9
Border Crossings: Gender and Globalization
WS 801, Fall 2013
Fulfills Temple University’s Gen Ed–World Societies requirement
Section 001, CRN 4483
MWF 10:00-10:50
Anderson 107
Instructor: Prof. Rachael Kamel
Contact Info: ; cell 215.718.7416
Office hours: Weds 11:00-12:00 or by appt.
Office: 653 Anderson
Course Description
This course explores the ways in which gender works in different cultural and national contexts, and the impact of globalization on our gendered social relationships. Gender indicates the ways in which our social lives are organized around the categories of male and female – in relation to work, family, sexuality, culture, and national belonging. Globalization describes circuits of economic and cultural exchange among nations and peoples, focusing on changes in the global economy since about 1975. Questions we will explore in this course include: What is globalization and how do women and men experience it differently? Do women and men work the same jobs in the global labor market and are they paid the same wages? How does migration affect women, families, and communities? How does a growing connectedness among cultures and nations affect traditional gender roles? What aspects of gender roles are resistant to change, and why? How different are the daily lives of women in the “Global South” from those of women in the “Global North” – and what produces these commonalities and differences? We will explore these issues together by reading critical scholarship as well as watching documentaries and analyzing mainstream as well as alternative news media. The course will take an intersectional approach, remaining mindful of how gender intersects with race, religion, class, sexuality, and age, as well as with national and transnational identities.
Course objectives
· To develop a basic understanding of the gendered and racialized historical legacies of colonialism that shape the dynamics of globalization today;
· To understand aspects of globalization—including mass media and cultural productions, economics, international relations, trade agreements, and other flows—as major social forces that both consolidate and subvert gender ideologies;
· To understand the emergence of women’s movements and other social movements that respond to these forces in various contexts;
· To offer, through the lens of gender, a framework to understand the interconnected effects of globalization on regional and national politics, economics, and social issues.
Required Readings
While there is no textbook for this course, numerous required readings will be posted on Blackboard. Please print these out, read them and bring them to class. You will need to keep copies of all readings to reference throughout the semester. Readings for each week are listed on the course schedule on pp. 6-10 of this syllabus.
Assignments & Grading
· In-class Participation 15%
· Critical Discussion Questions 15%
· Critical Reading Assessments 24%
· Group Project 25%
· Final Exam 21%
In-Class Participation (15%)
Near-perfect attendance is mandatory for this class. The course is discussion-based and students will play an active part in creating the learning experience of each class session. In-class participation includes engaging in class dialog and responding verbally to text-based questions on assigned readings. I will regularly call on students who don’t raise their hands so that the discussion doesn’t become dominated by the same few students. I will ask you to sign in at each class, and will document participation at the end of each session. I will appreciate your patience as I attempt to learn all students’ names.
Critical Discussion Questions (15%)
Each student is responsible for preparing critical discussion questions once during the semester. The instructor will provide examples and “model” during the first two weeks of class the kind of discussion questions that will produce text-specific and context-probing discussion. Starting the third week of class, students will bring their typed discussion questions to class to be used as discussion-starters. Each student will sign up for one date and will be responsible for bringing her/his question on that day. The writer of the discussion question will be expected to provide “the best” and most complete answer to her/his own discussion question (after the other students have had a chance to respond), demonstrating that s/he has engaged in a critical reading of the assigned texts for that week.
The discussion question on the assigned weekly readings should be designed to invite discussion, not to address issues of comprehension of the readings (e.g. NOT: “I did not understand what the author meant by …” or “What is…?”). These types of clarification questions can be posed verbally during our discussion of the readings, but your typed discussion questions for credit should formulate a question that can only be answered by thoroughly engaging and interpreting the assigned texts and the author’s intentions. TIP: If anyone could answer your question without having read the text, it probably is not a good, text-specific question.
Before posing your question, provide a context (1-2 sentences) for your inquiry. Ask yourself—What is the common thread and/or the wider framework of this set of readings? Since we will be addressing more than one author for most weeks; ask yourself—What are the authors’ shared concerns? Are they arguing the same thing or making different points? This will help you articulate the context within which you will pose your question.
Your question should address all readings assigned for that week. You can either pose a question in terms of comparing/contrasting points made by the authors (e.g. “Author A defines women’s relation to technology in this way, while author B defines it as that. How are these definitions different from each other and how do you evaluate their usefulness for your thinking about women and technology?”), or base it on shared arguments in the texts (e.g. “Both author A and B define women’s relation to technology this way. Considering that both ignore factor X in this debate, how sustainable is their definition?”).
Grading criteria for discussion questions
Discussion questions must be typed ahead of time and turned in during the class in which they are presented. The question will be graded based on the following criteria (you can earn up to 15 points foe this assignment):
· The context must be stated.
· All readings and authors for the week must be considered.
· The question must provoke text-based discussion.
· You must answer your own question in the typed version (in brief outline form) and present it when others have finished responding.
Critical Engagement Papers (24%)
Students are expected to write three critical engagement papers over the course of the semester. The class will be divided into four groups (A, B, C, D) with different deadlines for these papers; see Schedule of Assignments for when your papers are due.
Critical engagement papers should consist of two typed, double-spaced pages (roughly 700-750 words). The purpose of these papers is to develop your capacity to pose an academic argument, so they do not present your unsubstantiated opinions; your reactions to the readings are welcome, but should remain brief and should also be connected to your analytical viewpoint. What you need to do is critically engage the readings for that week (i.e. read closely, discern the author’s main argument, while keeping in mind the arguments made by other authors you’ve read. Ask yourself: how do they relate to one another?).
In your paper, pose your own “argument” by making connections between (or finding contradictions among or gaps within) the authors you have read for that week (you may refer to previous week’s readings, but you MUST focus on the readings for the week your paper is due). This means that your papers need to have a thesis statement that is stated somewhere in a brief introduction to your paper. The body of the paper is the space where you develop and provide support for your argument (where you make the logical case for what you are trying to point out). Refer to the texts to substantiate your points (long quotes are not necessary or desirable, as this is a short paper). Keep in mind that this is not a summary paper or “book report”: you need to engage with specific parts of the author(s)’ arguments, rather than trying to include all of what you have read. Conclude the paper by reiterating your main point and emphasizing the logic of your argument. There is no need to sermonize here; keep your focus on the narrow argument you are making. Writing instruction will be provided throughout the semester in class and in written feedback to each of your papers.
Final Group Project (25%)
The broad theme of the group project is “Globalization at Home.” The object is for you to investigate how people in the Philadelphia region have experienced some aspect of globalization, using a combination of academic, activist, and mainstream media resources. I will offer a list of topics for you to choose from, together with suggestions about activist resources. I will assign you to a group early in the semester; each group must select the topic for their presentation and present a proposal on the Monday after Spring Break (Mar. 12). Submitting this proposal gives me an opportunity to present feedback early in the process and direct you to helpful resources. At the end of the semester each group (5-6 students per group) will create a 15 minute presentation, followed by 10 minutes of discussion and questions from the class as a whole. Groups are encouraged to use their creativity in preparing this presentation, for example by making videos or artwork, or using any other visual and audio aids in their presentations. Each group will turn in a one page outline of their presentation. As part of this outline, each member of the group’s individual contributions to the project should be specified. All group members must initial this write-up. These write-ups are due the same day as the presentation itself.
Final Exam (21%)
The final exam will offer you a chance to apply concepts used throughout the course to demonstrate your understanding of the course material. The exam will ask you to comment on keywords discussed throughout the semester. In addition, four brief essay questions will ask you to explain how particular authors have explored key elements of globalization with regard to a specific historical period and geographic location.
Classroom Expectations
· I expect you to come to class on time and remain in class until dismissed. I expect you to take responsibility for your own attendance and absences. I expect explanations for your absences. Your final grade will reflect your attendance.
· I expect you to follow the syllabus carefully to know when reading and written assignments are due.
· I expect you to read all of the “required texts” (books and articles) as well as handouts that will be distributed or posted on Blackboard throughout the semester. All readings should be completed PRIOR to the day they appear on the course schedule so that you will be prepared to discuss the reading during class. Your paper and exam grades will reflect your ability to keep up with the readings.
· I expect you to take notes in class during our discussions. I also expect you to take notes on the films that we watch. In some cases we will not be able to discuss the films until the next class after the screening. You will need to take notes so that you can recall your impressions for our discussions. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get notes from another student (not me). Your grade will reflect your ability to recall the content of class discussions and films.
· I expect you to participate regularly in class discussions in a manner that is conducive to a RESPECTFUL exchange of ideas. This means all voices should be heard. Listening carefully to ideas with which you may not agree is an important part of the dialog process.
· I expect you to get specific, verbal approval from me before emailing me any assignment. Never assume I have received a paper/assignment attached to an email unless I have given you permission to turn in the assignment in this manner and have confirmed my receipt of it.
· I expect you to TURN OFF your cell phones before class begins unless you are waiting for an emergency call, in which case you should notify me before class begins. Texting or emailing in class is rude and is prohibited. I will ask you to leave class if you are texting and you will lose participation points.
· Most important, I expect you to challenge my ideas and arguments, as well as the arguments presented in the required reading. This is guaranteed to benefit all of us!
Other Miscellaneous Important Information
· I do not grant INCOMPLETES unless you are hospitalized or physically unable to complete the work.
· Communicating between classes: I check email regularly, but please allow me 24 hours to respond to you. If you do not hear from me, you should call or talk with me in class rather than assuming that I received your email. Please use discretion with emails. If your question can wait until class or be answered by another student, please explore these options first.
· Disabilities: Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me immediately to discuss the specific situation. The University has helpful resources and services that you will benefit from accessing as soon as possible. http://www.temple.edu/disability/index.html