GEND 1040: Introduction to Gender Studies
Tentative Course Schedule Fall 2022
MW 2:00-3:15 GWC 408
NOTE: This schedule may change as needed. Your presence in class ensures correct assignments
WEEK 1
M 8/29 Intro to Course
HOMEWORK (DUE 8 /31):
- Complete Syllabus Quiz
- Read Johnson, Allan G. 1988. "Patriarchy. The System: An It, Not a He, a
- Read Kincaid, Jamaica. 1978. Girl. The New Yorker.
- Do Reader Response 1: What does Kincaid's essay teach readers about gender
oppression? Connect this to chapter 1 of Johnson's book. Include a quote from
Johnson and from Kincaid. Response must be min. of 2 pages.
W 8/31 Gender as a Structure; Binary vs. Becoming; Blog Post: Simone de Beauvoir
once stated that "one is not born, but rather becomes a woman." What do you
think she may have meant by that?
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/7):
- Read Chapter 2, "Patriarchy. The System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us”
pp. 26-47
- Do Reader Response 2: Identify and discuss the three most important ideas
- found in this chapter. What important lessons do they teach us about our
- culture? Response must be a min. of 2 pages.
WEEK 2
M 9/5 NO CLASS, LABOR DAY
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/8):
- See Homework listed under W 9/1
W 9/7 Discuss Chapter 2 of Johnson; Blog post: Gloria Anzaldua once stated that "a
woman who writes has power and a woman who has power is feared." What is
the significance of that statement?
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/12):
- Read “"Leave It to Beaver and Ozzie and Harriet" from The Way We Never
Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz, pp.
23-47(IN ULEARN)
- Do Response 3: Does our culture still romanticize the 1950's view of the
- traditional family? Support your argument with one examples and quotes from
- the article as well as your own personal experience and knowledge.
- First Gender in the News Assignment Due
WEEK 3
M 9/12 Begin watching The Hours (in class)
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/14):
- Read "The Politics of Housework" by Pat Mainardi
- Woman Movement" by Susan Cruea
- Do Response 4: Compare/Contrast the Coontz article, Minardi, and Cruea.
What are the most important lessons about gender inequality conveyed by
these texts?
W 9/14 Complete The Hours (in class); Blog Post and Discussion
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/19):
- Read Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions" (1848) and "Solitude of Self" (1892) by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
WEEK 4
M 9/19 NO IN PERSON CLASS MEETING; COMPLETE ONLINE DISCUSSION BY
11:59PM TODAY; Discuss Stanton and Truth; Blog post and Discussion.
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/21):
- Read "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House" by Audre Lorde (1979)
- Read Walker, "I Am The Third Wave"
W 9/21 Discuss Lorde & Walker, significance of Hill
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/26):
- Watch The Color Purple (2 hours 33 min.) $3.99 rental @ Amazon.com; $14.99
to purchase
- Do Response 5: Identify and Discuss Connections between the content of the Color Purple and all of these authors: Stanton, Truth, Lorde, and Rebecca Walker. Point to specific events in the film (Things characters do, things they say, the specific quotes, and objects closely associated with characters that might be symbolic). Connect these examples from the film to specific quotes from the readings.
WEEK 5
M 9/26 Discuss the Color Purple; Approaching Essay 1
HOMEWORK (DUE 9/28):
- Identify ONE important moment from The Color Purple that you would like to
discuss ; bring two quotes to class from course readings so far this term that
you think are connected to this moment from the film that have something
important to say and/or teach us about this moment.
W 9/28 Class Debate/Discussion
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/3):
- First FULL draft of Essay 1 Due; upload to ulearn and submit to Smarthinking
- tutor
WEEK 6
M 10/3 Why Critique? Critique Process; Conferences
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/5):
- Complete critique of partner's paper (BOTH parts); upload to ulearn and
email to partner
- Do Smarthinking Report and Revision plan; upload to ulearn.
- Continue to Revise Essay 1
W 10/5 Conferences
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/10):
- Final Draft of Essay 1 Due with Reflection
WEEK 7
- HOMEWORK (DUE 10/12):
- Watch Episode 1, Season 1 of Pose (1 hour, 17 min.)
- Do Response 6: What is the cultural and historical significance of a popular
TV series like Pose? Use one quote from article and point to specific events
from the series (things characters do, things they say, or objects closely
associated with them, their symbolic significance).
W 10/12 Discuss Judith Butler; Watch Your Behavior Creates Your Gender and How
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/17):
- Read "Doing Gender" by West and Zimmerman
- Watch Me, My Sex, and I (from BBC One, 2011)
- Do Response 7:
WEEK 8
M 10/17 Discuss West And Zimmerman
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/19):
- Watch First Episode of I Am Jazz (41 minutes)
- Read Read "Boy with Flowers" by Ely Shipley & (in Ulearn, WEEK 8 folder)
- Do Response 8: Complete an analysis of this poem: What is the central theme
of this work and how is that communicated through the poem's most
important image?
W 10/19 Watch Ex Machina (1 hour, 48 minutes)
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/24):
- Watch Science Fiction vs. Speculative Fiction (18 min.)
- Second Gender in the News Assignment Due
WEEK 9
M 10/24 Complete Ex Machina; Discuss depictions of gender in the film
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/26):
- Do Response 9: What does this film have to teach us about gender and the idea of patriarchy? Should it be considered a "dystopian" film? Support your argument with examples and quotes from the film, Butler's ideas and Zimmerman's text, and last class's video.
W 10/26 Watch Episode 1 of The Handmaid's Tale (57 min)
HOMEWORK (DUE 10/31):
- Read pp. 1-33 of The Handmaid's Tale
- Complete Reading Quiz in ulearn
- Third Gender in the News Assignment Due
WEEK 10
M 10/31 Discuss The Handmaid's Tale; Review Characteristics of Literature
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/2):
- Read pp. 34-66 of The Handmaid's Tale
- Complete Reading Quiz in ulearn
- Locate a feminist critique of The Handmaid's Tale from the library's database
- Complete Summary and Analysis of Article; upload to ulearn
W 11/2 Discuss The Handmaid's Tale
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/7):
- Read pp. 69-99 of The Handmaid's Tale
- Complete Reading Quiz in ulearn
- Do Response 10: Make a connection between your feminist critique article of
the novel and one of the other class readings and connect these to the first
99 pages of the novel.
WEEK 11
M 11/7 Discuss The Handmaid's Tale; Purpose/Audience (Willing Audience)
Rhetorical Situation
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/9):
- Read pp. 103-133 of The Handmaid's Tale
- Complete Reading Quiz in ulearn
W 11/9 COMPLETE ONLINE DISCUSSION INITIAL POST BEFORE 3:15PM; See
instructions in ulearn
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/14):
- Read The Handmaid's Tale, pp. 134-163
- Complete Reading Quiz in ulearn
WEEK 12
M 11/14 Discuss The Handmaid's Tale; Research Question/Tentative Thesis
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/16):
- Read pp. 164-195 of The Handmaid's Tale
- Complete Reading Quiz in ulearn
- Locate a feminist critique of The Handmaid's Tale from the library's database
- Complete Summary and Analysis of Article; Upload to ulearn
W 11/16 Discuss The Handmaid's Tale; Organization of Ideas/Essay Structure
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/21):
- Read pp. 199-233 of The Handmaid's Tale
- Complete Reading Quiz in ulearn
WEEK 13
M 11/21 Discuss The Handmaid's Tale
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/28):
- Read pp. 234-295 of The Handmaid's Tale
- Need another source for your paper? Locate that now.
W 11/23 NO CLASS, THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEEK 14
M 11/28 Complete Discussion of The Handmaid's Tale
HOMEWORK (DUE 11/30):
- First Draft of Lit Argument due; submit to ulearn
- Upload draft to Smarthinking tutor
W 11/30 First Draft of Lit Argument Due
HOMEWORK (DUE 12/5):
- Complete Peer Critique of Partner's Essay
- Revise Your Essay
- Smarthinking report and revison plan due
WEEK 15
M 12/5 Peer Critique; CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 12/7):
Revise Draft of Lit Argument
W 12/7 CONFERENCES
HOMEWORK (DUE 12/15):
Final Draft of Lit Argument Due with Reflection
WEEK 16
1:30-3:30PM)
