Edwidge Danticat, Breath, Eyes, Memory. New York: Vintage, 1998.

Laura Kaplan, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service. University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Amy Kesselman, et. al., Women Images and Realities: A Multicultural Anthology, 3rd Ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 2003. [WIR]

Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Atlantic Monthly Press, 1985.

Reading Packet [PACK]: You can either purchase the packet from us or download the articles from the "Course Documents" folder in Blackboard.

Films shown on Drew Television(see schedule)

* * * SPRING BREAK * * *

Cultural Images of Women and Feminism
Cultural Images Project Due

Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, finish book

Activism and Organizing
PACK: Mission Statements from the following Organizations
National Women's Studies Association
Third Wave Foundation
United Nations Development Fund for Women
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
National Black Women's Health Project
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
MANA, A National Latina Organization
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Film for Discussion: To Empower Women: The Beijing Conference

Reading Responses on the Blackboard Discussion Board:
For 18 of our 26 classes, you will write a brief analytical response (1 to 2 &s) to the readings. Reading responses should be posted on the discussion board in Blackboard. Responses will be graded on a contract basis as indicated below. Every response must be posted by 10:00 p.m. the Sunday or Tuesday evening before the class. Responses posted after that time will not be counted.

To count, your response must be a brief but substantial analytical discussion of the day's reading and the week's film(s).

• Responses should discuss one or more of the day's readings specifically. Be sure to mention title or author, so that it is clear what reading you are discussing.
• You might compare two readings, looking for connections or disagreements.
  
• You should also try to locate the reading in relation to the specific concepts we have been discussing in the course thus far.

The purpose of the response is to start you thinking about the reading before you get to class. You should make a habit of reading others' responses on a regular basis. You may choose to respond to others' responses in your own.

Grading:
18-19 responses = A
17-16 responses = B
15-14 responses = C
13-12 responses = D
11 or fewer responses = U

Midterm Exam: The midterm examination will take ½ of the class on March 3rd. The examination will consist of a series of short answer questions designed to test your understanding of key concepts, terms, and definitions discussed in class, in course readings, and in films.

Popular Culture Images Assignment (Due March 31st):
Select an example/examples of media/cultural representations of women. You can make a collage of advertising images of women or men, choose a passage from a romance novel, illustrations from children's books, greeting cards etc. Whatever you choose, you must be able to bring it to class in some visual or written form and turn it in with your written discussion. The point of the assignment is to present an analysis of how women or men and gender are represented in mainstream popular culture.

Your project should be accompanied by a brief essay (2-3 pages) which: 1) says what you tried to do in your project and 2) places your project in the context of the reading as well as of that in the film(s) and makes specific connections to the reading you have done thus far in the class. Also provide a caption or a title sheet to go with your collage when it is displayed.

Oral History Interview: You will conduct an oral history interview with a woman at least a generation older than yourself and analyze it with members of your group.

1. As a group, choose one or two issues or themes which we've discussed and on which you will focus your interviews (e.g. socialization, marriage, dating, female friendships, education, work experience, childbearing and motherhood). Together develop a set of questions that you will ask over the course of your interviews. Be sure your questions have enough breadth that they will cover different kinds of experience. (Time in class on March 3rd)

2. By the beginning of spring break, choose your interview subject, a woman a generation older than you and preferably in your family. Get her agreement to be interviewed and set an interview date. Complete your interview by the end of spring break.

3. On March 25, turn in to the instructor and HAND TO EACH MEMBER OF YOUR GROUP a synopsis of your interview in which you summarize your interview in some detail. You might add quotations from your subject and a photograph of her.

4. Arrange a meeting with the instructors to discuss your project and plans for the interviews. All members of the group should be present for this meeting and should have read each of the synopses.

5. Introduction and Analysis of Interviews; Write a group analytical essay based on your oral histories. This will serve as an introduction to your interview collection. For this essay, you should analyze the commonalities and differences among the women your group members interviewed. Find course readings and outside readings to illuminate the women's experience and support your analysis. Write a 6-8 page essay presenting your analysis. Submit the essay accompanied by final versions of your interview summaries. The project should be accompanied by group evaluation sheets in which each member of the group will assess the working of the group, its strengths and weaknesses, etc. Everyone who fully participates in the group process will receive the group grade. However, we reserve the right to give someone who does not fully participate in the project a grade that differs from that received by other group members. Due May 6.

Participation and Attendance: This course is intended to be a collective exploration of ideas and theories about women and gender. It is a discussion class in which the sharing of ideas and interpretations among students and faculty is central. The success of the course depends on the contribution and presence of each student at every class. Regular attendance is thus expected. At the end of the course you will be asked to evaluate your own attendance and participation.

Grading:
Gender Log and essay: 15%
Cultural Images; 15%
Group interview project: 25%
Midterm Exam: 15%
E-mail Response Paragraphs: 20%
Participation and Attendance: 10%

POLICY ON LATE WORK
The work in this course is cumulative. Written work feeds into class discussion and builds on previous reading and writing. Therefore, not completing the work on time makes the next assignment more difficult and limits your ability to contribute to the class. Therefore, late work will not be accepted. Exceptions may be made for illness and emergencies (personal, family or academic). If you are ill, leave one of us a voice message or ask a friend to do so. If you know in advance that something will interfere with timely completion of your work, discuss the issue with one of us BEFORE THE WORK IS DUE. Do not wait until the work is days or weeks late before discussing the problem. If one of us does not know by the date work is due why we are not receiving it, you will not get credit for the work.