Ocean County College
Professor's Syllabus
Professor's Name: Dr. Kathleen McCormick
Course Title and Number: PSYC 270 Psychology of Gender
Catalog Description: A study of the behavior of the individual in
terms of maturation, learning, emotions, motivation, perception,
thinking and individual differences; a prerequisite for all other
courses in psychology. 3 s.h.
Semester: Spring 2013
Office Location: 314 Bartlett Building
Phone Number: 732-255-0400 ext. 2212
E-Mail Address: kmccormick@ocean.edu and
kathleen_mccormick@occ.mailcruiser.com Please use the first e-mail
address for all communications that you wish a rapid reply to as I
check it first.
Office Hours: Monday/Thursday 9:30-10:45 am and Tuesday/Friday
12:30-1:45 pm.
Other Meeting Times: To arrange a meeting with your instructor in
addition to the regularly scheduled office hours, please contact your
instructor directly or contact the Department of Social Science
(Phone: 732-255-0381)
Required Texts: Gender: Psychological Perspective, 6th ed. Linda
Brannon. Allyn & Bacon, 2011. ISBN: 0-205-00445-8 Required
Reader: Gendered Society Reader, 4th ed. (2011) by M. Kimmel & A.
Aronson. Oxford University Press ISBN: 978-0-19-973371-2
In addition to the OCC bookstore, these texts may be available at various
online college bookstores, such as:
Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com)
Barnes & Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com)
Big Books (http://www.bigbooks.com)
Other Materials: All other course materials (e.g. Assignment direction
sheets, Internet links, etc.) will be provided on the Cruiser course
page.
Course Outline & Reading Assignments:
1/24
Introduction: The Study of Gender (Chp.1)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 200-213
1/28-31
Researching Sex and Gender (Chp. 2)
Kimmel: Read “The Gender Similarities Hypothesis”, J. Hyde
(pgs. 95-112) for essay assignment
Essay Assignment 1: Research Bias (paper due 2/4)
2/4-7
Hormones & Chromosomes (Chp. 4)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 27-47, 51-61, & 527-541
Essay Assignment 2: Nature vs. Nurture
John/Joan (paper due 2/11)
2/11-14
Intelligence & Cognitive Abilities (Chp. 7)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 299-311
Discussion Assignment 1: Cognitive Skills (2/25; paper due
2/21)
2/18
President’s Day (no classes)
2/21
Test 1 (Chps. 1, 2, 4 & 7 and assigned readings in Kimmel
for those chapters)
2/25-28
Theories of Gender (Chp. 5)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 11-22, 78-92, 190-200 & 200-213
Discussion Assignment 2: Body Image (228; paper due 3/7)
3/4-7
Developing Gender Identity (Chp. 6)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 78-92, 299-311 & 311-333
Discussion Assignment 3: Children’s Gender Identity (3/7;
paper due 3/14)
3/11-14
Gender Stereotypes: Masculinity and Femininity (Chp. 3)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 299-311, 311-333 & 517-526
3/18-21
Emotion (Chp. 8)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 22-26, 489-499 & 608-617
3/25-29
Spring Break (no classes)
4/1
Test 2 (Chps. 3, 5, 6 & 8 and assigned readings in Kimmel
for those chapters)
4/4
Submit all requests for W grades to professor for
processing in order to meet 4/5 deadline
4/5
Last date Ws may be issued by Admissions
4/4-8
Relationships (Chp. 9)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 237-256, 257-272, 545-554, 559-577, 272246 & 78-94
Essay Assignment 3: Communication (paper due 4/11)
4/11-15
Sexuality (Chp. 10)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 125-150, 554-558, 578-591, 592-604 &
631-640
Discussion Assignment 4: Sexuality & Media (4/15; paper
due 4/22)
4/18-22
School (Chp. 11)
Kimmel: Revisit pgs. 299-311, 311-333 and 333-349
Essay Assignment 4: Gender Bias in Education? (paper due
4/25)
4/25-29
Careers & Work (Chp. 12)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 167-190, 190-200, 389-401, 401-414, 414433, & 592-604
Discussion Assignment 5: Sexual Harassment (4/29; paper
due 5/6)
5/2
Test 3 (Chps. 9-12 & assigned readings in Kimmel for those
chapters)
5/6-9
Health & Fitness (Chp.13) & Stress, Coping & Mental Health
(Chp. 14)
Kimmel: Read pgs. 113-124, 453-470, 503-517 & 618-630
5/13
Final Exam (Chps. 1-14)
5/14
Office Consultations & Make-ups
Grades will be posted on your Ocean Cruiser class page in My Grades
Kimmel & Aronson reader assignments:
Chp. 1: Read article in Kimmel reader pgs. 200-213
This article, Doing Gender, will give you an overview of many of the
topics we will deal with this semester. It also presents some of the
disagreements about what gender is and how we should study it
found among gender scholars and researchers.
Chp. 2: Read pgs. 95-112 in Kimmel reader
Please read the Hyde article (pgs, 95-112 in Kimmel reader) before
beginning the first essay assignment. You will find the directions for
the assignment under Assignments on your Cruiser class page.
Chp. 4: Read pgs. 27-47, 51-61, & 527-541 in Kimmel reader
The Fausto-Sterling article focuses on genetics and genetic
variations, the biological basis of sex and gender. While Lorber starts
with the assumption of male and female as discrete and mutually
exclusive categories and then explores gender variations, the Dozier
article introduces an alternative to sexual dichotomy based on a
cultural perspective rather than a biological one. How many genders
can there be and how different are they?
Chp. 7: Read pgs. 299-311 in the Kimmel reader
While the Reay article doesn't deal specifically with intelligence and
cognitive abilities, it provides a broad picture of gender roles in
general school behavior. The research describes how boys and girls
view gender roles and when they see them as either empowering or
limiting. How can what these children tell you help to answer a few of
the questions posed in the Brannon chapter? What do we expect of
boys and girls and where do those expectations come from? Have
they changed or will they change? Why or why not?
(Article links below will appear on your Cruiser class page under
Assignments)
Think Again: Men and Women Share Cognitive Skills
http://www.apa.org/research/action/share.aspx
He’s Not as Smart as he thinks he is (Men, Women & IQ)
http://www.newsweek.com/2008/01/22/he-s-not-as-smart-as-he-thinks.html
Chp. 5: Read pgs. 11-22, 78-92, 190-200 & 200-213 in Kimmel reader
The McCaughey article introduces an evolutionary theory of gender
development (e.g. did division of labor (hunters vs. gatherers) evolve
into gender roles?). In contrast, the West & Zimmerman article
exemplifies the Social Learning model. Children learn gender roles
and different values and expectation from their culture (e.g. via
parents, peers, media, etc.). and in this case from video games. Are
you less affected by your social environment than by how you
individually perceive and interpret what you have learned? Cognitive
theorists would say that you "construct" what gender is and what it
means to you. The Herdt and Ridgeway articles follow anthropological
theory pioneered by Margaret Mead. Her article summarizes some of
her early research while the Herdt article describes the importance of
rituals and culture in developing and reinforcing gender roles.
These articles offer a number of examples of how these models work
so you can judge the strengths and weaknesses of each model for
yourself and decide which ones are most useful in explaining the
development of gender. There's something for everyone here;
however, as you may notice the Psychoanalytic model is missing; it is
less popular today and rarely appears in current literature outside of
psychoanalytic publications. Why do you think that is so? Is this
justified?
M. Mead: Sex & Temperament in 3 Primitive Societies. (You will find
the Mead article under Assignments on your Cruiser class page.)
Chp. 6: Read pgs. 78-92, 299-311 & 311-333 in the Kimmel reader
When does gender identity begin? When do you know that you are a
boy or a girl and how boys and girls differ? Reay’s and Martino's
research focuses on middle school children's and adolescents’
beliefs about gender. They describe what it means to be a boy or a
girl and how that identity shapes their world (i.e. what they can and
can't do, what they are supposed to like, who is best, etc.) Revisiting
the Herdt article will introduce you to the next step in gender identity
formation, adolescence. How do boys and girls become men and
women? Our society views adolescence as an important period of
development during which we make the transition from childhood to
adulthood. During adolescence we experience and learn how to deal
with puberty and sexuality, we experiment with social roles in what
often is termed an "identity crisis" until we find the roles that "fit" our
individual personal identity, we experience increasingly more
independence and begin to take on the responsibilities of adults, and
we consolidate our adult gender identity. However, many cultures do
not experience a stage of adolescence; instead children move directly
from childhood to full adulthood with all its rights and responsibilities
through coming of age ceremonies that are known as "rites of
passage". The Herdt article presents various examples of how
children learn to be gendered adults in different cultural settings.
How do different cultural patterns regarding "coming of age" affect
gender identity? Is it better to have a prolonged period of adjustment
such as adolescence as in many Western societies? Or do shorter
ritual periods of preparation followed by a ceremony initiating
children into adult society work equally well? How does the type of
society you grew up in affect how you might answer these questions?
The Herdt article ends with a description of a different type of gender
identity problem in our own society, that of gay adolescents (pgs. 8792).
Chp. 3. Read pgs. 299-311, 311-333 & 517-526 in the Kimmel reader
Margaret Mead , an anthropologist who studied gendered behavior,
discovered in her studies of tribes of the South Pacific that some
cultures (e.g. ) held similar beliefs about the dichotomy of male and
female behavior, while the particulars didn't always agree with
Western views, and that other cultures did not differentiate the
character or social roles of men and women on the basis of gender.
Read about the lessons that the Arapesh, Tchambuli and
Mundugumor taught Mead about gender stereotyping in her article.
On the other hand, Reay focuses on various ways that girls are
stereotyped (e.g. tom boy, nice girl) while Martino explores
adolescent male stereotypes. Grogan & Wainwright focus on some of
the consequences of stereotyping regarding body imaging:
dissatisfaction with one's own body that may lead to eating disorders.
M. Mead. Sex & Temperament in 3 Primitive Societies (Article available on
your Cruiser class page under Assignments)
Chp. 8: Read pgs. 22-26, 489-499 & 608-617 in the Kimmel reader
Sapolsky's article briefly introduces the current view on the
relationship between testosterone and aggression while Cohn asks
the question is aggression gendered and examines the language we
use in conflict situation for insight. Have men become stereotyped as
violence objects just as women are considered sex objects? What
messages do you see regarding this in your culture (e.g. films, music,
heroes, cartoons, videos, computer games, etc.)? Video games are
often viewed as contributing to learning aggressive behavior; Sanford
& Madill interpret video games as providing boys with safe
opportunities for virtual violence and opportunities for resistance to
authority. Are males socialized to be more adventurous and
aggressive and females to be more nurturant and expressive? Are
these stereotypes valid today or are they changing?
Chp. 9: Read pgs. 237-256, 257-272, 545-554, 559-577, 272-246 & 78-94
in the Kimmel reader
Cancian (pgs. 545-554) proposes that, "A feminized and incomplete
perspective on love predominates in the United States." Read this
article to find out more about what she means. What does love mean
to you? What is a good definition of love between a man and a
woman, and what happens when one half of the equation is
neglected? Are women "experts" on love? Why or why not? What is
the masculine view of love? After reading the article, do you agree
with the author? The Sprecher & Toro-Moro article (pgs. 559-577) asks
a famous question and provides a different view of romance, love and
marriage.
In a different vein, Cherlin (237-256) explores how marriage has
changed in the US and some of the problems couples face. Coltrane
(257-272) reconstructs domestic relationships in the concrete terms
of household labor; what additional insights does this add to our
concept of intimate relationships? Herdt (78-94) offer a cross-cultural
view of different birth practices and how these define paternity.
Lastly, Stacey & Biblarz (272-296) discuss parenting in gay families.
The articles below will be useful for your essay assignment and will appear
in the directions under Assignments on your Cruiser page.
Sex, Lies and Conversation (Deborah Tannen)
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/tannend/sexlies.htm
You can talk your way through the glass ceiling
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/tannend/usatoday121594.htm
Teacher's Classroom Strategies: Men and Women Use Language
Differently
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/tannend/chronicle061991.htm
Chp. 10: Read pgs. 125-150, 554-558, 578-591, 592-604 & 631-640 in
the Kimmel reader
Giordano, Longmore & Manning (pgs. 125-150) investigate the views
of adolescent boys toward romantic relationships while Lamb (pgs.
554-558) focuses more on female sexuality and its development in
adolescence. England, Shafer & Fogarty (pgs. 578-591) explore a
variation on dating, hooking up, providing more insight into romantic
relationships among college students.
In a different vein, Quinn (pgs. 592-604) studies the culture of "girl
watching" and explores its relationship to sexual harassment from
different view points while Sanday (pgs. 631-640) explores the
concept of a rape-prone vs. a rape-free environment. Which variables
increase or decrease sexual risk factors? What do you think is
responsible for current rape statistics (e.g. Twenty-five per cent of
women between the ages of 18 and 24 become rape victims.)? What
can we do to change norms that foster rape-prone environments? Is
"girl watching" harmless or does it encourage attitudes that lead to
harassment and perhaps more? Do you think that models such as
Sanday's could lead to the development of a rape-free culture?
Chp. 11: Revisit pgs. 299-311, 311-333 and 333-349 in the Kimmel
reader
What do schools expect of boys and girls? What do boys and girls
expect to encounter in school? Does one gender have more of an
advantage based on these expectations than the other? If so, which
one? Martino (pgs. 311-333) interviews adolescent boys about their
school environment.
Are schools still "shortchanging" girls as the classic AAUP study
suggested in the 1980s or have girls "caught up" and are boys now in
need of assistance? Reay (pgs. 299-311) proposes that girls still need
extra attention while Noguera (pgs. 333-349) focuses on the African
American male experience in school. (See the link to a Newsweek
article below for additional data on boys' school experience.) Are
single sex schools that allow boys and girls to be taught differently
the answer? (Also see Internet article link on Cruiser class page
(Assignments) for additional insights on this question.)
The articles below will be helpful for your essay assignment and will appear
in the directions under Assignments on your Cruiser page.
The Trouble with Boys http://www.newsweek.com/2006/01/29/the-troublewith-boys.html
AAUW Research Reports http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/
The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color PDF
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/educational-crisisfacing-young-men-of-color.pdf
Chp. 12: Read pgs. 167-190, 190-200, 389-401, 401-414, 414-433, & 592604 in the Kimmel reader
How do organizations divide labor along gender lines (i.e. who is
supposed to do what)? Does gender influence how women and men
interact in the work force or what is expected of them? What are the
rules? Epstein (pg. 167-190) explores "natural differences" and the
global pattern of female subordination as a context for assumptions
and behavior in the workplace. Ridgeway (pg. 190-200) examines
gender inequality in two high tech firms while Erickson & Pierce (pg.
414-433) examine company loyalty, once considered a more
masculine trait. How have companies changed with the economy?
How do organizations define "men's work" and "women's work"? Do
we value "men's work" and "women's work" differently? Or are there
other variables that also influence gender differentials? If so, what are
they and why are they important? Williams (pg. 389-401) flips the
issue of women entering traditionally male fields, examining the
experiences of men in traditionally female professions while Wingfield
(pg. 401-414) describes the interplay of two variables, race and
gender, in the nursing field. Sexual harassment also is part of the
workplace today and Quinn (592-604) explores aspects of the cultural
context that may foster sexual harassment in the workplace.
Chp. 14: Read pgs. 113-124, 453-470, 503-517 & 618-630 in the
Kimmel reader
Bordo's article (pgs. 503-517) focuses on how definitions of
masculinity and femininity affect how we view ourselves and
particularly our bodies. What can happen when cultural stereotypes
are in conflict with health issues and result in problems such as
eating disorders? Do only women experience eating disorders? We
estimate that approximately 10% of reported eating disorder cases
(and 25% of total cases) are men. Why do more women experience
eating disorders? Why are eating disorders increasing among men?
Do eating disorders and their causes differ for men and women? Does
sexuality play a role or is it gender the primary influence? Pascoe
(113-124) explores adolescent gay baiting and asks is it really
homophobia?
Weitzer & Kubrin (pg. 453-470) discuss misogyny in rap music's
portrayal of unhealthy feminine stereotypes while Dobash, Dobash,
Wilson & Daly (pg. 618-630) compare spousal violence committed by
husbands and wives.
A New Stress Paradigm http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug00/stress.aspx
Men & Depression: Facing Darkness
http://www.newsweek.com/2007/02/25/men-depression-facingdarkness.html
Evaluation of students:
Tests (3) - 30%
Final exam - 20%
Essay Assignments (4) - 30%
Discussion (4) – 20%
Grading scale:
A (90+) – Excellent
B+ (87-89) – Very Good
B (80-86) – Good
C+ (74-79) – Above Average
C (70-76) – Average
D (60-69) – Passing Below Average
F (0-59) – Failing
Statement of Accommodation: If there is any student in this class
who has special needs because of learning disabilities or other kinds
of disabilities, please feel free to come and discuss this with me or a
staff member in the Center for Academic Excellence.
Course Requirements:
Basics: Complete all reading assignments (see course outline), participate
in class discussions, participate in 4 (out of 5) group projects, submit 4
essays and complete 3 tests and a final exam.
Tests: Three tests will each cover the material in 4 chapters and the final
exam will be comprehensive. The tests will be essay tests and there will be
a choice of questions on each test.
Essays: Essays assignments will be based on assigned article topics;
they will be short (e.g. 2-3 pgs.) and may ask the student to evaluate,
compare, or analyze data, theories or belief systems.
Discussion Projects: Assignments may include completion of research,
reading online articles and/or data collection and analysis prior to the inclass activity and will be discussed in class prior to the project dates. The
assignment direction sheets will be available on your class page on
Ocean Cruiser at least a week prior to the project date (see course
outline). To access them, go to the OCC website (www.ocean.edu) and
click on Ocean Cruiser on the top tool bar. Log in following the log in
instructions; if you don’t know how to use Ocean Cruiser or have difficulty
(e.g. your password doesn’t work) the Multipurpose Computer Lab staff
(Library) can assist you. Clicking on the Log In button will take you to your
Cruiser page where you will see a menu of the classes you are taking this
semester. Click on your class title to see your class page; scroll down the
left margin menu to Assignments. Click on Assignments to see a menu of
Group Discussion and Essay assignments. Clicking on an assignment title
will take you to a direction page for that assignment (which you should
print) and if the assignment involves Internet resources, URL links will be
provided. (Should you misplace your syllabus, you will find an
electronic copy on your Cruiser class page under Shared Files.)
All group projects activities and discussion should be completed in
class; if a group does not finish the assignment in class, you may
wish to e-mail each other. You also may wish to use e-mail in order to
write the group paper; each member can contribute his or her ideas
and you can take turns editing the paper. The editor can cut and
paste the group’s paper together and perhaps add an introduction or
summary. There may be time for you to work on the group paper in
class after the group activity.
Five to six students will form a group; you may choose to work with the
same group of students during the semester or your may change groups if
you prefer at any time during the semester. You may need to join a
different group for an assignment if several members of your preferred
group are absent the day of the discussion; 2 people are not considered a
group and 3 people usually cannot provide sufficient data or experience to
complete a project. Group projects must be done with a group and
cannot be completed by 1 or 2 students outside of class. Please see
me if you experience problems dealing with other group members and are
unable to resolve the problem.
Each group will produce one group paper per assignment that will
receive a group grade. While all group members should take notes
during a discussion, one group member should volunteer to be recorder for
each session and be responsible for taking good notes on the group’s
discussion; the recorder can review these notes with the group for clarity
and additions at the end of the session; this may be helpful in putting
together the group paper later. Groups in previous years have found
sharing members’ notes via e-mail also can be helpful. Depending on the
group’s preference, group members should either work on the paper to be
submitted together or agree to take turns editing the paper from
contributions provided by the group members; it may be easier for the
editor if the group members e-mail their comments to the editor so that he
or she can copy and paste together a rough draft of the paper. The editor
can e-mail the draft to members for additional comments and then polish
up the final paper. Each paper should describe the group’s discussion
as well as data collected and the group’s conclusions; the latter
sometimes may reflect a consensus, and other times it may need to
express different points of view or interpretations. Your paper should reflect
all of the viewpoints expressed by the group. The paper will be due one
week after the project meeting unless otherwise postponed (e.g. if a
test is scheduled on that date); if additional time is needed to prepare
the paper, see the professor.
A student may miss only one of the 5 group sessions without
affecting this portion of the grade; additional absences from group
discussions may lower this portion of your grade. However, of the 4
required discussions, one session may be made up; see the Makeup
Policy section for more information on this.
Course Standards:
W grades: You may drop the course and receive a W grade by
submitting a drop form to the professor prior to completing 60% of
the course (Monday 4/5/13). If you feel that you are behind in your work
and in danger of failing the course, please consider asking for a W before
this date. After that date if you wish to drop the course, you will be
assigned an F grade rather than a W; this is College policy. Students
with excessive absences can receive only an F grade after 4/5 under this
policy. A student who does not complete the course work and does not
request an I grade may be assigned an F grade; the professor cannot
assign a W grade after 4/5. This is the date that withdrawal paperwork
must be in the Admissions office. If you wait until 4/5 to request a W,
there may not be sufficient time to process your request, so please
make such requests by earlier as listed in your course outline to
ensure that your paperwork is processed in time.
Make-up Policy: A student who misses a test may request a make-up.
See the professor when you return to class to arrange for a make-up exam
to be placed in the Testing Center. No make-ups will be given without
extenuating circumstances (e.g. illness, a court appearance, a funeral);
make-ups are at the discretion of the professor and will not automatically
be granted. All make-up exams must be completed prior to the final
exam.
A student who misses a group discussion does not need to make-up
the first missed discussion. If a second discussion is missed, a
student can search out a journal article on the topic of the missed
discussion and write a paper describing what you learned from the article
about the topic. Journal articles are found in academic journals (e.g.
American Psychologist, Journal of Experimental Psychology, Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, etc.) not in magazines. Articles from
magazines such as Psychology Today, Time, Atlantic, Cosmopolitan, GQ,
NY Times, etc. are not acceptable. There are many journals that offer fulltext online articles and you can search databases available at OCC for
specific topics or more general ones such as gender. Make-up articles
should be submitted within 2 weeks of the missed project; if illness delays
submission, please contact the professor.
Final Exam: The Final Exam is a comprehensive exam. If you will miss
the final exam, you must notify the professor of your reason prior to the
exam and make arrangements to take it at another time (e.g. test make-up
date—see course outline). You may do this by e-mail or phone if you are
not on campus. If you are unable to do so before the semester ends,
you must submit a request in writing (e-mail is acceptable) for an
Incomplete (I) grade. The Incomplete must be resolved (e.g. make up
missing test) by mid- September 2013; at this time I grades become F
grades automatically. It is your responsibility to make arrangements
to complete missing work prior to this deadline.
Late Assignment Policy: Assignments should be submitted on time;
group discussion papers will be due one week from the date of the
discussion unless a test occurs during that week; the latter will
postpone the due date by one class. Essay due dates will be identified
in the Course Outline; essays may be submitted earlier. Should you
miss a due date, a late assignment will be penalized by subtracting
points for each week that the assignment was delayed. It is to your
advantage to submit assignments on time to receive full point value;
however, an assignment that is a few days late will not affect your
grade substantially. One that is several weeks late will. Assignments
that are not submitted receive a grade of 0.
Plagiarism Policy: Please refer to Policy #5180 described in the Student
Handbook. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of others as your
own; it is the use of another writer’s words or ideas without disclosure of
the source. All essays and papers submitted by students for credit in
courses at Ocean County College must make honest and full disclosure of
any sources used, including but not limited to books, print articles, films and
other media, the Internet, and professional or non-professional co-writers.
Failure to make full disclosure of sources will subject students to penalties
prescribed by Plagiarism Policy #5180. See the current student
handbook-planner, for the complete text of this policy.
Examples of how to avoid accidental plagiarism follow. Copying from
Encyclopedias or texts and cutting and pasting the work of others from
Internet sources often are not considered plagiarism by many students;
these are forms of plagiarism. You must paraphrase such material in
your own words and cite the source of such information in your
paper. You must also paraphrase material from a text in an open book
exam rather than copying sections into an answer. If you do present
someone else’s work verbatim, you must frame it in quotation marks and
cite the source in a footnote. Such quotations should be used sparingly as
a paper should be primarily your work rather than a string of quotations.
You will be working on group projects in this course; failing to
participate or to do your fair share of the work while taking credit for
the work of other group members also is plagiarism.
Attendance Policy: See Attendance Policy in the Student Handbook.
It is unnecessary to notify the professor when you will miss one
class; however, if you will be absent for several days, please e-mail or
telephone the professor. There is no need to request “homework” as
your reading assignments are listed in the Course Outline (Syllabus).
Writing assignment directions can be downloaded from your Ocean
Cruiser page. Please mention your class so I know which class you will
be missing and indicate the purpose (e.g. missing classes) of your e-mail in
the topic statement. When I check my e-mail, I respond first to messages
from students regarding course problems or questions.
Statement about Civility: Ocean County College defines civility primarily
as the demonstration of respect for others, basic courtesy, reciprocity
(treating others as we wish to be treated), and behaviors that create a
positive environment in which to learn and to work. [See
www.ocean.edu/civility.htm]
Class Etiquette:
You are expected to attend class unless you are ill or have a family or
work related emergency. It is unnecessary to call me if you miss a class.
You are adult learners and responsible for you learning so I will assume
that you have a good reason for missing a class. However, if you will miss
several classes, please let me know.
You also are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the topic of
the day and to take notes; please complete reading assignments prior
to class and bring whatever supplies (e.g. a notebook, pen, pencil,
discussion directions, assigned research etc.) you will need. Please
staple or clip all multi-page assignments before you submit them.
Please respect your classmates by: coming to class on time or entering
quietly if you are occasionally a few minutes late; refraining from private
conversations during class; and by turning off you cell phone, pager, etc. or
setting them on voicemail or vibrate. If your cell phone rings during the
class period or during a test, you may be asked to leave the class.
Videos will be shown during class periods on occasion and you should
treat them like lectures: pay attention and take notes as the content
will be covered on tests. Reading your text or completing homework
for another course during class is not appropriate and is a waste of
your time. Use class time to explore material that you may find difficult or
confusing on your own. Ask questions. Listen to your classmates’
questions and discussions. You are expected to be an active adult
learner so use the few hours you spend in class wisely.
Text messaging and other forms of private communication should not
take place during class; you should concentrate on the class material
during class periods, and you should respect the right of your classmates to
listen to lectures, film sound tracks, class or small group discussions and
the questions and comments of other students without background noise
from your private conversations. Private communications should take
place before and after class.
Contrary to popular belief, you really can’t really “multi-task” (i.e. do
more than one thing at a time); instead of doing 2 things at the same time
(e.g. texting and listening) you are switching channels between two or more
activities very rapidly, but in doing so you miss something from each
activity. This is similar to switching TV channels with a remote; while you
are focused on one channel, you are missing what is happening on the
other channel. You will try to fill in these gaps in attention with what you
think happened (psychologists call this closure), but such guessing
frequently doesn’t work as well as you assume it does. (This is why people
are more likely to have accidents while driving and trying to do something
else such as talking on the phone, texting, or eating. That slight gap in
attention can result in a fender bender that makes you realize you missed
something important. Such warnings usually aren’t as dramatic in other
areas of our life.)
If you have concerns about your progress in this class or questions
about the course material, please speak to me; you are encouraged to
bring up a simple question before or after class or to come to my office to
discuss a more lengthy issue or one requiring more privacy. It is best to
discuss problems early in the semester when there is time to benefit from
tutoring, to try a different study technique, join a study group, make an
appointment with the writing lab, etc. If you wait until the end of the
semester, you may find that it too late to overcome problems that you have
neglected or put off.
Campus Resources and Services:
Tutoring is available [a] in the Writing Center for writing assignments in all
subject areas, not just English courses, and [b] in the Mathematics
Tutoring Center. Tutoring information for all other subjects can be
found on the Tutoring page on the college website. In addition, Study
Strategy Seminars are scheduled each week and are posted on the
college website under “Academics.” More information on college services
can be found by using the A-Z index on the college website (for example,
under “T” for Tutoring or under “S” for Study Strategy Seminars).
The Center for Academic Services (second floor library) provides testing
and counseling if you think that you may have a learning problem. They
also can assist you with ADA accommodations (e.g. software) that may
improve your online experience. The Multipurpose Computer Lab (third
floor Library) is available for writing papers and has many specialized
programs (e.g. Text enlargement) as well. Should you experience problems
with your computer this semester, you may use these computers or the
computer lab at the Southern Education Center (SEC) in Manahawkin (if it
is more convenient than the main campus lab).
The Counseling Center provides academic and personal counseling. In
addition, Student Success Seminars are scheduled each week and are
posted on the college website (www.ocean.edu) under Campus Resources
and Services. Also see the College website for information on Web
Advisor which provides access to course schedules, registration, and
grades and Ocean Cruiser which provides free e-mail for all students.
More information on college services can be found by using the A-Z index
on the college website (for example, “W” for Web Advisor)
Online Resources
The OCC web page also offers free software. If you need anti-virus
protection you can download a free version of Kaspersky from the OCC
web page. (Check the Announcements section.) You can access course
materials through Ocean Cruiser on your Cruiser page; Cruiser also
provides free e-mail accounts for students. Logging on to Ocean Cruiser
will take you to your Cruiser page where you will find all your classes listed.
Click on the course title to go to a course page; you will find a menu on the
left side. For example, clicking on Assignments on this menu will bring up
course assignments. You also may find some items in Shared Files. I will
place a copy of this Syllabus under Shared Files on your course page
so that you will always have access to it.
Course Learning Outcomes/Objectives (from the Official Course
Description):
To identify the parameters of sex, gender, sexual preference and
androgyny and to understand how they overlap and interact with each
other.
To understand the influence of nature and nurture in determining
sex and gender differences.
To evaluate research in sex and gender differences and to
interpret research findings in the context of social, political and
cultural applications.
To extrapolate the impact of sex and gender differences on lifespan development, social roles, interpersonal relationships, work,
education, and health.
To describe the cognitive and emotional components of gender
identity and the role that gender identity plays in personality
development and mental health.
To identify gender stereotypes and to deconstruct the concepts
of masculinity and femininity within the context of culture.
To understand how power both influences gender roles and
reflects gender differences in its application in a variety of
interpersonal situations.
General Education Goals Addressed in the Course (from the Official
Course Description):
2. To develop the ability to communicate effectively through reading,
listening, speaking and writing. The student will be able to: a. Read and
listen analytically, with understanding and openness toward other points of
view. b. Write and speak standard American English with clarity, continuity,
fluency and accuracy.
3. To develop the ability to solve problems by collecting, organizing and
evaluating information. The student will be able to: a. State a problem
clearly. b. Gather information from libraries and other educational sources.
c. Develop a hypothesis. d. Select a research methodology. e. Conduct the
research. f. Observe, classify, analyze, synthesize and evaluate data. g.
Interpret results and draw conclusions in terms of the stated problem. h.
Demonstrate competency with computers and other educational tools in
using information to solve problems. i. Recognize the relationships among
information, theories and applications.
5. To develop an understanding of the concepts, theories and fundamental
principles of the natural and social sciences. The student will be able to: c.
Identify biological and social factors affecting human behavior. d. Identify
social problems, outline their possible causes, and analyze the potential
effects of suggested remedies.
10. To develop the understanding of health and well being necessary to
confront the challenges facing individuals, families and communities. The
student will be able to: a. Identify important issues of health and well being.
b. Analyze and evaluate how issues of health and well being affect the
individual, community and humankind at large.
13. To foster the curiosity, creativity and desire to become autonomous
learners for life. The student will be able to: Understand basic theories of
human motivation and learning.
Important Notes
Disclaimer: Individual faculty members may make reasonable
changes to this course outline exclusive of course requirements,
course calendar, and grading procedures.
All individuals should not assume that anything received, sent, or
stored in this course or in any course is private. Students’ written
work, assignments, and test results may be used anonymously for
college assessment purposes. Course content, support materials,
and communications (including chats, discussions, emails, and any
other forms of communication) may be used for quality assurance
purposes by authorized college administrators.
Ocean Cruiser is the official email communication for students at
OCC (firstname_lastname@occ.mailcruiser.com)
Failure to pay for this course may result in your being dropped for
non-payment.