Section 01: MW 8:00-9:15
Section 61: R 7:00-9:40| Section 01: MW 8:00-9:15 |
| S435 |
| Section 61: R 7:00-9:40 |
| S113 |
| Mon. and Weds. 11:00-12:15 | Thurs. eve. 6:15-6:45 | and by appointment. In Atrium 202 or 127 |
| This advanced seminar examines an important theme in recent scholarship: the history of gender and sexuality in imperial societies, particularly during the eighteenth through the early twentieth centuries. In this course, we explore how African, American, Asian, and European notions of masculinity and femininity were transformed through imperial contacts, as well as how sexual practices and gender beliefs helped to shape relations between colonizing and colonized peoples. In our study, we encounter a range of contemporary perceptions of colonial culture, including imperialist novels; and we apply a variety of historical theories and methods to interpret these sources. |
Course Format and Requirements:
| This seminar consists primarily of discussions of the required readings and independent research. Students are required to participate in seminar and listserv discussions. The course listserv address is Hist-GSE@frontier.wpunj.edu. Readings are due on the date listed on the course calendar. Reading lengths range as much as 100 pages of academic text or 200 pages of literature per week; one of the course goals is to help you discern which parts of a text require close reading and which do not. Preparation for discussion of readings and attendance are mandatory. Students who are unprepared will be asked to excuse themselves for the remainder of the class meeting and will be marked absent. There may be one or more unannounced quizzes. |
| Two 5-7 page papers, each analyzing a different assigned novel/memoir are required. Students may choose any two of the three assigned literary works to examine. Papers on the Seacole memoir are due week 7, the Schreiner novel week 10, and the Forster novel week 14. The research assignment, examining some aspect of the seminar topic, has 3 separate components due at various stages in the semester: a) annotated bibliography of 7-10 works with 2-page progress report b) a detailed paper outline of at least 3 pages c) a formal research paper of 12-15 pages. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date listed, except the final papers, which are due by 10:00 a.m. May 1. No late assignments will be accepted. |
Grading:
| Analysis Paper #1 | 15% |
| Analysis Paper #2 | 15% |
| Bibliography/Report and Outline @ 5% | 10% |
| Research Paper | 30% |
| Participation/Discussion/Quizzes/Optional work | 30% |
| Final Grade | 100% |
| 88-89 = B+ | 78-79 = C+ | 68-69 = D+ | |
| 94-100 = A | 84-87 = B | 74-77 = C | 66-67 = D |
| 90-93 = A- | 80-83 = B- | 70-73 = C- | below 66 = F |
| Research papers and analysis papers must be typewritten, double-spaced with one-inch margins minimum, collated, and stapled. A page of text must contain 250 words minimum -- a paragraph consists of at least three complete sentences. Do not begin or end a paragraph with a quotation. Avoid passive voice. Proofread carefully. Term papers must provide Turabian-style footnotes or endnotes and a complete bibliography. Analysis papers may use parenthetical references, if used correctly. All papers will be graded on the thoroughness of their research, quality of argumentation, use of evidence, and correctness of style and form. |
| Place an assigned imperialist novel or memoir into its historical context by discussing a topic which answers the following question: what does this work reveal about its era's notions of gender or sexuality? Use assigned readings and additional library research to situate the writing in its day and examine contemporary beliefs. Use a minimum of 5 scholarly sources, including a primary source. Potential topics might include a work's depictions of historical attitudes towards women's labor, racial citizenship, sexual violence, or feminism, just to name a few of many possibilities. |
| Topics must be approved in writing by week 4, preferably by e-mail. Provide a short, preliminary bibliography. An annotated bibliography and a progress report are due week 8 with a detailed description of the works you have consulted and plan to use. Additional literature not yet examined should be listed separately. Each bibliography should identify at least one key primary source. With your bibliography, you should include a few pages of text delineating your findings and your interpretations. You must clearly state an operating thesis in this progress report, that is, the central argument your research will attempt to demonstrate. You may continue to revise your thesis if necessary. You may not change topics after submitting the formal bibliography. A detailed outline of your paper, subject to some revision, is due at the end of week 13. It must list the contents of your paper. Use a separate Roman numeral for each paragraph. Include your thesis statement in the first paragraph. Outlines should include parenthetical references attributing the sources of information cited. Final papers of 12-15 pages in length (3000 words) are due by 10:00 a.m. in Atrium 202 on May 1. No late papers will be accepted. |
| All research and writing you submit must be your own work. University policy explicitly forbids the use of research consultants and also requires you to cite scrupulously the sources of your ideas. Failure to do so is plagiarism and will result in a zero grade for the assignment or failure of the course. Egregious violations may result in more severe penalties. |
Section 01 Section 61