Gender, sexuality, and society

Classes will integrate lecture and discussion. Occasionally we will break into small groups for more concentrated discussion. Some lectures will directly engage our readings while others will integrate background historical and theoretical information.

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

You must attend class and participate in discussions; this part of the course, including Reader Responses (see below), will account for 25% of the final grade. Writing Reader Responses will help you feel prepared to speak up in class; if a student does not volunteer, she or he may be called upon to speak. You are expected to keep up with all assigned readings. Students who miss more than 3 classes will lose credit.

Reading responses consist of a couple paragraphs describing your reaction to one or more of the readings for that session. Do not summarize, but rather give us your response to the reading. These should take no more than 30 minutes to write. While reader responses are not individually graded, they will be factored into the overall evaluation of your performance. You will write five over the course of the term. You will be encouraged to post these on the online class forum prior to the class for which they are due to share your thoughts with your classmates.

You will write 3 papers, each counting for 25% of your final grade. The first paper will address the relationship between gender/sexuality and political economy. The second paper will discuss a socially/politically controversial topic concerning gender/sexuality. The third paper may examine the role of gender and sexuality in the construction of personal identity, and can include personal reflection. There is no final examination.

This is a Communication Intensive (CI) subject. Your three papers will be 7-8 pages (roughly 2000 words) each. You will rewrite the first two papers in light of the comments received on them. The revised draft is the version that will be graded. Rewriting the third paper is optional. Because this is a CI subject, you will automatically pass Phase 1 of the Writing Requirement if you receive a grade of B or better.

We are fortunate to have a writing tutor for this course. You are required to make an appointment with her to discuss the progress of your first paper. You will be expected to meet with the writing tutor before submitting each draft and revised paper to the instructor.

Students will give a 5-10 minute presentation of the third paper, time limit to be determined on the basis of enrollment. Presentations are factored into the participation grade. Rehearsing is advisable.

The first two papers are due in Lec #9 and Lec #17. You will get the papers back no later than one week after they have been handed in, and must submit your rewrite one week later (Lec #12 and Lec #20, respectively). If you plan on revising the third paper, the first version must be handed in by Lec #23. The third paper is due in Lec #25.

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