Sociology 4Uu3: Global Family and Sexual Politics

SOCIOLOGY 4UU3: GLOBAL FAMILY AND SEXUAL POLITICS

Winter, 2017Instructor: Dr. Melanie Heath

Day and Time of Classes: MondaysOffice: KTH-638; Ext.: 23620

8:30 - 11:20pmOffice Hours: Mondays 1:00-2:00pm

Class Location: LRW 1055 (or by appointment)

Email Address:

CourseDescription

This class will examine how globalization affects the ways in which family and sexualities are imagined, regulated and experienced through a sociological lens. The course engages major political debates on global issues of sexual diversity, HIV/AIDS, transracial and transnational families and inequality; gay/lesbian and transgendered identities; marriage—same-sex, polygamous, and arranged forms; abstinence and sex education; and contraception and abortion.We will engage in cooperative activities, such as listening practices, short writing exercises relating to lecture materials, and group exercises to apply course materials to news, media, politics, and legal matters relating to globalized forms of sexuality and family life.

Course Requirements

This seminar will teach you how to use your sociological imagination to think critically about the global aspects of social change in relation to family and sexualities. It is a seminar and requires attendance of every class meeting having thoughtfully completed the readings and being prepared to discuss them. In addition to class participation, the course requirements include: one student-led presentation, an 8-page literature review, an in-class exam, and a group media analysisproject and presentation. All written work should follow the style standards of the APA or ASA. It should be double-spaced, in a 12-point font, with page numbers and appropriate citations for all sources.

Weekly Reading and Participation (15%):Students are expected to attend every class meeting having thoughtfully completed the readings and be prepared to participate actively in discussion. In preparation for the week’s discussion, you must submit a summary of the week’s readings on Avenue by Sunday at 11pm before class. The summary should provide a thesis statement regarding the main arguments of the assigned reading(s) and summarize the methods and findings of the article/book/book chapter.Put the main arguments into your own words; do not directly quote from the texts.The summary should be one-page, single-spaced, and written in paragraph form.

Attendance and participation in class discussion and group activities is a key component of this class, andI will take notes during class on your participation. Your final grade will be based on your written summaries andyour class attendance and participation. I will accept one summary submitted to Avenue by the deadline when you are unable to attend class due to illness or emergency.

Student-led Presentations (10%):The first hour of class each week will involve student-led presentations. Each student will provide preferences for the topic they would like to present on. During one of our first classes, I will demonstrate how to do a good presentation. I will also provide pointers to each student based on their topic for making the presentation successful. There will be two to three presentations per week; each presentation will be graded separately and last about 15 minutes. The focus of the presentations will be on applying central sociological concepts introduced in the assigned readings to global debates, such as debates over religion and sexuality.This means doing extra research to find relevant materials that apply to the assigned readings.

Evaluation of Student-led Presentations (5%): Over the course of the semester, class members will evaluate each of the student presentations based on the following criteria: organization and content, subject knowledge and ability to apply complex concepts to global debates, and the quality of the presentation style and powerpoint slides. I will pass out the evaluation forms at the beginning of class, and students should take notes to help them assess the presentation. I will collect these forms at the end of the first hour. Students will be graded on the breadth and thoughtfulness of evaluations over the course of the semester.

Literature Review (25%): A sound literature review is an extremely important component of many types of papers written in sociology. The literature review provides an overview of the up-to-date research on a topic, with the goal of giving readers a written review of the basic features of what is known and established. The research process begins with a question that the researcher would like to answer. To find out what is already known about a topic, the researcher conducts a literature review that entails examining scholarly books and journal articles to learn about previous research. Researchers identify what is already known about the question and build upon existing knowledge. For our class, you will write literature review of 8 pagesthat is due onMarch 2 at 9pm(25%).

In-Class Exam (20%): The class exam will consist of 25 multiple-choice and threeshort essay questions. You are responsible for materials covered in student-led presentations, lectures, and assigned readings. Your summaries and notes from presentations and lectures will serve as resources. The exam will be held on March 27 during regular class hours. Further information and a study guide will be posted on Avenue To Learn (A2L) a week before it is held.

Group Media Analysis (25%): You will participate in a working groupto conducta media analysis on an issue we have covered in class on the global politics of family and sexualities. Your group will analyze how the news represents your topic. Groups will be based on one of the five areas of global debate. Class activities will focus on finding relevant literature, forming a research question, and gathering and analyzing data. You will then use this analyzed data to write one group research paper of 20-25 pages that will include a research question, a literature review, a methods section, a data analysis section, and a conclusion. The final hour of class will focus on this group project.I will pass out a detailed sheet with instructions for the final paper. The paper will include an Appendix with the analyzed data from the group members.Each group member will provide a self and group evaluation of their group project. Finally, each group will give a 20-minute powerpoint presentation of their findings. Your final paper is due at 9am on Sunday, April 2 and is worth 20% of your grade. The last day of class (April 3) will befinal presentations. These will be peer-evaluated and count for 5% of your final grade.

Grade Breakdown:

Marks will be assigned for each course requirement, as follows (Total 100%):

Seminar participation and summaries: 15%

Student Presentation (10%) and Peer Evaluation (5%): 15%

Literature Review (DueMarch 2 at 9pm): 25%

In-class Exam (Due March 27):20%

Group Final Paper(Due: April 2 at 9am—20%) and presentation(5%): 25%

Required Readings

The following required readings are available at Titles Bookstore:

• Modern Families: Stories of Extraordinary Journeys to Kinship, Joshua Gamson, New York University Press, 2015.

The remaining assigned readings can be downloaded as a pdf file. The links are available in Avenue to Learn (A2L).

Learning Objectives

This course addresses four University Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations (see, First, globalization has impacted and transformed family and sexual politics, and has led to debates over how to deal with conflicting values. Gaining knowledgeof these debates and changes will expand the student’s depth and breadth of knowledge. Second, students will conduct original research using the qualitative method of textual analysis. Writing a research paper will give practice designing a research project and developing analytic and writing skills. Thirdly, through class presentations and assignments studentswill develop their communication skills within an academic setting. Finally, the ability to discuss issues in class, conduct presentations, and write a final researchpaper contributes to student professional development.

Late Assignments

The McMaster Student Absence Form ( is a self reporting tool for Undergraduate Students to report absences that last up to 3 days and providesthe ability to request accommodation for any missed academic work. Please note, this tool cannot be used during any final examination period. You may submit a maximum of 1 Academic Work Missed request per term. It is YOUR responsibility to follow up with your instructor immediately regarding the nature of the accommodation. If you are absent more than 3 days, exceed 1 request per term, or are absent for a reason other than medical, you MUST visit your Associate Dean’s Office (Faculty Office). You may be required to provide supporting documentation. This form should be filled out when you are about to return to class after your absence.

In the absence of a vetted excuse, late assignments will be marked down 5 percentage points for each day late.

Other Requirements and Expectations

(1)You should be aware that some of the topics we will cover are of a sensitive nature (e.g., sexual abuse, prostitution). In spite of their sensitive nature, it is important that these topics be addressed.

(2)Please act respectfully and courteously toward all members of the class. This means not using cell phones (cell phones should be turned off during class meetings) or Facebook,iMessage, etc., not engaging in conversations with your classmates unless told to do so, not sleeping, and so forth. The instructor reserves the option of deducting points from your grade for persistent disrespectful behavior.

Accommodations

I am committed to making appropriate accommodations for students' observance of religious holidays. Please contact me early in the term to make arrangements.I am also committed to working with students with disabilities to make individualized accommodations according to your specific needs. All such arrangements must be made through Student Accessibility Services. Please drop by my office hours at the beginning of the term to make individual arrangements and to complete the necessary paperwork. All details regarding accommodation arrangements will be kept strictly confidential.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: "Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty"), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located at

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:

1. Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one's own or for which other credit has been obtained.

2. Improper collaboration in group work.

3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.

In this course we will be using a software package designed to reveal plagiarism. Students will be required to submit their work electronically and in hard copy so that it can be checked for academic dishonesty.

Course Schedule and Reading Assignments

Jan. 9: Introduction to the course

Jan. 16: Beginnings: Globalization, Gender, Sexuality, and Rights

What is globalization? What are human rights? What are the debates over culture, and what are the impact of these on conceptions of sexuality and gender?

• Desai, Manisha and Rachel Rinaldo. 2016. “Reorienting Gender and Globalization: Introduction to the Special Issue.” Qualitative Sociology39:337–351 (A2L).
• Frank, David John, and Nolan Edward Phillips. 2013. “Sex Laws and Sexuality Rights in Comparative and Global Perspectives.” Annual Review of Law and Social Science9:249–67(A2L).

Jan. 23: The Global Organization of Familial and Sexual Intimacy

How does globalization alter definitions of love and marital bonding patterns? How do nation-states seek to exert sexual control in the face of global transformations?

• Modern Families, Joshua Gamson, pp. 1-17 (Introduction).
• Hull, Kathleen E., Ann Meier and Timothy Ortyl. 2010.“The Changing Landscape of Love and Marriage.” Contexts 9: 32-37 (A2L).
• Jackson, Stevi, Petula Sik Ying Ho, and Jin Nye Na. 2013. “Reshaping Tradition? Women Negotiating the Boundaries of Tradition and Modernity in Hong Kong and British Families.” The Sociological Review 61:667–687 (A2L).

Jan. 30: The Challenge of Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting

Is marriage important for the LGBT population? Is gender important to parenting? How is same-sex parenting similar/different to other types of parenting?

• Modern Families, Joshua Gamson, pp. 18-50, 83-107 (Chapter 1: “Reba, Live!” and Chapter 3: “Birth Control”).

Feb. 6: Transnational Adoption

Who gets to adopt and why? What kinds of stigma do non-normative, adoptive families face? What are the implications of the movement of children, almost entirely from poor nations, to the more affluent West?

• Modern Families, Joshua Gamson, pp. 51-82, 108-138 (Chapter 2: “Stranger Things Have Happened” and Chapter 4: “The Kids in the Pictures”).

Feb. 13: Same-Sex Sexuality, LGBT Activism,and Political Homophobia

What are the global public debates around homosexuality? How do these relate to “political homophobia”? What are the consequences of these politics on LGBT activism?

• Currier, Ashley. 2010. “Political Homophobia in Postcolonial Namibia.” Gender & Society 24(1): 110-129(A2L).
• McKay, Tara and Nicole Angotti.2016. “Ready Rhetorics: Political Homophobia and Activist Discourses in Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda.” Qualitative Sociology39:397–420 (A2L).

Feb. 20: Mid-term recess

Feb. 27: Debating Multiculturalism: Forced and Arranged Marriages; Honor Killing

Whose values are at stake in regulating religion, culture, and gender? How should governments adjudicate competing rights and values?

• Khandelwal, Meena. 2009. “Arranging Love: Interrogating the Vantage Point in Cross‐Border Feminism.” Signs 34(3):583-609 (A2L).
• Yurdakul, Gökçe, and Anna C. Korteweg. 2013.“Gender Equality and Immigrant Integration: Honor Killing and Forced Marriage Debates in the Netherlands,Germany, and Britain.”Women's Studies International Forum 41: 204–214(A2L).

[March 2: Literature Review Due at 9pm]

Mar. 6: Comparative Regulation of Polygamy, Same-Sex Marriage, and Prostitution

How do governments seek to regulate family and sexuality globally?

• Heath, Melanie, Jessica Braimoh, and Julie Gouweloos. 2016. "Judging Women’s Sexual Agency: Contemporary Sex Wars in the Legal Terrain of Prostitution and Polygamy," Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 42(1): 199-225 (A2L).
• Stacey, Judith, and Tey Meadow. 2009. “New Slants on the Slippery Slope: The Politics of Polygamy and Gay Family Rightsin South Africa and the United States.” Politics and Society 37(2): 167-202 (A2L).

Mar. 13: Globalization and Sex Work

How does globalization shape sex work? What are the global debates over trafficking and sex work?

• Lerum, Kari, and Barbara G. Brents. 2016. “Sociological Perspectives on SexWork and Human Trafficking.” Sociological Perspectives 59(1):17 –26(A2L).
• Hoang, Kimberly Kay. 2014.“Flirting with Capital: Negotiating Perceptions of Pan-Asian Ascendency and Western Declinein Global Sex Work.” Social Problems 61(4): 507-529 (A2L).
• Lakkimsetti, Chaitanya. 2016.“Empowered Criminals and Global Subjects: Transnational Norms and Sexual Minorities in India.” Qualitative Sociology 39:375–396(A2L).

Mar. 20: Globalization, Sexuality, and the Web

How has the World Wide Web impacted sexuality? What are the positive and negative effects of the web on global intimacies and sexualities?

• Cheng, Simon, Josef (Kuo-Hsun) Ma, and Stacy Missari.2014. “The Effects of Internet Use on Adolescents’ First Romantic and Sexual Relationships in Taiwan.” International Sociology29(4): 324 –347(A2L).
• Gunkel, Henriette. 2013. “Some Reflections on Postcolonial Homophobia, Local Interventions,and LGBTI Solidarity Online: The Politics of Global Petitions.” African Studies Review 56.2: 67-81(A2L).

Mar. 27: In-Class Exam

Apr. 2: Final Group Paper Due at 9am

Apr. 3: Final Class Presentations

Department/University Policies

Do NOT fax assignments. Please see your instructor for the most appropriate way to submit assignments.The Sociology staff do NOT date-stamp assignments, nor do they monitor the submission or return of papers.

Students should check the web, the white board and the Undergraduate Bulletin board outside the Sociology office (KTH-627) for notices pertaining to Sociology classes or departmental business (eg. class scheduling information, location of mailboxes and offices, tutorial information, class cancellations, TA job postings, etc.).

Computer use in the classroom is intended to facilitate learning in that particular lecture or tutorial. At the discretion of the instructor, students using a computer for any other purpose may be required to turn the computer off for the remainder of the lecture or tutorial.

The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check his/her McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.

It is the policy of the Faculty of Social Sciences that all e-mail communication sent from students to instructors (including TAs), and from students to staff, must originate from the student’s own McMaster University e-mail account. This policy protects confidentiality and confirms the identity of the student. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that communication is sent to the university from a McMaster account. If an instructor becomes aware that a communication has come from an alternate address, the instructor may not reply at his or her discretion.

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