Phil 327: Philosophy, Gender and Culture

Fall 2009

Click here for extra credit assignment

Class Meets	Mon/Wed 11:40-1:20 KH LH 2
Instructor	Talia Bettcher
Office	A 423 Engineering and Technology
Office Telephone	(323) 343-4179
Philosophy Dept. Office	A 432 Engineering and Technology
Philosophy Dept. Telephone	(323) 343-4180
EPIC	(323) 343-3380
Email	tbettch@calstatela.edu
Office Hours	Mon 2:00-3:00; Wed 2:00-4:00

Course Description:

In this course we will examine concepts, values, and assumptions relevant to gender in our diverse society. What is a woman? What is a man? What does gender have to do with sexual ethics? What does gender have to do with power and oppression? What are the ways in which gender and sexuality intersect race, class, and religion? What are the theoretical and political consequences of such intersections?

The course draws on multiple perspectives and is significantly concerned with cultural differences. The course is also especially concerned with the connection (if any) between theory/philosophy and the “real” world. What does it mean to think philosophically? What is philosophy? What relevance can philosophy have to our everyday lives?

NOTE: Phil 327 is a humanities course in the GE Theme “Gender in the Diversity of Human Experience.” It also satisfies one course of the GE diversity requirement.

Course Objectives

(1) To help students think critically about their own views (and the views of others) concerning gender/sexuality

(2) To help increase student understanding of core concepts/principles in gender studies

(3) To help students exercise (and thereby improve) analytic and synthetic reasoning skills.

(4) To help students appreciate and learn from points of views, ways of living, and life experiences that are different from their own.

(5) To deepen student understanding of the relationships between self and society in general

(6) To help deepen student sense of ethical, social, and political responsibility.

Texts

Anderson, Jami L. Race, Gender, and Sexuality: Philosophical Issues of Identity and Justice, Prentice Hall, 2003.

Additional Readings on library reserves: http://www.calstatela.edu/library/opac/reserves.html

On-Line Handouts from my Web Site: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/tbettch/Phil327.htm

Requirements

Late Policy: Papers not submitted will receive 0 pts. I accept late papers up to two weeks past the due date. After that, papers receive 0. I deduct 1/6 of a grade for every day the paper is late (including weekend days, vacation days, etc.). Lateness will be excused ONLY in the case of documented emergency (health, family, etc.).

Plagiarism and Cheating: “At Cal State L.A., plagiarism is defined as the act of using ideas, words, or work of another person or persons as if they were one’s own, without giving proper credit to the original sources” (CSULA 2007-09 University Catalog, p. 760). In this course, any cheating or plagiarism will be penalized with a failing grade for that assignment. Administrative sanctions may also follow (some sanctions include expulsion, suspension, probation). For further information please see the University Catalog, pp. 760-6).

Basic Requirements

Cal State L.A. officially communicates to students using electronic mail (e-mail) and other methods. E-mail provides a cost-effective, timely, and environmentally sensitive means of communicating University business and academic information.

Students are expected to access their Cal State L.A. e-mail account on a regular basis so that official university, college and department communications are delivered and received in a timely manner, and students do not miss important communications. (If you wish to forward your Cal State L. A. email to another account, follow the link for instructions on how to do that: http://www.calstatela.edu/its/docs/pdf/forwarding_emails.pdf <http://www.calstatela.edu/its/docs/pdf/forwarding_emails.pdf>

Note: Faculty and students are held accountable for official information sent to their university issues email accounts.

(1) Attendance and Participation

It is essential that you attend class regularly and that you participate actively in class discussion (partners, small groups, etc.) This requirement is ungraded. Instead, I use it in addressing ‘border line cases’. Additionally, excellent completion of this requirement may boost your grade by 1/3 of a grade (a ‘+’) and a serious failure to complete this requirement may result in your grade being decreased by 1/3 of a grade.

(2) Three out of four Tests (11% each, 33% total). Dates: 10/19, 10/28, 11/09, 11/30

Each test will cover one of the units. Tests will be letter graded (e.g. A, A/A-, A-, A-/B+, etc.) using a 12-pt scale.

The lowest test score will be dropped. No “make-ups” will be given.

EITHER: Regular Option Requirements

(3) A Short Paper (3 pages, typed and double spaced) (33%). Due: 10/26 (WK 5)

Assignments will be letter graded as above. Click here for assignment.

(4) In-Class Final Examination (34%). Date: Monday December 7, 10:45am-1:15pm

Exams will be letter graded as above.

OR: Service Learning Option Requirements

(3) Community Service (33%)

Students who demonstrate a serious commitment to the provision of their community-service by discharging their duties responsibly and who also complete the two reflection activities in a serious and engaged fashion will receive a straight “A” for this component of the course. The grade assignment will be lowered only to the degree that students do not successfully demonstrate this commitment.

(4) Service Learning Writing Exercise (34%)

Part I: 1 page reflection paper (typed, double spaced) (16%) Due: 11/02 (WK 6) Click here for assignment.

Letter graded as above.

Part II: 2 page reflection paper (typed, double spaced) (18%) Due: 12/07 (Finals Week) Letter grade as above.

Course Structure

The following is a tentative course schedule. Please note that it is subject to revision. Readings marked “*” are not included in anthology and will be distributed later or posted on-line.

NOTE: ALL readings are from ANTHOLOGY with the exception of those that have been highlighted.

INTRODUCTION

Week One

(A) Welcome/Intro – (09/28)

(B) “The Game” (09/30) HANDOUT

Week Two

For the reading go to http://www.ac-nice.fr/philo/textes/Plato-Works/11-Euthyphro.htm

UNIT ONE: IDENTITY

(D) Film: Hermaphrodites Speak!; Read: Fausto-Sterling “The Five Sexes”; *Coventry “Making the Cut” (10/07)

Week Three

(E) Hale “Are Lesbians Women?” (10/12) HANDOUT

(F) Mills “But What Are You Really?” (10/14) HANDOUT

UNIT TWO: Oppression, Intersectionality, and Resistance

Week Four

(A) TEST ONE

*Daseler “Asian Americans Battle ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype” Handout; Crenshaw “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex” (10/19) Handout

(B) Collins “Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images” Handout, Eng “In the Shadows of a Diva” (10/21) Handout

Week Five

SHORT PAPER DUE!

UNIT THREE: Sexual Violence

(A) TEST TWO Handout (on Class Discussion)

Muelenhard, Dannoff-Burg, and Powch “Is Rape Sex or Violence? Conceptual Issues” Handout; Davis “Rape, Racism and the Myth of the Black Rapist” Handout (10/28)

Week Six

(B) Garry “Sex, Lies, and Respect” Handout (11/02)

SERVICE LEARNING REFLECTION EXERCISE DUE!

UNIT FOUR: Sexual and Affectional Orientation(s) (4 sessions)

(A) Lecture (11/04) Handout

Week Seven

(B) TEST THREE

Lecture (11/09) Handout

Week Eight

(D) Panel Discussion (11/18)

Week Nine

(E) Hopkins “Gender Treachery”; *Trujillo “Chicana Lesbians” (11/23)

(F) Panel Discussion (11/25)

UNIT FIVE: Transgender

Week Ten

(A) TEST FOUR

Bornstein “The Other Questions”; Halberstam “Transgender Butch” (11/30)

(B) *Bettcher "Understanding Transphobia: Authenticity and Sexual Abuse” (12/02)

Finals Week

(*) Final Exam Monday December 7, 10:45am-1:15pm

Service Learning Option

Overview: In this course, the service learning component will have two major parts. The first part is the actual community service; the second part is comprised of “reflection activities”.

Part One: Community Service:

(1) If you choose the service learning component, you will select an agency from the list of agencies or you may suggest one yourself (this must be “cleared” by instructor and EPIC). Because it is important that students do not “swamp” one agency, students may not always be able to work with their first choice. Applications must be completed and submitted to EPIC by no later than first week of classes. Anh Hong is our contact person.

(2) You will provide a minimum of 20 hours of community service over the remainder of the quarter. Agencies may require that you attend an orientation or training in addition to the 20 hours of service (this will take four hours at most and probably less). Generally community service hours should be distributed over the course of the quarter (2-3 hours/week). However, this is not a firm rule and will depend upon the specific needs of the agency and your own availability. You must be placed in an agency and begin community service no later than the beginning of the third week of classes.

(3) Your agency will receive a time sheet and an evaluation form. The quality of your community service will be evaluated by the agency (in consultation with EPIC and myself). Students who demonstrate a serious commitment to the provision of their community service by discharging their duties responsibly and who also actively participate in the reflection activities in a serious, open-minded, and engaged fashion will receive a straight “A” for this component of the course. The grade assigned will be lowered only to the degree that students do not successfully demonstrate this commitment.

(4) Expectations:

(A) Be Open-Minded and Sensitive to Diversity. In your community service (as well as the course itself) you will be confronted by experiences, beliefs, identities, and ways of looking at the world that are different from your own. Sometimes we feel a need to judge others or to express our disapproval of somebody else based upon differences. However, it is absolutely not acceptable to express this attitude while working with your agencies. You are there to accomplish two tasks: (1) Help serve the needs of your agency; (2) Learn from the perspectives and experiences of others. If you are busy expressing your own disapproval, you will accomplish none of your tasks.

(B) Be Helpful. That’s why you’re there!

(D) Be Flexible. Sometimes “life” does not go according to plan! Be prepared to “roll with the flow.”

(E) Communicate. It is important that you are open and honest about any difficulties that you are experiencing or any questions and concerns you have. This means that you need to share any concerns or problems that you are having with (1) the volunteer coordinator at the agency; (2) myself as soon as the issue arises.

(F) Be Professional. It is essential that you maintain professional standards of conduct at all time. This includes (1) punctuality; (2) dress; (3) attitude; (4) reliability, (5) verbal communication; (6) courteousness.

Part Two: Reflection Activities

ONE MAJOR POINT OF SERVICE LEARNING is for you to think about the connections between the issues discussed in class (i.e. in the readings, in the lectures, during the panel presentations, during classroom discussion) and your own experiences in community service. Do the ideas discussed in class work in real life? Are they too simple? Are they helpful in describing your experience? Do they need to be changed? And how does all of that relate to you? Do you find that your own beliefs about gender are being challenged? Strengthened? Confirmed? Deepened? Are you finding yourself more confused about gender? Less confused? What does any of this mean for you as a person? Does it change your own perspective on who you are and on who other people are? The honest attempt to think through the issues discussed above is absolutely essential to service-learning, and it is part of the overall assessment of the service-learning component.

Class Meets

Texts