ENGL 1101 Let’s Talk about Sex: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Sexuality

Fall 2008

Instructor: Andrea Wood
Office: 303 Skiles
Office Hours: MWF 1:05-1:55 or by appointment
Class Meeting Times: MWF 12:05-12:55 (G1)/ 2:05-2:55 (L2)/ 3:05-3:55 (E5)
Locations: Engr, Science, & Mech 202 (G1)/ DM Smith 207 (L2)/ Skiles 170 (E5)
Email:
Course Wiki:
Course Overview / This first-year composition course will focus on different critical approaches to the study of sexuality from disciplines such as history, science, psychology, women’s and gender studies, medical anthropology, gay and lesbian studies, etc. We will read a number of scholarly articles from these fields and analyze the ways in which they approach and investigate sexuality from varied interdisciplinary critical contexts. In particular, we will consider how epistemologies of sex have taken shape over time and in relation to cultural changes and developments in science, technology, and education. Our scope will be both interdisciplinary and transnational as we examine some of the racial, economic, gender, and class politics of sex from the past to the present. In addition to the required scholarly articles we will be reading, students will also view several short documentaries including The Celluloid Closet, The Education of Shelby Knox, Live Nude Girls Unite, For the Bible Tells Me So, Before Stonewall, After Stonewall, and Frontline: The Age of AIDS. Throughout the semester, students will be expanding their material knowledge about issues covered in the course by working in small groups on service-learning projects with several different non-profit organizations in Atlanta, including Project Open Hand, Positive Impact, PFLAG, Planned Parenthood, and the AIDS Quilt/Names Project.
Service-Learning Project
Throughout the semester, students will be working on a service-learning project with several different local community partners. Students will be assigned to work in groups of 4-5 early in the second week of school. They will then choose a project with one of the non-profit organizations to work on throughout the term (starting in week 3). They will need to complete 15-20 hours of service throughout the term (roughly 1-1 ½ hours a week or 2 ½ -3 hours bi-weekly). Students will be required to compose blog reports about their service involvement roughly every two-three weeks for an individual grade. At the end of the semester, each group will work together to develop a 20-30 minute multimedia presentation about their experience. This presentation will explain: 1) the origins of the organization they worked with and its purpose in the community, 2) how students worked with and assisted the organization in a meaningful way, 3) what students learned from the experience, 4) how students came to understand connections between academic course material and their civic engagement, 5) what benefit their work provided for the organization and in turn the community. Students will also be expected to display in this presentation images, video clips, or other evidence of some of the work they did with their organization during the semester as well as any materials they produced for their respective projects (i.e. a brochure, a social networking site, a promotional video, etc.).
NOTE: ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND AIDS WALK ATLANTA ON SUNDAY OCT. 19Th
(All students must attend and participate for at least ONE HOUR by assisting their non-profit organization or taking video or photography of the event for media components of their project. I will be there with a sign-in sheet for attendance, which will go toward the participation grade.)
Communication Objectives and Outcomes / Table 1. Objectives and Outcomes Specified by the Board of Regents and by Communication@Tech
Board of Regents
University System of Georgia[*] / Georgia Tech
Writing and Communication Program
Rhetoric
Rhetoric focuses on available means of persuasion, considering the synergy of factors such as context, audience, purpose, role, argument, organization, design, visuals, and conventions of language. / Objective
“Understand rhetorical contexts for writing by establishing the writer’s role, the audience, and the purpose of the project.” / Outcome
“Use conventions of writing mechanics, usage, and style to communicate effectively for the given audience, purpose, and format.” / Objectives
Understand registers and variations within discourses.
Apply strategies for addressing academic and professional audiences. / Outcome
Create artifacts that demonstrate the synergy of rhetorical elements.
Process
Processes for communication —for example, creating, planning, drafting, designing, rehearsing, revising, presenting, publishing—are recursive, not linear. Learning productive processes is as important as creating products. / Objective
“Approach writing as a way to think and communicate ideas to others.” / Outcomes
“Use recursive processes that include collecting information, focusing, ordering, drafting, revising, and editing.”
“Demonstrate the techniques and skills of research, integration of source material, and documentation.” / Objective
Explore individual and collaborative processes in multicultural and international contexts. / Outcome
Construct, select, and deploy information based on interpretation and critique of the accuracy, bias, credibility, authority, and appropriateness of sources.
Modes and Media
Activities and assignments should use a variety of modes and media—written, oral, visual, electronic, and nonverbal—singly and in combination. The context and culture of multimodality and multimedia are critical. / Objective
“Adjust writing to a variety of contexts, including electronic environments.” / Outcome
“Read and respond to various texts for purposes of interpretation, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and judgment.” / Objective
Distinguish and evaluate multimodal communication —WOVEN (Written, Oral, Visual, Electronic, and Nonverbal). / Outcome
Create WOVEN artifacts that demonstrate interpretation, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and judgment.
Learning Objectives Related to Course Topic /
  • Students will acquire a broader understanding of sexuality on a theoretical level while also learning more practical facts about safe-sex practices
  • Students will gain heightened awareness about and sensitivity to feminist and LGBTQ issues through consciousness-raising in both the academic work for the course and the service-learning project
  • Students will learn how civic engagement can have a relevant and meaningful impact for them and the community
  • Students will learn how to objectively explore personal values, ethics, and ideology
  • Students will learn how to critically and objectively reflect on and discuss their experiences in informal and formal ways (i.e. class discussion and personal journals vs. formal oral presentation)
  • Students will learn how to effectively work in groups to achieve a common goal

Service-Learning Objectives /
  • The service work will be relevant and meaningful to the organizations and to the students (i.e. not simply doing menial tasks but actually getting to know about the purpose of the organization, how they are helping with their involvement, how important the services the organization provides for the community are, etc.)
  • The service with organizations will be appropriate to the students’ technical expertise and level of adaptability while also meeting respective organization’s needs and should allow some flexibility
  • The service work will intersect with issues fundamental to the course and facilitate in students’ overall consciousness-raising and awareness about these topics and about the organizations they are working with
  • The service work will enable students to not only interact with people within an organization, but also to engage with members of the community who rely on the services provided by that organization

Required Texts / Books (available at GT Barnes and Noble and Engineer’s Bookstore--
  • Everything’s an Argument, 4e (package)
Films:
(There will be at least one copy of most films in the library on reserve; Students will be expected to watch the films on their own time by the required class date listed in the syllabus—thus, they will need to either rent the film or view the library copy in advance. I will hold an out of class screening for more obscure films when needed.)
  • The Celluloid Closet
  • Before Stonewall
  • After Stonewall
  • Frontline: The Age of AIDS
  • The Education of Shelby Knox
  • For the Bible Tells Me So
  • Live Nude Girls Unite

Required Supplemental Texts / There will be several required supplemental readings throughout the semester that will be made available on e-reserve in the library. Students will be responsible for printing out copies of these texts on their own and reading them for the dates assigned in the schedule.
Required Software / Students will be expected to use a word processing program (i.e. MS Word) for all papers as well as access to a PowerPoint program for presentations.
There will be two camcorders on reserve in the library for each section of this 1101 class, for students working on service-learning projects that require the creation of video material. Students will be responsible for purchasing video tapes ($5 at the library) for recording footage for these projects. Editing software such as Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, and Final Cut Pro are available on the computers in the Multimedia Studio of the library for students to use free of charge.
computers.
Required Materials /
  • Regular access to a computer and printer
  • 1 pocket folder
  • Loose leaf lined paper and pens for in-class writing assignments and notes
  • Reliable form of backup for assignments (CD-ROM, flashstick drive, etc.)
  • Name and information card (I will give details about this on the first day of class)
NOTE: Students will be expected to have a copy of their syllabus with them at all times. In addition, students should also bring copies of required readings with them to class on the days we will be discussing them.
Attendance / I will be monitoring attendance for this class. Students are allowed to miss 4 class sessions without penalty (this includes sick days). I will deduct 5% from their final grade for each additional absence thereafter. In other words, if a student with a 90% in the class has five absences their final grade will be dropped to 85%, etc.
If students are absent, they are still expected to turn assigned work in on time (either submitting it to me via email by the beginning of the class period or having a fellow class member turn it in for them).
It is also the student’s responsibility to contact me about their absence in a prompt fashion and to find out what they missed.
Tardiness is unacceptable in my class. Students are expected to be on time and prepared for class. Repeated tardies will begin to count as absences and will negatively affect students’ grades.
Classroom Dynamics and Participation / This course aims to generate an interactive, engaging, and critical dialogue between all members of the class. Therefore, regular participation in class discussions and group activities is expected and each student will receive a grade for their efforts at the end of the semester, amounting to 10% of their final grade. While I will at times lecture on some of the scholarly articles and other texts when I deem it necessary, my overall expectation is that we will work together as a group to come to more complex and varied understandings of the materials covered over the course of the semester. Students are expected to come to class prepared (i.e. having completed scheduled readings and assignments) every day.
Non-Discrimination / Georgia Tech does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. This class adheres to those guidelines. Alternative viewpoints are welcome in this classroom. However, statements that are deemed racist, sexist, classist, or otherwise discriminatory toward others in the class will not be tolerated.
No form of harassment or discrimination is allowed in this class including but not limited to gender, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. In keeping with the professional nature of this course, only professional behavior is acceptable between the instructor and students, as well as between or among students.
Personal Technology in the Classroom / For the sake of common courtesy, all cell phones and beepers must be turned off during class. If your cell phone goes off during class I will confiscate the phone until the end of the class period. Text messaging is also not allowed during class time.
PDAs, iPods, and any other hand-held portable devices must be turned off during class or they will also be confiscated.
Laptops are allowed in the classroom for certain activities. I will, however, indicate when students may and may not use them. Any students who use their computers for non-class related purposes (such as email, IM, web surfing, etc.) will lose participation points. Repeated instances will result in a disciplinary meeting with me.
Submitting Assignments /
  • All assignments must be completed and submitted at the beginning of the class period on the due date and in the assigned format.
  • If under special circumstances you know in advance that you will be unable to attend class that day, you must make arrangements with me submit the assignment to me BEFORE the due date.
  • All students are required to save backup copies of all of their work (CD-ROM or flashstick drives are recommended). This is for your own protection. I will not accept any excuses about lost work, home computer meltdowns, etc. Therefore, students will be expected to save their work at all stages of the writing process to guard against any such computer problems. Students should also bring the backup copy with them to class whenever an assignment is due.
  • LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Each student is allowed to turn in one major assignment late during the semester (excluding group assignments and the final project). They will then have one week from the original due date in which to submit the assignment, thereafter it will receive a zero. It is the student’s responsibility to notify me NO LATER than the day before the assignment is due that they will be submitting it late. I will not accept the assignment late if I am notified the day it is due.

Format / Each assignment must follow MLA format and citation guidelines unless indicated otherwise. I will deduct points for incorrect formatting. If you’re unclear on how to use MLA format, please review the section in your grammar handbook.
Academic Honesty / All work students turn in for this class must be their own, with all outside reference sources properly cited and acknowledged. All written assignments for this course will be turned in through turnitin.com.
Students are expected to abide by the “Student Conduct Code of the Rules and Regulations” (Georgia Institute of Technology General Catalog, Section XIX) which states, “Academic misconduct is an act that does or could improperly distort student grades or other student academic records” and offers the following descriptive list:
  • Possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or verbal information in the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, examination, or other assignment included in an academic course;
  • Substitution for, or unauthorized collaboration with, a student in the commission of academic requirements;
  • Submission of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by another person or persons, without adequate credit notations indicating authorship (plagiarism);
  • False claims of performance or work that has been submitted by the claimant;
  • Alteration or insertion of any academic grade or rating so as to obtain unearned academic credit;
  • Forgery, alteration or misuse of any institute document relating to the academic status of the student.
The Code continues, “While these acts constitute assured instances of academic misconduct, other acts of academic misconduct may be defined by the professor.” Students should consult the Honor Code online at or in the General Catalog to remember ther primary commitment to academic honesty.
Students who engage in academic dishonesty will receive a “zero” on the assignment and may fail the course. In addition, the instance will be reported to the Dean of Students who may take further action.
Returning Graded Assignments / I will endeavor to return graded assignments within two-three weeks of receiving them. I recommend that students read all of my comments carefully in order to learn which elements of their writing need improvement.
Students are required to keep all graded assignments in a pocket folder until the end of the semester.
Note: I reserve the right to return late assignments with minimal comments at whatever time I have completed assessing them.
Questions about Grades / Any concerns about individual assignment grades should be addressed to me and not the Department. I will not discuss grades the day that assignments are returned, as I require that students take time to review and reflect on their grade and my comments. I am happy to discuss graded assignments 24 hours after they have been handed back.
Students may keep track of their grade in the class by logging into T-Square.