engagement Rings Proclaim, ‘He’s Taken’”
(on D2L) and Valenti Chapter 7
Week 11 Paid and Unpaid Work
April 11th—Read p. 426-432 and 448-451 in Shaw and Lee
April 13th—Read p. 404-407 and 432-447 in Shaw and Lee; also read Chapter 6 of Valenti
Week 12
April 18th—presentations
April 20th—presentations
Week 13
April 25th—presentations
April 27th—presentations
Week 14 Activism, Change, and Feminist Futures
May 2nd—Read Chapter 14 of Valenti; also read Romero, “Why We Need to Re-imagine Masculinity” (on D2L)
May 4th— Read p. 736-753 in Shaw and Lee
Week 15
May 9th— watch “The Education of Shelby Knox”
May 11th—Test 2
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