Fall 2010
Introduction to Women and Gender Studies, WGST 110-01
Mon./Wed. (H-210), 1:30-2:50pm
Instructor Name: Dr. Karen Gaffney
Office Location: S-347A
Mailbox: Somerset, 3rd floor
Email Address: kgaffney@raritanval.edu (Email is the best way to reach me.)
Office phone: 908-526-1200 ext. 8293
Office hours: Mon. 10:30-11:30, Tues. 10:30-11:30, Wed. 12-1, and Thurs. 10:30-11:30 and by
appointment
Website: http://www.raritanval.edu/faculty/engl/full-time/gaffney/index.html
From Teddy Roosevelt to 50 Cent. . . From Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Shakira. . . How do we
know what it means to be “a man” or “a woman”? Where do these ideas come from? This
interdisciplinary course will explore these questions as it addresses the meaning of gender and
gender inequality, how gender relates to sexuality, and how gender is affected by historical,
social, global, and political influences. The course will begin by examining the dynamics of
power and privilege, in conjunction with the notion that gender is socially created, and then
explore a brief historical overview of gender roles in the US. The course will then dive into
controversial issues of today: the body, sexuality, families, violence, and even Lady Gaga. This
course will encourage you to look at the world around you through the lens of gender.
Required Texts (in paperback, available at the college bookstore):
 Disch, Estelle, ed. Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology. 5th ed. Boston:
McGraw Hill, 2009.
Note about Required Books:
If you buy or rent your books from the college bookstore, make sure you are aware of the refund,
buyback, and rental policy. You are encouraged to annotate, underline, and/or highlight your
text. You are still able to do all of these activities, even if you rent the book or want to sell it
through buyback. The store’s policy states that “Writing, highlighting and underlining are
acceptable” when it comes to buyback and rented books. You should check with the bookstore
for more information, including problems that do impact the book’s value.
Other Learning Materials:
 3 ring binder to keep assigned readings that will be handed out, as well as regular class
handouts (bring binder to every class; this binder will never be collected, but it will help you
keep track of the many handouts that will become part of the course)
 A notebook (any kind) for class notes and exercises (you can either include notebook paper
in your 3 ring binder or you can keep a separate notebook; this notebook will never be
collected, but again, you will need to take notes during class discussion)
 A folder (any kind) for keeping your graded Response Papers (you’ll need these if you
decide to revise; you’ll also need them in order to write your Final Reflection at the end of
the semester)
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
Multiple ways to back up your work on a computer because computer problems are not an
appropriate excuse for handing a paper in late.
Assignments:
 I’ve structured the course so that whenever you have assigned reading, you don’t have to
come to that class with a written Response Paper. Instead, I ask you to come in with your own
Discussion Questions, and then we spend class time talking about the readings, getting to the
point where students feel a lot more comfortable with the material. Then, in the next class, I ask
you to come in with a Response Paper, and by then, you’ve had more time to process the
reading, understand it, and ask for clarification. Likewise, the other major assignments (Making
Connections Project and Social Action Assignment) occur in the second half of the semester,
once you’ve had a chance to explore the core principles of the course.
 Discussion Questions: For most of the days when you have assigned reading, you also have
to turn in typed Discussion Questions related to the reading. It is included on the daily schedule.
You don’t need to provide any answers, just the questions. Your questions can either be
something you’re confused about in the reading that has a factual answer, or your questions can
be open-ended with no single right answer. You should have 1 question per reading. The
question should include either a quote or a concept from the reading. When you type up your
questions, note which question goes with which reading. Sometimes, we will use your questions
as part of our method of analyzing the text that first day, and other times I’ll incorporate them
into future classes. Either way, they will be collected on the day on which they are due, and they
will be graded either Pass or Fail.
 Response Papers: One of the best ways to think in depth about the readings and course
concepts is to write about them, so I’m assigning a total of 10 response papers, and the due dates
are listed on the daily schedule. They should be word-processed, 1-2 pages, and double-spaced.
They can be informal, but they should still be written in academic English. Feel free to use “I.”
Use MLA in-text citation (author and page number) when quoting from the reading, but you
don’t need a Works Cited page.
o Each response paper should take 1 of 2 directions:
 1) Response to Reading: When you write a “response to reading,” you should
focus on analyzing (not summarizing) a key point or two you find important in the
reading. You can focus just on one assigned text for that week or on multiple
texts. You should focus on proving a point about the reading and then backing up
that point with evidence from the text. Don’t just repeat or summarize what the
text says; you should be contributing your own interpretation of the text. Your
reader has already read the text. Make sure you include at least one quote from the
text.
OR
 2) Response to your experience through the lens of gender. When you write a
“response to your experience through the lens of gender,” you should reflect on a
current experience or a past experience (including something you observed or
witnessed) that you can think in more depth about through the lens of gender,
through the lens of the material we are reading. It should connect to the topic of
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the assigned readings for that week, and you should make at least one direct
connection to one of the assigned readings for that week. However, rather than
focus on analyzing the assigned readings, you’re focusing on analyzing an
experience you have had or an observation you have made. Experiences can
include anything from family dynamics to the workplace to the grocery store. Try
to think about how the course in general and the assigned reading for that week in
particular might shed light on your experience or observation. Perhaps your
experience is a symptom of a problem that the readings discussed. Perhaps your
experience is an example of a solution. Either way, try to create an argument
about your experience or observation that you can support with specific examples.
o You will need to do at least 3 Response Papers that fall under the category “Response to
Reading” and 3 Response Papers that fall under the category “Response to your
experience through the lens of gender.” The other Response Papers that you write can be
in either category.
o Please keep your graded Response Papers because you might decide to revise some, they
will help you study for the exams, and you’ll need to review them when you write your
“Final Reflection” at the end of the semester.
o Revision opportunity:
 You also have the opportunity to revise as many as 3 of them, as long as the
original was handed in on time and as long as you attach the original to the
revision. Your revision grade would entirely replace your original grade.
 Revisions are due no later than Wed., Dec. 8 in class.
o Grading:
 While there are 10 assigned response papers, I am only counting your best 9. You
can choose to submit all 10, and I’ll drop your lowest grade, or you can submit 9,
and they all will count.
 They will be graded with full letter grades: A, B, C, D, F. A missed response will
count as a 0. Missing more than 1 of the 10 response papers will impact your final
response paper grade.
 Late responses will not be accepted, unless you have an emergency. If you miss
class, you need to send me the response as an attachment or drop it off in my
mailbox, no later than that day’s class period.
 Your overall Response Paper grade will reflect the actual average of your
responses as well as your overall progress. It will also reflect your Final
Reflection, a 2 page final Response Paper where you read through all of your
previous Response Papers and reflect on what you learned and your progress. Be
as specific as you can. That Final Reflection is due Wed., Dec. 8.
 Making Connections Project: After the midterm, we will focus on 5 topics related to women
and gender studies (embodiment, sexuality, families, violence, and Lady Gaga). The readings
I’ve assigned for that topic represent just one or two small aspects of that topic. The Making
Connections project is your opportunity to provide the class with another way of seeing that
topic. This is an individual assignment, but you will share what you find and lead a discussion
about it on the same day as 5-6 of your peers. The main part of this assignment is for you to
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identify a cultural text of some kind (advertisement, website, lyrics to a song, etc.) or a news
article that you will share and analyze with the class. These are the categories to choose from:
 Focus on an issue related to your assigned topic that the readings didn’t address.
Find a cultural text or a news article that addresses that important issue in some
way.
 Focus on an issue that the readings did address. Find a cultural text or a news
article that either provides further evidence to support that issue. Or, find a
cultural text or a news article that disproves that issue or has an alternate
perspective.
o Requirements for this project include: a 1-paragraph proposal emailed to me 1 week in
advance of your assigned day that includes how you plan to prepare, a 5-minute introduction
of the text and the relevant issues to the whole class on that day, then an in-depth discussion
with a group of students in the class, and a written reflection submitted in the following
class.
o More information and guidance about this assignment will be provided. In order to make
the sign-up process fair, I will ask students to rank their preferences.
 Midterm Exam: You will be able to use your textbook, assigned readings, and other class
materials for the exam. More information, including a study guide, will be provided.
 Final exam: You will be able to use your textbook, assigned readings, and other class
materials for the exam. More information, including a study guide, will be provided.
 Social Action Assignment (Final paper): You will be asked to identify a specific social action
you want to take in response to a gender-related issue you learned about during the semester.
You will be asked to submit a proposal in early November, complete the action by the end of
November, and then write about that action in a 5-6 page final paper, supported by research.
Details will be provided.
Grading Policy:
 Response Papers: 30%
 Making Connections project: 10%
 Midterm exam: 15%
 Final exam: 15%
 Social Action Assignment (Final paper): 15%
 Class participation and any other misc. assignments, quizzes, etc.: 15%
Attendance Policy:
 Attendance is required, and it means arriving to class on time, remaining for the duration of
class, being prepared with your textbook and/or other materials, and staying awake.
 For every three times you arrive late and/or leave early, an absence will be counted.
 You are allowed up to 2 absences before your final grade may be impacted. The College’s
policy states, “A student is entitled, without question, to absences amounting to the equivalent
of one week’s class time.” For every absence after 2, your final grade may be lowered.
 Exceptions to the attendance policy may be made for documented emergencies.
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 In accordance with college policy, if you miss 1/5 of the semester (6 classes), then you may
be withdrawn from the course. After Nov. 5, 2010, you cannot withdraw yourself from a
course, and you cannot be administratively withdrawn. Reaching 6 or more absences after the
withdrawal deadline will likely result in failure of the course.
 The college-wide withdrawal and refund schedule is available online.
Make-up Policy:
 Make-up exams will only be given if you have a documented emergency.
 My website (see address on the top of the first page) serves as a backup for major handouts
distributed in class (particularly the syllabus and other major assignments). These materials are
distributed in class, but if you are absent or lose the handout, you are responsible for getting it
from the website.
 If you are absent when a homework assignment is due, drop it off or email it to me by class
time on the day it’s due so that it is not counted late. Exceptions will be made in the case of an
emergency.
 Missed quizzes cannot be made up.
College Closings:
If the college shuts down due to the weather (or some other reason), there will be an
announcement on the main college website (www.raritanval.edu), in Lion’s Den, and on the
college’s phone system (908-526-1200). I will also send the class an email. Also, if you want to
sign up for automatic text alerts, you can do so in Lion’s Den, under the “Campus Closings” tab.
I would like to stay on track with the syllabus as much as possible. Keep in mind that when in
doubt, we will stick to the schedule on the syllabus so that we don't fall behind.
Classroom Etiquette:
Please be respectful. As stated in the Student Handbook, the College has a Code of Student
Conduct. It states: “Faculty members have the authority to take actions which may be necessary
to maintain order and proper conduct in the classroom. Students whose behavior disrupts the
class will be subject to removal and may be charged with a violation of the Code of Student
Conduct. Code of Conduct charges will be investigated by the Dean of Student Services. If the
student behavior presents a concern for immediate safety of the student or members of the
community, the student may be suspended until a hearing is held. Any student who is removed
from a class against his/her will is entitled to a hearing.” See the RVCC Student Handbook for
more information.
Cell Phone Policy:
 Cell phones, beepers, etc. should be turned off for the duration of class (not just to vibrate,
but with the sound completely off).
 If you are found using your cell phone to talk to someone, listen to someone, listen to your
voicemail, receive text messages, send text messages, check to see if you received a voicemail
or text message, etc. during class, it will count as an absence.
 If you have a personal situation where you need to keep your phone on to receive an
emergency call, let me know at the beginning of class.
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Plagiarism Policy:
Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. See the RVCC Student
Handbook for details.
RVCC email:
 Every student automatically receives an RVCC email account (called Lion Mail, through
gmail) in the website the Lion’s Den. You must access this email account; otherwise, you will
miss crucial college information, like your grades. If I need to reach you, I will email you at
your RVCC account, so please check it frequently. Don’t forget that passwords need to be
updated periodically.
 You should have received a G-number as well as information about your password when
you enrolled. If you do not have this information, visit the MIS office as soon as possible.
Academic Support Center:
 The Academic Support Center offers free drop-in tutoring and supports services for most
disciplines offered by RVCC.
 Monday-Thursday: 9:00am-8:00pm; Friday: 9:00am-3:00pm; Saturday: 10:00am-2:00pm
 The Academic Support Center is located on the Lower Level of Somerset, room S020, and
their extension number is 8393. You can find more information about them in your RVCC
Student Handbook and their website at http://www.raritanval.edu/studentserv/asc/index.html
Statement for Students with Learning Disabilities:
If you have a documented learning disability, you may be entitled to accommodations such as
extended time on exams. Please see me confidentially to make arrangements.
Class preparation and participation:
 Come to every class prepared. Preparation involves doing and bringing the assigned reading
and writing assignments. Be ready to discuss and write about the assigned readings in class.
Pop quizzes may be given. Taking notes (including annotating the text) as you read will be a
big help to you for in-class discussion of the material, for the exams, and for brainstorming
about your assignments. It is essential that you do the assigned reading for the course. If you
don’t, you’re not going to learn nearly as much as you should, you won’t be able to participate
effectively in class discussion, and you won’t be able to help your peers sufficiently in small
group exercises that we will do frequently.
 Participate in class. Participation involves paying attention in class, contributing to the
discussion, and listening to your peers. Come to class ready to share your ideas, and don’t be
afraid to ask questions.
Daily schedule:
 The following schedule is a general guideline, and it is subject to change. Small assignments
may be added.
 Please bring the reading with you.
Wed., Sept. 1
Introduction to the course
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Wed., Sept. 8
Gender Socialization
 Judith Lorber, “The Social Construction of Gender” (112-119)
 Tommi Avicolli, “He Defies You Still: The Memoirs of a Sissy” (141146)
 Linnea Due, “Growing Up Hidden” (147-148)
 Discussion questions due
Mon., Sept. 13
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


Michael S. Kimmel, “Masculinity as Homophobia” (149-155)
Greta Christina, “5 Stupid, Unfair and Sexist Things Expected of Men”
(handout)
Great Christina, “5 Things Society Unfairly Expects of Men” (handout)
Discussion questions due
Wed. Sept. 15


Response paper #1 due (on a reading or readings from Sept. 8 and/or 13)
Fill out Making Connections preference sheet in class
Mon., Sept. 20
It’s Not Just about Gender
 Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”
(78-83)
 Allan G. Johnson, “Patriarchy, The System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or
an Us” (98-106)
 Discussion questions due
 Receive your Making Connections topic
Wed. Sept. 22

Mon., Sept. 27
Historical Overview Part I
 A packet will be provided (these readings are not in your textbook)
 Focus will be 1800s through 1920, 1st wave of feminism
 Estelle Freedman. No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the
Future of Women. NY: Ballantine Books, 2002. (excerpt)
 Elizabeth Cady Stanton. “The Declaration of Sentiments,” Seneca Falls
Conference, 1848
 Sojourner Truth. “Ain’t I A Woman?”, The Women’s Convention, 1851
 E. Anthony Rotundo. American Manhood: Transformations in
Masculinity from the Revolution to Modern Era. NY: Basic Books, 1993.
(excerpt)
 Discussion questions due
Wed., Sept. 29


Response paper #2 due (on a reading or readings from Sept. 20)
Response paper #3 due (on a reading or readings from Sept. 27)
Start watching Iron Jawed Angels in class
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Mon., Oct. 4



Wed., Oct. 6
Historical Overview Part II
 A packet will be provided (these readings are not in your textbook)
 Focus will be through the 1970s, 2nd wave of feminism
 Susan Faludi. Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man. NY: William
Morrow, 1999 (“The Son, the Moon, and the Stars”). (excerpt)
 Discussion questions due
 Read rest of packet for Oct. 11
Mon., Oct. 11
Historical Overview Part II (continuation of packet from Oct. 6)
 Ruth Rosen. The World Split Open: How the Modern Women’s
Movement Changed America. NY: Viking, 2000 (“Dawn of Discontent”).
(excerpt)
 Betty Friedan. The Feminine Mystique, first published 1962. (excerpt)
 Estelle Freedman. No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the
Future of Women. NY: Ballantine Books, 2002 (“Racial Justice”).
(excerpt)
 Feminist manifestos reproduced in Dear Sisters: Dispatches from the
Women’s Liberation Movement. NY: Basic Books, 2000. (edited by
Rosalyn Baxandall and Linda Gordon)
o Sex and Caste, 1965
o What We Do at Meetings, 1970
 Discussion questions due
Wed., Oct. 13

Response paper #4 due (on a reading or readings from Oct. 6 and/or 11)
Mon., Oct. 18
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Bring all readings, handouts, textbook, etc. from class so far
No work due
Review for midterm exam
Design questions together
Wed., Oct. 20


Midterm exam
Bring all readings, handouts, textbook, etc. from class so far
Finish watching Iron Jawed Angels in class
Bring Historical Overview Part I packet
No reading or work due today
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Mon., Oct. 25
Historical Overview Part III
 A packet will be provided (these readings are not in your textbook)
 Focus will be through today, 3rd wave of feminism
 Rebecca Walker, ed. To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the
Face of Feminism, NY: Anchor Books, 1995. (“Being Real: An
Introduction,” xxvix-xl) (excerpt)
 Rebecca Walker, ed. What Makes a Man: 22 Writers Imagine the Future,
NY: Riverhead Books, 2004.
o Rebecca Walker, “Putting Down the Gun” (1-7)
o David Coates, “This Is My Story” (25-33)
 Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. The F Word: Feminism in Jeopardy: Women,
Politics, and the Future. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2004.
(“Introduction: The F-Word,” 1-17) (excerpt)
 Kimmel and Messner, eds. Men’s Lives. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2007.
(“Introduction,” xv-xvi) (excerpt)
 Discussion questions due
Wed., Oct. 27

Mon., Nov. 1
Embodiment
 Sheila Jeffreys, “Making Up Is Hard To Do” (165-185)
 Leonard Kriegel, “Taking It” (207-209)
 Discussion questions due
 Submit a 1-paragraph typed proposal for your Social Action Assignment
Wed., Nov. 3


Mon., Nov. 8
Sexuality
 Martha Coventry, “The Tyranny of the Esthetic: Surgery’s Most Intimate
Violation” (212-220)
 Don Sabo, “The Myth of the Sexual Athlete” (278-282)
 Daniela Perdomo, “After Cutting Little Girls’ Clitorises, Ivy League
Doctor Tests Handiwork With a Vibrator” (handout)
 Discussion questions due
 Receive feedback about your Social Action Assignment proposal
Wed., Nov. 10


Response paper #5 due (on a reading or readings from Oct. 25)
Response paper #6 due (on a reading or readings from Nov. 1)
Making Connections Day 1
Response paper #7 due (on a reading or readings from Nov. 8)
Making Connections Day 2
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Mon., Nov. 15
Families
 Susan J. Douglas and Meredith W. Michaels, “The New Momism” (235247)
 Kathleen Gerson, “Dilemmas of Involved Fatherhood” (325-334)
 Tara Parker-Pope, “Now, Dad Feels as Stressed as Mom” (handout)
 Discussion questions due
Wed., Nov. 17


Response paper #8 due (on a reading or readings from Nov. 15)
Making Connections Day 3
Mon., Nov. 22



Bring work done so far on Social Action Assignment
Bring questions/concerns about that assignment
Bring course materials
Wed., Nov. 24

The college is open, but no classes are held. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mon., Nov. 29
Violence
 Jackson Katz, “Mentors in Violence Prevention” (399-412)
 Richard Hoffman, “Pictures of Boyhood” (530-538)
 Discussion questions due
Wed., Dec. 1


Mon., Dec. 6
Lady Gaga
 Selected articles (handout)
 Discussion questions due
Wed., Dec. 8

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
Response paper #10 due (on a reading or readings from Dec. 6)
Making Connections Day 5
Final Reflection due
Optional Response Paper revisions due
Mon., Dec. 13



Social Action Assignment (Final paper) due
Informal and brief sharing of that assignment
Discuss Final exam
TBA

Final exam
Response paper #9 due (on a reading or readings from Nov. 29)
Making Connections Day 4
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