COURSE DESCRIPTION:
In intro to Women's Studies, we will use an interdisciplinary approach to study the origins, perspectives, subject matter and methods of the discipline of Women's Studies. Particular attention will be paid to the multiplicity of women's identities and experiences and how they have shaped the discipline.

COURSE PREREQUISITES:
None

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course will
& introduce students to the basic concepts and perspectives of Women's Studies
& study the diversity of theories and methodologies of Women's Studies
& develop analytical abilities to critically examine theories of gender, sex, sexuality, race, and class
& provide a foundation for those interested in pursuing undergraduate work in Women's Studies.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will
& identify and summarize the social, political, activist, and academic forces that led to the development of women's studies courses and programs of study
& explain the goals, purposes, and scope of women's students as an academic discipline
& explain the interdisciplinary nature of women's studies
& explain and evaluate the contributions that individual disciplines make to the field of women's studies.
& summarize and analyze perspectives claiming that knowledge is gendered and reflects masculinist bias
& explain what is meant by the term "production of knowledge
& describe and analyze the gendered nature of language
& evaluate claims that women's greater inclusion as subjects of study has increased human understanding
& identify and describe overlapping characteristics among feminist perspectives
& explain what characterizes a particular theory as feminist
& identify and assess recurrent themes in women's movement and organizing
& describe and analyze individual and collective action related to women's changing role and society
& describe and analyze the role of women's organizations in enhancing and limiting women's individual and collective projects
& describe and evaluate barriers to women's agency

TOPICAL OUTLINE FOR COURSE CONTENT:

SUGGESTED TEACHING METHODS AND STUDENT LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
& Lectures
& Small group discussions
& Plenary discussions
& Films
& Guest speakers
& Journals/logs
& Essays
& Research papers
& Book reports
& Oral presentations
& Current events
& Group projects
& Individual projects

GUIDELINES/SUGGESTIONS FOR METHODS OF STUDENT ASSESSMENT
& Students can write journals or logs with references to readings, thoughts about research projects, comments on a growing awareness about what it means to be a feminist ,as well as other thoughts are appropriate. This requirement could count for 25% of the grade.
& Each student can select a novel or autobiography by an international woman writer and write a five-page summary/reaction paper. This requirement could count for 20% of the grade.
& Students can write a scholarly feminist research paper. Papers canbe 20-25 pages in length. Sources should include feminist journals, books, and Internet sources. This requirement could count for 55% of the grade.
& Students who miss more than 2-3 (instructor's decision) 75-minute classes will receive a grade penalty.

SUGGESTED READINGS, TEXTS, OBJECTS OF STUDY:
Anzaldua, Gloria. 1990. Making Face, Making Soul: Creative and Critical Perspectives by Feminists of Color. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.
Bates, Ulku. U. 1995 Women's Realities, Women's Choices: An introduction to Women's Studies. New York: Hunter College.
Lubeke, Barbara, and Mary Ellen Reily. (1996). Women's Studies Graduates: The First Generation. New York: Teachers College Press.
Ruth, Sheila. 1998. Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women's Studies. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Sapiro, Virginia. 1998. Women in American Society: An Introduction to Women's Studies. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Tobias, Sheila. 1997. Faces of Feminism: An Activist's Reflection on the Women Movement. Boulder, Co: Westview Press.

FILMS:

BIBLIOGRPAHY OF SUPPORTIVE TEXTS AND OTHER MATERIALS:
Bowker, Ardy. 1993. Sisters in the Blood: The Educaction of Women in Native America. Newton, MA: WEEA Publishing Center.
Boxter, Marilyn Jacoby. 1998. When Women Ask the Questions: Creating Women's Studies in America. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Coates, Jennifer and Beryl Madoc-Jones (eds.) 1996. An Introduction to Women's Studies. London: Blackwell Publishing.
Cohee, Gail, et.al. 1999. The Feminist Teacher Anthology. New York: Teachers College Press.
Cosslett, Tess (ed.). 1996. Women, Power and Resistance: An Introduction to Women's Studies. London: Open University Press.
Cyrus, Virginia. 1999. Experiencing Race, Class and Gender in the United States. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Disch, Estelle. 1999. Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Farganis, Sondra. 1994. Situating Feminism: From Thought to Action. Thousand Oaks, CA: S
Franz, Carol and Abigail J. Stewart. 1994. Women Creating Lives: Identities, Resilience and Resistance. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Hirschman, Linda and Jane Larson. 1998. Hard Bargains: The Politics of Sex. New York: Oxford University Press.
Mayberry, Maralee and Ellen Cronan Rose. 1999. Meeting the Challenge: Innovative Feminist Pedagogies in Action. New York: Routledge.
Reinfelder, Monika (ed.). 1996. Amazon to Zami: Towards a Global Lesbian Feminism. New York: Cassell Publishers.
Richardson, Laurel and Verta Taylor. 1993. Feminist Frontiers III. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Rhode, Deborah. 1997. Speaking of Sex. The Denial of Gender Equality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Scott, Joan. 1999. Women's Studies on the Edge. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Smith, Valerie. 1998. Not Just Race, Not Just Gender: Black Feminist Readings. New York: Routledge.
Spender, Dale. 1997. Nattering on the Net: Women, Power and Cyberspace. North melbourne, AUS: Spinifex Press.
Valian, Virginia. 1998. Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Wetzel, Jodi, et.al. 1994. Women's Studies: Thinking Women. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.
Winkler, Barbara Scott (ed.). 1999. Teaching Introduction to Women's Studies: Expectations and Strategies. New York: Bergin & Garvey Incorporated.

PREPARER'S NAME AND DATE: Arlene Holpp Scala, August 2000

ORIGINAL DEPARTMENTAL APPROVAL DATE: 1997

REVISER'S NAME AND DATE: Arlene Holpp Scala, August 2000

DEPARTMENTAL REVISION APPROVAL DATE: September 2000