Student: _____________________________________________
Women in Cross Cultural Perspective (ANTHR 240)
Winter 2008 (GER-SS, 5 credits)
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
E-mail:
Office hours:
Dr. Mary L. Russell
Cascade Bldg., Room 222
(253) 964-6466
mlrussell@pierce.ctc.edu
Mon, Tue, Thu, 11 am – noon
Wed, 11 am – 1:00 pm
and by appointment
(Office hours may change due to campus
activities. Changes will be posted on door
of C-222.)
Class Location: Cascade Bldg., Room 124
Class Meetings: Daily, 10:00 – 10:50 am
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is for you to
examine how various cultural beliefs and
practices affect women’s relationships to
their bodies, to each other, to their families,
and to the societies in which they live. We
will examine cross-cultural perspectives on
women in relation to work, biology,
partnering, male-female separation systems,
gender and sexuality, gendered violence,
and global economics.
Course Outcomes: At the conclusion of
this course you should be able to
 Comprehend and discuss major concepts
relevant to the anthropology of gender;
 Recognize your own ethnocentrism and
adopt an anthropological perspective in
order to understand Others and their
cultural practices;
 Distinguish between Western feminism
and feminist anthropology.
 Conduct an ethnographic interview in an
ethical manner; and,
 Employ skills that advance your own
professionalism and that contribute to
constructive interaction with Others.
Graded Coursework:
 Reading Notes & Discussions (10)
 Reflective Writings (5)
 Ethnographic Interview Project
 Final Exam
Assignment descriptions with evaluation
criteria will be handed out and discussed in
class. Please see attachments to this syllabus
for information about final course grades.
Required Course Materials: The following
books and materials are available for
purchase at the Pierce College Bookstore:
A World Full of Women, 4th Edition, Ward
and Edelstein (2006). This book is written
for readers with no background in
anthropology. The authors present a broad
range of theoretical perspectives in the
anthropology of women, as well as a large
number of ethnographic examples. The
book includes a glossary (pp.269-276) and
an index (pp. 287-291).
Guests of the Sheik, Fernea (1965). This
book is considered a “classic” ethnography
and is often assigned reading for courses on
gender studies and on the Middle East.
Course Organization
The course consists of a variety of
approaches including but not limited to
lectures, videos, small and large group
activities, and group discussions of assigned
readings. In general, class time is not
designed to repeat or explain assigned
readings, although you are still responsible
for completing all of the assigned reading.
You are expected to work with your
classmates for their benefit as well as yours.