WMNST 325: Psychology of Women
SPRING 2015
Instructor: Margaret Slaska, MA, MS
Email: Mslaska@mail.sdsu.edu
Course meets: Fully Online (Mondays at 4 PM)
Office Hours: Mondays 5-6 PM
Arts and Letters, Room 336
Phone: 619-384-8818
Teaching Assistant: Ruth Cain
Email: ruthcain23@gmail.com
Course Description
The course is designed to provide students with an integrated and academically
rigorous examination of theories, research and lived experiences of diverse groups of
women. The course will examine recent shifts in psychological investigation; changes to
therapeutic practice; feminist contributions to the field; how gender intersects with
various contexts such as culture, class, race-ethnicity, sexuality, age and abilities;
similarities and differences; and social constructionist approaches.
This course fulfills the General Education requirement in Social and Behavioral
Sciences.
Courses that fulfill the 9-unit requirement for Explorations in General Education
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, well-developed 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.
Learning Objectives:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the social construction of gender and
sexuality
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the ways that women’s lives are shaped by
large social structures
3. Analyze the development of key concepts in the history of feminist
movements and their relevance for women today
4. Evaluate multiple perspectives within the field of psychology
5. Write and speak articulately on the psychology of women, and demonstrate
critical thinking skills
6. Demonstrate an understanding of feminist research practices
Required Textbook: Crawford, Mary. (2011). Transformations: Women, gender and
psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Second edition.
**Textbook is available for purchase or rental at KB Books.
*All articles assigned will be available on Blackboard and/or online through SDSU
library.
Course Activities and Evaluation:
1.) Attendance. Blackboard tracks online attendance and calculates how much
time you spend in each content areas of the course (ie: time spent on video
lectures, discussion boards, etc). At the end of the semester, BB will tally your
attendance and it will become available in the Grade Center during the final
weeks of the semester.
2.) Small Discussion Groups on Blackboard. You will participate in small group
discussions using Blackboard Discussion Board. The instructor will post prompts
for your group to respond to. Response Posts are worth 10 points each.
*Late submissions receive no points. See grading rubric on Blackboard.
2.) Tests. There will be 4 tests throughout the semester. Each test will be made
available online from 9 AM to 11 PM on the specified date (see course schedule
for dates).
Course
Schedule
Week
Topic
Readings
Grading
POINTS
Online Attendance
Small Group Discussion Board Posts (7 x 10 pts)
Tests (4 x 100)
30
70
400
Total
500
Week 1
Monday
Aug 24
Course Overview
o
Week 2
Monday
Aug 31
History of Feminist Contributions
Gender, Status and Power
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
Week 3
Monday
Sept 7
Week 4
Monday
Sept 14
No Class - Labor Day
Week 5
Monday
Sept 21
Language and Communication
Week 6
Monday
Sept 28
Childhood and Adolescence
Images and Representations of Women
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 3, pages 62-91 only.
 Watch Film: MissRepresentation
Due Sunday, Sept 20 at 9 PM. BB Post #1: Introduce yourself in the Small
Group Discussion Board. Respond to questions about the film.
Readings:
 Textbook, pages 58-62 only.
 Article: When what you see is what you get: The consequences of the
objectifying gaze for women and men. On Blackboard.
Due Sunday, Sept 27 at 9 PM. BB Post #2: Respond to questions about
the article.
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 6
o
DUE Monday, Sept. 28: TEST #1
Week 7
Monday
Oct 5
Social Construction of Gender
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 4
 Article: Wing, D.S. Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender and
sexual orientation. Selected Chapter. On Blackboard
o
Due Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9 PM. BB Post #3: Respond to questions about the
article.
o
Week 8
Monday
Oct 12
Sex, Gender and Bodies
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 5
 Article: Fausto-Sterling, A. The five sexes, revisited. On Blackboard.
 Article: Feinberg, L. We are all works in progress. On Blackboard.
Due Sunday, Oct. 18 at 9 PM. BB Post #4: Respond to questions about the
article.
Sex, Love and Romance
Week 9
Monday
Oct 19
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 7
 Johnson, J. Exposed at Last: The Truth about Your Clitoris. On
Blackboard.
Week10
Monday
Oct 26
Commitments and Close Relationships
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 8
DUE Monday Oct. 26: TEST #2
Mothering and Reproductive Agency
Week 11
Monday
Nov 2
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 9
 Article: Ross, L. The Color of Choice; White Supremacy and
Reproductive Justice. Chapter 5 in Color of Violence, the Incite!
Anthology. On Blackboard.
Week 12
Monday
Nov 9
Work and Achievement
o
Week 13
Monday
Nov 16
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 10
 Article: Becker, D. Women’s Work and the Societal Discourse of Stress. On
Blackboard.
Due Sunday, Nov. 15 at 9 PM. BB Post #5: Respond to questions about the
article.
Violence Against Women
Readings:

DUE Monday, Nov. 16: TEST 3
Aging, Health and Abilities
Week 14
Monday
Nov 23
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 11
 Article: Wendell, S. Unhealthy Disabled: Treating Chronic Illnesses as
Disabilities. On Blackboard.
Due Sunday, Nov 29 at 9 PM. BB Post #6: Respond to questions about
the article.
Week 15
Monday
Nov 30
Feminist Therapy

Week 16
Monday
Dec 7
Dec 14
Textbook: Chapter 12
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 13
 Article: Bordo, Susan. The Body and the Reproduction of Femininity. On
Blackboard.
Due Sunday, Dec. 6 at 9 PM. BB Post #7: Respond to questions about the
article.
Resisting Psychopathology
Readings:
 Article: Nylund and Ceske. Voices of Political Resistance: Young Women's
Co-Research on Anti-Depression. On Blackboard.
 Article: O’Hanlon. Psychotherapy’s Third Wave. On Blackboard.
Final Exam (Test #4)
Online Classroom Etiquette
This course will rely on class discussion in addition to online lectures. I invite you to
respond to others in class in a respectful and civil manner. The material we will cover
may be controversial, could be personal, and provocative. It is my hope that we create
a discussion environment that is inclusive of varied lived experiences and different
forms of knowledge. I invite you to challenge yourself, your peers and
me. Simultaneously, I also encourage you to practice kindness and patience with one
another, and with yourself.
Students with Special Needs
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473.
To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student
Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Women’s Studies Major or Minor
Thinking about a Major or Minor in Women's Studies? The program offers exciting
courses, is committed to women's issues and social justice, and is adaptable to your
interests and concerns. Women's Studies is not impacted! For more information please
contact the Undergraduate Advisor, Dr. Doreen Mattingly, at
MATTINGL@mail.sdsu.edu, (619) 594-8033, 342 Arts and Letters.
Extra Credit
The Women's Studies Department encourages students to explore the connections
between theory and activism by offering students the option to fulfill a percentage of
their course requirements through participation in colloquia, student organizations,
and/or community events relevant to Women's Studies. Be sure to check with the
instructor prior, to make sure the event counts.
When you attend the event, be sure to take notes, because you will need to write up a
one-page, double-spaced, typed paper summarizing the event (some classes use signup sheets at events, but this is not the case for this class).
Each community event/meeting will be worth up to 2 points of extra credit added to your
final grade (up to 4 points total).
**If you are selecting this option for more than one Women's Studies class per
semester, you must attend different events and write different reflections for each class.
Turning in the same paper for credit in more than one class is considered cheating.
Written reflections are due no later than _____ at 7 p.m.
You may also earn extra credit by attending 5 sessions of therapy with the SDSU
Center for Community Counseling and Engagement. 5 points total for 5 sessions. See
additional information on Blackboard.
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you:
 For written work, copy anything from a book, article or website and add or
paste it into your paper without using quotation marks and/or without
providing the full reference for the quotation, including page number
 For written work, summarize / paraphrase in your own words ideas you
got from a book, article, or the web without providing the full reference for
the source (including page number in the humanities.
 For an oral presentation, copy anything from a book, article, or website
and present it orally as if it were your own words. You must summarize
and paraphrase in your own words, and bring a list of references in case
the professor asks to see it
 Use visuals or graphs you got from a book, article, or website without
providing the full reference for the picture or table
 Recycle a paper you wrote for another class
 Turn in the same (or a very similar paper) for two classes
 Purchase or otherwise obtain a paper and turn it in as your own work
 Copy the work of a classmate
 Use technology or smuggle in documents to obtain or check information in
an exam situation
In a research paper, it is always better to include too many references than not
enough. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution. If you have too many
references it might make your professor smile; if you don’t have enough you might be
suspected of plagiarism. If you have any question or uncertainty about what is or is not
cheating, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor.
Consequences of cheating and plagiarism
Consequences are at the instructor’s and the Judicial Procedures Office’s discretion.
Instructors are mandated by the CSU system to report the offense to the Judicial
Procedures Office. Consequences may include any of the following:
 failing the assignment
 failing the class
 warning
 probation
 suspension
 expulsion
For more detailed information, read the chapter on plagiarism in the MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers (6th edition, 2003); visit the following website
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml and talk to your professors
before turning in your paper or doing your oral presentation if anything remains unclear.
The University of Indiana has very helpful writing hints for students, including some on
how to cite sources. Please visit http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml for more
information.