WOMEN AS AGENTS OF CHANGE - SYLLABUS

“Women as agents of change” examines the different ways in which women have changed the very fabric of the world we live in today. We will study both, women as activists, who create change through large movements, as well as women who create change within the daily context of their lives. The recognition that race, class, sexuality and nationality position women’s lives in very particular ways, is central to our discussion. Therefore, we will explore these intersections as well as the forms “feminism” “liberation”, “freedom” and “equality” take for women acting within particular historical, political, cultural and social realities. <- Protest organized by Code Pink, 2003

REQUIRED TEXTS

Aptheker, B. (1989). Tapestries of life. Women's work, women's consciousness, and the meaning of daily experience. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts.

WS 300 Reader. Available at “ASAP Copy & Print.” 9250 Reseda Blvd. On the corner of Reseda and Praire. Ph: 818-700-7999.

CLASS POLICIES

Readings: This class involves a fair amount of reading and work. Please make sure that you do the readings assigned before the date of the class. This will help you contribute significantly to the online discussions of the reading materials, which can be very engaging if everyone in the class is prepared. Respect for every student’s experience and opinion will be expected. Please do the readings before each class date as they are essential for meaningful discussions to occur.

Online Environment: You are responsible for having a good connection, a reliable computer and access to the web in order to take this class. Not being able to log in will not be an acceptable excuse for late work or missed chats. You will also need the basic skills to follow online instructions and navigate the websites we use. If you are not comfortable with an online environment, I recommend you drop this class and sign up for an alternative course that is not online. I will not be able to provide you with training in computer skills during this course.

Academic honesty and plagiarism: All assignments must be the student’s own original work. Please cite sources in your papers and familiarize yourself with CSUN guidelines on academic honesty. Plagiarism and cheating are grounds for university action and will not be tolerated. It is the responsibility of the instructor to report any cases of plagiarism to the administration and can result in an “F” on the assignment or in the class.

Late Work: Turn in discussion questions, papers and projects on the date they are due. Late work will not be accepted if it is submitted more than one class day after the due date.

GRADING

GRADING SCALE

ASSIGNMENTS

ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION: Your attendance grade will depend on your logging in on time for synchronous class discussions when they occur, keeping up with the readings and your active participation during the synchronous discussions. Class participation is crucial to “getting” the concepts put forth in this class. The content of this course is not “merely” theoretical or political, but rather, it involves our personal lives—our relationships, our careers, our families. Readings and the viewing of assigned films should be done well in advance to class. You should be prepared to contribute well thought-out and relevant questions and content to the discussion. You will be expected to demonstrate your preparation by posting to discussions, contributing questions for different readings, leading online discussions on particular articles and participating in group work.

ONLINE DISCUSSION/RESPONSES: Every week, begin by posting one question per reading that you have been assigned for the week BEFORE 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in order to get credit for it. These questions should be thoughtful and encourage discussion. They should not be oriented towards yes/no or fact-based answers (like who is the author of this piece?). They will be used to further online discussions when we meet online. However, they are one way for you to demonstrate that you are engaging with the readings.

You will also be responding to questions yourself. Every week, you are expected to respond to the bulletin board discussions on the readings for the week. These discussion threads will be posted a week or two in advance. In order to get full credit for these discussions, start by posting your original responses to two of the readings/ questions. Then post at least two responses to your classmates posts [preferably on two different readings than the ones you originally posted to].

Along with the discussions I post each week, I will also post an online exercise or research request. These exercises or research requests are designed to have us, as a class, take advantage of our online environment and explore certain topics from the class in greater depth.

Therefore, on weeks we do not have a live chat, you are expected to do the readings and post the following on the bulletin boards for that week:
1. post 1 question per reading
2. answer 2 of the questions I have posted on the boards
3. post 2 replies to classmate posts
4. do the online exercise or research request for the week

On select weeks of the semester, we will have a synchronous online discussion or live chat. Log on to the blackboard website for this class during the discussion times indicated on the “class schedule” within this syllabus. You will be graded on your ability to use the arguments presented by different authors in the text and reader in order to build your positions online [i.e. quality, not quantity of comments].

Please note: On weeks when we are meeting online for a live chat, you will only be expected to post your questions on each reading and do the online exercise or research request for that week. You do not need to answer questions or reply to classmate posts on those weeks.

INTERVIEW: You will conduct an in-depth interview with a woman in your family (your mother, aunt, grandmother, sister, etc.) Write up this interview reflecting on what you learnt about the conditions of her life, her choices, your understanding of her situation and its connections to your experience. 3 pages. Click on this link for a more detailed guide to conducting this interview: Interview Guide

TESTS: There will be 2 online tests during this semester. These tests will be short, multiple choice format quizzes and will cover the readings, videos and discussions of the preceding weeks.

EVENT REPORT: Attend one “event” on or off campus that deals with gender, sexuality or any of the issues we focus on in class. It could be a lecture, a performance piece, etc. Analyze the event you have attended, utilizing some of the readings/discussions from this class. You may turn this report in any time during the semester.

GROUP PRESENTATION: You will be assigned to groups in Blackboard. Work together in your group to formulate a presentation on a woman who is an agent of change. Begin by picking a woman who truly embodies what it means to be an 'agent of change' in feminist terms. Research her life and prepare a presentation that you can post to the rest of the class in an online format [you can use links to websites, etc.]. If there is no one in the group that is comfortable taking on the technical aspects of posting the presentation, you can email the materials you have gathered to me ahead of time and I will post them for you online.

FINAL EXAM: The final will have a short answer and essay format. You will be expected to make connections between readings, link concepts and apply the materials we have covered in this class. The exam will consist of a variety of questions that allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts. It has a time limit, so please make sure you have a secure connection and all your materials available to you when you log on. It will be available online and must be completed by midnight on 12/2/2003

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE