Introduction to Women’s Studies
WST 104, Section A01, CRN 23189
Clearihue A206, Mon. and Thurs. 11:30-12:50
University of Victoria, Spring 2010
Instructor: Dr. Alisa Harrison
E-mail: ayh@uvic.ca Telephone: 1 (250) 709-9640
Office hours: Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 or by appointment, location TBA.
Website: http://web.uvic.ca/~ayh
This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women’s Studies. It exposes students to
foundational concepts, vocabularies and analytical tools, and prepares them to engage in discussions of
key debates animating the field. The course investigates how structures of power—including
sex/sexuality, gender, race and class—intersect to shape our lives. It asks students to examine diverse
topics such as language, culture, the media, globalization and resistance in order to understand the
formation of social hierarchies, privilege and inequality. In addition, it challenges dichotomous
thinking as it argues that power relations are complex and multi-directional; that individuals are both
‘subjects’ and ‘objects,’ both privileged and oppressed; and that definitions of what is ‘natural’ and
what is constructed are politically charged and constantly shifting.
Course Requirements and Breakdown:
 Assigned readings: All readings are required.
 Regular attendance and active participation in class discussions (10%): Attendance at all lectures,
video screenings and discussions is mandatory. You will only receive credit for participation if you
make regular, quality contributions to class discussions.
 In-class writing assignments (5%): There will be periodic in-class writing assignments responding to
guest speakers, readings and/or discussion topics. Points will be awarded for completion. Students
must attend class to receive credit for these assignments; there will be no make-ups offered.
 Reflection papers (20%, 10% each): Two 2-pp. papers responding to/reflecting on assigned
readings, due at the beginning of the class for which the reading has been assigned. You may not
submit papers after the reading has been discussed in class. You may not submit papers discussing
readings for your group facilitation. See instructions for details. Due dates: submit first paper by
11:30 am on February 11; submit second paper by 11:30 am on April 1.
 Group facilitation (20%): Students will work in groups of at least 2 and no more than 3 students to
facilitate one discussion during the semester. A sign-up sheet will be posted outside my office door
on January 4, and students must sign up on a first-come-first-serve basis by January 11. Complete
instructions for this assignment to be distributed. Due date: varies.
 Blog assignment (20%): See handout for instructions. Due dates: 11:30 am on February 22,
March 22, and April 8.
 Take-Home Final Exam (25%): Essay response to questions based on course material. To be
distributed on April 8 at 12:50 pm. Due date: 12:00 pm April 19, e-mailed to ayh@uvic.ca.
Course Structure and Readings:
Meetings consist of lectures, discussions, video screenings and periodic written assignments. All
videos will be shown in class; if you miss a video, it is your responsibility to view it on your own time.
Women’s Studies 104, Spring 2010
Dr. Alisa Harrison
Please note that the instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus, including reading assignments
and schedule, at any time.
There is one required text available for purchase at the University of Victoria bookstore: Grewal and
Kaplan, An Introduction to Women’s Studies: Gender in a Transnational World, Second Edition
(Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006). All readings on the syllabus are from the textbook except those noted
with a single asterisk (*), which are on our website (http://web.uvic.ca/~ayh), and those noted with a
double asterisk (**), which are located only on reserve in the library. You may copy or print out the
readings at your convenience. Students must bring copies of all assigned readings to class for
discussions.
Reading tips: Leave yourself ample time to complete your reading. It is vital that you complete the
reading in full before each class, and that you read closely, in a way that allows you time to think about
the material before coming to our discussion. When you are reading, among other questions, always
ask yourself: What is the author’s main point? What sources does he/she use to make this point? Is it
convincing? Why or why not? What does this reading teach you? How? When and why did the
author write this? You won’t be able to find conclusive answers to all of these questions, but
attempting to answer them will help you develop a better understanding of the work.
Reading and Class Schedule:
Note: instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus at any time. Check our website
regularly (at least once/week) for any announcements or changes.
Introduction: Key Concepts, Ideas and Issues
M, January 4:
Distribute syllabus, introduce course.
Discussion: What is sexism?
R, January 7:
“Introducing Women’s Studies,” pp. xx-xxvi.
*AWID, “Intersectionality: A Tool for Gender and Economic Justice”
*CRIAW, Women and Poverty
**hooks, “Feminist Politics” and “Consciousness Raising”
**Valenti, “You’re a Hardcore Feminist, I Swear”
Discussion: What is feminism?
A. SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTIONS OF GENDER
1. Sexualities
M, January 11: *Rubin, “Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality”
**Valenti, “Boys Do Cry”
Vance, “Social Construction Theory: Problems in the History of Sexuality,” p. 29
Martin, “The Egg and the Sperm,” p. 10
Scott, “Gender and the Politics of History,” Box—p. 19
R, January 14:
Film: If These Walls Could Talk 2
2. Rise of Western Science
M, January 18: Gordon, “Magic,” p. 33
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Dr. Alisa Harrison
Rowbotham, “Feminist Approaches to Technology,” p. 35
Fausto-Sterling, “The Biological Connection,” p. 41
Schuklenk, et al., “The Ethics of Genetic Research on Sexual Orientation,” p. 47
3. Medicalization, Reproductive Rights, and Power
R, January 21:
*CRIAW, Women, Health and Action
Ehrenreich and English, “Exorcising the Midwives,” p. 77
Abusharaf, “Unmasking Tradition,” p. 91
Davis, “Contested Terrain: Historical Struggles for Fertility Control,” p. 99
Davis, “Reproductive Rights,” p. 103
B. GENDERED IDENTITIES IN NATIONS AND STATES
4. Gender, the State and Social Movements
M, January 25: Pateman, “Feminist Critiques of the Public/Private Dichotomy,” p. 155
Pettman, “Women and Citizenship,” p. 167
Weeks, “Power and the State,” p. 181
Bederman, “Remaking Manhood through Race and ‘Civilization’,” p. 190
R, January 28:
Woodward, “Concepts of Identity and Difference,” p. 195
Crenshaw, “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence
against Women of Color,” p. 200
Duggan, “Making it Perfectly Queer,” p. 211
M, February 1:
Film: 1969, Half the People (60 min.)
R, February 4:
Davis, “Gender and Nation,” p. 217
Enloe, “Nationalism and Masculinity,” p. 222
Rupp, “The International First Wave,” p. 240
Woodhull, “Global Feminists, Transnational Political Economies, Third World
Cultural Production,” p. 254
5. Race and Difference
M, February 8: *Weiner-Mahfuz, “Organizing 101: A Mixed-Race Feminist in Movements for
Social Justice”
*Razack, “The Murder of Pamela George.”
Blee, “The First Ku Klux Klan,” p. 234
R, February 11:
*CRIAW, Women’s Experience of Racism”
**hooks, “Race and Gender”
**McIntosh, “White Privilege”
Lazreg, “Feminism and Difference”
*Appendix, Sara Evans, Personal Politics: Cynthia Washington, “We Started from
Different Ends of the Spectrum.”
 Last day to hand in first Response Paper
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Dr. Alisa Harrison
 February 15-18 Reading Break
GUEST SPEAKER
Street-Entrenched Women and HIV/AIDS
M, February 22: Heidi Exner, AIDS Vancouver Island
 Blog Report 1 due
C. REPRESENTATIONS, CULTURES, MEDIA, AND MARKETS
6. Representing Women in Colonial Contexts
R, February 25: Film: For Angela (22 min.)
*Perry, “’Fair Ones of a Purer Caste’: White Women and Colonialism in 19thCentury British Columbia”
Lutz and Collins, “Excerpts from Reading National Geographic,” p. 317
Graham-Brown, “Excerpt from Images of Women: The Portrayal of Women
In Photography of the Middle East,” p. 324
7. Consumer Culture and the Commodification of the Body
M, March 1:
Introductory Essay, pp. 265-68
Berger, “Excerpts from Ways of Seeing,” p. 269
Abelson, “Urban Women and the Emergence of Shopping,” p. 331
Scanlon, “Excerpt from Inarticulate Longings,” p. 338
Gluckman and Reed, “The Gay Marketing Movement,” p. 342
R, March 4:
Film: No Logo (42 min.)
M, March 8:
Coward, “The Body Beautiful,” p. 345
Worcester, “Nourishing Ourselves,” p. 348
Bearak “Ugliness in India and Miss World,” p. 361
Tempest, “Barbie and the World Economy,” p. 363
R, March 11:
Film: Killing Us Softly 3 (34 min.)
www.genderads.com
Activity: Bring ad to class
8. Cyberculture
M, March 15:
Sengupta, “When Do-Gooders Don’t Know What They’re Doing,” p. 369
Rodriguez, “’Welcome to the Global Stage’: Confessions of a Latina Cyber-Slut,”
p. 371
Gonzalez and Rodriguez, “Filipina.com: Wives, Workers, and Whores on the
Cyber Frontier,” p. 375
D. GENDERING GLOBALIZATION AND DISPLACEMENT
9. Travel and Tourism
R, March 18:
Introductory Essay, pp. 383-87
Enloe, “On the Beach: Sexism and Tourism,” p. 388
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Dr. Alisa Harrison
Jacobs, “Give a Thought to Africa: Black Women Missionaries in Southern
Africa,” p. 400
Chant, “Female Employment in Puerto Vallarta: A Case Study,” p. 406
GUEST SPEAKER
Women, Science and Medicine
M, March 22:
Dr. Carol Herbert, University of Western Ontario
 Blog Report 2 due
10. Women, Work and Immigration
R, March 25:
*Silvera, “Canada Sweet, Girl”
Potts, “Excerpt from The World Labor Market: A History of Migration,” p. 411
Hall, “From ‘Routes’ to Roots,” p. 427
Shohat, “Dislocated Identities: Reflections of an Arab Jew,” p. 440
Glenn, “Women and Labor Migration,” p. 444
Salzinger, “A Maid by Any Other Name: The Transformation of ‘Dirty Work’ by
Central American Immigrants,” p. 449
11. Gender Politics of Economic Globalization
M, March 29:
Film: China Blue (86 min.)
Website: http://www.imow.org/economica/index
R, April 1:
Conclusion of China Blue
Dwyer, “Welcome to the Border,” p. 463
Human Rights Watch, “Sex Discrimination in the Maquiladoras,” p. 467
McMahon, “Resisting Globalization: Women Organic Farmers and Local Food
Systems,” p. 481
Worcester, “The Obesity of the Food Industry,” p. 491
 Last day to hand in Response Paper 2
 Easter break, April 2-5
E. FEMINIST FUTURES: TRANSNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
12. Conclusion
R, April 8:
Enloe, “Beyond the Global Victim,” p. 496
**Valenti, “Get to It”
 Blog discussion paper due
 Take-home final to be distributed
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Women’s Studies 104, Spring 2010
Dr. Alisa Harrison
Course Policies
Submitting Written Work
Unless otherwise specified, written work should be typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, doublespaced, and have 1” margins on all four sides of the page. All pages after the first must be numbered,
and your paper should have a separate title page. All papers must be stapled in the top left hand corner.
Please do not submit work in any kind of folder or cover, or held together by clips of any sort.
I encourage you to save trees and submit work by e-mail to ayh@uvic.ca. Copy yourself (“cc”) on all
submission messages: in the unlikely event that your paper gets eaten by cyberspace, you will have
proof that you submitted it.
If you need assistance with your written assignments, you are welcome to consult with me. You may
also want to take advantage of the free resources offered at UVic’s Writing Centre:
http://www.ltc.uvic.ca/servicesprograms/twc/students.php. To book an appointment online go to:
http://www.rich36.com/uvic/.
Late Papers Policy
All papers must be handed in on time. Extensions will only be granted in the case of serious illness or
emergencies. You are required to provide relevant professional documentation (i.e. doctor’s or
counselor’s note) in order to qualify for an extended deadline. Unexcused late papers will lose five
points per day late (including weekends), no exceptions.
Classroom Conduct
It is absolutely crucial that every student feels able to express him or herself freely in this class. It’s a
cliché, but to my mind there truly are no stupid questions; chances are, if you are wondering about
something, others are (or have been), too. I encourage you to challenge me, each other and yourselves
as we explore topics that are provocative and often difficult. All of us will work toward a better
understanding of what critical thought is and how to engage in critical debates with other people. Note
that there is a major difference between disagreeing with another person’s opinion or perspective and
denigrating that person or his or her input: we all need to be vigilant about understanding and
respecting this difference. There is no place for any demeaning, disrespectful or hateful speech in this
class. If you ever believe that you have been mistreated by another student or by me, I encourage you
to report this to me privately so that we can confront and learn from such experiences.
Office Hours
In addition to scheduled office hours each week, students are welcome to make additional
appointments or to consult with me via phone or e-mail. I encourage you not to wait until the day
before a due date or an exam to rush in for a last-minute meeting; the earlier you seek assistance, the
more helpful I can be, the more you will learn, and the more successful you will be in this course. I’ll
also remind you that you need not be having trouble with the material to schedule a meeting. I am
happy to see any students who wish to discuss the course content, whether this is due to problems
understanding it or to a particular interest the student wishes to explore in more depth than regular class
time allows.
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Women’s Studies 104, Spring 2010
Dr. Alisa Harrison
Plagiarism and Grading
1) WOMEN’S STUDIES STATEMENT ON PLAGIARISM
In accordance with the standards of scholarly integrity, the department of Women’s Studies does not condone plagiarism.
Students who are found to have engaged in unethical academic behavior including the practices described below are subject
to penalty. The most common forms of plagiarism include:
 Submission of another’s work as the student’s own
 Inadequate attribution given to an author or creator whose work is incorporated into the student’s work including
failing to indicate clearly (through accepted practices within the discipline such as footnotes, endnotes, internal
references, and the crediting of all verbatim passages through indentation of longer passages or the use of quotation
marks) the inclusion of another individual’s work
 Paraphrasing material from a source without sufficient acknowledgement as described above
 Resubmission of work by a student that has been used in identical or similar form to fulfill an academic
requirement at UVic or another institution. Resubmission is acceptable if done with the instructor’s permission.
Although the above are the most common forms of plagiarism, this is by no means an exhaustive list. Students who are in
doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism in a particular instance should consult their instructor and read the UVic calendar
sub-section titled “Plagiarism and Cheating” in the General Information section.
The penalties in Women’s Studies for plagiarism can range from a failing grade assigned to the particular work which is
allegedly plagiarized to a failing grade in the course. The instructor will determine the severity of the case of plagiarism
and allocate the appropriate penalty.
For information on the University’s policies on plagiarism, please see pp. 32-33 of the University Calendar.
2) UVIC'S POLICY ON INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all
its members.
3) WOMEN’S STUDIES GRADING
Undergraduate Grading – Women’s Studies Department
Passing Grades
Grade Point Value
Description
A+
A
A-
9
8
7
Exceptional, outstanding and excellent performance.
Normally achieved by a minority of students. These grades
indicate a student who is self-initiating, exceeds expectation
and has an insightful grasp of the subject matter.
B+
B
B-
6
5
4
Very good, good and solid performance. Normally achieved
by the largest number of students. These grades indicate a
good grasp of the subject matter or excellent grasp in one area
balanced with satisfactory grasp in the other area.
C+
C
3
2
Satisfactory, or minimally satisfactory. These grades
indicate a satisfactory performance and knowledge of the
subject matter.
D
1
Marginal Performance. A student receiving this grade
demonstrated a superficial grasp of the subject matter.
Failing Grades
Grade Point Value
Description
F
0
Unsatisfactory performance. Wrote final examination and/or
completed course requirements; no supplemental.
N
0
Did not write examination and/or complete course
requirements by the end of term or session; no supplemental.
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Women’s Studies 104, Spring 2010
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