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GO 375: Senior Seminar in Gender Studies:
Sexing International Relations: How Is The Practice, Study and Public Discussion of
International Politics Gendered, And Why Does It Matter?
Fall 2014
Prof. Kate Graney
Tu / Th 9:40-11
Ladd 106
Office Hours: Wednesdays 10-1 and by appointment
Office: Ladd 309
Email: kgraney@skidmore.edu
Office Phone: 580-5242
I will try to respond to your emails promptly, but please be advised that I tend not to
respond late at night or until Monday morning on weekends.
Required Books:
Lisa Bowden and Shannon Cain, eds. Powder: Writing By Women in the Ranks, From
Vietnam to Iraq, Kore Press, Tuscon, AZ, 2008, Paperback.
Susan Faludi. The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post-9/11 America. Metropolitan
Books, 2007.
Joshua S. Goldstein, War and Gender, Cambridge University Press, 2003. Paperback.
Josh Seefried, Our Time: Breaking the Silence of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Penguin Books,
2012, Paperback.
Jill Stearns, Gender and International Relations, 3rd Edition, Polity Press, 2013.
J. Ann Tickner, A Feminist Voyage Through International Relations, Oxford University
Press, 2014.
Aili Mari Tripp, Myra Marx Ferree, and Christina Ewig, eds., Gender, Violence, and
Human Security: Critical Feminist Perspectives, New York University Press, 2013,
Paperback.
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Learning Goals
In this course, it is my hope and expectation that you will:
--Read carefully and closely a number of theoretically and conceptually sophisticated
texts about how the practice, study and public discussion of international relations are
gendered
--Be able to discuss those theories and concepts intelligently, productively, and
enthusiastically both on paper (through daily response papers) and in class (through
seminar discussions)
--Improve both your analytical/writing skills (through daily response papers) and your
public speaking / presentation skills (through seminar discussions, leading class
discussions, and presenting your research to the class at the end of the semester)
--Learn how to research and write a piece of “advanced research” that explores a
particular theme or topic in Gender Studies from an “interdisciplinary” perspective,
utilizing primary and secondary sources, and appropriately employing evidence, theories
and concepts from Gender Studies to support an effective argument (through your
semester-long capstone project)
--Think deeply about the “real world” impacts of the material we are studying in this
course for your own life, our life in the Skidmore community, the community of Saratoga
Springs, politics in the United States, and the wider global community. Together with
your peers in this class, you will develop and execute an appropriate campus or
community engagement project based on the themes and questions raised in this course.
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Assignments and Assessment:
1. Daily Response Papers and Class Participation (40%): In the interests of
making this senior seminar as participatory as possible, your close and careful
reading of the material and your informed and consistent participation in class
will be worth as much as your final seminar paper. To ensure that you earn this
full measure of credit, I will be collecting Daily Response Papers from you on
the reading assigned on the syllabus for every class meeting. You should be
sure to review your response paper before class every day and to be ready to refer
to it during class. They will be collected at the end of each class. Please see the
guidelines for the preparation of these Daily Response Papers at the end of
this syllabus. I will also take into consideration your daily class participation
when assigning this portion of your class grade.
2. Senior Seminar Capstone Paper (40%): Your senior seminar capstone paper is
a “piece of advanced research” based on a question of your choosing: it may or
may not relate to the themes of this particular course, but it must be firmly
grounded in gender studies. Your paper must be “well-developed and wellorganized,” show a strong ability to “utilize primary and secondary sources to
analyze a particular topic or theme in gender studies from an interdisciplinary
perspective,” and demonstrate that you can appropriately “utilize gender studies
concepts and theories.” It must “use evidence, interpretation and theoretical
frameworks to support effective arguments,” and finally, it must demonstrate
”proper grammar, syntax and usage and proper citation of sources.” Target
length: 20-25 pages. The guidelines and deadlines for the different parts of
this paper are located at the end of this syllabus.
Final paper due: TH DEC 18
3. Presentation of Senior Seminar Research Paper: Multi-dates. (10%) You will
be asked to present to the rest of the class updates about your capstone project at
different points in the semester, and, at the end of the semester, the final project.
Information about the dates of these different updates and presentations is at the
end of this syllabus.
Final paper presentations: DEC 4 and 9
4. Campus and Community Engagement Project: (10%) As a group, you will
work together to develop and execute a small-scale campus and / or community
engagement project that emerges from the class discussions we have this
semester. The project may be aimed at raising awareness about a particular issue,
at raising funds for a group or cause, it may be a piece of political theater, it may
be a petition drive….the sky (and your time !) is the limit.
The project must be executed by the class before the final exam period for
Fall 2014 is over. (TH. DEC. 18)
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Schedule of Daily Readings and Assignment Due Dates:
**Th Sept 4
Introductions, Syllabus
Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations, p.5-35
(Handout)
**Tu Sept 9: Introducing Gender and International Relations as a Field
Jill Steans, Gender and International Relations (3rd ed.), p. 1-46
J. Ann Tickner, A Feminist Voyage Through International Relations, p.5-18
**Th Sept 11: Issues in Methodology: How Do Feminists “Do” IR?
J. Ann Tickner, A Feminist Voyage Through International Relations, p.73-116
**Tu Sept 16: Capstone Project and Civic Engagement Session
1-Paragraph Captstone Project PROPOSED TOPIC AND FIVE PRELIMARY
SOURCES DUE TODAY
Bring Turabian handout also, please: I will hand out the second part of Turabian today as
well: Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations,
p.36-82 (Handout)
**Th Sept 18: The Gender of States, Nations, Citizens, Human Beings
Jill Steans, Gender and International Relations (3rd ed.), p. 47-94
**Tu Sept 23: Gendering the United States and The World After 9/11
Susan Faludi, The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post-9/11 America, p. 1-164 and
287-296
**Th Sept 25: Gendering the “War on Terror” and “Arab Spring”
Four articles by Deniz Kadniyoti from OpenDemocracy (Handout/PDF)
**Tu Sept 30: Human Rights Case Study: US Foreign Policy on LGBT Issues
Packet of articles (Handout/PDF)
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**Th Oct 2: Peace and Conflict Studies Through a Gendered Lens
Jill Steans, Gender and International Relations (3rd ed.), p. 95-139
J. Ann Tickner, A Feminist Voyage Through International Relations, p.19-35
**Tu Oct 7: The Gender of War
Joshua S. Goldstein, War and Gender, Ch.1 and 2, (p.1-127)
**Th Oct 9: War and Gender: Individuals and Groups
Joshua S. Goldstein, War and Gender, Ch.3 and 4, (p.128-250)
**Tu Oct 14: Socialization of Warriors and Peacemakers
Joshua S. Goldstein, War and Gender, Ch.5, p.251-331
**Th Oct 16: Second Capstone Project and Civic Engagement Session
Annotated Bibliography and Preliminary Outline of Capstone Project DUE TODAY
Bring second Turabian handout: I will handout third portion, Turabian p.98-119, today.
**Tu Oct 21 Sexualized Violence, Dominance and Exploitation in War
Joshua S. Goldstein, War and Gender, Ch.6, p.332-402
**Th Oct 23: Writing and Remembering Warriorhood: Historical and
Contemporary Perspectives
George Packer, “Home Fires: How Soldiers Write Their Wars,” New Yorker, April 7,
2014 (PDF)
Powder: Writing by Women in the Ranks, from Vietnam to Iraq, edited by Lisa Bowden
and Shannon Cain, ALL
David Finkel, “The Return: The Traumatized Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan,” New
Yorker, September 9, 2013. (PDF)
**Tu Oct 28: Soldiering While LGBT
Josh Seefried, Our Time: Breaking the Silence of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, ALL
Packet on Transgender Soldiers in the US (PDF)
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**Th Oct 30: Gendering “Security”: Theory
Tripp, Ferree and Ewig, eds., Gender, Violence and Human Security: Critical Feminist
Perspectives, Ch. 1 and 2, p.1-49
**Tu Nov 4: Gendering Security: Practice
Tripp, Ferree and Ewig, eds., Gender, Violence and Human Security: Critical Feminist
Perspectives, Ch. 4, 6 and 7, (p.79-108, 132-88).
**Th Nov 6: Gendering Security: Reform
Tripp, Ferree and Ewig, eds., Gender, Violence and Human Security: Critical Feminist
Perspectives, Ch. 8-11, (p.191-282).
**Tu Nov 11: The Gender of Globalization
Jill Steans, Gender and International Relations (3rd ed.), p. 159-208
J. Ann Tickner, A Feminist Voyage Through International Relations, p.61-69
**Th Nov 13: Globalization and “The Girl”
Michelle Murphy, “Gender, Justice and Neoliberal Transformations,” SandF Online,
Issue 11.1-11.2, Fall 2012/Spring 2013, PDF
Movie: GirlRising
**Tu Nov 18: NO CLASS: PROF GRANEY CONFERENCE
**Th Nov 20: Transnational Feminist Activism
Jill Steans, Gender and International Relations (3rd ed.), p. 211-229
**Tu Nov 25: Third Class Session on Capstone Projects / Civic Engagement
EXTENDED OUTLINE/ FIRST DRAFT OF CAPSTONE PROJECT DUE TODAY
**Th Nov 27: NO CLASS THANKSGIVING
**Tu Dec 2: Gender and International Relations: Conclusions and Future
Directions
Jill Steans, Gender and International Relations (3rd ed.), p. 230-237
J. Ann Tickner, A Feminist Voyage Through International Relations, p.175-186
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**Th Dec 4: Presentation of Capstone Projects
**Tu Dec 9: Presentation of Capstone Projects
FINAL CAPSTONE PROJECTS DUE: TH. DEC 18
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT / COMMUNITY AWARENESS PROJECT DUE: TH.
DEC 18
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Assignment # 1) DAILY RESPONSE PAPERS: GUIDELINES AND GRADING
As noted on the syllabus, in the interest of making this course as much like a seminar as
possible, your informed and consistent participation in class is very important. To ensure
that you earn this full measure of credit, I will be collecting response papers from you on
the reading assigned on the syllabus for EVERY class meeting. You should be sure to
review your response paper before class every day and to be ready to refer to it during
class. They will be collected at the end of each class. (40%)
1. What is a response paper? A response paper is not ONLY a regurgitation or
encapsulation of what you have read, however it must reflect that you have read
and understood the material to the point that you can actually argue with,
comment on it, praise it, criticize it, question it--in short, that you can respond to
it intelligently.
2. What should the format for these papers be? These papers do not have to be
incredibly polished pieces of prose, however they should be type-written and
should include your name, the date and the title of the assignment read for that
day. After that, you are encouraged to be creative, playful, humorous, but always
respectful, always careful, and always THOUGHTFUL. You may wish to begin
your papers by thinking about one or more of the following questions (you may
even use these as headings for your paper):
a. “I THINK THE MAIN POINT OF THIS READING WAS…”
b. “I COULD NOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIGURE OUT WHAT THE
MAIN POINT OF THIS READING WAS BECAUSE…”
c. “WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT THIS READING BECAUSE…”
d. “THIS PIECE WAS WORTH READING BECAUSE…”
e. “THIS READING REMINDED ME OF..”
f. “ I NEVER KNEW THAT…”, “IT SURPRISED ME THAT…”
g. “THE AUTHOR FAILS TO NOTE THAT…”
h. “I DISAGREE WITH THIS READING BECAUSE…”
i. “SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED FOR ME ABOUT THESE
READINGS INCLUDE…”
3. How long should these response papers be ? About two-pages double-spaced.
4. Can I miss any response papers or are they really daily? Daily means daily.
Sorry!
5. How will these be graded? I will collect the response papers every day and return
them to you en masse, probably once every couple of weeks. You will then
receive a collective grade for that “bunch” of response papers. Your final
participation grade will be an average of these bunched grades and your in-class
participation.
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Assignments #2 and #3: Senior Seminar Capstone Paper and Presentation of Final
Project to Class.
**YOUR TOPIC DOES NOT NEED TO PERTAIN DIRECTLY TO GENDER AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – IT NEEDS ONLY TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY
WITH GENDER STUDIES!
Target Length: 25-30 pages.
Deadlines:
One-paragraph Paper Proposal and Five Preliminary Sources:
TU SEPT 16
Annotated Bibliography and Preliminary Outline of Paper:
TU OCT 16
Extended Outline / First Draft of Paper:
TU NOV 25
Presentation of Final Capstone Project to Class:
TH DEC 4 and TU DEC 9
Final Paper Due:
TH DEC 18
Overall Guidelines: Your senior seminar capstone paper is a “piece of
advanced research.” It will demonstrate the following characteristics:
--it is “well-developed and well-organized”
-- it shows a strong ability to “utilize primary and secondary sources to
analyze a particular topic or theme in gender studies from an interdisciplinary
perspective”
--it appropriately “utilizes gender studies concepts and theories and
evidence, interpretation and theoretical frameworks to support effective
arguments”
--and finally, it demonstrates ”proper grammar, syntax and usage and
proper citation of sources”
**FURTHER GUIDELINES WILL FOLLOW FOR DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THIS ASSIGNMENT…WE WILL ALSO BE DOING BRAINSTORMING
AND PEER EDITING IN CLASS….