WMNST 536 Gender, Race and Class
Spring 2013
Mondays 4:00pm-6:40pm
Life Sciences South 365
Dr. Kimala Price
Assistant Professor, Women’s Studies
Office: Arts and Letters Building, Room #344
Office Phone: 594-8442
Email: kprice@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: Monday 2:30-3:30pm; Tuesday/Thursday 11:30am-12:30pm
**The Dept. of Women’s Studies is located in Arts and Letters, Room 346.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
What is “gender”? What is “race”? How does “heterosexuality” function as an institution?
How do gender, race, class, sexuality and privilege intersection? In this course, we will
explore these questions, beginning with a survey of the contributions of women of color to
feminist thought. We will then explore specific topics such as whiteness, masculinity,
reproductive justice and feminist activism within the context of these concepts. The
materials assigned for this course cover a range of human practice and understanding
including social and political institutions, cultural production and individual personal
experience.
After taking this course, students will be able to:
 Analyze and apply the concepts of gender, race, class, sexuality, oppression, privilege
and intersectionality in a variety of contexts;
 Assess and articulate the contributions of women of color scholars and activists to
feminist thought; and
 Develop and conduct an independent analytical research project.
REQUIRED READINGS
The main texts of this course are:
1. Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins (ed.), Race, Class and Gender: An
Anthology (8th Edition), 2012.
2. Additional readings (approximately 7 total) have been placed on Blackboard. All of
these readings have been identified on the syllabus accordingly.
The textbook is available at the SDSU Bookstore.
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GRADING AND ASSIGNMENTS
Class Participation*
15%
Short Response Paper
(Due February 18, 2013)
15%
Take-Home Midterm #1
(Due March 11, 2013)
20%
Take-Home Midterm #2
(Due April 15, 2013)
20%
Final Project
(Due May 6, 2013)
30%
*Note to graduate students: Graduate students will be required to lead at least one class
discussion in this course, which will be factored into their class attendance and participation
grade. Graduate students can choose the topic(s) for which they would like to lead
discussion and must sign-up for that topic beforehand. Students may choose to lead class
discussion in groups of two if they wish.
Blackboard
I use Blackboard to post announcements, assignments and some of the course readings.
Students should check Blackboard regularly (at least once a week) for class announcements
and assignments. I will announce any new Blackboard postings in class.
Short Response Paper (15%)
Students are required to write one short, response paper. In this paper, students will respond
to a question or set of questions distributed by the instructor a week in advance. In response
to the question(s) in this paper, students should not merely summarize the readings, but
comment on the themes and arguments that are central to the readings or on themes that
were ignored or underdeveloped in the readings. This paper is due February 18, 2013.
Take-Home Mid-Term Exams (20% each)
Students are required to turn in two (2) mid-term exams. A set of questions will be
distributed two weeks in advance for students to respond to in essay form. Additional
instructions will be provided closer to the mid-term exam periods. The exams are due
March 11 and April 15, 2013, respectively.
Final Project (30%)
The instructions for the final project will be posted on Blackboard later in the semester. The
final project is due on the last day of class, May 6, 2013.
Extra Credit for Women's Studies Community Events and Meetings
The Women's Studies Department encourages students to explore the connections between
theory and activism by offering students the option to fulfill a percentage of their course
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requirements through participation in colloquia, student organizations, and/or community
events relevant to Women's Studies. Students who choose this option will attend two
meetings or events that highlight issues of significance for women, and provide a written
reflection on each event, which may include (with the approval of the instructor):
departmental colloquia or brown bag lunches, meetings of student organizations, and/or
lectures or events sponsored by other departments or organizations in the broader San
Diego/Tijuana communities. If you are selecting this option for more than one Women's
Studies class per semester, you must attend different events and write different reflections
for each class. Turning in the same paper for credit in more than one class is considered
cheating.
Each reflection must be 2-3 double-spaced pages in length. The papers must include the title and date of the
event as well as the name(s) of the sponsor(s) of the event. If the event is a panel discussion, you must list the
names of the all of the panelists. You should describe what happened at the event and give your impression of
what went on. Your impression of the event should go beyond: “It was great/interesting/eye-opening/a waste
of time.” You need to state why it was great or uninformative.
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Graduate students will be required to lead at least one class discussion in this course, which
will be factored into their class attendance and participation grade. Graduate students can
choose the topic(s) for which they would like to lead discussion and must sign-up for that
topic beforehand. In some circumstances, there could be a group of two or three graduate
students who serve as co-leaders in a class discussion.
Class attendance is a part of your final grade. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of
each class. Please come to class ON TIME. Coming to class late can be very disruptive to
discussion. Excessive unexcused absences or tardiness (2 or more) will have a negative
impact on your grade.
If you are unable to attend section due to illness, a family emergency, or observance of a
religious holiday, you will be excused only if you provide me with a letter or certificate from
Health Services or your doctor (in case of an illness), or from the Dean of Students office (in
case of a family emergency or religious holiday). In case of foreseeable excused absences
(i.e. a religious holiday), please let me know well in advance (at least 48-hour notice) so that
other arrangements can be made if you miss an exam or an assignment deadline due to the
absence. Keep in mind that you are still responsible for the material covered in section even
if you are absent. It is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed during your
absence.
Participation in class discussion is expected and is a significant part of your final
grade. Your participation grade will be determined by your contributions to class
discussions as well as your active listening of and response to other students’ opinions, not
just the verbal articulations on one’s individual opinions and analyses. Participation will be
judged according to quality (i.e. substance, thoughtfulness, etc.), not necessarily just to
quantity. Additionally, students are expected to be mindful and respectful of the differences
of opinion and perspectives that will emerge in class discussions. Part of the academic
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process is learning how to articulate arguments and to disagree (as well as agree) with other
perspectives in an open, non-confrontational manner.
Remember to turn off and stow away all electronic devices, such as cell phones,
PDAs, text messengers, iPods, pagers, etc., at the beginning of class.
A NOTE ON EMAIL COMMUNICATION
As a professor at this university, I receive a lot of email from students (both current and
former), colleagues and other interested parties, which means that I often have to prioritize
my responses. It may take me a while to respond to a request.
The quickness of my responses to email depends upon the level of complexity of the
question asked and the time and day it was received:
1. Although you may think that you are asking a simple question, the answer itself may
not be that simple; it may take me a while to figure out the answer.
2. You should not expect to receive a response on the same day/night, especially to email
sent after 4pm on any day or over the weekend.
3. You should not send an email with questions about an exam or writing assignment
that is due the next day. By this time, it is too late.
To cut down on email traffic and to not irritate your instructors, you should first consult the course syllabus,
assignment instructions, the PowerPoint lecture slides and any other course-related materials to answer any
question you may have. Many of the questions that I have received from students were easily
answered by simply reading through the syllabus.
LATE POLICY
Papers will be not be accepted after one week past the due date. Late assignments will
automatically be lowered one full letter grade; therefore, the highest grade that you can
possibly get is a “B.” Extensions will only be given in extreme situations and if I am
approached at least 48 hours before the assignment deadline.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY (PLAGIARISM)
SDSU defines academic dishonesty as “cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic
dishonesty that are intended to gain unfair academic advantage (Title V, Section 41301,
California Cade of Regulations, Standards for Student Conduct).” If any student is suspected
of plagiarism, cheating or other dishonest actions, he or she will receive a zero “0” on the
assignment, and the matter may be brought to the attention of the Center for Student Rights
and Responsibility.
Plagiarism is not just turning in an assignment written by someone else. It also includes
actions such as not properly citing the source(s) of ideas and direct quotes, and cutting and
pasting significant portions of text from other sources including the internet. Be aware that
ignorance of the policy does not excuse you from it.
(Please go to the end of the syllabus for more details on plagiarism.)
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STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately to
discuss specific strategies for accommodation; however, they must have received
authorization beforehand. If you have a disability, but have not contacted Student Disability
Services (619-594-6473, Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), please do so before making an
appointment with me.
THINKING ABOUT A MAJOR OR MINOR IN WOMEN'S STUDIES?
The program offers exciting courses, is committed to women's issues and social justice, and
is adaptable to your interests and concerns. Women's Studies is not impacted! For more
information contact: Dr. Irene Lara (ilara@mail.sdsu.edu). Her office hours are posted in the
Women's Studies Office, AL346.
CLASS AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
January 21
MLK DAY - NO CLASS
January 28
Introduction
February 4
Intersectionality, Privilege and Oppression
Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins, “Systems of Power and
Inequality.” (Introduction to Part II, pp. 61-84) (Textbook)
Marilyn Frye, “Oppression.” (Blackboard)
Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.”
(Textbook, #6)
February 11
Conceptualizing Gender, Race and Sexuality
Maxine Baca Zinn, Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo and Michael Messner,
“Sex and Gender Through the Prism of Difference.” (Textbook, #18)
Michael Omi and Howard Winant, “Racial Formations.” (Blackboard)
Jonathan Ned Katz, “The Invention of Heterosexuality.” (Textbook,
#28)
February 18
Race in the United States
Ronald T. Takaki, “A Different Mirror.” (Textbook, #5)
Charles A. Gallagher, “Color-Blind Privilege: The Social and Political
Functions of Erasing the Color Line in Post-Race America.”
(Textbook, #9)
Nazli Kibria, “The Contested Meanings of “Asian American”: Racial
Dilemmas in the Contemporary U.S.” (Textbook, #11)
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Judith Ortiz Cofer, “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl
Named Maria.” (Textbook, #19)
February 18, 2013: Short Response Paper Due
February 25
The Construction of Whiteness, Ethnicity and Nationhood
Lillian Rubin, “Is This a White Country or What?” (Textbook, #24)
Mary C. Waters, “Optional Ethnicities: For Whites Only?” (Textbook,
#25)
Abby L. Ferber, “What White Supremacists Taught a Jewish Scholar
About Identity.” (Textbook, #10)
March 4
Race and Sexuality
Patricia Hill Collins, “Prisons for Our Bodies, Closets for Our Minds:
Racism, Heterosexism and Black Sexuality.” (Textbook, #27)
Chong-suk Han, “Darker Shades of Queer: Race and Sexuality at the
Margins.” (Textbook, #30)
Doug Meyer, "Interpreting and Experiencing Anti-Queer Violence:
Race, Class, and Gender Differences among LGBT Hate Crime
Victims." (Textbook, #54)
March 11
Queering Sex and Gender
Kate Bornstein, “Naming All the Parts.” (Blackboard)
E.J. Graff, “M/F Boxes.” (Blackboard)
Cheryl Chase, “Hermaphrodites with Attitude: Mapping the Emergence
of Intersex Political Activism.” (Blackboard)
March 11, 2013: Take-Home Midterm #1 Due
March 18
The Construction of Masculinity
Michael S. Kimmel, “Masculinity as Homophobia: Fear, Shame, and
Silence in the Construction of Gender Identity.” (Blackboard)
Joan Acker, “Is Capitalism Gendered and Racialized?” (Textbook,
#14)
Film: Tough Guise (1999)
Film: Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes (2006)
March 25
Social and Economic Class
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Janney Scott and David Leonhardt, “Shadowy Lines That Still Divide.”
(Textbook, #13)
Margaret L. Andersen, "Seeing in Three D: A Race, Class and Gender
Lens on the Economic Downtown." (Textbook, #33)
“Lifting as We Climb: Women of Color, Wealth and America’s Future:
Center for Community Economic Development.” (Textbook, #17)
Lawrence R. Jacobs and James A. Morone, "Health and Wealth: Our
Appalling Health Inequality Reflects and Reinforces Society's Other
Gaps.” (Textbook, #15)
Film: People Like Us: Social Class in America (2003)
April 1
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
April 8
Women and Work
Teresa Amott and Julia Matthaei, “Race, Class, Gender, and Women’s
Works.” (Textbook, #33)
Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mnllainathan, "Are Emily and Greg
more Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on
Labor Market Discrimination.” (Textbook, #35)
April 15
Families
Erica Chito Childs, "Navigating Interracial Borders: Black-White
Couples and Their Social Worlds." (Textbook, #40)
Pierrette Hondagnen-Sotelo, "Families on the Frontier."(Textbook,
#41)
Audrey Bilger, “The State(s) of Same-Sex Marriage.” (Blackboard)
April 15, 2013: Take-Home Midterm #2 Due
April 22
Media and Popular Culture
Rosalind Gill, "An Intersectional Analysis of 'Six packs, ' 'Midriffs' and
Hot Lesbians' in Advertising." (Textbook, #29)
Gregory Mantsios, “Media Magic: Making Class Invisible.” (Textbook,
#45)
Danah Boyd, "White Flight in Networked Publics: How Race and Class
Shaped American Teen Engagement with MySpace and Facebook."
(Textbook, #42)
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April 29
The Future of (Feminist) Activism
Jessica K. Taft, "We Are Not Ophelia: Empowerment and Activist
Identities." (Textbook, #55)
Eisa Nefertari Ulen, “Tapping Our Strength.” (Textbook, #56)
Janani Balasnbramanian, "Sustainable Food and Privilege: Why Green is
Always White (and Male and Upper-Class)." (Textbook, #58)
Robin D. G. Kelley, "How the New Working Class Can Transform
Urban America." (Textbook, #59)
May 6
Last Day of Class
Final Project Due
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you:
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for written work, copy anything from a book, article or website and add or paste it
into your paper without using quotation marks and/or without providing the full
reference for the quotation, including page number
for written work, summarize / paraphrase in your own words ideas you got from a
book, article, or the web without providing the full reference for the source
(including page number in the humanities)
for an oral presentation, copy anything from a book, article, or website and present it
orally as if it were your own words. You must summarize and paraphrase in your
own words, and bring a list of references in case the professor asks to see it
use visuals or graphs you got from a book, article, or website without providing the
full reference for the picture or table
recycle a paper you wrote for another class
turn in the same (or a very similar paper) for two classes
purchase or otherwise obtain a paper and turn it in as your own work
copy off of a classmate
use technology or smuggle in documents to obtain or check information in an exam
situation
In a research paper, it is always better to include too many references than not enough.
When in doubt, always err on the side of caution. If you have too many references it might
make your professor smile; if you don’t have enough you might be suspected of plagiarism.
If you have any question or uncertainty about what is or is not cheating, it is your
responsibility to ask your instructor.
Consequences of cheating and plagiarism
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Consequences are at the instructor’s and the Judicial Procedures Office’s discretion.
Instructors are mandated by the CSU system to report the offense to the Judicial Procedures
Office. Consequences may include any of the following:
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failing the assignment
failing the class
warning
probation
suspension
expulsion
For more detailed information, read the chapter on plagiarism in the MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers (6th edition, 2003); visit the following website
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml and talk to your professors
before turning in your paper or doing your oral presentation if anything remains unclear.
The University of Indiana has very helpful writing hints for students, including some on how
to cite sources. Please visit http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml for more
information.
January 22, 2013