WMST/PL SC 428
TR 9:45 -11:00 a.m.
Gender and Politics
004 Health and Human Dev. East
Prof. Lee Ann Banaszak
Office Hrs.: TR 4-5:30 p.m.,
or by appointment
Office: Sparks 210
Telephone: 865-6573
E-Mail: lab14@psu.edu
Homepage: http://polisci.la.psu.edu/faculty/banaszak/banaszak.htm
Course Description
This course is designed as an overview to the field of women and politics. It examines the
role that women play in politics in the United States and around the world. Two questions will
continue to arise throughout the semester: 1) To what extent do women think, believe, and act
differently from men in politics and what are the reasons for the existing differences? 2) What is
feminist politics and to what extent are the activities of women in politics today feminist? We will
begin by examining different theories of the ideal position of women and men in politics. We then
discuss different gender gaps between men and women in political attitudes and participation and
examine some of the potential causes of those differences. We will then focus on women in
different political offices and how their behavior compares to that of their male counterparts. We
will then analyze the women's movement in the United States, and compare it to other movements
around the world. I hope that this course will awaken your interest in the role of gender in politics.
At the same time, I hope you develop more informed judgments about and familiarity with the types
of evidence used to discuss gender and politics.
Required Readings
Burns, Nancy; Schlozman, Kay Lehman; and Sidney Verba. 2001. The Private Roots of Public
Action: Gender, Equality, and Political Participation. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Tolleson-Rinehart, Sue and Jyl Josephson, eds. 2000. Gender and American Politics. Armonk, NY:
M.E. Sharpe.
** Most other readings are available through the Electronic Reserve System of Pattee
Library at http://reserve.libraries.psu.edu except where noted. **
Course Requirements
Student Responsibilities: The class will meet Tuesday and Thursday from 9:45 to 11:00 am.
This course will be in seminar format, which means that each individual student is responsible for
completing the readings prior to the class meetings, and for contributing to the discussion of the
material. For this reason, participation in class discussion is a requirement of the course and a
significant portion of your final grade.
Grades: Grades will be determined by a strict percentage. The grading scale is as follows:
A
94 – 100
A90 - 93
B+
87 - 89
B
83 - 86
B80 - 82
C+
76 - 79
C
70 - 75
D
60 - 69
F
below 60
All students in the class will be graded on the following elements:
a) A cumulative final exam, based on the readings and discussion throughout the
semester (worth 25% of your total grade). This will be scheduled during the regular final exam
period.
b) Short Essays (worth 30% of your total grade). You will need to write 3 short
essays of 3-5 pages double-spaced on the readings (each worth 10% of your grade). These papers
are due the next class day after a section is finished. For more information see the descriptions of
the short essays at the end of the syllabus.
c) Class Participation (worth 15%). Class participation includes attendance and
participation in class. Since you cannot participate if you are not present, class attendance is part of
the class participation portion of your grade. I will be regularly taking attendance. However, to
receive a good grade you must also participate in class discussions on a regular basis. On the first
day of class, each student will be assigned to an A or B group. Each time an A or B appears in the
syllabus, you are on call. If you are not prepared for discussion on a day you are on call, you will
lose points for the discussion.
d) Advocacy Paper (worth 30% of your grade). This is a research paper no longer
than 15 pages in length that advocates a specific government policy on an issue affecting women.
Papers will be due on April 28th. At the end of the syllabus is a description of what is entailed in
the advocacy paper.
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Extra Credit
I do not give extra credit on an individualized basis. However, you may earn 2% of extra
credit by completing the extra credit assignment. This is a 3-4 page paper based on an article from
the New York Times or a lecture on campus related to gender and politics. The assignment is to
describe the events in the article or summarize the lecture and then analyze them using the concepts,
theories or perspectives that we have discussed in class. I will hand out a copy of appropriate
lectures in class. To receive credit this assignment must be handed in by 5 p.m. on May 1st.
Late Policy for Papers and Assignments.
Late assignments and final papers will be graded down one letter grade for each day they are
late (e.g. from A to A-), and will not be accepted if they are more than a week late unless they are
accompanied by a valid medical or university excuse.
Academic Honesty Policy
Please see the departmental policy on academic dishonesty attached to this syllabus. You
should know that I take academic dishonesty very seriously. All students caught committing acts of
academic dishonesty will be referred to Judicial Affairs and will receive an F in the course.
The largest confusion about academic honesty occurs on the question of plagiarism. Failure
to provide adequate acknowledgment of the source of ideas which are not your own constitutes
plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs even when you paraphrase ideas that are not your own as long as you
do not credit the original source. Therefore, even when you paraphrase, you must provide adequate
citations. A second common mistake is inadequate use of quotation marks. Even if you take as few
as 3 consecutive words from a source, you need to use quotation marks and provide a citation. If you
paraphrase a work, be sure that it is completely different from the original in structure and language,
and that you provide a citation to the original source. If you are unsure when and how to use
quotation marks or how to adequately cite materials, use a guide to writing English (I will be happy
to recommend one), visit the Writing Center (219 Boucke, 865-1841), or see me.
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Tentative Course Outline
Day
Required Reading
Jan. 13
Introduction
WOMEN IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Jan. 15
(A)
Liberal Feminism
John Stuart Mill "The Subjection of Women" in Alice Rossi's The
Feminist Papers (1973: Bantam), pp. 196-238. (Electronic Reserve)
Jan. 20
(B)
Feminism and Marxism.
Fredrich Engels "The Origins of the Family" in Alice Rossi's The
Feminist Papers (1973), pp. 480-495. (Electronic Reserve)
And
Heidi Hartman, “The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism,”
in Love, 503 – 522 (Electronic Reserve)
Jan. 22
(A)
Difference Feminism.
Shulamith Firestone. Excerpts from The Dialectic of Sex (1970) New
York: Bantam Books. pp. 1-14 & 205-221.
Short Assignment One: Which of the four authors do you think best describes the real
differences between men and women? In making your argument, be sure to explain the
perspectives of all four authors and provide evidence for your argument about which is best.
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND PUBLIC OPINION
Jan. 27
(B)
Jan. 29
(A)
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The Private Roots of Public Action Chapters 3 and 4
The Gender Gap in 2004
Read: “Till politics do us part: Gender gap widens” USA Today Dec.
18, 2003 A.01
And
Goodman, Ellen. “It’s About Gender, Not Race” Boston Globe
November 9, 2003, pg. D 11
**FIRST SHORT ESSAY DUE**
Tentative Course Outline (continued)
Feb. 3
(B)
The Private Roots of Public Action Chapter 11
Feb. 5
(A)
Gender Gaps in Europe
Walker, Nancy. 1988. "What we know about Women Voters in
Britain, France and West Germany," Public Opinion 55(May/June),
pp. 49-52.
Feb. 10
(B)
Political participation in Africa:
Hirschmann, David. 1991. "Women and Political Participation in
Africa," World Development 19, pp. 1679-1694.
Short Assignment Two: From the articles you have read discuss how men and women are
differ in their public opinion and political participation? Do these differences reflect
fundamental gender differences? Explain your answer.
CAUSES OF GENDER DIFFERENCES
Day
Required Reading
Feb. 12
(A)
The Private Roots of Public Action, Chapter 5
AND
Sapiro, Virginia. Excerpts from The Political
Integration of Women (1983) Urbana: University of
Illinois Press:, pp. 36-53. (Electronic Reserve)
**SECOND SHORT ESSAY DUE**
Feb. 17
(B)
The Private Roots of Public Action, Chapters 6 and 7
Feb. 19
(A)
The Private Roots of Public Action, Chapters 8 and 9
Feb. 24
(B)
The Private Roots of Public Action, Chapters 13 and 14
Short Assignment Three: Compare and contrast the different reasons for gender differences
in participation and attitudes presented by the authors. What implications do they have for
the future of women in the political process?
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Tentative Course Outline (continued)
Day
Required Reading
Feb. 26
Library Resource Day
**THIRD SHORT ESSAY DUE**
WOMEN IN POLITICAL OFFICE
Mar. 2
(A)
Gender and American Politics, Chapter 10
and
Center for American Women and Politics. “Election 2000: Summary
of Results for Women” Found at:
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cawp/Facts/Elections/CanHiResultsSum0
0.html
Mar. 4
(B)
Thomas, Sue and Clyde Wilcox, eds. 1998. Women and Elective
Office (Oxford:Oxford University Press), Chapters 8 and 9.
(Electronic Reserve)
SPRING BREAK ** MARCH 8th through March 12th***
Mar. 16
(A)
Gender and American Politcs, Chapter 9
Mar. 18
(B)
Gender and American Politcs, Chapter 8
Mar. 23
(A)
Women as World Leaders
Chapt. 1 (pp. 15-30), Chapt. 4 (pp.59-69) and Chapt. 7 (pp.95-112) of
Women in World Politics, edited by Francine D’Amico and Peter
Beckman (1995: Bergin and Garvey). (Electronic Reserve)
Short Assignment Four: How do women differ from men when they take political office?
Does the type of office (e.g. legislature, judicial position, or head of state) make a difference
for how women act?
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Tentative Course Outline (continued)
Day
Required Reading
THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT
Mar. 25
(B)
Examining Women’s Movements
“The U.S. Women’s Movement in a Global and Dynamic
Perspective: An Introduction” by Lee Ann Banaszak (typescript
manuscript)
**FOURTH SHORT ESSAY DUE**
Mar. 30
(A)
The Development of the Women’s Movement
Freeman, Jo. 1973. “The Origins of the Women’s Liberation
Movement” American Journal of Sociology 78:4(January): 792-811.
and
Whittier, Nancy “From the Second to the Third Wave: Continuity and
Change in Grassroots Feminism” (typescript manuscript)
Apr. 1
(B)
Organizing and Strategizing
Ryan, Barbara. “Political Activism and Discursive Politics: The ERA
Campaign “
and
Staggenborg, Suzanne and Jo Reger “Establishing and Maintaining
the National Organization for Women: Grassroots Organizing from
the 1970s to the 1990s” (Typewritten manuscripts)
April 6
(A)
Transnational Organizing
Rohlinger, Deana and Meyer, David S. “Transnational Organizations
in National Politics: Framing Abortion Discourse in the United States,
England, and Ireland. (Typewritten manuscript)
April 8
(B)
Russian Women’s Movement
Lafont, Suzanne. 2001. “One Step forward, Two Steps Back:
Women in the Post-Communist States.” Communist and PostCommunist Studies 34:2(June): 203-220.
Short Assignment Five: From your reading, what are the key factors that influence the
development and success of a women’s movement? Given those factors what is likely to
happen to the feminist movement in the next ten years?
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April 13
Class Presentations
**FIFTH SHORT ESSAY DUE**
April 15
NO CLASS
April 20
Class Presentations
April 22
Class Presentations
April 28
Class Presentations
**ADVOCACY PAPER DUE**
April 30
Class Presentations
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Short Essay Assignment
Topic. For the short essay assignments, you may choose to write on the suggested topic
or you may choose a topic of your own. If you choose to pick your own topic, you should choose
a topic that allows you to analyze the set of readings. Analyzing is not the same as summarizing the
reading although you may need to provide several sentences of background before you begin your
argument. It is also not just reacting to the reading. Rather it is an intellectual examination or
critique of the arguments of the author. This can be done in many ways. In the past, students have
critically analyzed readings by 1) comparing the work to others we have read in this class; 2)
criticizing the arguments of the work and backing up those criticisms with evidence or logic, 3)
applying the author's argument to current events (particularly if they lead you to look at them in a
new light), or 4) following a specific theme throughout the reading and analyzing it in depth.
Essay Length. The short essay should be no more than five double-spaced typewritten
pages. In writing the essay, you should make sure that your paper develops a specific
argument and provides supporting evidence for the argument you develop. It is better to
develop the argument in-depth rather than being too general.
Due Date. Essays are usually due in the class period after the readings on a particular topic
are discussed. The due dates of short essays are marked in the class schedule. Short essays handed
in late will be graded down for each day they are late (unless accompanied by a doctor’s excuse) and
no short essays will be accepted one week after the due date.
Note that there are 5 short essay topics available but only 3 essays are required. The top 3
grades on the short essays may be taken. This means that each person may either do all 5 essays and
take the best grades, or skip 2 essays without penalty.
Grading Criteria. Papers are to be your own work (do not work in groups) and will be
evaluated along three dimensions: analysis, documentation, and writing. The short essays should
not just summarize the work but should analyze the readings and make a specific argument. In
order to make a strong argument, you will need to provide evidence or logic to support your
argument. Reacting on an emotional level to the readings or simply relating it to personal
experience does not constitute an analysis of the readings. Because the ability to explain one's
thoughts on paper to others is an expectation of all serious scholars, writing counts and will be a
consideration in paper grading. Finally, be sure to cite correctly (with reference to the author and
with page numbers) and use quotation marks (when appropriate) when you draw points from the
assigned readings.
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Advocacy Paper Assignment
The purpose of this paper is to allow you to become an advocate for a specific policy related
to women. You are to become a policy expert in this field and you must then write a paper that
convinces the less knowledgeable that your policy is the best available choice for women.
Paper Content: The paper should have two parts. The first part of the paper should focus on
the background of the issue. Examine recent governmental activity on this issue, including a brief
history of federal or state efforts to handle the issue and various proposals for action. A good
analysis of the background of the issue will also include a discussion of what values these policies
promote, which interests support or oppose current policies and if, and why, these policies are
inadequate.
The second section should advocate a specific policy in the area. Discuss why this policy is
necessary and how it would address current problems or inadequacies. In so doing, you will want
to be clear about the underlying values you are assuming.
Papers are to be your own work (do not work in groups) and will be evaluated along three
dimensions: research and documentation, analysis, and writing. Because the ability to explain one's
thoughts on paper to others is an expectation of all serious scholars, WRITING COUNTS and will
be a consideration in paper grading. Your writing should use proper sentence structure and correct
grammar, spelling, punctuation, typing etc. Your analysis should be critical in your appraisal of
other authors or current policies; I encourage you to include your own ideas or criticisms that others
have not yet noticed or described. However, your analysis should also be well-developed and
supported by evidence, accurate data, and/or a plausible example (See section on what constitutes
good evidence). When presenting ideas which are not your own, you must use quotation marks
and/or references to indicate that the idea is not your own. But be careful of excessive use of
quotations; too many quotes often lowers the quality of a paper.
Topics: There are 7 possible topics for the paper. In order to assure that sufficient library
sources are available to everyone, only a maximum of 7 people will be allowed to work on the same
topic. You will be assigned to a group based on your preferences for a topic. At some point during
the first few weeks of class, I will ask you to rank order the topics from favorite to least favorite. I
will assign you a topic based on your preferences and the demand for each topic. The possible
topics are:
1) domestic violence
2) health care policy for women
3) women and poverty
4) equal opportunity and affirmative action
5) lesbian rights
6) women in sports
7) women in the military
Research and Documentation: A good place to start looking for materials is in the
bibliographies of some of the required readings for this course. When you find a useful book, you
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should also check the bibliography to see what other materials are cited. Appropriate materials can
also be found by checking the CAT (the computerized card-catalogue of the library) or some of the
Journal or Newspaper databases on LIAS. Numerous sources specific to the topic of the paper will
also be discussed in the class on finding appropriate library sources. While I encourage you to use
sources on the World Wide Web, be careful in using such sources. You will need to be selective in
which sources you utilize (after all, any fool can put material – false or true -- on the web). In
addition, the web doesn’t always contain good background on issues since it is only a few years old.
For these reasons, it is usually impossible to write a good advocacy paper using only web
sources.
You might also consider gathering information by interviewing or writing to relevant
activists, such as pressure group leaders, elected representatives, or information centers on public
policy concerning women. In all of these cases, be sure to cite the source of the material you use in
your paper.
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What Constitutes Strong Evidence.
Both the short essay assignments and the advocacy paper assignment require that you use
evidence to back up your arguments. Evidence consists of facts that support the specific point that
you are making; they are not merely opinion or assertion. Evidence is also not simply an appeal to
or citation of some other scholar.
Consider the following examples that try to use evidence to back up an argument about how
women think about politics.
1) Women are raised from childhood not to be interested in politics. They are encouraged to
play games that emphasize the home and interpersonal relationships.
2) Women are raised from childhood not to be interested in politics (Greenstein 1969: 112).
They are encouraged to play games that emphasize the home and interpersonal relationships
(Greenstein 1969: 120).
3) Women are raised from childhood not to be interested in politics. A survey of American
children in New Haven showed that by the age of ten, boys were already more interested in politics
than girls (Greenstein 1969: 112). The boys in the sample were particularly likely to mention
international events, particularly war, as being of interest. They also mentioned playing more warrelated games than the girls in the sample, who tended to play games related to the family
(Greenstein 1969: 120).
As written, number 1 is not evidence. It is a set of assertions, since there is no reference to
any factual source. Number 2 is slightly better, since it at least cites a source of information.
However, it does not provide any detail on the (quite general) statements made. Number 3 uses
information and data well. It furnishes facts to support the general statements, giving a sense of
how the author knows that women were raised differently from men. Of course, it also gives the
source of the information. Even better would be to use multiple sources to verify that this particular
study was correct.
In addition, not all facts are of the same quality. For example, if I tell you “I always eat
Cheerios for breakfast,” you might use this as evidence for the fact that I eat cereal for breakfast.
However, it would be better to actually observe the behavior. I may be exaggerating or even lying.
More importantly, my statement or even observing me eat the cereal does NOT provide evidence for
a widespread phenomenon (i.e., Professors always eat Cheerios for breakfast). To provide good
evidence for the statement, “professors always eat Cheerios for breakfast,” you need to have
information about more than one professor in more than one department at more than one
university. In writing essays and in reading the works of others, you should always consider the
quality of the evidence.
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