Sex, Power, and Politics
Women's Studies
San Diego State University
Spring 2015
Professor Shogofa Abassi
Office: Arts and Letters 330
Office Hours: 1400-1500 (2-3) T/TH or by appointment
Email: sabassi@mail.sdsu.edu
Course Description:
Understanding the power relations requires an attention to context, particularly the social values,
cultural mores, and communal norms that shape our society and sense of self. In this course we will
explore the historical and theoretical bases power differential with regard to sex and gender as well
as their social and political implications. This course is designed to help students understand the
processes by which “sexuality” (understood broadly to include gender and sexual difference) is
constituted through relations of power and comes to shape the lives of everyday citizens. To that
end, we will consider questions such as, how do theories of sexuality inform political leadership and
public policy? How do these theories, and the policies they engender, perpetuate or minimize
relations of subordination and domination? How, in other words, do our gender norms undermine or
enable human flourishing and freedom? And what, if anything, can or should be done in response?
The course brings works of feminist and political theory together with the study of contemporary
public policy controversies. Students will have the opportunity to explore theories of sexuality and
consider questions such as, are men and women born or made? Is biology destiny or is it social
constructed? And what difference does difference make? In addition we will examine the
relationship between theory and practice, explore the ways in which theoretical conceptions of
sexuality inform, and/ or are challenged by leadership practices and public policies.
Required Texts:
All required materials will be provided electronically.
Communication: The best way to contact me is email (sabassi@mail.sdsu.edu ). Please inform me by
email prior to the class of an anticipated absence. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit
me during office hours. I recommend you swap e-mail with a classmate to keep you up to date in
case you miss a class.
Please DO NOT
• email me to find out what you missed
• email me assignments
Email communications must contain the following in the subject line to get a timely response:
Your last Name
• Your class number and section
• A brief description
Ex: Abassi_375_0_question regarding best way to send an email
Classroom Etiquette: Students are to conduct themselves in a manner that will not detract from the
learning environment of the classroom. Except in cases of emergency, students are expected to
remain
in the classroom for the duration of the class. Tardiness is considered rude and disrupting to the instructor
and to other students. Please arrive on time.
Old School: or other electronics may be used during lectures. EVER. i.e. : Upon entering
classroom:

NO Cell phones

NO Laptops

NO texting in class

NO Headphones

NO I-Pods or I-Pads

NO Blackberries

NO other electronic device
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is the use of ideas belonging to someone else as
your own in your written work. When using another individual’s ideas in your work, you must
acknowledge this by using the appropriate citations. Students who violate the university’s
policies on plagiarism or academic dishonesty will receive disciplinary and/or academic
sanctions, according to university provisions. Penalties for plagiarism range from an F in the
course to expulsion from the university. (refer to SDSU General Catalog)
Students with Special Needs:
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately to discuss
specific strategies for accommodation; however, they must have received authorization
beforehand. If you have a disability, but have not contacted Student Disability Services (619594-6473, Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), please do so before making an appointment with me.
General Education Course:
This is one of the General Education Courses that fulfill the 9-unit requirement for Explorations in
General Education that take the goals and skills of GE Foundations courses to a more advanced
level. Your three upper division courses in Explorations will provide greater interdisciplinary, more
complex and in-depth theory, deeper investigation of local problems, and wider awareness of global
challenges. More extensive reading, written analysis involving complex comparisons, welldeveloped
arguments, considerable bibliography, and use of technology are appropriate in many Explorations
courses. This is an Explorations course in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Completing this course
will help you learn to do the following with greater depth: 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.
Course Objectives and Goals:
To develop the ability to critique dominant
and traditional knowledge on sex, gender,
sexuality and the body.
Create a comprehensive knowledge of
societal gendered and sexual norms and the
ability to locate yourself in these norms.
Goal is met by exams, discussion Q & A, and
media portfolio.
Goal is to be met by reflective journal entries.
To demonstrate an understanding of the ways
that women’s lives are shaped by culture,
social structures and representation.
Goal is met by the media portfolio
assignment.
Understand how power and privilege operate
in representations and expectations of
women’s bodies.
Goal is met by exams, discussion Q & A
Gain the critical thinking skills to discuss and
write about power, sexuality and politics in a
thoughtful and well-articulated manner.
Goal is met by exams, discussion Q & A,
and media portfolio
Inspire a critical consciousness that becomes
a part of your everyday life.
Goal is met by journal by journal entries.
1.
Class Attendance and Participation: 10%|
This class will be run in an interactive manner. That
means your participation in discussion is absolutely key to making this class work. Please be sure to
have done the readings for the day assigned and bring those readings with you to class. Keep in
mind that participation grades will be based on the quality of contributions made to discussion not
simply quantity or attendance.
2.
Exams: 30%| there will be two exam; each worth 15% of the grade. The exams will be multiple
choice questions and you will be provided with a study guide a week prior to exam.
3.
Discussion Questions and Answers 40%| there are discussion questions for each assignment
that must be answered and turned in every Thursday. These questions are designed to help
students:
1.
Keep up with the assignments
2.
Highlight key concepts
3.
Inform our class discussions
4.
Use as study guides for the exams
Additionally students are required to attend at least two lectures at the Feminist Research
Colloquia. Please refer to this website for dates and times:
http://wwwrohan.sdsu.edu/~wsweb/news_and_events.htm
Community Engagement & Response
Throughout the course of the semester community events will take place that connect to the
theme of women’s sexuality and the body. I will announce these events and I encourage you to
announce events that may be of interest to this class, as they may also qualify as a community
engagement experience. You must attend at least one event this semester and write a summary
of the event and a reflection that addresses the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
What is the relevant connection between the event you attended and the theme of
women’s sexuality and the body? Also consider any underlying connections that
may be subtle and discrete.
Describe your experience in attending the event: was it new to you, did you feel
comfortable, did you feel like an outsider, an insider, something in between?
Explore your experience and how you fit in to it, carefully examine why and
how this is.
In what ways did the event you attended support or/and contradict the themes,
arguments, references of this class thus far? Be sure to use proper citation where
appropriate in considering this question.
Each reflection must be 1-2 double-spaced pages in length. The papers must include the title
and date of the event as well as the name(s) of the sponsor(s) of the event. If the event is a panel
discussion, you must list the names of the all of the panelists. You should describe what
happened at the event and give your impression of what went on. Your impression of the event
should go beyond: “It was great/interesting/eye-opening/a waste of time.” You need to state
why it was great or uninformative.
4.
Journal Reflections 10%| Over the course of the semester, students are required to write journal
reflections in which you will thoughtfully engage in the readings, lectures, discussions, films
and other activities for this course. Throughout the semester, I will provide prompts for you to
respond to in these journals. I will post the prompts onto Blackboard and discuss them in class.
Students will be required to write four journal reflections.
The reflections will be submitted online on Blackboard. Students should click on the
appropriate journal reflection link and type their responses. The journal must be written in
sentence and paragraph form. Each reflection must be 300-800 words long.
5.
Media Analysis Portfolio 10%| For this project, students are required to collect and analyze
media items related to gender, sexuality and the body. The portfolio must include three (3)
advertisements from newspapers, magazines, billboards, websites, and/or TV commercials. The
ads should be for different products or brands. For instance, only one ad can be for a fast food
restaurant chain or a specific brand of perfume or cosmetics line. In other words, all of your
examples should not just be McDonald’s ads or ads for Chanel perfume or Maybelline products.
Each item entry in the portfolio must include:
1.
2.
A copy of the actual advertisement; and
2-3 paragraphs (between 250-350 words total, typed and double-spaced) that analyzes
how the item illustrates a concept (e.g. objectification and queerness) that has been discussed in this course. Please explicitly refer to at least one of the course readings in each
of your ad analysis and make sure to identify the ad you are analyzing.
You should use separate pages for the analysis of each item. For items that you obtain from a
website, please make sure to include the site’s url address and date last accessed.
General Grading Rubric for Portfolio & Journals
Skills
5
4
3
2
1
Depth of
reflection
Demonstrate a
conscious and
thorough
understanding of
the prompt and
the subject
matter. This
reflection can be
used as an
example for other
students.
Demonstrate a
thoughtful
understanding of
the prompt and
the subject
matter.
Demonstrate a
basic
understanding of
the prompt and
the subject
matter.
Demonstrate a limited
understanding of the
prompt and subject
matter. This
reflection/answer
needs revision.
Demonstrate little
or no
understanding of
the prompt and
subject matter.
This reflection
needs revision.
Use of textual
evidence and
historical
context
Use specific and
convincing
examples from
the readings,
videos, class
lectures and/or
discussion studied
to support claims
in your own
writing, making
insightful and
applicable
connections
between texts.
Use relevant
examples from
the readings,
videos, class
lectures and/or
discussion studied
to support claims
in your own
writing, making
applicable
connections
between readings,
videos, lectures
and discussions.
Use examples
from the readings,
videos, class
lectures and/or
discussion to
support most
claims in your
writing with some
connections made
between texts.
Use incomplete or
vaguely developed
examples to only
partially support
claims with no
connections made
between readings,
videos, lectures
and/or discussions.
No examples from
the readings,
videos, class
lectures or
discussion are
used and claims
made in your own
writing are
unsupported and
irrelevant to the
topic at hand.
Language use
Use stylistically
sophisticated
language that is
precise and
engaging, with
notable sense of
voice, awareness
of audience and
purpose, and
varied sentence
structure.
Use language that
is fluent and
original, with
evident a sense of
voice, awareness
of audience and
purpose, and the
ability to vary
sentence
structure.
Use basic but
appropriate
language, with a
basic sense of
voice, some
awareness of
audience and
purpose and
some attempt to
vary sentence
structure.
Use language that is
vague or imprecise for
the audience or
purpose, with little
sense of voice, and a
limited awareness of
how to vary sentence
structure.
Use language that
is unsuitable for
the audience and
purpose, with
little or no
awareness of
sentence
structure.