California State University, Northridge
GWS110: Women, Work and Family
FALL 2014
Instructor:
Class Time:
Ticket #:
Location:
Email:
Extension:
Office location:
Office Hours:
Melanie Klein
MW 9:30AM – 10:45AM
19542
Jacaranda Hall 3504
melanie.klein@csun.edu
5018
Sierra Hall 396
W 11AM – noon, F 11AM - noon
Required Texts:
1.
Coontz, Stephanie. 2000. The Way We Never Were: American Families and the
Nostalgia Trap. New York, NY: Basic Books.
2.
Ehrenreich, Barbara. 2001. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America.
New York: NY: Metropolitan Books.
3.
Macko, Lia and Rubin, Kerry. 2004. Midlife Crisis at 30. New York, NY: Plume
Books
4.
Orenstein, Peggy. 2000. Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids, and Life in a
Half-Changed World. New York, NY: Anchor Books.
5.
Online readings via Moodle
Course Description:
This course focuses on the historical as well as the contemporary relationship between
home/community and the workforce within which women serve. We will examine various paid
and unpaid work experiences for Women of Color, European American Women and Immigrant
Women as well as for women of diverse sexual orientations and different educational and
socioeconomic backgrounds. In this course we not only bring to the forefront how the variables
of gender, sexuality, race and class affect our lives, but also how they influence our
interpretations of society and the world. We will examine the nature of women’s public (work)
and private (family/household) life in U.S. society and study the role of the nation/state in the
arrangement and well being of the family.
.
Course Objectives:
To understand the social construction of family; the connection between family/private sphere
and the economic and political arena; understand, explain and be able to apply the gender
dimension of social, economic, cultural, historical, and political processes on women and men in
U.S. and global contexts; demonstrate the ability to critically analyze matrices of power (gender,
race, class, sexuality) in ways that lay the groundwork for constructive social change; develop a
sense of agency grounded in the development of their skills in oral and written communication,
critical thinking, information competence and leadership training
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Course Presentation:
This course is designed to be student-driven with plenty of classroom dialogue. Formal lecture,
relevant films and projects will be interwoven with classroom discussion motivated by the
required readings and insights gained outside the academic environment.
Course Requirements:
1. Grading Policy: Final grades will be based upon accumulated points.
100-94% A
93-90% A89-87% B+
86-83% B
82-80% B79-77% C+
76-73% C
72-70% C69-67% D+
66-63% D
62-60% D59% < F
2. Online discussions via Moodle: 12 x 20 points each = 240 points total. See discussion prompt
handout on Moodle for details on expectations, including word count.
3. Quizzes: 10 x 20 points each = 200 points total
4. In-class/HW assignments: @ 10 points/each TBD
5. Reading Assignments @ 20 points/each
6. Field Research @ 25 points/each = 75 points total
7. Exams: 2 x 100 points each =200 points total. The final exam will not be cumulative.
8. Essay: 100 points. Chapters 10 -11 in Midlife Crisis at 30 and Part 3 in Flux. 8- 9 pages.
9. ATTENDANCE: Attendance is encouraged and expected. This means that you arrive on time
and attend class for the full class period. Students are allotted two absences without a legitimate
and documented excuse with no loss in points. Three to four absences result in a deduction of 10
points. Five absences result in a deduction of 20 points. Six absences + more absences result in a
deduction of all 25 points. Attendance is worth 25 points.
10. PARTICIPATION: Students are encouraged to participate in classroom discussion and this
comprises a portion of the final grade in the course. Disruptive and/or inappropriate behaviors
will not be tolerated. Given the nature and subject matter of this class, students are expected to
be courteous, respectful and open-minded, creating an environment in which all students feel
comfortable and safe. Participation is worth 25 points.
11. COMMUNICATION: Email is the best way to contact me. I do not have voicemail on
campus. If you choose to email, please put GWS110 in the subject line or it may be deleted and
be sure to SIGN your email with your full name.
12. MOODLE: To supplement the course, we will be utilizing Moodle. The syllabus, discussion
forums, additional readings and assignments will be available in the online course shell for our
course.
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13. NO LATE PAPERS/ASSIGNMENTS! NO EMAILED PAPERS! I do not accept later
papers unless there is a documented emergency. I also do not accept emailed papers. If you know
you will be absent on a due date, turn your paper in early or drop it off in my mailbox in the
Sociology office by the deadline.
14. EXAM MAKE-UP POLICY: If you anticipate an absence on a scheduled quiz or exam date,
notify me in advance, provide the appropriate documentation and we will schedule a make-up
exam. If an emergency arises on the day of the quiz or exam, contact me ASAP, provide the
appropriate documentation and we’ll schedule a make-up.
15. CHEATING: Cheating and/or plagiarism (taking exact phrases, sentences, and/or passages
from someone’s written work and presenting it as one’s own) will not be tolerated under any
circumstances. Appropriate disciplinary action, as outlined in college policies, will be taken
against those who participate in academic misconduct. These actions begin at a failing grade on
an assignment in question and can be as serious as permanent expulsion from the college. If you
are in doubt as to what would qualify, please ask me.
16. Students with disabilities in the learning environment may make arrangements with
Disabilities Resources and Educational Services(DRES):
http://www.csun.edu/dres/facultyandstaff/index.php
17. SUCCESS: If you attend class regularly and make an effort you should do well in the course.
If you’re experiencing problems and/or difficulties, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Don’t
drop off the face of the planet. We can probably work things out..
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to modification):
Week 1: August 25 & 27
M:
Introduction + class syllabus
HANDOUT: “The Promise”
W:
Discuss “The Promise”
Week 2: September 1 & 3
M:
NO CLASS – LABOR DAY
W:
Week 3: September 8 & 10
M:
W:
DUE: Discussion # 1 @ 10AM
HANDOUT: Individual in-class assignment
Quiz # 1
Class discussion on feminism
RA # 1 DUE: Online reading: Introductory readings on
feminism + Patriarchy by Allan Johnson
DUE: Discussion # 2 @ 10AM
DUE: Discussion # 3 @ 10AM
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Week 4: September 15 & 17
M:
W:
Week 5: September 22 & 24
M:
W:
Feminism, cont’d
RA # 2 DUE: Online reading: Chapters 1 in The Second Shift by
Hochschild, Intro and Chapter 1: To Work or Not To Work in
Opting In by Richards
Quiz # 2
DUE: Discussion # 4 @ 10AM
Field Research # 1
Feminism, cont’d, Begin Sex + Gender
DUE: Field Research # 1
Sex + Gender
Quiz # 3
Week 6: September 29 & October 1
M:
Sex + Gender, cont’d
RA # 3 Online reading: Excerpt from Getting Off by Jensen +
Excerpt from Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine
W:
Week 7: October 6 & 8
M:
W:
Week 8: October 13 & 15
M:
W:
Week 9: October 20 & 22
M:
W:
Week 10: October 27 & 29
M:
W:
DUE: Discussion # 5 @ 10AM
Quiz # 4
RA # 4 DUE: Part 1: The Promise in Flux by Orenstein, Chapter
1 in Midlife Crisis at 30
DUE: Discussion # 6 @ 10AM
Quiz # 5
Field Research # 2
RA # 5 DUE Chapters 2 – 5 in Midlife Crisis at 30
DUE: Discussion # 7 @ 10AM
Quiz # 6
Exam Review
DUE: Field Research # 2
Exam # 1
RA # 6 DUE: Part 2: The Crunch in Flux by Orenstein
DUE: Discussion # 7 @ 10AM
Part 2, cont’d
4
Week 11: November 3 & 5
M:
W:
RA # 7 DUE: Chapters 6 – 9 in Midlife Crisis at 30
DUE: Discussion # 8 @ 10AM
Quiz # 7
Week 12: November 10 & 12
M:
W:
RA # 8 DUE: Nickel and Dimed and Online Reading on Leaning
In
DUE: Discussion # 9 @ 10AM
Week 13: November 17 & 19
M:
W:
Week 14: November 24 & 26
M:
W:
Week 15: December 1 & 3
M:
RA # 9 DUE: Introduction and Chapter 1 in The Way We Never
Were
DUE: Discussion # 10
RA # 10 DUE: Chapter 2 & 7 in The Way We Never Were
DUE: Essay
Field Research # 3
RA # 11 DUE: Chapter 9 & 10 in The Way We Never Were
DUE: Field Research # 3
DUE: Discussion # 11 @ 10AM
Quiz # 9
W:
DUE: Discussion # 12 @ 10AM
Quiz # 10
FINAL EXAM: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 8AM – 10AM
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