Sociology 409,  Special Topics:  Women, Culture and Society  (4 units)

Instructor: Anita M. Hanawalt, Ph.D.

• Office: ULV Chapel Organ Loft
• Office Telephone: 909-593-3511, x4323
• Office Hours: By Appointment.
• If you would like a telephone appointment, or to meet with me in my office, please e-mail me to set up a time.
• E-mail: ahanawalt@earthlink.net
• http://faculty.ulv.edu/~hanawalta

Course Description:

Women, Culture and Society is an interdisciplinary introduction to women's studies scholarship, exploring the cultural and social diversity found among women and examining the ways in which gender, ethnicity, race, social class, sexuality, age and physical disability intersect to define and modify women's realities in the U.S.

Course Goals and Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, participants will have an introductory understanding of:

• the interdisciplinary core concepts, theories and methods of women's studies
• the experiences and contributions of women from various social classes, sexual identities, age groups, racial identities, physical abilities, and ethnic groups
• the cultural, social and political forces that influence and shape gender
• the legal and policy achievements and political activism of women in their struggle for justice and equity.

Text:	Women's Voices, Feminist Visions, by Susan M. Shaw and Janet Lee, 3rd Edition
	ISBN: 0-07-311250-X

Requirements:

Weekly Assignments:

1.	Read the assigned chapter(s) in the text.
2.	Write a one page journal entry based on one of the readings in the text.
3.	Post a paragraph in the Making Connections Forum.
4.	Post a paragraph report on a Learning Activity/Idea on Activism.
5.	Take a short quiz based on the narrative portion of the assigned chapter(s).

One-Time Assignments:

1.	Post a Class Member Introduction to the Discussion Board. This brief self-introduction will help our class to begin building an online learning community.
2.	Interview a woman working in your chosen field, or a field in which you are interested.
3.	Write a 3-5 page term paper based on an online article of your choice.

Exams:

1.	A mid-term exam (3 essays, 1-3 pages each in length, chosen from 4 questions) is due at the end of Week Five.
2.	A final exam (3 essays, 1-3 pages each in length, chosen from 4 questions) is due at the end of Week Ten.

Assessment:

Semester grades will be determined using the following point system:		Grading Scale
Item	Max. Points	94-100% 90-93% 87-89% 84-87% 80-83% 77-79% 74-77% 70-73% 67-69% 64-67% 60-63%  0-59%	A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F
Class Member Introduction	2
Interview Report	8
Term Paper	10
E-Journals	20
Making Connections Forums	10
Learning Activity/Activism Reports	10
Quizzes	20
Mid-Term	10
Final	10
Total:	100