WOME2111 Booties, Breasts and Babies: Body Politics

WOME2111 Booties, Breasts and Babies: Body Politics

Spring 2017 WEB

Dr. Jen Chisholm

Office: Ryan Building, Rm 2011

Email:

Phone: (807)343-8059

Instruction: Online

Course Description

In this course we consider the ways in which bodies - particularly women’s bodies - are sites of political and social engagement and expression. We will situate the body as a site through which institutional, personal and disciplinary power are enacted. Through practices of modification, bodies can be made and remade to suit individual and/or social needs or desires. With the aid of feminist theories of the body we will analyze and critique practices that produce, alter and transform individual bodies, as well as legal and state-sanctioned control of/over bodies. Particular attention will be paid to practices of regulation such as reproductive rights, transgender rights (“bathroom bills”), and forms of resistance like the Black Lives Matter movement. While investigating the body as a site of personal power, we will explore methods of body modification including (but not limited to) tattooing, cosmetic surgery, gender transitions; and birth control. In this course we situate the body as a site of political, ethical and feminist potential, while also addressing the history of patriarchal control over (women’s) bodies.

Learning Objectives

This course will enable students to:

-recognize the multiple ways bodies can be produced, altered and transformed

-identify current and historical debates regarding body politics

-evaluate and develop political, ethical and feminist arguments relating to body politics and body modifications

-analyze both the empowering and disempowering potential of body modifications

This course is also intended to help students develop the following skills:

-critical thinking

-analytical reflection

-how to read, interpret and evaluate theoretical material

-oral and written communication

Grading Scheme

Participation 25%Provided via online discussion posts

Reading Reflection 45%(x3 @ 15%) Due at the end of weeks 2, 3 &4

Reflect and Connect10% To be submitted any time throughout the term

Take Home Exam 20% Due June 12th, 2017

Required Texts

All Readings will be made available to students through our course D2L page.

Course Content:

In a condensed course such as this it may seem like there is a lot of reading and content to get through. This is because we are trying to cover 12 weeks worth of material in 6 weeks! You will want to be prepared to do the readings, review the course components and submit your discussion posts and assignments each week. With a condensed course, it is especially difficult to catch up once you’ve fallen behind, so I suggest keeping up to date as much as possible.

All course content for each week will be uploaded on Mondays (May 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th and June 5th). Content will include audio lectures with accompanying powerpoint slides, links to clips or films you’ll be asked to view, and questions for discussion posts. Audio lectures and slides may be split up into sections, meaning there might be multiple, shorter lectures/slideshows for you to view in a week. This is so that you can better organize your work for the course (i.e. you don’t have to listen to a full three hour lecture in one sitting).

Assignments and discussion posts will be due the following Sunday. For example, The content for week one will be posted on Monday May 1st, and your discussion post for week one will be due by noon on Sunday, May 7th. This means that you will have the full week, each week, to review the readings, content and post your discussion and assignments. Every attempt will be made to provide feedback and grades for assignments by the end of the following week (or, one week after you submit).

Students who require accommodations are asked to register with SAS and to contact the professor regarding what accommodations are necessary. Please note that you may be asked by SAS to provide a doctor’s note.

On Campus Help Available to Students:

Student Success Centre: Additional help regarding academic matters can be found at the Student Success Centre located in SC 0008 or phone 343-8018 or online at - HYPERLINK "

Student Accessibility Services: For assistance with accommodations for a disability, please visit Student Accessibility Services located in SC 0003 or phone 343-8047 or online at - HYPERLINK "

Student Health and Counselling Centre: For help with personal and/or medical issues, please visit the Student Health and Counselling Centre located in the University Centre 1007 (across from Security) or phone 343-8361 or online at - HYPERLINK "

Assignment Guidelines - General

A Note on Submitting Assignments: All assignments must be submitted in .doc format via the drop box, located on our course D2L site under the “assignments” tab.

Late Policy: Assignments received after the due date will be penalized 5% per day. Requests for extensions must be made prior to the due date and will ONLY be given in extenuating circumstances and may require documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note). Extensions will not be granted where good time management skills could have avoided the problem.

Style and grammar: Marks are not directly deducted for poor writing style and grammar. However, you simply cannot achieve a good grade if the paper is difficult to read and the argument difficult to discern. It is essential to proofread your work.

Referencing: Assignments must be entirely your own work. If the exact words or phrases of another author are used they must be in quotation marks with an accompanying reference. Material that is paraphrased – that is, an idea from another author but put into your own words – must also be accompanied by a properly formatted citation. Please use appropriate style (either MLA, APA or Chicago) in a consistent manner throughout your assignments.

References are essential and have four purposes: (1) they indicate the source of the “quotations,” (2) acknowledge the interpretations and ideas of others, (3) provide authority for facts which might be challenged or result from the research of others, and (4) point to other sources or interpretations of the same topic. In general, references acknowledge the use of another person’s ideas and are essential in avoiding plagiarism. Failure to provide adequate references constitutes plagiarism.

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Presenting an idea, words or an exact phrase of another author as your own work constitutes plagiarism. All students are required to know what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism you can consult the Lakehead University calendar available online: " or the professor.

All cases of plagiarism will be dealt with in accordance with the Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures approved by Senate and the Board of Governors. Other instances of Academic Dishonesty, including but not limited to double submission, purchasing of assignments (either online or from another student on campus), or copying of assignments will also dealt with in accordance to the University regulations on Academic Dishonesty. Students may obtain a copy of the “Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures” from the Office of the Registrar for more information. Please do your own work.

Specific Assignment Guidelines

Note: Separate Assignment Instructions will also be posted to D2L

Participation:

Your voice is important!

Class discussion is a significant component of the course, and will be facilitated online through the discussion tab on D2L. Students are expected to contribute to and participate in lively and thoughtful discussions based on the readings and topics for each week. Each week, a number of questions related to the readings, lecture, and/or videos will be posted. Students are required to respond to at least one of these questions, each week. You certainly may post more if you wish!

Each post, should include some background and explanation to contextualize the response. Posts will be evaluated on their relevancy to course material, thoughtfulness and creativity. This exercise helps students evaluate and analyze course material, and learn to develop thoughtful, pointed questions, like those you might ask in a research essay. A good discussion post will answer the question in full, be reflective, analytical and descriptive.

Each post will be marked out of 5 points. Posts that simply answer the question will be given 2.5/5, or 50%. Posts that include analysis, original thought, links to other course material or outside sources will receive higher marks. Students are required to post in the discussion forum every week, for a total of 6 posts. However, I will only count 5 posts towards your final grade, meaning you may “drop” the post with the lowest mark.

Discussion will be centred on the readings listed for each week on the course outline. Readings are complementary to other course components (lectures, assignments, etc). Students are encouraged to relate material in the readings to each other, contemporary or historical events, and/or real life examples from their experience. Ultimately, a discussion should become a forum for the analysis and expression of ideas based on evidence from the readings, and for integrating the information/ideas presented in the varied components of the course.

Participation from all members of the group is crucial if a discussion is to be both interesting and instructive. Discussion requires preparation which includes reading the articles and thinking critically about them before attending class. It is necessary that students critically read the materials in advance so they are fully prepared to speak about and ask questions about the readings. Participation marks are based on active involvement in the discussion and on the content of the student's comments.

Reading Reflections (3 x15%):

In week’s 2, 3 and 4, students will submit a short reading reflection. Reflections should be 2 double spaced pages in length (or about 750 words). For the reflection, you will identify a key point from one of the readings assigned for that week. Students are asked to begin their reflections by including a quotation from the article that identifies one of the author’s key points (please note: this quotation will not be included as part of the 750 word count - meaning your reflection on the quote you’ve chosen needs to be 750 words).

I suggest that you use the first page of your reflection to summarize, in your own words, what you think the author is saying in the quote you’ve chosen, and how you understand it. In addition to the summary, students are asked to provide an analysis of the key point. In an analysis, you are asking/responding to questions such as:

*How does this relate to broader concepts discussed in the course (patriarchy, capitalism, neoliberalism, social construction, etc.)?

*What are some examples of the author’s argument in everyday life? (here you might link the author’s point to a current event, or personal experience, media clip/image)

*Do you agree with the author’s point/argument? Why or why not?

I suggest using the second page of the assignment to provide this analysis. Make sure to include proper references for the reading(s) you address, as well as any outside material you bring up in your paper. You are not required to do outside research, however, if you include reference to a current event, or media clip/image, you should properly cite them.

Reading reflections will be due at noon on the Sunday of each week (May 14th, May 21st and May 28th respectively). There will be a dropbox folder for each reflection paper. You are asked to submit these in .doc format to ensure that attachments can be opened.

Reflect and Connect (10% due throughout term):

In addition to weekly discussion posts, students are asked to post one “Reflect and Connect” assignment at some point throughout the term (you may choose any of the 6 weekly topics). For this assignment, you will choose an article, media clip, image or art piece that connects to course material. Students are asked to explain the connection between their chosen item and course content, in about 500 words. It’s always a good idea to make direct reference to readings or lectures when you can. You must also include a link to the article, media clip, image or art piece in your post.

Students are asked to create your own discussion thread for your “Reflect and Connect” (we will go through how to do this) on our course D2L page. Other students will then have the opportunity to view/respond. Each time you view/respond to a classmate’s post (thoughtfully and thoroughly) you will receive one bonus mark (1%) up to a total of 5%. The purpose of this is to facilitate lively and interesting discussion, and to get you thinking about the many ways our course concepts apply to our daily, lived realities.

Take Home Exam (20% due at noon on Monday, June 12th):

At the beginning of week 5 (Monday, May 29th) students will be given a list of questions, and asked to write two short essays (750 words each) in response to the questions provided. Students will be given an option of questions to choose from - for instance, you’ll be asked to choose 2 from a list of 4. Each question will require that you synthesize material from throughout the course, and will focus on the broader concepts we’ve addressed throughout the term. You will be asked to make direct reference to course readings and concepts. You are encouraged to also relate your answers to other material we’ve looked at (films, clips, articles, reflect/connect posts from your classmates, etc.) though you are not required to do any outside research.

You will be given two weeks to complete the take home exam, to be submitted by noon on Monday, June 12th).

Weekly Schedule

Week 1: Disciplined Bodies

Bartky, S. (1990). “Foucault, Femininity and Patriarchal Power”. In Diamond, I. & Quinby, L. (Eds.). Feminism and Foucault: Reflections on Resistance. Boston: Northeastern University Press.

Miss Representation (Kanopy)

Week 2: Weight Watchers

Bordo, S. (2004).“Reading the Slender Body”. In Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture and the Body. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Wakewich, P. (2011). “Countours of Everyday Life: Women’s Reflections on Embodiment and Health Over Time”. In Kimmel, M., Aronson, A., Kaler, A. (Eds.). The Gendered Society Reader. Toronto: Oxford University Press.

Nothing to Loose (Kanopy)

Week 3: Bodily Improvements

Braunberger, C. (2000). Revolting Bodies: The Monster Beauty of Tattooed Women. NWSA Journal. Vol. 12(2). pgs. 1-23.

Heyes, C. (2007). Cosmetic Surgery and the Televisual Makeover. Feminist Media Studies. Vol. 7(1). pgs. 17-32.

Absolutely Safe (Kanopy)

Week 4: Regulating Sex

Noble, B. (2010). “Strange Sisters in No Man’s Land: Still Thinking Sex 26 Years Later”. In Mandell, N. (ed.). Feminist Issues: Race, Class and Sexuality. Toronto: Pearson Canada.

Mamo, L. & Fosket, J.R. (2009). Scripting the Body: Pharmaceuticals and the (Re)Making of Menstruation. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. Vol.34(4). pgs. 925-949.

Changing the World - the pill (Kanopy)

Week 5: Reproductive Justice

Price, K. (2010). What is Reproductive Justice? How Women of Colour Activists are Redefining the Pro-Choice Paradigm. Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism. Vol.10(2). pgs. 42-65.

Charting a New Course (Kanopy)

Week 6: Trans Bodies

Sanders, J. & Stryker, S. (2016). Stalled: Gender-Neutral Public Bathrooms. The South Atlantic Quarterly. Vol. 115(4). pgs. 779-788.

Broadly: Gavin Grimm - The Student at the Heart of the Trans Civil Rights Movement

Broadly: Shut Out of Bathrooms, a Trans Boy Struggles to Survive High School

Broadly: Youth Interrupted - Why a Trans Teenager Had to be Homeschooled

Looking forward to a great term!