GWS 300: Masculinities
Fall 2015—CRN 20955
Syllabus: Canvas Extended Version
Instructor:
Class time:
Class space:
Email:
Dr. Michael T. Martin
MWF 9:35—10:45 a.m.
160 Jones Hall
& on Canvas
martin_m@fortlewis.edu
Office:
207 Noble
Office Phone: 247-7147
Office Hours: MWF 11:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
MW
2:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m.
And by appointment
By enrolling and remaining in this class you are agreeing to abide by all the conditions and
expectations established in this document through to the end of the semester.
When you enrolled in this course, you were automatically enrolled into the Learning Management System
we will be using called Canvas. You can find it through theFort and clicking on the Courses tab.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is a Fort Lewis College Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS)
course that satisfies upper-division credits in the GWS Major’s Theoretical Foundations requirement, as
well as the general upper-division credits requirement. The GWS Learning Goals and Outcomes [GWS]
have been coordinated below with Fort Lewis College’s College-Wide Liberal Education Outcomes
[COLLEGE]. Finally, the processes by which these will be accomplished in this course are followed by
specific course descriptors [COURSE].
LEARNING GOALS AND OUTCOMES:
GWS 1: Students will be able to understand, distinguish between, and critically evaluate normative,
empirical, and other theories regarding the ways gender and sexuality shape (and are shaped by) human
intimacy, identity, cultural expression, cosmological tenets, ritual practices, sociopolitical formations, and
the nature of everyday life.
COLLEGE 2: Critical Thinking as Problem Solving.
COURSE: Students will engage in the process of conceptualizing, applying analysis, and evaluating
information at a higher academic level (building on knowledge and skills previously learned) in gaining
an understanding of the theories, methodologies, and practices regarding masculinities in primarily U.S.
contexts, but for comparative purposes also in global contexts. Students will become familiar with
important debates and challenges as articulated by expert historians, anthropologists, sociologists, etc.
GWS 4: Students will be able to identify an appropriate research question related to gender and women’s
studies, review the literature, collect data from primary and secondary sources, interpret results, establish
sustained and persuasive arguments, draw conclusions, outline areas for further research and effectively
communicate their research to wider audiences in written and oral form.
COLLEGE 3: Communication as Intellectual Contribution.
COURSE: Students will develop skills to research and apply gender/masculinity theories to a particular
aspect in their research on a topic of their choice. Students will develop ability to articulate complex
gender theories in assignments, class participation, and essays.
ACCESSIBILITY AND DISABILITY CONCERNS STATEMENT: Fort Lewis College is committed
to providing all students a liberal arts education through a personalized learning environment. If you have,
or think you may have, a documented disability which will need reasonable academic accommodations,
please contact Dian Jenkins, Coordinator of Disability Service, 280 Noble Hall, 247-7459, for an
appointment as soon as possible. If you qualify for services, bring your letter of accommodation to me as
soon as possible so that we can make any necessary adjustments.
1
READINGS: There are no books to buy for this course. All readings are electronic/digital readings found
through the Library’s site in various formats, or as a pdf text in the Files folder on Canvas. Each reading
in the syllabus will be found according to the following legend:
Ebsco = Ebsco e-book on Library site
Library = A pdf file located through Library site search
JSTOR = a pdf file located on Library site through JSTOR database
Google = A pdf file located at Google Scholar
Canvas = A pdf file located on Canvas in the Files folder
GRADING:
Masculinities Definition Statement
Cultural Artifacts [Two in semester]
Research Project [Final]
Approval of topic
Mandatory Meeting
Final Version of Project
Final Thoughts Essay
Total
50 pts/ea
25 pts
100 pts
300 pts
25 pts
50 pts
225 pts
100 pts
525 pts
Descriptions for all assignments may be found beginning on page 10 of this syllabus. HOWEVER, if you
do not turn in ALL assignments you will fail the course automatically. No exceptions; no excuses.
ATTENDANCE WILL BE MONITORED, and will be crucial to your ability to perform well in this
class. Absence does not relieve you of your responsibility for material covered in lectures. If you must
miss, you are responsible for obtaining all notes and materials. Strong participation will help your grade,
especially a borderline one. You get THREE unexcused class absences. After that additional absences
will add a half-letter grade reduction for each day missed. Arriving late to class counts as an absence.
Dropping the Course: The official Fort Lewis College policy is that the Friday after Midterm Grades are
posted is the absolute last day and time you may withdraw from a course. This semester that would be:
Friday, October 23, by 4:00 p.m. This is student initiated; you do not need to see me. HOWEVER,
YOU ONLY GET THREE WITHDRAWS DURING YOUR ENTIRE ACADEMIC CAREER, SO USE
THEM WISELY.
Late Work: I will not accept late work. Please manage your time and get your work turned into Canvas
on the day it is due—and I will manage my time and get your graded work back to you as quickly as
possible! If you must be absent from class, make arrangements in advance to get your work to me on or
before the due date (and with everything being submitted on line, this should not be an issue). If you are
sick the day an item is due (how shocking that would be) you had better have a doctor’s note. Obviously,
you should have been working on your assignment well in advance of the day it is due, so being sick does
not preclude you from turning in what you have completed; it should be as close to polished as possible,
minus that one final ‘look-over’ you (potentially) had intended for the day it is due. If you waited until the
day it is due to begin, you have taken that risk of your own free will.
I will not allow re-writes for work that does not follow directions or is poorly written and you receive a
grade well below what you wanted. “It is fine to work ahead, but you cannot work behind.” (Robin M.
Smith, Conquering the Content, Jossey-Bass, 2008, p. 88). I will look at rough drafts as long as I get them
one week in advance of the due date. After that I cannot guarantee that I will have time to look over your
work and get it back to you in a timely fashion.
2
Classroom Civility and Etiquette:
(my thanks to Dr. Stephanie Jass, History Department, Adrian College and Mary Cook, formerly Western Michigan
University, English Department, for guidance here)
The material that this class deals with will sometimes be controversial. In addition, this material is often
personal because gender is an important part of all our identities. It can be hard not to get upset about
personal issues, so here are some guidelines for dealing with the course, course materials, as well as your
colleagues:
►During the first week of class, look the material over (books, topics, videos if possible). If any of it is
too upsetting to you or by its nature may be considered offensive by you, you might consider dropping the
class. We will not avoid sensitive subjects (these will include for example: politics, religion, domestic
violence, sexualities, race/ethnicity issues, bullying, pornography, media portrayals, etc.).
► While it is perfectly acceptable to disagree with one another during discussions, everyone needs to
express that disagreement in a cordial, professional, and respectful way. Repeated failure to respect
these boundaries of classroom civility will result in you being first told to leave class for the day,
and next, if the behavior persists, withdrawn from the course. In fact, whenever you can offer
reasonable arguments for opposing points of view, the course will be enriched. However, you are
responsible for learning about any point of view presented in class or readings, whether you agree with it
or not.
►Remember that whenever we discuss any social group, we are forced sometimes to use generalizations
that do not apply to all members of that group. Objections to this, such as “I don’t like to use
generalizations” or “I don’t think it is right to label people” are often attempts to close discussion on
uncomfortable subjects. We will speak with the understanding that the generalizations we sometimes use
are not all-inclusive.
►While we cannot relate to all the peoples in the world as individuals and consequently must use certain
generalizations, we can relate to all the people in this class as individuals. Therefore, please remember
that no student should be seen as a spokesperson or representative for her/his reference group (e.g.,
feminists, well-dressed gay man, liberals, transgendered, Native-American, etc.)
►If you ever feel personally offended by course material or a class discussion, the best thing to do is first
come and talk to me about it. It may only be a misunderstanding, but if not, it still helps usually to talk
about it and make certain that it is addressed appropriately and timely. As the instructor, I will make
certain that offensive remarks do not go undiscussed or unaddressed during class; should I miss hearing
or seeing an offensive remark/gesture, it should be brought to my attention.
►In order to maximize your learning in this course as well as to show respect to your instructor and
peers, you need to: attend class regularly, ARRIVE ON TIME, remain in class for the entire meeting time
(unless you become ill during class or an emergency arises), do not conduct private conversations, read
materials for other courses, or do other work during class. Please DO remain attentive when I or another
member of the class is speaking, and participate in the class discussions as much as possible.
► SHUT OFF AND PUT AWAY YOUR CELL PHONE!! If I see you texting, or your phone
goes off in class, I will deduct 25 points from EVERYONE’S grade. Also, laptop users must sit in the
front row; do not conduct email correspondence, Facebook, or social media of any kind, otherwise, again,
I will deduct 25 points from EVERYONE’S grade.
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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY refers to the honesty and originality of all your work in the class. Your papers
need to be YOUR OWN WORK. Your work must not be composed of extended quotations, not written
by a fellow student, not written by a paper-writing service, not material taken off the Web, or from any
source other than you and your own research. AND NO WIKIPEDIA EVER!!!
CITING YOUR WORK: When you are citing sources, make sure you cite completely and properly. For
citation guidelines, see one of the following style guides: 1) The Chicago Manual of Style; 2) Kate
Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations; 3) A.P.A. documentation
style; or, 4) the Modern Language Association [MLA] Handbook. I have some of these in my office and
all of them are available at bookstores as well as at the Reference Desk in Reed Library.
Use the style guide of your discipline, but at minimum (for internal citations), you must cite author,
title (or portion), and page number; e.g., Martin, Syllabus, p. 4.
IF YOU ARE A HISTORY MAJOR, YOU MUST USE THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE OR
TURABIAN’S MANUAL.
If you are explaining ideas in a source in your own words, make sure you use your own wording rather
than inserting whole phrases of someone else’s work into your analysis, and especially without adequate
citation. This occurs often in student papers; while it may not be intentional plagiarism, it is poor writing
style and becomes an especially big problem if you do not cite your sources. This includes course
readings! Just because I have read them and know where a source comes from does NOT mean you do
not have to cite it. If you are ever not sure what plagiarism is, or whether your work is “enough” your
own, see me, or the staff at the Writing Center for further guidelines and assistance. It is OK to
incorporate other people’s work; it is NOT OK to neglect to acknowledge their work as it contributes to
yours.
Deliberate plagiarism or cheating in any other form will result in failure of the assignment, potentially of
the course, as well as reporting the incident to the Vice-President of Academic Affairs and the Academic
Standards Committee. FIRST OFFENSE GOES IN YOUR PERMANENT RECORD; SECOND
OFFENSE COULD GET YOU SUSPENDED FROM COLLEGE (although less or more severe
punishments depending on the offense can be imposed.) For further information or clarifications see:
http://www.fortlewis.edu/Portals/12/Docs/PART-III-Academic-Dishonesty.pdf
Please come in during office hours to discuss your assignments or any other questions regarding class.
The last weeks of class, however, is not the time to begin worrying about your grade; such issues should
have been addressed much earlier and the final weeks of class is a most inappropriate time to do so on
your part. Please make arrangements with me in advance if you foresee difficulties arising so that
any problems may be avoided as soon as possible.
Nota Bene: I reserve the right to alter this syllabus at any time
in response to changing needs or dynamics of this course.
4
Calendar of Assignments for GWS 300, CRN 20955
Fall 2015
Dr. Michael Martin
WEEK ONE: Introductions/Terminology/Categories
Mon Aug 31
Introduction to course, syllabus, Canvas
Wed Sept 02
Men Have Gender Too
Read: Meyerowitz, “AHR Forum: A History of ‘Gender’” [JSTOR]
Mallory, “Male Bashing” [Canvas/Ebsco]
Brittan, “Masculinities and Masculinism” [Canvas]
DUE: Masculinities Definition Statement
{18}
Fri Sept 04
Masculinity Quotients?
Read: Bornstein, “Welcome to Your New Gender Workbook” [Canvas]
Kimmel, “Masculinities” [Canvas/Ebsco]
{39}
WEEK TWO: Histories of Masculinities
Mon Sept 07
Masculinity in History
Read: Karras, “Active/Passive, Acts/Passions: Greek and Roman Sexualities” [JSTOR]
Bullough, “On Being a Male in the Middle Ages” [Canvas]
{28}
Wed Sept 09
A Cigar is....
Read: Orrells, “Freud and the History of Masculinity: Between Oedipus and Narcissus”
[Canvas]
{30}
Fri Sept 11
Early Sexologists and Sexuality
Read: Hirschfield, “The Transvestites: The Erotic Drive to Cross-Dress” [Canvas]
Foucault, “We ‘Other Victorians’” [Canvas]
Recommended:
Fillingham, “Foucault for Beginners: History of Sexuality” [Canvas]
{22}
WEEK THREE: Theoretical Concepts on Masculinities
Mon Sept 14
{15}
Tues
Sept 15
Wed Sept 16
{24}
Plurality (or the lack thereof?) in Masculinity
Read : Donaldson, “What is Hegemonic Masculinity?” [Library]
Recommended:
Aboim, “From Dualism to Plurality” [Ebsco]
CENSUS DAY
Hegemonic Masculinity Reconsidered
Read: Demetriou, “Connell’s Concept of Hegemonic Masculinity: A Critique”[JSTOR]
Fri Sept 18
Gender and Sex(uality) Theory
Read: Brod, “The New Men’s Studies: From Feminist Theory to Gender Scholarship”
[JSTOR]
Sax, “Differences” [Canvas]
DUE: Project must be approved by me by today
{24}
5
WEEK FOUR: More Theoretical Concepts on Masculinities
Mon Sept 21
{22}
Wed Sept 23
{29}
Fri Sept 25
The End (so soon?)
Read: Buchbinder, “The end of masculinity?” [Canvas]
Eunuchs and Castrati
Read: Scholz, “Sexuality and Emasculation—or Longing for Paradise” [Canvas]
Sperm Theories
Read: Moore, “Lashing Their Tales: Science Discovers Sperm” [Canvas]
Reuters Publishing, “Why Do Men Exist? Science (Finally) Gives Us an
Answer” [Canvas]
{25}
WEEK FIVE: The Marketing and Managing of Masculinities
Mon Sept 28
{29}
Wed Sept 30
{25}
Fri Oct 02
{16}
Marketing Masculinity
Read: Ervin, “The Might of the Metrosexual: How a Mere Marketing Tool Challenges
Hegemonic Masculinity” [Ebsco]
Van Lent, “‘Her Beautiful Savage’: The Current Sexual Image of the Native
American Male” [Canvas]
Transituation
Read: Shapiro, “Drag Kinging and the Transformation of Gender Identities” [JSTOR]
Califia, “Manliness” [Canvas]
Nellennials to Millennials
Read: Shary, “Introduction” to Millennial Masculinity [Ebsco]
WEEK SIX: Masculinity and Popular Media and Sports
{Mandatory meetings regarding Final Research Project begin this week and go through Week Seven}
Mon Oct 05
{30}
Wed Oct 07
{14}
Fri Oct 09
{15}
QTV
Read: Sender, “Queens for a Day: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and the Neoliberal
Project” [Canvas]
View: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy episode
Superhero Masculinity
Read: Medhurst, “Batman, Deviance and Camp” [Canvas]
Sport-y or Sport-xy?
Read: Wellard, “Sport and Masculinities” [Canvas]
WEEK SEVEN: Female Masculinity/Masculinity through Race and Ethnicity
Mon Oct 12
{35}
Female Masculinity
Read: Halberstam, “An Introduction to Female Masculinity” [Canvas]
6
Wed Oct 14
Black Masculinities
Read: Ferguson, “don’t believe the hype” [Canvas]
Noguera, “Black Masculinities” [Canvas/Ebsco]
View: I Am A Man
DUE: Everyone must have presented one cultural artifact by today; you will have had seven weeks
to do this, do not all wait until this week
{28}
Fri Oct 16
{20}
Native Masculine to Two Spirit
Read: Pullin, “Two Spirit” [Library]
McKegney, “Into the Full Grace of the Blood in Men” [Canvas]
Highway, “Repairing the Circle” [Canvas]
WEEK EIGHT: Gay and Trans Masculinities
Mon Oct 19
{35}
Wed Oct 21
{21}
Fri Oct 23
{20}
Transculinity
Read: Schilt, “Just One of the Guys? How Transmen Make Gender Visible at Work”
[JSTOR]
Transforming Masculinities
Read: Pascoe, “‘Dude, You’re a Fag’: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse”
[Google]
Anderson-Minshall, “The Enemy Within: On Becoming a Straight White Guy”
[Canvas]
Gay Masculinity as anti-Masculinity?
Read: Kimmel, “Masculinity as Homophobia: Fear, Shame, and Silence in the
Construction of Gender Identity” [Ebsco]
WEEK NINE: Masculinity at Home
Mon Oct 26
{24}
Wed Oct 28
{10}
Fri Oct 30
{23}
Growing into Manhood
Read: Kimmel, “Welcome to Guyland” [Canvas]
Fatherhood
Read: Flood, “What’s Wrong with Father’s Rights?” [Canvas]
Levs, “Stop Punishing the Family Man” [Canvas]
Sundberg, “What is ‘Dadbod’—And is it Healthy?” [Canvas]
Fathers
Read: Solebello “We Want Them to Be as Heterosexual as Possible”: Fathers Talk
about Their Teen Children’s Sexuality” [JSTOR]
WEEK TEN: Masculinity at School and in Spirituality
Mon Nov 02
{28}
The Classroom as Masculinity
Read: Sax, “Female Brains, Male Brains” [Canvas]
7
Wed Nov 04
{29}
Fri Nov 06
{22}
Masculinity in the Public Schools
Read: Ferguson “the punishing room” [Canvas]
Francis/Skelton, “Men Teachers and the Construction of Heterosexual
Masculinity in the Classroom” [Library]
Spiritual Masculinity
Read: Greif, “Men’s Fellowship at a Saturday Morning Church Group” [Canvas]
Collins, “Constructing Masculinity: De Utero Patris (From the Womb of the
Father” [Library]
WEEK ELEVEN: Maskedculinity
Mon Nov 09
{20}
Wed Nov 11
{25}
Fri Nov 13
{16}
Domestic/Sexual Assault and Maskedculinity
Read: Cruz, “Gay Male Domestic Violence and the Pursuit of Masculinity” [Ebsco]
Loewe, “How We Enter: Men, Gender, and Sexual Assault” [Canvas]
Kilmartin, “Date Rape” [Canvas/Ebsco]
Bruns, “Are You A Manspreader?” [Canvas]
View: Tough Guise 2
Pornography as Maskedculinity or Sex Education One-Oh-WHAT?
Read: Haste, “Sex Education and Masculinity: The ‘Problem’ of Boys” [Library]
Garlick, “Masculinity, Pornography, and the History of Masturbation” [Library]
Bullying as Maskedculinity
Read: Stoudt, “From the Top on Down it is Systemic: Bullying, Privilege and the
Schooling of Hegemonic Masculinity” [Library]
WEEK TWELVE: Masculinity in Prison or at War
Mon Nov 16
{34}
Wed Nov 18
{15}
Fri Nov 20
{22}
Masculinity Behind Bars
Read: Jewkes, “Men Behind Bars: ‘Doing’ Masculinity as an Adaptation to
Imprisonment” [Canvas]
Sabo, et al., “Gender and the Politics of Punishment” [Canvas]
Im-Prisom-ed Masculinity Imprisoned
Read: Katz, “Boys are not Men: Notes on Working with Adolescent Males in Juvenile
Detention” [Canvas]
Messerschmidt, “Masculinities, Crime, and Prison” [Canvas]
Masculinity in War/Masculinity at War
Read: Simpson, “Don’t Die on Me, Buddy: Homoeroticism and Masochism in War
Movies” [Canvas]
Brown, “Transexuals in the Military: Flight into Hypermasculinity” [Canvas]
8
WEEK THIRTEEN
NOVEMBER 23—27
FALL BREAK
WEEK FOURTEEN: Masculinability (Health & Medical Issues)
Mon Nov 30
{23}
Wed Dec 02
{20}
Fri Dec 04
{36}
Medical Masculinity
Read: Loe, “Fixing Broken Masculinity: Viagra as a Technology for the Production of
Gender and Sexuality” [Library]
Physical (dissed)masculinabilities
Read: Gerschick, “Coming to Terms: Masculinity and Physical Disability” [Ebsco]
Masculinity and Wellness
Read: Courtenay, “Constructions of Masculinity and Their Influence on Men’s WellBeing: A Theory of Gender and Health” [Ebsco]
Gordan, “Testicular Cancer and Masculinity” [Canvas]
WEEK FIFTEEN: Men’s Movements & Friendships/Masculinity in Politics &
Law
Mon Dec 07
{26}
Wed Dec 09
{28}
Masculine Friendship
Read: Greif, “How Do We Understand Men’s Friendships?” [Canvas]
Men’s Movements
Read: Kimmel/Kaufman, “Weekend Warriors: The New Men’s Movement” [Canvas]
Goodman, “Men's Rights Activists Don't Want You To See Mad Max” [Canvas]
Fri Dec 11
Masculine Politics and Law
Read: Kimmel, “Epilogue: Masculinity in the Age of Obama” [Canvas]
DUE: Research Project Final Version
{15}
WEEK SIXTEEN
Tue Dec 15
Final Exam Time (Discuss Final Thoughts Essay)
DUE: Final Thoughts Essay
9
7:30—9:30 a.m
DESCRIPTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments for this course will be turned in through Canvas. For each assignment, follow the
requirements listed below (and on Canvas) within each individual assignment description. For any
changes to assignments you may be immediately notified through Canvas, as long as your personal
notifications are set up appropriately. For those of you who strive for the minimum, these are the absolute
minimums. An ‘A’ assignment however attempts to go beyond the scope of the simple requirements and
exceed those expectations. For ALL assignments however, the immediately following bullet points apply:
All submissions must be turned in on the Canvas site.
All assignments due according to calendar as found in syllabus OR on Canvas (LMS has priority
as it can be updated daily unlike a paper syllabus).
Proper formatting will be required at all times (use style guide of your discipline).
All papers must be typed in Times New Roman, 11 or 12 pt font, double-spaced
One-inch margins all around (including first page).
All submissions must have page numbers.
No ‘hiccup’ space between paragraphs.
Any minimum page requirement means that the last page must be half-filled to meet that final
page total expectation.
The following items do NOT count toward that page total: title page, bibliography, appendices,
indices, illustrations, images, endnotes, charts, etc.
You will be held accountable to the Grammar CheckList found at the end of this syllabus.
All essays must be attachments, submitted to Canvas in only ONE possible document format:
Word (.doc or .docx)
If I cannot open your document, you will receive a 0 (zero) for that assignment.
Masculinities Definition Statement
What does the term ‘masculinity’ mean to you? How many are there? What does it mean on campus?
What does it mean to society in general? How is it represented? How is it performed? How is it used?
You must provide an essay of 250 words or less showing how you understand this term (in the many
ways you may or may not see it). In part you are doing this to establish a baseline understanding from
which I can teach this course, helping me to understand where everyone in the course is beginning with
respect to this complex concept. This essay will also help you in writing up your Final Thoughts Essay at
the end of the semester to uncover how much or in what ways your understanding of masculinity has
changed (or not) over the semester. Do not use any materials other than your own personal experiences up
to this point in time. This can include other course work you have taken, but do not review any old notes
or readings; just write from what you recall.
Complete this essay before you do the Friday, September 04 readings (as those are designed to DEFINE
the term for yet another starting point for discussion).
GRADING RUBRIC FOR MASCULINITIES DEFINITION STATEMENT:
Follows directions:
05 pts Basic expectations
o Did the student proofread the essay well?
o Is it 250 words or less?
Context and Content:
10 pts Did the student provide a definition of masculinity?
10 pts Did the student provide examples to help explain and explore their definition of masculinity?
10
Cultural Artifacts
Throughout the semester every student must bring in two cultural artifacts of masculinity to help SHOW
how your understandings on masculinities are found in society at large, and demonstrates or expresses
masculinity in some way. This artifact can be a newspaper/online article, image(s) from magazines,
online, advertisements, film or TV persons/events, political candidates’ comments, etc. Think of this as
similar to Show & Tell from Elementary School. Everyone must have brought in one by Wednesday,
October 14 (so as to have enough points to constitute a Midterm Grade). We will not sign up for these; as
you encounter something that resonates with you and this course (and potentially your research project),
bring it in and the first 15 minutes of class will be devoted to presenting your cultural artifact. Ideally, the
cultural artifact you bring in will have some connection to that particular day’s or week’s worth of
readings. You must also have a one-page write up to turn in at the end of your Show & Tell.
[Cultural artifact idea borrowed from Dr. Michael Gill’s GEN & WS 310 Syllabus, University of Wisconsin, Summer 2012; Dr.
Gill now teaches at Grinnell College.]
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR CULTURAL ARTIFACTS:
Follows directions:
15 pts Did the student use time wisely and well?
Context and Content:
15 pts Did the student turn in a one-page write up (thoughtfully written, exceptionally proofread, beautifully
typed?)
20 pts Did the student bring in and utilize a cultural artifact well and draw connections with the day’s theme and
various concepts of masculinity?
RESEARCH PROJECT [13-20 PAGES]
The purpose of this research project is to examine some topic on masculinity that is of interest to you. I
have listed some possible topics below these instructions. How has masculinity been defined by gender
theorists/practitioners? How has it changed over time? How does it change across cultures? Ethnicities?
Languages? Class? What evidence have gender scholars used to prove their theories; how do they argue
their case; how do they engage their ideas through practical application of their theoretical models? What
conclusions can we come to? In arguing your thesis, be sure to discuss/examine opposing arguments as
well so as to give an appropriate amount of context for making your case. If you are only arguing one side
(yours) then the essay is just a polemic and not a research paper with an academic argument.
For this essay you will need to use at minimum: ONE primary source (a diary, oral histories, letters),
TWO academic books (ideally one of them you have already read and used for your book review
assignment), and THREE academic journal articles. You will be held accountable to the Basic Formatting
Expectations for ALL Assignments (p. 10 of this syllabus), as well as the Grammar CheckList (pp. 16-17
of this syllabus). Proofread and edit your paper!
11
The following are possible topics to consider; however, you are not limited to these topics. You are
welcome to design a project on your own, but remember, YOU MUST MEET WITH ME TO GET
YOUR TOPIC APPROVED AND THEN ON HOW TO PROCEED. These topics are obviously very
general in nature. You will need to narrow down a particular aspect or two within them to focus on. Also,
you may approach your topic of study through various lenses: anthropological, historical, literary,
political science, sociological, etc.
Adolescence
Feminism and Masculinity
Popular Media (TV, Film)
Ageing and Masculinity
Gay Masculinity
Pornography and Masculinity
Architecture
Health Issues
Prison & Crime and Masculinity
Art
Hegemonic Masculinity
Schools and Masculinity
Athletics and Athletes
History of Masculinity Studies
Sexual Assault
Boyhood
Homosocial Masculinity
Social Media and Masculinity
Bronies
Law and Masculinity
Spirituality and Masculinity
Bullying and Masculinity
Literary Masculinity
Transgender Masculinity
Comic Book Masculinity
Masculinity in History
Video Games and Masculinity
Fatherhood
Men’s Movements
Violence
Female Masculinity
Politics and Masculinity
World Masculinities
There are three stages to this process:
A. You must have your project approved by me, showing me some initial ideas for this project and a
potential thesis. As you do more research, emphases and thesis might change, but be sure to have
settled on a topic by the time you turn in the rough draft.
B. There will a mandatory meeting during Weeks 6 and 7 to discuss your project and the progress
that you are making on it. At these meetings I will want to you to be able to discuss three things:
1) your thesis statement; 2) a working bibliography including at minimum the six required
sources (and the ability to talk about each of those items on it); and, 3) what your plans are for
concluding the project in a successful manner.
C. A final version of your project will be due at the end of the semester (and in essence is your Final
Exam, thus put in the appropriate amount of work toward it).
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ASSESSMENT RUBRICS FOR RESEARCH PROJECT:
APPROVAL:
25 pts
Did the student meet with the instructor and get approval of the project?
MANDATORY MEETING:
Follows directions:
10 pts
Thesis statement—is there one?
10 pts
Bibliography—is there one?
Context and Content:
15 pts
Was student able to discuss the sources in the bibliography and how they are/will be used?
15 pts
Does the student have a plan for continued progress toward successful completion of project?
FINAL VERSION:
Follows directions:
-10% ?
Short page requirement? (10% off for each page short; final project must be 13 pages minimum)
10 pts
15 pts
25 pts
Bibliography—is there one, with minimum sources required? (more would be better)
Proper citation style guide followed
o Are the sources properly cited?
o Notes (whether internal citations or endnotes or footnotes) properly formatted?
o Bibliography is properly formatted?
Proofreading
o Has the student not only written their essay, but did they READ it?
o Has the student followed the Grammar CheckList?
o Follows Basic Formatting Expectations for ALL Written Assignments?
Context and Content:
75 pts
Use of sources
o
o
o
o
100 pts
Argument
o
o
o
Are the six required sources found in the essay?
Are the sources well used throughout?
Are the sources properly quoted or, better yet, paraphrased well?
Are there multiple sources used for each argument made?
Does the essay have a thesis statement as well as a conclusion?
Is the essay organized well according to the thesis?
Has the student analyzed and made an argument as opposed merely to
synthesizing arguments in the texts or creating a polemic?
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FINAL THOUGHTS ESSAY
This short essay (3-4 pages) should examine your course experience as a whole. What I will be looking
for are thoughtful considerations of your experiences in this course. To receive a grade over a ‘B’ you
must include a discussion covering your cumulative experience. You must also utilize the various sources
we have been reading all semester long as part of this process, including TWO from the last two weeks of
readings. Cite accordingly.
1) What did you learn (that is, find particularly interesting) in this course from your readings and
lectures, class presentation, and research project? List at least 5, but discuss one example in full. How
might you apply information or skills required for this course someday in whatever career you pursue or
throughout the remainder of your collegiate career?
2) Apply and discuss your gender empathy as related to one particular episode from the materials
covered as part of this course. Your goal is to demonstrate that you understand why people made the
choices they did (whether you agree with those choices or not).
3) Discuss how cultural differences might impact the way people understand masculinity and its many
meanings. Were there times that challenged you to consider how you think about the concept, your
values, or your beliefs? List at least 3, but discuss one example in full.
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR FINAL THOUGHTS ESSAY:
Follows directions:
10 pts
Proofreading, grammar and format
o Has the student not only written their essay, but did the student READ it?
o Grammar CheckList has been consulted and utilized?
Context and Content:
30 pts
Use of texts
60 pts
o
o
Are the appropriate texts used well throughout argument(s)?
Are there multiple texts used for argument(s) made?
o
o
o
Does the essay have a thesis statement as well as a conclusion?
Is the essay organized well according to the thesis?
Did the student provide a persuasive yet succinct argument addressing all three
of the question parameters?
Argument
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GRAMMAR CHECKLIST
THESE ARE ERRORS THAT SHOULD NO LONGER BE PART OF YOUR WRITING PROCESS
1. PROOFREAD
PROOFREADPROOFREADPROOFREADPROOFREAD
2. do not summarize works. That will appear in your analysis. As you explain your argument, the
‘summaries’ will develop out of examples from the text. Give me your interpretation of it.
3. beware of pronouns and use them as little as possible; make sure the pronoun, if used, has an
identifiable antecedent (last named noun)
For example: “Akhenaton and Nefertiti were a unique pair of rulers. He was a monotheistic
ruler.”
Although the ‘he’ is rather identifiable, it does not match the antecedent which here was
‘rulers’, which is a plural noun, not singular; nor does the pronoun match the last-named person,
Nefertiti, who is female, a ‘she’.
4. tied in with last point, “This is…” and “It is…” are poor ways to start a sentence because they
confer very little meaning. You must indicate clearly what ‘this’ or ‘it’ is before moving on.
5. watch for the following:
its/it’s
their/there/they’re
than/then
past/passed
accept/except
definitely/defiantly
effect/affect
roll/role
where/were
weather/whether
to/two/too
throne/thrown
aloud/allowed
of/have (this is an EXTREMELY punishable offense!!)
6. watch for noun/verb agreement, as well as verb tenses
For example, authors have used evidence (past tense), but their own work is eternal:
Judith Butler writes that Foucault borrowed heavily from Marx.
Foucault borrows heavily from Marx.
7. do not define a word by using the word itself
For example: A gender theorist is one who studies gender. [while true, you need to define one
of those terms more fully so that the definition makes any sense]
8. do not be repetitive and redundant and repetitive (this goes with proofreading)
For example: “In the reading titled “A History of Gender” written by Joanne Meyerowitz
she claims that Joan Scott’s seminal article on gender....”
First, if a work is in “quotes” or underlined or in italics, that automatically indicates it is a title so
you do not need to say that it is ‘titled’; Second, Meyerowitz is the author, so she does not have to
be mentioned as having written the item as well; a better way to start that sentence would be:
“Joanne Meyerowitz’s “A History of Gender” claims that Joan Scott’s.....”
9. nouns vs adjectives: proper nouns are capitalized whereas adjectives usually are not.
For example: Middle Ages (a noun) vs medieval (an adjective)
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10. also, if a noun, like Twenty-first Century, is used as an adjective, it is not capitalized and it needs
a hyphen; for example:
The Twentieth Century is a time of gender theory.
The twentieth-century book talks about gender theory.
And “multiple” adjectives require hyphens: day-to-day activities; seventy-six trombones.
11. hyphens are different from em-dashes or en-dashes; know the difference.
12. numbers: usually any number between one and ninety nine are spelled out; after that use the
number itself (100+).
also, there are such things as cardinal and ordinal numbers
cardinal numbers are counting numbers: one, two, three, four, etc.
ordinal numbers establish sequence (notice I did not say ‘order’): first, second, third, etc.
13. footnotes vs endnotes vs internal citations: I do not care which you use, just be consistent in the
way you cite; try to have only one style (and notice my caveat on p. 4 of this syllabus about
internal citations).
14. no split infinitives: “To boldly go where no one has gone before” actually should read: “To go
boldly where no one has gone before.” [even Star Trek mucked it up occasionally]
15. never end a paragraph with a quote. You have pulled it out of its original context and placed it
within a different context which will always require explanation of some sort.
16. PROOFREAD
PROOFREADPROOFREADPROOFREADPROOFREAD
[what follows are actual Fort Lewis College student contributions]
For example:
1. Gilgamesh is an impotant king.
2. Every Sunday, town gatherers went to church to hear lesions from the Bible.
3. Marx and Engels focused on the Bourgeoisie, who were the exploiting class,
and the Proletariat, who were the exploded lower class.
4. The question of whether the study of history has ceased to exist is mute.
5. I went to confession and my priest gave me pennants for my sins.
6. Gladiatorial games were not to be taken lately.
7. Guthrun was portrayed as a strong woman who berried her entire family.
8. Medieval pheasants learned how to illuminate the book of kelps.
9. Since men are the one’s going to war, concurring peoples. . . .
10. We must look at pyramids as an architextual style.
11. Christ was sentenced by Pompus Piolet on a straight charge of sedation.
12. The games were closely linked to the religion of the colt of Zeus.
13. My aim with Historiai is to not let the deeds of the Greeks lose their glory,
but rather to set them high on a pedal stool.
14. Due to the fact that a liquor license can be a long and teddies process to
undertake, it would save the company time. . . .
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