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COM/ENG/LAN 128: GENDER AND THE HUMANITIES
SUMMER 2015
Instructor:Travis KigerOffice Hours: M-Th 12-1PM/ By appt.
Office:58 Fell HallPhone:309.438.2321
Email:Section: 02
Google Hangout:tkiger1Classroom:Online
COURSE TEXT:
- Wood, J (2014). Gendered Lives (11th ed). Boston: Wadsworth. ISBN: 978-1285075938
- Supplemental readings will be posted to the course site
ALSO REQUIRED:
- Daily Access to Reggienet.illinoisstate.edu
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS:
This course focuses on relationships between gender and communication in contemporary American society from a social science perspective. Specifically we will:
- Explore multiple ways communication in families, schools, media, and society in general createsand perpetuates gender roles.
- Consider how we enact socially created gender differences in public and private settings andhow this affects success, satisfaction, and self-esteem.
- Connect theory and research to our personal lives.
- Examine not only what is in terms of gender roles, but also what might be and how we, aschange agents, may act to improve our individual and collective lives.
EVALUATION:
Readings and Activities – Readings will be assigned daily and will be available on our course site. You
may not work ahead and will not get credit for late work. Along with each day’s readings you will be
asked to complete a short assignment or activity. To receive participation credit you must:
- Log in every day.
- Complete all readings and assignments as directed (make sure you read all directions carefullyand ask questions if you’re confused).
- Post your completed assignment no later than 5:00AM the next day.
Daily activities (or participation) account for 25% of your final grade. Please remember that each day’s activity should take you about 2 hours to complete, so don’t wait until the last minute to login. Points will be assessed based on the quality of your work, not just whether or not it was done. In other words, to be truly successful in this course, the trick will be to log in early and be thorough in your work.
All writing activities will be “published” – meaning, once your assignment has been graded it will be made available to the class to see (just like presenting an in-class activity). You are not required to read or respond to everyone else’s daily assignments, but sometimes it can be helpful to see what everyone else thinks or how they interpret the information.
Reflection Blog – You will be asked to write four blog-style papers that ask you to research and reflect on course concepts. Questions for these blogs will be assigned for your consideration and reflection (usually you’ll have two or three options to select from). As some of the issues are highly personal, consider carefully the types of responses you are willing to share with the class. The blogs should be a minimum of 500 words, must utilize one academic source (not from class readings), and are evaluated based on the depth and understanding you display of course concepts. Include analysis of the topic assigned, not just a description. Depth is the key issue. Don’t be afraid to carefully examine what you believe and why you believe what you believe. Blogs are due each Friday (technically by 5AM Saturday). In addition, you will be asked to comment on at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs by 5:00AM each Wednesday. Blog and response grades will be determined by the following criteria:
Requirements for Reflection Blogs / Requirements for Responses1 / Proper blog title
[interesting, tells what entry will be about] / Refer to specific aspect of original post
2 / Addresses one of the assigned topics / Does more than just agree or disagree
3 / Length
[minimum 500 words] / Referenced specific ideas from class
and/or text
4 / Referenced specific ideas from class
and/or readings / Takes original posting a step further
5 / Reflective on personal experience
[try not to use others’ names] / Applies ideas to personal experience
6 / Clearly analyzes the concept within the scope of the assigned topic. / Proper spelling & grammar
7 / Utilizes one outside academic source
[from an academic journal or book, not an assigned reading] / Encourages thoughtful responses
8 / Proper spelling & grammar / Minimum of three posts
9 / Honest & reflective / Length
[minimum 150 words for each comment]
10 / Personal / On time
11 / On time
Exams – there will be 4 exams. Exams will be posted on ReggieNet by 5AM on the day of the exam and will be available for 24 hours. Each exam will be timed to 1.5 hours long (so once you log in you’ll have to finish) and will pull from all assigned readings and activities from those chapters.
FINAL GRADES 500 pts- Participation – 110 pts
- 11 daily assignments
- Reflection blogs – 190 pts
- 4 blog posts (25 pts each)
- 9 Responses to peer work (10 pts each)
- Exams – 200 pts
- Exam #1 50 pts
- Exam #2 50 pts
- Exam # 3 50 pts
- Exam #4 50 pts
There will be no curve or rounding of grades in this course. I will also not offer extra credit. Log in every day and treat each assignment with importance and you’ll be fine.
COURSE POLICIES / PROCEDURES:
Expectations –
- Log in everyday and do your work (in a timely fashion)
- Post your weekly blogs promptly so your classmates have time to read and respond
- Be respectful and courteous in your communication with your peers and with me.
- DO NOT BLAME THE COMPUTER! Yes, computer snafus happen, but it’s an online course, so think ahead, don’t procrastinate and be sure to have a contingency plan for tech problems. The only time a ReggieNet excuse will be accepted is when IT sends an outage alert.
Missed Sessions / Late Work – I don’t accept work late. ReggieNet will time stamp everything you do, so there’s no way around getting things in on time. Actual illness or other emergencies (which generally only involve a trip to a hospital or jail) will require documentation in order for you to get credit for late work or missed time online. I know this sounds harsh, but we only have 3 weeks to do a lot of work, and you all are depending on each other to make the course run smoothly. It’s imperative that we move through the class together and on time!
If you know you’re going to miss some classes for a pre-planned event, please let me know by
Wednesday, May 20 so that I can help you make arrangements to get your work in early. Late work will not be accepted for any reason. You may not work ahead unless you make prior arrangements.
Cheating/Plagiarism –Students are expected to behonest in all academic work, consistent with the academic integrity policy as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. All work is to be appropriately cited when it is borrowed, directly or indirectly, from another source. Unauthorized and unacknowledged collaboration on speech topics, misrepresentation of sources, and/or the presentation of someone else’s work warrants plagiarism. Students found to commit intentional acts of dishonesty will receive a failing grade in the course and will be referred for appropriate disciplinary action through Student Dispute Resolution Services.
Safe Space- My classroom is a safe space. Given the nature of this course, controversial ideas may be discussed in class but only with civility and respect for others. Disparaging remarks toward another's race, religion or lack thereof, sex, socio-economic status, family status, gender identity, mental capacities, sexual orientation, or any immutable trait will not be tolerated.
Special Needs -Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD).
Contacting Me – You have a few options for talking to me directly:
- Check out the chatroom on ReggieNet: On the menu on the left side of the screen inReggieNet click "Chat Rooms" and head into the room marked "Office Hours
- Use Google Hangout. You may have to send me an invite for that option.
- Use video chat or IM in Gmail: Log into Gmail ( and chat there. To use video chat you need to have a web cam and microphone. I'm all set up on my end, so if you'd rather talk with a face feel free to log in that way!
- Email me. I will try to respond to your emails by 5:00 PM if received by that hour each weekday. If you email me after 5 PM, I cannot guarantee that I will respond before the next morning.
During office hours I will be logged on to both the Blackboard chatroom and Google. If you need to meet up outside of office hours I might be online, but your best bet is to send me an email to set up a time to chat.
Date / Material Covered / Major Assignment DueUNIT 1: Conceptual Foundations
MAY
WEEK ONE / M / 18 / Opening the Conversation
Study of Communication, Gender, & Culture / Introduction
Chapter 1
Assignment 1
T / 19 / Theoretical Approaches to
Gender Development
Competing Images of Women / Chapter 2 & 3
Assignment 2
W / 20 / Competing Images of Men / Chapter 4
Assignment 3
TH / 21 / Exam #1 [Intro-Chapter 4]
F / 22 / Reading from ReggieNet / Reflection Blog 1
Due by 5am Saturday
UNIT 2: Creating Gender Through Communication
WEEK TWO / M / 25 / MEMORIAL DAY / NO CLASS
T / 26 / Becoming Gendered: The Early Years / Chapter 7
Assignment 4
Responses to Blog 1 due 5am Wednesday
W / 27 / Gendered Education / Chapter 8
Assignment 5
TH / 28 / Exam #2 [Chapters 7-8]
F / 29 / Reading from ReggieNet / Reflection Blog 2
Due by 5am Saturday
UNIT 3: Gender in Social and Public Communication Contexts
JUNE
WEEK THREE / M / 1 / Reading from ReggieNet / Assignment 6
T / 2 / Gendered Verbal Communication / Chapter 5
Assignment 7
Responses to Blog 2 due 5am Wednesday
W / 3 / Gendered Nonverbal Communication / Chapter 6
Assignment 8
TH / 4 / Exam #3 [Chapters 5-6]
F / 5 / Reflection Blog 3
Due by 5am Saturday
UNIT 2: Creating Gender Through Communication
WEEK FOUR / M / 8 / Gendered Close Relationships / Chapter 9
Assignment 9
T / 9 / Gendered Organizational Communication / Chapter 10
Assignment 10
Responses to Blog 3 due 5am Wednesday
W / 10 / Gendered Media / Chapter 11
Assignment 11
TH / 11 / Gendered Power & Violence / Chapter 12
Reflection Blog 3
Due by 5am Friday
F / 12 / Exam #4 [9-12]