PSY 0184: Psychology of Gender

PSY 0184: Psychology of Gender

University of PittsburghSpring 2018

Mondays 6-8:30 PM

Instructor: Melinda Ciccocioppo, PhD Office: 4211 Sennott Square

Phone: 412-624-9350 E-mail:

Office hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 10AM-12PM

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to inform you ofpsychological theory and research on gender. Gender is a social construction, rather than a biological one. This means that society as a whole determines the traits and behaviors that are appropriate based upon one’s assigned sex at birth. This course will focus on what these traits and behaviors are, where they came from, and how they affect our everyday lives. In addition, we’ll discuss related topics such as sexual orientation, intersexuality, and gender identity. The topic of gender has been highly controversial throughout history and controversy remains today. I encourage you to voice your opinion in class, but to do so with respect to the opinions of others. I hope that you enjoy this course and I feel that you will learn a lot about psychology, society, and yourself!

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

Describe basic psychological theories about gender identity, development, and expression

Apply these theories to your own personal experiences

Critically evaluate stereotypes and media representations of men and women, and learn to separate the myth from reality

Required Text(Available at the campus bookstore and on 2-hour reserve in Hillman Library):

Brannon, L. (2017). Gender: Psychological Perspectives, 7th ed. New York, NY: Routledge

Class Preparation:

An outline for each class will be provided on the course’s CourseWeb page prior to class. This outline is designed to help you take better notes during class. It cannot serve as a substitute for attending class. If you miss class it is recommended that you get notes from one of your fellow classmates. You are expected to complete the assigned readings before class. I have done my best to assign a realistic amount of reading for each class, and I think that you will find the text easy to read and interesting!

A Note About Language

Gender is being expressed in increasingly different ways in our society. Most individuals identify with their assigned sex (cisgender), but some individuals’ gender identity differs from the sex that was assigned to them at birth (transgender). We will discuss gender identity and fluidity more throughout the semester, but at the outset I want to clarify my use of the terms “girl/boy” and “woman/man”. We will talk a lot about stereotypes and public perception of gender. When we discuss these topics, what matters most is not the individual’s personal identification of gender, but rather how that person is perceived by others. For example, a transgender individual who looks like a man will be subject to the same stereotypes and perception as a cisgender man. At other times we will discuss gender differences and similarities in psychological processes. In a majority of the studies that we’ll discuss, indeed in the vast majority of psychological research in general, gender is identified by the participant. In most cases only two gender options, male or female, are offered to participants to choose from. Therefore, when discussing the results of these studies, when I refer to “women/men” (for adults) or “boys/girls” (for children), I am referring to individuals who identified themselves as such. In most circumstances these will be cisgender individuals, but in truth even the researcher likely does not know the assigned sex of the participant. Finally, at other times we will discuss physiological processes that differ by sex. In these circumstances I will use the terms “biological females” or “biological males” to denote that these are processes determined by biological sex rather than gender or gender identity. I encourage you to let me know if you find my use of language to not be inclusive or if you are confused about exactly what I mean when discussing boys and girls or men and women in a specific context.

Course Requirements:

Exams. There will be 3 exams each worth 50 points. Each exam will consist of 45 multiple-choice questions worth one point each and an essay question worth five points. Makeup exams will be all essay questions and will only be offered if a legitimate (illness, family emergency, etc.) explanation for absence is given BEFORE the exam!

Assignments. About every other class an essay will be due. These essays are worth 30 points each. They should be 1 ½ -3 pages typed and double-spaced. I like to grade these assignments anonymously. To aid in this, please put your name on a separate page at the end of your paper. These papers will require you to apply the reading for the week to your daily life. Personal examples are welcome in these papers, but you also must include information from the assigned reading. Grading rubrics for each paper will be made available in CourseWeb at least a week before the paper is due. These rubrics will give you a clear idea of what I’m looking for in each paper. In general, papers will be graded for clarity (this means proof-read your entry), incorporation of the readings and correctness of this information, and application of the material to everyday life. Ten percent will be deducted from your score for each day the paper is late (this includes the weekend) and entries will not be accepted more than a week late. You can always email papers to me if you need to.

Extra Credit. I hope that this class will open your eyes to the ways in which gender is relevant in our everyday lives. In order to encourage this, I will offer you up to 10 points of extra credit by bringing in some form of media that is relevant to the class material. This could be a newspaper article, comic strip, movie, song, or advertisement. Along with the media you must attach a typed description of the object, state how it relates to something that was discussed in class or in the book, and give your personal reaction to the media. You can also earn extra credit by attending an event presented by the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies department (GSWS) at Pitt. Write about the event that you attended. Explain at least one new thing that you learned there and give your personal reaction. You can find a calendar of GSWS events here: Extra credit assignments should be about 2 or 3 paragraphs. You can submit up to 5 extra credit assignments (in any combination of multimedia analysis and event attendance) and each is worth 2 points. Extra credit assignments can be submitted on the CourseWeb site, in the folder marked “Extra Credit” in course documents. You can only submit one extra credit assignment per week, so don’t wait till the last minute!

Assignment / Points earned
Journal 1
Exam 1
Journal 2
Journal 3
Exam 2
Journal 4
Journal 5
Exam 3
Bonus Points
Total Points / ____/30
____/50
____/30
____/30
____/50
____/30
____/30
____/50
+____/10
_____/300

Grading Rubric:

Exams: 50 pts. Each X 3= 150 pts

Journal entries: 30pts each X 5= 150 pts

Bonus Points: up to 10

Total Points (not including bonus points): 300

Assigning Grades:

A+= 290-300 B+= 260-269 C+= 230-239 D+= 200-209 F= below 180

A = 280-289 B= 250-259 C= 220-229 D= 190-199

A- = 270-279 B-= 240-249 C-= 210-219 D-= 180-189

University’s statement on cheating and plagiarism

Cheating/plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students suspected of violating the University of Pittsburgh Policy on Academic Integrity will be required to participate in the outlined procedural process as initiated by the instructor. A minimum sanction of a zero score for the assignment will be imposed. For more details, go to

Disabilities

If you have a disability that requires special testing accommodations or other classroom modifications, you need to notify me AND Disability Resources and Services the first week of class. You may be asked to provide documentation of your disability to determine the appropriateness of the accommodations. To notify Disability Resources and Services, call 648-7890 to schedule an appointment. The office is located in 216 William Pitt Union.

If there is an impairment that is inhibiting your performance in this class, please let me know what I can do to help. My desire is to assess your knowledge of course material not your sensory, cognitive, or physical capabilities. I do my best to provide all of my students with an environment that is conducive to learning. I simply ask that you inform me of any issues as early as possible in the semester so that I can work with you. There isn’t much I can do once the semester is over. You can find more information about disability advocacy at the Pitt Students for Disability Advocacy website

Student Assistance and Counseling

Everyone feels overwhelmed by the challenges of being a student at times. I am here to help you. If you have any issues that you would like to discuss with me in confidence please feel free to schedule an appointment with me. I would be happy to help in any way that I can. You can also contact the University Counseling Center (a free and confidential service) at 412-648-7930 or stop by the Stress Free Zone on the 3rd floor of William Pitt Union.

Again, please let me know as soon as possible if there is a mental health issue or something in your environment that is preventing you from doing your best in the course. I will be happy to work with you throughout the semester but there isn’t anything I can do once the semester is over.

Sexual Misconduct, Required Reporting, and Title IX

The University is committed to combatting sexual misconduct. As a result, you should know that University faculty and staff members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct, including harassment and sexual violence, to the University’s Title IX office so that the victim may be provided appropriate resources and support options. What this means is that as your professor, I am required to report any incidents of sexual misconduct that are directly reported to me, or of which I am somehow made aware.

There are two important exceptions to this requirement about which you should be aware:

A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors and medical professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain confidentiality, can be found here:

An important exception to the reporting requirement exists for academic work. Disclosures about sexual misconduct that are shared as part of an academic project, classroom discussion, or course assignment, are not required to be disclosed to the University’s Title IX office.

If you are the victim of sexual misconduct, Pitt encourages you to reach out to these resources:

• Title IX Office: 412-648-7860
• SHARE @ the University Counseling Center: 412-648-7930 (8:30 A.M. TO 5 P.M. M-F) and 412-648-7856 (AFTER BUSINESS HOURS)

If you have a safety concern, please contact the University of Pittsburgh Police, 412-624-2121.

Other reporting information is available here:

The University’s e-mail Policy:

Each student is issued a University e-mail address () upon admittance.The University for official communication may use this e-mail address with students. Students are expected to read e-mail sent to this account on a regular basis. Failure to read and react to University communications in a timely manner does not absolve the student from knowing and complying with the content of the communications. The University provides an e-mail forwarding service that allows students to read their e-mail via other service providers (e.g., Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo). Students that choose to forward their e-mail from their pitt.edu address to another address do so at their own risk. If e-mail is lost as a result of forwarding, it doesnot absolve the student from responding to official communications sent to their University e-mailaddress.

Class Schedule

Date / Reading / Assignments
1/9 / Syllabus and introduction to the course
1/16 / Chapter 3: Gender Stereotypes
1/23 / Chapter 4: Hormones and Chromosomes pp 77-90
AND
NY Times Magazine article
1/30 / Chapter 5: Theories of Gender Development
(Social Learning Theory pp. 116-123)
AND
Chapter 6: Developing Gender Identity / Essay 1 due!
2/6 / Exam 1
2/13 / Chapter 7: Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities / Essay2 due!
2/20 / Chapter 4: Hormones and Chromosomes (Hormones and Behavior Instability pp 90-100)
AND
Chapter 8: Emotions
2/27 / Chapter 9: Relationships
AND
Dating double standards article / Essay 3 due!
3/13* / Chapter 10: Sexuality
3/20 / Exam 2
3/27 / Chapter 12: Careers and Work
4/3 / Chapter 13: Health and Fitness / Essay 4 due!
4/10 / Chapter 14: Stress, Coping, and Psychopathology
AND
Chapter 15: Treatment for Mental Disorders (Gender Issues in Therapy pp. 475-481)
4/17 / Discussion Questions / Essay 5 due!
4/24 / Exam 3 / Extra credit assignments due

*No class on 3/6. Enjoy your spring break!

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