Montgomery College
Department of History and Political Science
Rockville Campus
Course Syllabus, Spring 2009
HS 110 — Women in the Western World
Instructor
Information
Dr.
Michelle Moran
Office: HU 267
Office
Hours: M, 4-6 p.m.; T/R, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.;
W, 1-2 p.m.; and by appointment
Office
Phone: 240-567-7276
Email: michelle.moran@montgomerycollege.edu
Course
Information
CRN: 33443
Credit: 3 Semester Hours
Schedule: T/R, 12:30-1:45 p.m.
Location: HU 010
Course
Description
This course surveys the historical and cultural roles of women from the ancient world through modern U.S. and European industrial society. Women’s identities and experiences have changed over time, both responding to and producing political, economic, and social transformations in Western society. We will explore the shifting position of women as we identify points of continuity and change in matters of legal rights, labor, family roles, social reform, political participation, and cultural representation. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which nationality, ethnicity, class, religion, and sexuality have shaped ideas about women and influenced what constitutes “appropriate” behavior for them. In the process, we will examine a rich variety of primary and secondary sources to explore how individuals and organizations addressed women in different settings throughout the history of the Western world. Through reading, writing, and discussion, students will explore how women have struggled to expand their rights and opportunities. At the same time, students will develop their own understanding of how women have shaped Western society.
Student Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing HS 110, students will be able to:
Required Texts
Katherine L. French and Allyson M. Poska, Women and Gender in the Western Past, Vol. 2
Christine de Pizan, City of Ladies
Anzia Yezierska, Bread Givers
Online readings
Course Requirements
Class Participation and Attendance (100
points, 10 percent of total grade): Completion
of reading assignments before class and participation during class are
essential to informed and lively discussions.
You are required to attend class and be prepared to communicate your
insights, questions, and comments on the assigned materials. Please bring the readings to each class, as
we will refer to them in lecture and discussion. Also, be sure to bring a notebook to take
thorough notes on class lectures and discussions. Your grade for this component will be based
on your contributions to discussion and responses in lecture, as well as your
attentive consideration of what your fellow students and instructor have to
say. More than two unexcused absences
will be considered excessive and will result in a lower final grade. Official documentation is required for an
excused absence. If you do miss class,
be sure to get the notes you missed from another student. Chronically arriving late or leaving early is
disruptive to the class and will also negatively affect your grade. If you know you will be late to arrive or
will need to leave early on a given day, please notify the instructor ahead of
time.
Response Papers (100 points, 10 percent): At five points during the semester, you will
write a one-page response to the week’s readings. You must hand in at least two response papers by March 12. The responses should be thoughtful and
well-organized, and should make specific reference to the readings assigned for
the week. Guidelines for responses will
be posted on MyMC. Papers are due at the
beginning of each Tuesday class. Since
you have some choice of the weeks in which you write, late response papers will
not be accepted.
Textual Analysis (100
points, 10 percent): You will write a two-page analysis of City of Ladies, due at the beginning of
class on February 12. Details about the assignment will be posted
on MyMC. Late papers will receive a
penalty of one letter grade for each class day they are late, but no papers
will be accepted after March 12.
Essay (200 points, 20 percent): You will write a five-page essay in response to the novel Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska.
This essay will be due on April 21. Details about the assignment will be posted
on MyMC. Late writing assignments will
receive a penalty of one letter grade for each weekday they are late, but no
papers will be accepted after May 12.
Tests (300 points, 30 percent) and Final Exam
(200 points, 20 percent): There will be two tests and a
final exam. Test questions will cover
material from lectures, assigned readings, and class discussions. The exams will consist of a mixture of
multiple choice questions, short answer identifications, and essays. Study guides will be posted on MyMC one week
before the scheduled tests. No make-up
exams will be given without prior instructor approval or documented medical
excuse.
Grading Scale: 900-1000 points = A, 800-899 points = B,
700-799 points = C, 600-699 points = D, 599 points and below = F
Class Policies
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses
and will not be tolerated in this class.
Those caught using the work of another as their own will receive an “F”
on the test or assignment in which the dishonesty occurred and may receive an
“F” for the course. Students are
expected to understand and comply with college regulations that prohibit
academic dishonesty. For information on
academic standards, please consult the Student Code of Conduct under the
heading, “Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct.”
To avoid plagiarism, be sure that you properly acknowledge your use of
another’s work in your papers. This
includes any material gained from books, articles, lecture notes, or other
sources. When directly quoting from such
material, you must use quotation marks and provide the proper bibliographic citation. When paraphrasing, you also need to provide
appropriate acknowledgment of the source of information through proper
citation. If you have any questions
about how to properly cite a source, please see the instructor.
Support Services: A student who may need an accommodation due to a disability should make an appointment to see me during my office hours. A letter from Disability Support Services (DSS) authorizing your accommodations will be needed. The DSS office is located in the Counseling and Advising Building (CB 122), or you may phone 240-567-5058 (voice) or 301-294-9672 (TTY).
If you feel you need assistance with your writing, I urge you to visit the Writing and Reading Center on the ground floor of the Humanities Building (HU 002) or call 240-567-7402. The Center offers tutoring in reading, writing, and grammar and will also help with paper writing and revision.
Classroom Climate: Civility is required at all times. Lively debate about various issues in women’s
history is expected and encouraged, but respect for divergent interpretations
and beliefs must be given. Avoid
disrupting class by turning off all cell phones, pagers, and other audio
equipment when entering the classroom.
Refrain from eating, web-surfing, text messaging, and other distractions
for the duration of the class. It is
expected that you will remain in the classroom once class has begun — please do
not wander away unless an emergency arises.
Any disruptive behavior may result in your being asked to leave the class
and may lead to an academic penalty.
MyMC and Student Email: The course syllabus, assignments, exam study guides,
and lecture outlines will be posted on MyMC. Check the site weekly for
updates. Please check your student email
account (montgomerycollege.edu) regularly for any messages that may be sent
regarding class issues. When contacting
me by email, please use your student account and include your name so that I
can recognize you as a student. Email is to be used for messages only: do NOT send assignments via email. Only hard copies of assignments will be
accepted.
Cancellation of Classes: If inclement weather or other incidents cause
the college to suspend classes or close, public service announcements will be
provided to local radio and television stations as early as possible. Check the Montgomery College website (http://www.montgomerycollege.edu)
for any closing information. If the
campus or college closes, class will be cancelled.
Syllabus — The instructor reserves the
right to modify the syllabus as the semester progress if it becomes necessary.
Course Schedule:
|
Week |
Topics |
Readings |
|
Week
1: |
Introduction and
Analyzing the Roles of Women in History |
Reading: Get
acquainted with your textbooks; Begin City
of Ladies In-class viewing of excerpts from A Midwife’s Tale |
|
Week
2: |
Women in the Ancient World |
Reading: Women and Gender, pp. xi-xiv Online: Women
in Creation Accounts: Enuma Elish (http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~humm/Resources/Ane/enumaA.html)
and Genesis |
|
Week
3: |
Engendering the Middle Ages |
Reading: City of Ladies (all) Document
Analysis Due 2/12 |
|
Week
4: |
Early
Modern Developments for Women |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 7 Online: Witchcraft
Documents |
|
Week
5: |
Test 1 |
|
|
2/26 |
Changing
Representations of Women: Who Is Marie Antoinette? |
In-class viewing of excerpts from Marie Antoinette |
|
Week
6: |
Political
Revolutions and Demands for Women’s Rights |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 8 Online: Olympe
de Gouges, Declaration of the Rights of Women |
|
Week
7: |
Women,
Industrialization, and the Culture of Domesticity |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 9 Online: Testimony
of English Industrial Workers |
|
Week
8: 3/17-3/19 |
Spring Break: No Classes |
Begin Reading Bread
Givers |
|
Week
9: |
Women's
Political Activism in an Imperial Age |
Reading: Women and Gender, Chs. 10-11 Online: Gertrude
Bell, Letter of 23 March 1900 |
|
Week
10: |
The
New Woman: Campaigns for Suffrage,
Service in Wartime |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 12 Online: Emmeline
Pankhurst |
|
Week
11: |
Test 2 |
|
|
4/9 |
Women in Popular
Culture |
In-class viewing of It (1927) |
|
Week
12: |
The Modern Woman in
the Interwar Years |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 13 |
|
Week
13: |
World
War II and Women's Experience |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 14 |
|
Week
14: |
Women
in the Postwar World |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 15 Online: Maxine
Williams on Black Women's Liberation |
|
Week
15: |
Constructing New Roles for Women |
Reading: Women and Gender, Ch. 16 |
|
5/12 |
Final
Exam, 12:30-2:30 p.m. |
|