Summer 2013
Psychology of Women and Gender
Course Description
This course will introduce you to current theory and research on gender. Research focused on gender differences will
be reviewed, as well as theories put forth to explain these differences. In particular, gender differences in mental
health, personality, ability, and behavior will be examined. Additionally, we will discuss other topics, including gender
development, violence against women, family issues, sexuality, and women and work.
Instructor: Lisa Gordon PhD LP
Phone/Text: 612-718-5347
Office: N107 Elliott Hall
Email: LisaSealesGordon@gmail.com
Office Hour: N107 Elliott Hall; 11:00 - 12:00 Wednesdays, or by appointment
Class Time: 1:00 - 3:30 Mondays and Wednesdays
Classroom: 28 Peik Hall
Required Text
Matlin, M.W. (2012). The Psychology of Women (7th Ed.). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Course Vision
• Develop greater awareness of the role that gender plays in our society.
• Learn to use critical thinking to evaluate gender issues.
• Challenge assumptions regarding gender.
Course Objectives
After this course, you should have a thorough understanding of the following:
• How researchers conduct studies to compare males and females
• The size of gender differences in various domains like ability, attitude, and personality
• The four themes of the text
1.
Psychological gender differences are typically small and inconsistent.
2.
People react differently to men and women.
3.
Women are less visible than men in many important areas.
4.
Women vary widely from one another.
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Psychology of Women and Gender
Students with Disabilities
The University of Minnesota is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. Disability
Services (DS) is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable
accommodations. Additional information is available at the DS website http://diversity.umn.edu/disability.
•
•
Students who have, or think they may have, a disability (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, vision,
hearing, physical or systemic), are invited to contact DS to arrange a confidential discussion at 612626-1333 (V/TTY) or ds@umn.edu .
Students registered with DS, who have a letter requesting accommodations, are encouraged to contact me
early in the term to discuss accommodations outlined in their letter.
Student Mental Health
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships,
increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These
mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce your ability to
participate in daily activities. University of Minnesota services are available to assist you with addressing these and
other concerns you may be experiencing. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health
services available on campus via http://www.mentalhealth.umn.edu
Late Policy
Assignments may not be turned in late and quizzes may not be made up. Only extreme circumstances will be
considered for deviation from this policy.
Extra Credit
You can earn up to five points of extra credit for this course. To earn extra credit, print out a current newspaper,
magazine, or other media-based article that is relevant to this course. Along with the article, turn in a two-paragraph
evaluation of the article (minimum of ten sentences). In paragraph one, discuss how the article is related to the topics
of the course (include the relevant page numbers of the textbook). In paragraph two, evaluate the article (e.g., how
does the premise of the article support or differ from the text premise? Is the article well-written? How is the article
interesting?). All extra credit must be turned in by the start of class on Monday, August 5th.
Participation
Attendance and involvement are expected. A portion of your total points earned for the presentations is determined by
the instructor and your peers’ ratings regarding your contribution to the work. In addition, up to ten points can be
deducted by the instructor from your total points earned for the course, based on your overall participation, including
attendance.
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Psychology of Women and Gender
Course Schedule
Week
1
Date
Topic
M - June 17
Welcome, Course Overview, and Getting to Know Each Other
W - Jun 19
Ch. 1: Introduction
Happenings
Group Assignments
Thought Paper due Friday
2
M - Jun 24
Ch. 2: Gender Stereotypes and Other Gender Biases
W - Jun 26
Ch. 5: Gender Comparisons in Cognitive Abilities and Attitudes About
Achievements
Thought Paper due Friday
Ch. 6. Gender Comparisons in Social and Personality Characteristics
M - Jul 1
Ch. 3: Infancy and Childhood
Ch. 4: Adolescence
3
W - Jul 3
Ch. 7: Women and Work
Quiz 1 (Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 3, and
lecture content)
Thought Paper due Friday
M - Jul 8
Ch. 8: Love Relationships
Ch. 9: Sexuality
4
W - Jul 10
Ch. 10: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood
Thought Paper due Friday
Ch. 11: Women and Physical Health
5
M - Jul 15
Ch. 12: Women and Psychological Disorders
Quiz 2 (Chapters 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, and
lecture content)
W - Jul 17
Ch. 13: Violence Against Women
Thought Paper due Friday
Presentation Prep
M - Jul 22
Ch. 14: Women and Older Adulthood
Presentation Prep
6
W - Jul 24
Ch. 15: Moving Onward
Thought Paper due Friday
Presentation Prep
M - Jul 29
Presentations
Quiz 3 (Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
and lecture content)
W - Jul 31
Presentations
Work on Final Paper
M - Aug 5
No Class
Extra Credit due
W - Aug 7
Final Paper Due
7
8
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Psychology of Women and Gender
Course Requirements
1.
2.
3.
4.
QUIZZES: There will be three quizzes throughout the term, which will assess your knowledge of the textbook and
in-class material. Each quiz is worth 30 points.
THOUGHT PAPERS: Students will produce weekly thought papers. Papers should be one to three pages in length,
typed, double spaced. Thought papers should reflect your own critical thinking in response to an assigned
question or observation from the week. Each paper is worth 10 points, for a total of 60 points. Questions are
assigned each Monday in class.
PRESENTATION: There will be one group presentation. Groups will be assigned on Wednesday of Week 1. Groups
will present their thinking regarding one of the four themes of the course. There will be some class time to
prepare as a group for your presentation, however you may need to meet outside of class as well. Presentations
will be shared during Week 7. The group presentation is worth 25 points. More information regarding structure
and content will be provided in class.
FINAL PAPER: The final paper should reflect your key learnings over the course of the class, citing the literature
where relevant. The final paper should be five to seven pages in length, typed and double spaced. The final paper
is worth 25 points. More information will be provided in class regarding expectations for the structure and
content of the paper.
Quiz
1
2
3
Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 3
Chapters 4, 7, 8, 9, 10
Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Thought Paper
6 total
Due by 5pm CST (sharp!) each Friday via email
Presentation
Week 7
Group presentation regarding assigned theme
Final Paper
Week 8
There will not be a final exam in this course. Rather, you will
outline your key learnings from the course, citing relevant
literature. Due date and time will be provided.
Total Points: 200
A = 90% - 100% = 180 - 200 points
B = 80% - 89% = 160 - 179 points
C = 70% - 79% = 140 - 159 points
D = 60% - 69% = 120 - 139 points
F = 59% and below = 119 or fewer points
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