Psychology
of Women (PSY 391)
Spring, 2008
©2008 Hilary M. Lips
Instructor:
Hilary Lips, Ph.D.
Office: 332 Russell Hall
Phone: 831-5387
E-mail: hlips@radford.edu
Grading
Important Dates
Course Schedule
Office Hours: Mondays 2:00 - 4:00, Tuesdays & Thursdays 1:00 - 2:30
Textbooks:
Do they hear you when you cry? by Fauziya Kassindja
When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni
A. Tests and Exam -- 90 points
i) Weekly mini-quizzes – 15 points
Each week, except when having a regular test, we will almost always begin the Tuesday class with some type of mini-quiz on the reading that was assigned for that week. The form of the mini-quiz may vary from week to week. Sometimes it will be a short multiple-choice or matching test. Sometimes it will require you to write brief answers to 1 or 2 questions. The point of these quizzes is to encourage you to arrive at class with the reading done. These quizzes will not be extremely difficult and will not require you to have mastered difficult concepts on your own. However, to succeed on them you will have to have read the material and be able to recognize or explain some of the most basic concepts. At the end of the semester, you will be able to drop your 2 lowest grades on these mini-quizzes (this includes quizzes you have missed because you were not in class when they were given).
ii) Tests
Test # 1 - 25 points
Test # 2 - 25 points
Eligible for inclusion on the tests are all assigned readings,
including material that is not covered in lectures. Also eligible is any
material that is covered in class but is not in the readings. Of course,
the most heavily emphasized material on tests will be that which is emphasized
in class. Make-up tests will not be available except under extreme circumstances
that can be documented in some appropriate way.
iii) Final exam - 25 points - covers material from selected sections of the course. If you achieve a grade of A (88%) across all quizzes (including the 2 lowest quizzes that you may drop) and tests, you will be exempted from the final exam.
Regular participation in class exercises and projects - 15 points
A number of class discussions and exercises will be carried out in class time and students will occasionally be assigned to do something outside of class and turn in written work. Such work must be turned in at the beginning of the class for which it was assigned. It will not normally be accepted at any other time. Students who participate will receive credit. Those who are absent for whatever reason or who do not participate will not receive credit. (Two missed exercises or assignments occurring in different weeks will be allowed without penalty. Three missed exercises will be allowed without penalty if two of them occurred during the same week). Participation includes your presence at and your evaluation of presentations by other members of the class. Your grade on this section will depend on the proportion of these exercises and assignments that you complete.
Exploring the psychology of women internationally - 15 points.
In order to gain some glimmer of a global perspective on the psychology of women, we will focus some of our attention on the experiences of young women whose cultural experience includes both the United States and another culture. You will choose one of the three “other books” listed above, read it and prepare a written report (6-7 pages typed, 12-point font, double-spaced, one-inch margins) that analyzes the book from a “psychology of women” perspective. On the day these reports are due (March 4), we will spend some time in class discussing the books. Come prepared to read aloud short passages that you found most surprising, interesting, moving, or otherwise worth sharing with others and to share your thoughts and reactions those aspects of the book.
Your paper should include the following information and address the following questions. Wherever possible, relate your answers to the theories and research about the psychology of women that we are covering in this course:
1. Who is the author? Where did she grow up? What part of her life is she focusing on in writing this book? What age is she now, and how do you think that affects her perspective in looking back at her life?
2. As a girl growing up in her birth country, what did the author learn about femininity? How and from whom did she learn these lessons? Give examples. Relate them to some of the theories of gender socialization in your textbook. Do you think she learned to be androgynous?
3. In what ways did she learn to feel strong? In what ways did she learn to feel weak? Were these lessons related to societal expectations about femininity?
4. What do you think were the positive and negative aspects of her original culture with respect to the images and roles of girls and women?
5. What was the importance of her family, her religion, and other cultural institutions such as school in her development of ideas about what was proper behavior for her and of her sense of self-esteem and entitlement?
6. How did she experience issues such as sexuality, work, friendship, violence?
7. When she changed cultures, how did changing cultures affect the author? In what ways was the change seen by her as positive and as negative? How did her support system change? Was the experience different for her than it would have been for a male? Why? Did the change of cultures change her view of what was proper and possible for her as a girl or woman?
8. After reading this book, to what extent do you think women’s experiences are shared across cultures?
Support your answer with examples.
Violating a gender norm. The assignment is to choose a behavior or activity that is not normative for your own gender (i.e. women should choose a "masculine" activity; men should choose a "feminine" activity) and carry it out. Carefully note your own reactions and the reactions of those around you. Write a one-page report of the experience. You must be ready to report on this activity in class and to hand in your report on February 21.
Major Project (Choose EITHER Option A OR Option B): 25 points
OPTION A: Content Analysis Projects:
This project is meant to be done in groups. Project groups will be finalized in class on February 14th. DO NOT MISS THIS CLASS OR YOU MAY NOT BE ASSIGNED TO A GROUP. ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU NEGLECT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOUR GROUP, YOU WILL BE PENALIZED IN TERMS OF YOUR GRADE.
You may form your own group if you prefer: It must include a minimum of four people and a maximum of 6. If you do not wish to form your own group, I will assign you to a group. If you wish to form your own group, you must let me know in writing (e-mail is best) by Tuesday Feb. 5th so that I do not assign you to another group.
Your group will examine a set of materials, such as prime-time television programs, children's stories, music videos, popular songs, for a particular theme or set of themes relevant to a topic in the psychology of women. Instructions for the project will be handed out and discussed in class on February 14th. Your group will present your findings to the class during the last week of the semester. Each group will turn in, on the day of their presentation, a two-page summary of their findings and a list of references.
If, for some reason, you do not wish to work with a group, you may choose to do this project on your own. This includes all aspects of the project, including making a presentation to the class. However, if you choose this option, you must decide (and let me know) by February 5th, so that I do not assign you to a group. It is NOT an option to quit your group part-way through the project and then decide to work on your own.
OPTION B: Experiential Service Learning Project
This project is also meant to be done in groups. Your group may work under the supervision of RU’s Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education (http://www.radford.edu/~sasae/) to develop and implement programming on campus for either Sexual Responsibility Week (February 11-15) or Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 25-29). In these cases, the group size is a maximum of 3 persons, and only one group (the first to let me know) will be allowed to take on each of these projects. One other group of 3 to 6 persons may also work with the Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education to develop programming on violence against women during Women’s History Month in March.
If you choose OPTION B, you will have to begin immediately by scheduling a meeting with the director of SASAE during the first week of classes. The time requirement for this option will be a minimum of 10 hours devoted to planning and 10 hours devoted to the programming itself at the scheduled time (i.e., during the particular week in which the programming takes place). In addition, you will be required to make a presentation to the class during the last week of classes, describing the project and your participation in it. In that presentation, it will be important for you to relate your service learning activities to the theories and research about the psychology of women that we deal with in this course. On the day of your presentation, your group must turn in a 2-page written summary of your project and a list of references for the links to research and theory that you develop in your presentation.
If you choose this option, it is important to remember that you have a responsibility to your group members and to the Office of Substance Abuse and Sexual Assault Education to show up for meetings, complete tasks in a timely manner, and do your part to make the project a success. As is the case with Option A, if you neglect your responsibilities to your group, you will be penalized in terms of your grade.
1) RU Gender Studies Conference – Monday, April 14th, 12:30 - 5:00. Up to 7 extra credit points can be earned by registering for and attending this conference, including the keynote address at 4:00 p.m., and by turning in brief summaries of the sessions. Registration is free, but you must sign up.
2) Up to 4 extra credit points can be earned by attending and submitting a one-page report on other designated out-of-class lectures or events (2 points per event). The report should be submitted within one week of the event.
B: 78% (117 points)
C: 67% (101 points)
D: 57% ( 86 points)
Sandra earns 12 out of a possible 15 points on the weekly mini-quizzes. She receives 70% on the first test and 85% on the second test, giving her 17.5 (70% of 25) on the first test and 21.25 (85% of 25) on the second test. At the end of the course she obtains 21 out of 25 on the final exam. She missed only one class exercise, so gets 15 points (full marks) for class participation. She received 12/15 her international book report. She earned 5 out of 5 points for her norm violation assignment. On her content analysis project she received 22 out of 25 points. She has also earned 4 extra credit points. To calculate her final score out of 150, she adds all her points: 12 + 17.5 + 21.25 + 21 + 15 + 12 + 5 + 22 + 4 = 129.75. By examining the grading table above, she sees that she has earned a B in this course.
January 17th - This is the last day to turn in (in writing) your selection of OPTION B for the project and the names of group members.
February 5th - This is the last day to turn in (in writing) a list of your group members for Option A, if you are forming your own content analysis group.
February 7th
- TEST # 1.
February 14th -
Formation & first meeting of content analysis project groups in class as well as
in-class meetings of service learning project groups.
DO NOT MISS ANY PART OF THIS CLASS.
February 21st - Norm violation projects due in class. We will discuss these projects at that time.
March 4th - “International” book report is due in class, and we will have a discussion of the books.
April 1st - Everyone must be prepared to meet with me to outline their content analysis or service learning project. I will expect a one-page written outline that is reasonably specific along with a preliminary list of references you are consulting for your project. This material, and my discussion with you, will be worth 2.5 points toward your project grade (i.e., 10% of your 25 points).
April 3rd - TEST # 1.
April 22nd, 24th Group content analysis and service learning projects to be presented in class
April 29th - 11:00 a.m., FINAL EXAM