Course Syllabus

Tues. Sept. 3 to Mon. Sept 9, 2024

• Review all documents and links in the Course Resources and Week 1 Module
• Instructor video – introduction to the course and the instructor
• Discussion in Canvas: What are your Questions? No due date – this discussion will remain open, so use it as you need to.
• Discussion in Canvas: What are your Learning Goals?
• Reading: Gender – About the Authors, Preface, Introduction & Ch. 1 Ideas
• Discussion in Canvas: If we don’t learn the idea of the gender binary by observing the people around us, where does the idea come from? Explain some of the ways that we learn about gender.
• TED Talk: iO Tillett Wright, Fifty Shades of Gay, https://www.ted.com/talks/io_tillett_wright_fifty_shades_of_gay

Q: What does this TED Talk say to you about the existence of binary thinking when applied to sex, sexuality and gender?

• Quiz #1

Tues. Sept. 10 to Mon. Sept. 16, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 2 Bodies
• Discussion in Canvas: The gender binary might be an ideology, but there are real differences between women and men, right? Discuss some of the ideas associated with the concept of a gender binary being socially constructed and some of the differences between men and women that may be considered more objective.
• TED Talk: Kristie Overstreet, What doctors should know about gender identity.

https://www.ted.com/talks/kristie_overstreet_what_doctors_should_know_abo ut_gender_identity

Q: What benefits may result from expanding our understanding of gender identity away from a binary and towards a spectrum or continuum?

• Instructor Video – reading from Eve on scientific research and male normativity
• Quiz #2

Tuesday Sept. 17 to Monday Sept. 23, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch 3 Performances
• Discussion in Canvas: If men and women aren’t naturally opposite, then why do they act so differently so much of the time? Discuss some of the processes of socialization and why some people seem to adhere to ridged gender roles more than others.
• TED Talk: Jo Michael Rezes, A playful exploration of gender performance

https://www.ted.com/talks/jo_michael_rezes_a_playful_exploration_of_gender performance

Q: How does theater contribute to our understanding and experience of gender

• Read Blog: Guys and Dudes by Debbie Cameron; language: a feminist guide, Feb. 21, 2016
• Read and complete: Seeing Gender/Doing Gender Social Observation and decide where and when you will observe. Due on Monday Sept. 30, 2024.
• Quiz #3

Tues. Sept. 24 to Mon. Sept. 30, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 4 Intersections
• Discussion in Canvas: If gender is just one part of who we are, why isn’t it crowded out by all the other things about us that are meaningful and consequential? Why is gender such a predominant aspect of identity and not other aspects that characterize who we are?
• TED Talk: Ivan Coyote, Why we need gender-neutral bathrooms. https://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_coyote_why_we_need_gender_neutral_bathrooms

Q: Who else may benefit from single stall gender neutral bathrooms?

• Quiz #4
• Seeing Gender/Doing Gender Social Observation Discussion post due Monday Sept. 30

Tues. Oct. 1 to Mon. Oct. 7, 2024

• Discussion Post: How’s it Going?
• Reading: Gender Ch. 5 Inequality - Masculinity
• Discussion in Canvas: If everyone is constrained by a gender binary system, why do many more women than men find this system unfair? Describe some of the ways that women and men are constrained by the gender binary.
• TED Talk: Jackson Katz, Violence Against Women, https://www.ted.com/talks/jackson_katz_violence_against_women_it_s_a_men_s_issue

Q: Describe the ways that men are encouraged to be violent towards women and the negative costs of this violent masculinity to men, women and children.

• Quiz #5

Tues. Oct. 8 to Mon. Oct. 14, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 6 Inequality – Femininity
• Discussion in Canvas: Define the term benevolent sexism. Give examples of how this applies to women and men as advantages and disadvantages.
• TED Talk: Soraya Chemaly, The power of women's anger, https://www.ted.com/talks/soraya_chemaly_the_power_of_women_s_anger

Q: How and why is anger viewed differently when it is displayed by different types of people? Describe the ways that people are socialized differently in how they express their emotions. Explain and give examples. What does the speaker say that we should do with people’s discomfort with women’s anger?

• Quiz #6
• Read and complete Dimensions of Gender/Sex/Sexuality Interview Assignment – Due Oct 28, 2024

Tues. Oct. 15 to Mon. Oct. 21, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 7 Institutions
• Discussion in Canvas: Describe how social construction of gender and social pressure to conform to gender standards impacts people’s individual lives and choices. In what ways do you see gender issues being used as political/cultural controversies in today’s society? Give specific examples that support your positions.
• TED Talk: Diana Adams, Why US laws must expand beyond the nuclear family, https://www.ted.com/talks/diana_adams_why_us_laws_must_expand_beyond_the_nuclear_family

Q: Why does the speaker present a vision for how US laws can benefit all families? What are her ideas about how laws can change to benefit more people? Do you agree with the speaker? Should we try to change the laws that impact all types of families? How will these changes support relationships and society?

• Quiz #7
• Read and consider: Gender Problem Final Paper

Tues. Oct. 22 to Mon. Oct 28, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 8 Change
• Discussion in Canvas: Social norms about sex and sexuality have changed greatly in the past 100 years. Describe some of the ways that people are freer to express themselves sexually and the ways that people are still constrained. Think broadly about the influences of social institutions, access to health care, economics and religion.
• TED Talk: Tiq Milan and Kim Katrin Milan, A queer vision of love and marriage, https://www.ted.com/talks/tiq_milan_and_kim_katrin_milan_a_queer_vision_of_love_and_marriage

Q: What are the misconceptions about love and relationships that the speakers challenge in this TED Talk? What is the basis for their view of love and relationships? Explain and give examples. What is meant by the phrase “culture of lovelessness of queer and trans people”? How do queer and trans people re- imagine masculinity and femininity?

• Quiz #8

Tues. Oct 29 to Mon. Nov. 4, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 9 Sexualities
• Discussion in Canvas: Gendered ideas, interactions and institutions may affect almost every part of my life, but some things are personal, and my sexuality is mine and mine alone, isn’t it? Discuss the ways that social ideas, interactions and institutions affect aspects of our sexual lives.
• Article & Discussion: Gender and Language

Q: Consider what you already know about how language can shape our perceptions of gender. Write down some of your thoughts.

Read the Gendered Language multi-media article from Reuters and post your thoughts about the following question in the corresponding discussion board; remember to reply to two others. Using specific examples from the article and your own experiences, how does gendered language influence our social, cultural and institutional behavior in a variety of local, national and international contexts?

• Quiz #9

Tues. Nov. 5 to Mon. Nov. 11, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 10 Families
• Discussion in Canvas: Describe how components of relationships may contribute to levels of happiness in the different configurations of marriage and family.
• TED Talk: LB Hannahs, What it's like to be a transgender dad https://www.ted.com/talks/lb_hannahs_what_it_s_like_to_be_a_transgender_dad

Q: Why does the speaker state that they were both fearful and excited about being a transgender parent? Explain and give examples. If you were in a similar situation, which option for interaction would you choose and why? Describe ways that parenting is gendered?

• Quiz #10

Tues. Nov. 12 to Mon. Nov. 18, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 11 Work
• Discussion in Canvas: If women now have equal rights in the workplace, why aren’t they as successful as men at work? Describe some of the gendered social constraints that people face as they work to be successful in the workplace.
• TED Talk: Sara Sanford. How to design gender bias out of your workplace; https://www.ted.com/talks/sara_sanford_how_to_design_gender_bias_out_of_your_workplace

Q: Of the ideas shared by the speaker, which ones do you think are the best and most effective in creating more gender equity in the workplace? Why?

• Quiz #11

Tues. Nov. 19 to Mon. Nov. 25, 2024

• Reading: Gender Ch. 12 Politics & Conclusion
• Discussion in Canvas: How do we change societies? Describe some of the strategies that have been used to change equity based on gender. Think broadly about social movements, politics, religion, suffrage, and governance.
• TED Talk: Sandi Toksvig; A political party for women's equality https://www.ted.com/talks/sandi_toksvig_a_political_party_for_women_s_equality

Question: What examples does the speaker share about inequalities between men and women? Why does the speaker state that we need to address inequalities between men and women? How does the Women’s Equality Party propose to change political systems?

• Quiz #12

Tues. Nov. 26 to Mon. Dec. 2, 2024

• Reading: Fictional novel of your choice
• Discussion in Canvas: Name which book you chose and why. Give a brief summary of the plot and descriptions of the main characters and the challenges they face. Connect the theme of the book with concepts that we have studied in this course.
• TED Talk: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We should all be feminists

https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_we_should_all_be_feminists

Q: Why does the speaker think we should all be feminists? Do you agree, disagree? Why or why not? Explain.

• Gender Problem Final Paper Posting due Monday December 9

Tues. Dec. 3 to Mon. Dec. 9, 2024

• Reading: Fictional novel of your choice
• Discussion in Canvas: What message is the author trying to communicate about gender in their novel? Give specific examples from the book that describe the author’s message through the experiences of the main characters.
• Gender Problem Final Paper Discussion

Tues. Dec. 10 to Mon. Dec. 16, 2024

• Final Paper Posting & Discussion
• What did I learn?
• Reflection on Course Objectives
• Self-Evaluation
• Course Evaluation