Winter 2003; 8 credits
Faculty -- Helena Meyer-Knapp, ext. 6549 and Mark A. Hurst,
ext. 6624
e-mail meyerknh@evergreen.edu and/or hurstm@evergreen.edu
Meeting Times
W 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., Jan. 15, 22, Feb. 12, 19, 26, (Lib 1706) Mar. 5, 12;
Sat. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Jan. 11, 25, (Lib 1706) Feb. 1, 22, (Lib 1706)Mar. 8.;
Sun. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Mar. 9. Lib 1706
Tues. 6 pm - 9.30pm Feb 11 Lab 1 1047
Day by Day Schedule available too -- LOOK
HERE.
NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGES Only 1 Sunday class and one extra Wednesday Feb
26.
We have added a Tuesday class, Feb 11. This was the only day to get a special
visiting lecturer. Some of you may have to miss this. We feel sorry for you,
but understand.
I have now placed copies of three lectures, mine on sports and religion, and Mark's on work, on the web. You can listen to them with a player downloadable from the web. The link to the download site is on this page too.
Program Description
The media, popular psychology, and scholarly journals are filled with accounts
of differences between women and men. In this half-time program, we will examine
the psychological, political, and biological bases for the claims made about
sex and gender from different perspectives (postmodern thought, women's and
men's studies, etc.). We will reconsider how this affects daily lives in relationships,
in the workplace, and in educational settings. Specific program topics are likely
to include sexuality, parenting, concepts of self, mental health, and many forms
of violence, including war. Finally, we will look at the new scholarship that
examines differences within genders.
Above all, though, each of us in the room is already skilled at using and living
within a gendered society. In some sense, we are all experts before we begin.
Still there is more to learn.
Key objectives for the program:
We see this program as an opportunity to examine and compare distinctly different
kinds of "truths" -- the truth from our unfolding, individual lives,
the truth from scholarly research, and the truths widely accepted in the popular
culture. Each truth contains within it evidence and some kind of logic or system
for appraising the evidence. In addition, these truths gain or lose power by
virtue of the communities of people who accept or reject them.
You will be given the opportunity to develop skills in determining the differences
between data and analysis, in developing standards for evaluating the legitimacy
of truth claims. You will have an opportunity to examine your own life's experiences
critically and perhaps to see them in new ways. You will have the opportunity
to learn how to work amid a randomly selected group of people on sensitive issues.
We work together towards these common objectives guided by a covenant
to which we have all committed. -- LOOK HERE
Reading list
1) Aries, E. (1996). Men and women in interaction. Reconsidering the differences.
Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0195103580
2) Bean, Cathy Bao, The chopstick-fork principle.
3) Hrdy, Sarah B. (2000). Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape
the
Human Species. Ballantine Books. ISBN: 0345408934
4) Krakauer, Jon (1998). Into thin air: A personal account of the Mount Everest
disaster.
5) Maccoby., E. (1999). The two sexes: Growing up apart, coming together.
Belknap Pr; ISBN: 0674914821
6) Mezey, Susan G. (1991, 4th ed.). In Pursuit of Equality: Women Public Policy
xeroxed copies available in the bookstore.
Seminar preparation and Seminar reflections.
For seminar, each of you needs to read the assigned material. Then you need
to write a 1-3 page reflection on the assigned reading. One part of this reflective
essay should compare the assigned reading with your individually selected book,
discussing similarities and/or differences in "method" and contradictions
and/or complementarities in the content. The reflections must all be posted
to Web X by 8pm on the due date listed in the syllabus.
Each seminar, and there are 6 of them will be facilitated by 4 students, who
will meet together ahead of time to discuss the session ahead. 2 students will
take responsibility for reading the seminar reflections posted ahead of time
on web crossing, and developing a sense of the key issues. The other 2 will
read the additional sources in the library
and come ready to contribute additional inputs from those sources. The faculty
will attend seminars and be active contributors but will leave facilitation
in the hands of student leaders as much as possible.
Major research project:
This project involves selecting one popular self-help or "general readership"
book related to gender which addresses one of eight topics; relationships, parenting,
education, work, violence/aggression, recreation, religion, or public/community
issues. Beyond examining the book, you will also be required to bring your selected
book to each seminar, to use as we examine the assigned readings. (see seminar
reflections above).
You will also be writing a single, analytical and
integrative essay about the book due at the end of the quarter. This essay
will discuss the nature of the evidence in the book, the nature of it's analytical,
narrative or other kind of approach, and the degree to which you find yourself
persuaded by the material. Since you will be writing about the book in some
ways all quarter long, you will be building up materials to include in your
final essay. You will also be expected to attend to the comments that your seminar
colleagues make about your source as part of your analysis of the communities
of people adhere to this truth.
A new and VOLUNTARY opportunity.
If you are interested in flexing your creative muscles and getting more of an opportunity to think about gender, war and peace do consider joining the production of Lysistrata, either on the performance/background part of the staging process or as part of the audience on March 3 (Monday) in the Longhouse at 7.30. For more information check out the Lysistrata page.