WMNST 325: Psychology of Women
SPRING 2016
Instructor: Margaret Slaska, MA, MS, LMFT
Email: Mslaska@mail.sdsu.edu
Course meets: Fully Online (Wednesdays at 7 PM)
Office Hours: Wednesdays 3 -4 PM
Office Location: Arts and Letters, Room 336
Phone: 619-384-8818
Teaching Assistant: Priscilla Ochoa
Email: angelitaochoa@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).
Grading
POINTS
Online Attendance
Small Group Discussion Board Posts (7 x 10 pts)
Tests (4 x 100)
Total
30
70
400
500
Onli
ne C
lassroom 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 sign-up 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.
Course Schedule
Week
Topic
Readings
Course Overview
Week 1
Wed.
Jan 20
Week 2
Wed.
Jan 27

History of Feminist Contributions
Gender, Status and Power
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
Week 3
Images and Representations of Women
Wed.
Feb 3
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 3, pages 62-91 only.


Collins, P. Get your freak on: Sex, babies, and images of black
femininity. Collins.Get.Your.Freak.On.pdf

Watch Film: MissRepresentation
Due Tuesday, Feb 9 at Midnight. BB Post #1: Introduce yourself in the Small Group
Discussion Board. Respond to questions about the film/textbook.
Week 4
Language and Communication
Wed.
Feb 10
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. What.You.See.What.You.Get.Male.Gaze.pdf
Due Tuesday, Feb 16 at Midnight. BB Post #2: Respond to questions about the article.
Week 5
Childhood and Adolescence
Wed.
Feb 17
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 6
DUE: TEST #1
Week 6
Social Construction of Gender
Wed.
Feb 24
Readings:


Textbook: Chapter 4
Article: Wing, D.S. Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender and sexual
orientation. Selected Chapter. RacialMicroaggressions.pdf
Due Tuesday, March 1 at Midnight. BB Post #3: Respond to questions about the
article.
Week 7
Wed.
March 2
Sex, Gender and Bodies
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 5
 Article: Fausto-Sterling, A. The five sexes, revisited. Five-Sexes-Revisited-2000.pdf
 Article: Feinberg, L. We are all works in progress. We are all works in progressv2.pdf
Due Tuesday, March 8 at Midnight. BB Post #4: Respond to questions about the article.
Week 8
Sex, Love and Romance
Wed.
March 9
Readings:


Textbook: Chapter 7
Johnson, J. Exposed at Last: The Truth about Your
Clitoris. Truth.About.Your.Clitorus..pdf
Week 9
Wed.
March 16
Commitments and Close Relationships
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 8
DUE: TEST #2
Week10
Mothering and Reproductive Agency
Wed.
March 23
Readings:

Textbook: Chapter 9

Week 11
Article: Ross, L. The Color of Choice; White Supremacy and Reproductive Justice.
Chapter 5 in Color of Violence, the Incite! Anthology. the color of choice.pdf
SPRING BREAK--No Class
Wed.
March 30
Week 12
Work and Achievement
Wed.
April 6
Readings:
 Textbook: Chapter 10
 Article/chapter: Becker, D. The Other Mommy Wars: Stress and the Working Mother.
Chapter 5 in One Nation Under Stress: The Trouble with Stress and an Idea. Becker
chapter 5.pdf
Due Tuesday, April 12 at Midnight. BB Post #5: Respond to questions about the
article.
Week 13
Violence Against Women
Wed.
April 13 
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 12
Week 14
DUE: TEST 3
Aging, Health and Abilities
Wed.
April 20 

Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 11
Article: Wendell, S. Unhealthy Disabled: Treating Chronic Illnesses as
Disabilities. healthy.disabled..pdf
Due Tuesday, April 26 at Midnight. BB Post #6: Respond to questions about the article.
Week 15
Feminist Therapy
Wed.
April 27 
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 13
Article: Bordo, Susan. The Body and the Reproduction of Femininity. susan.bordo.pdf
Due Tuesday, May 3 at Midnight. BB Post #7: Respond to questions about the article.

Week 16
Resisting Psychopathology
Wed.
May 4
Readings:
Article: Nylund and Ceske. Voices of Political Resistance: Young Women's Co-Research on


May 11
Anti-Depression. Young. Womens. Depression. Article.pdf
Article: O’Hanlon. Psychotherapy’s Third Wave. Third.Wave.pdf
Final Exam (Test #4)