Credit Hours: 3 -- Course Prerequisites: Govt 2250 or Govt 1101 or Engl 1105   
Office Location: Administration Building 138   
E-mail: shadjiyannis@shawnee.edu  -- Tel. #: (740) 351-3445 -- Fax #: (740) 351-3153     

How has women’s political status changed over the course of the twentieth century?
Do women think about politics differently than men? Why might this be the case?
What does it mean to say a political process, policy, institution, or practice is "gendered"?
What are "women’s issues"? Are there such things as "women’s issues"?
How has research on women and politics reflected changes in women’s status? What is the latest research on the status of women in other nations? Is the study of national and international politics possible without seeing it through gender lenses?

The thematic foci and readings in this course will provide students an opportunity:

 1) To develop an awareness of the cross-cultural consistencies and variation in contemporary gender roles over time and space.

2) To understand some of the social, economic, political, historical and structural factors that shape gender roles.

3) To become familiar with current concerns in women's lives as regards identity construction and power relations as they relate to notions of gender.

4) To reflect upon their own personal assumptions about gender roles and to critique their own positions on women's roles and gender.

5) To enable to imagine/describe/pursue future goals and objectives for women, gender politics, and theory.

For Students with Disabilities: If you have a specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disability and require accommodations, please let me know early in the quarter so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. By law, it is your responsibility to provide documentation of your disability to the Office of Disability Services, located in the Student Success Center , Massie Hall, (Ph) 351-3594, PRIOR to receiving services.

Attendance and Make-Up Policy: Attendance is essential to the student’s understanding of the material upon which they will be examined and rewarded with a better grade. Students have up to two days from the time a missed exam is scheduled to take a make-up exam. An Excused Absence Form obtained from the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs must be provided in order to be able to take the make-up exam. Make-ups may be granted only for documented personal health or other care giver emergencies.  The make-up exam may differ from that given to the rest of the class. 

Warning on Academic Dishonesty: There is no acceptance under any condition for academic dishonesty, whether it is plagiarism or other forms of cheating. Plagiarism is defined, according to Webster’s College Dictionary, as “the unauthorized use of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own.”  To avoid plagiarism it is necessary to place anything that is not yours in quotation marks and provide a citation for its source. Students caught plagiarizing or cheating will receive an F in the course. They will also face disciplinary action which could lead to probation, suspension, or dismissal from the university.  For details on SSU’s academic misconduct policies consult your student handbook at http://www.shawnee.edu/pub/sah/StudentHandbook.pdf

Nancy E. McGlen, Karen O'Connor,  Laura Van Assendelft, and Wendy Gunther (2004): Longman; ISBN: 0-321-20231-7

  Cynthia Enloe (2001): Univ. of California Press; ISBN: 0-520-22912-6

Reading, Exams, and Assignments 

We will study the first book for the first 8 weeks and the second book for the remainder part of the semester. There will be an exam following the completion of each study period.  Also, during the first two weeks each student will pick an additional book on any subject related to and relevant to the course’s theme, to read and then write a book review and orally present info about the book in class. The book requires the professor's approval. The review is due week 12 day 1. No late work will be accepted. The book review should contain a critical evaluation of themes, approaches, and/or conclusions in addition to containing a descriptive summary of the book. Click here for general instructions for a successful book review. The short and informal oral presentations will begin during week 12.

Course Outline 

General Introduction: Gender Issues at Home and Abroad

I. POLITICAL RIGHTS AND REALITIES.

1. The Struggle for Political Rights and Women’s Social Movements

            2. Women's Political Participation.

 II. EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND REALITIES.

3. The Struggle for Employment and Educational Rights.

4. Women's Economic and Educational Status.

III. FAMILIAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND REALITIES.

5. The Struggle for Familial and Reproductive Rights.

6. Women's Place in the Family.

7. The Future of the Movement.

IV. Women and the Global Context

8. Women and International Politics

9. Women and the Politics of International Prostitution

10. Women and the Global Economy
 

Students will be evaluated by two in-class essay-type exams (each worth 30% of the total grade), a book review (worth 25%), an in-class oral presentation of the review (10%), and by class attendance, scholarly behavior, and participation in discussions (5%). Students are encouraged to utilize their skills in doing all of the following for a better grade: 1) read assigned material in advance of the class; 2) evince grammatically correct writing; 3) voice questions and participate in discussions in and out of class; 4) attend on a regular basis; and 5) visit, peruse, interact, and contribute to the course’s cyber page(s). The grading scale would be: 90-100= A; 80-89= B; 70-79= C; and 60-69= D

Students are expected to come to class prepared. This includes having read all assigned reading materials and being actively engaged in class discussions, research and presentations.  If at any time students have problems or questions they should contact the professor. In order to participate actively in class discussions and presentations, students are expected to follow current events on the subject as they unfold in the media.