WOMEN’S
STUDIES/PHILOSOPHY 202 FEMINIST
PHILOSOPHY
FALL, 2001/2002
Douglas Hosler, instructor
SYLLABUS
Two options are not listed in the timetable: (a) you may take this course either for Women’s Studies credit (as WOM 202) or for Philosophy credit (as PHI 202). You may go back and sign up for Women’s Studies credit instead of Philosophy credit. (b) you may take the course for Writing Emphasis or not. You can sign up for that, too.
How you get graded: there are three one-page assignments, two three (to four) page papers (for those taking the course for Writing Emphasis a third such paper is added), a final examination (which can be replaced with a four-page final paper). The weights given these are:
Each one-page assignment: 8% of final grade x 3 = 24%
Each three-page paper: 24% of final grade x 2 = 48%
The final (paper or final exam) 28%
Total course 100%
For those in the writing emphasis section:
Each one-page assignment: 6% of final grade x 3 = 18%
Each three-page paper: 19% of final grade x 3 = 57%
The final (paper or final exam) 25%
Total course 100%
If you attend class regularly and participate, then if you are between two grades – as many
students are at the end of the term (say between a C+ and a B–), you get the
higher one for class participation.
Before any longer paper is due, you are invited to submit a draft of the paper to me for review. This is really a good idea, but it is totally up to you. After the first one-page assignments you will be more inclined to do that, since you will probably write brilliantly but lose all sorts of points for not answering the question. It is fairly typical in philosophy to loose all sorts of points for not answering the question. So I encourage people to come in with drafts of their papers to avoid “getting zapped.” I also like this process because I get to help people with the ideas that they have. I see part of my job as helping you develop your ideas.
My office is Room 329.
To give you an idea of where it is:
it is pretty much right above the
I am very happy to see students individually about anything dealing with the course or topics related to it. I like wander around the building; I am often not in my office. So I set office hours as times I will be in my office or will leave a note telling where I am (and sometimes how to get there).
Office hours (no
appointment necessary):
Monday: 1:00 to 1:50 p.m.
Tuesday: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.
Wednesday: 1:30 to 1:50 p.m. and 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday: 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.
I am definitely available many other times, but as I said I don’t tend to hang out in my office. I am happy to be there if someone else is, so schedule a time if none of these really work out for you.
The reading in the course will be a series of hand-outs, some written by me, some by others, and the book by Hester Eisenstein, Contemporary Feminist Thought.
The guest speakers are a very important part of the course. The speakers give information related to: sexual assault/abuse, domestic abuse, lesbianism, and (I hope) gender relations in other cultures. .
Sensitivity issue: some of the issues discussed are difficult ones and can be personally so for people in the class. If you have dealt with sexual assault, sexual abuse, or domestic abuse and really cannot handle being in a class in which these are discussed, feel free not to attend and to ask me (or someone else) to go over the main points of the guest speaker privately. I take copious notes while listening to the guest speakers.
Week Topic, assignments
September 5, 7 Introduction, some history of the feminist movement and
what it has
been about. Sapiro handout on the history of
feminism; handout on the anthropology of gender
September 10, 12 ,14 More history of the feminist movement, issues in the
anthropology of gender
Assignment of one-page discussion #1
September 17, 19,
21 Issues in the anthropology of gender,
continued
One-page
discussion assignment #1 due September 21st
September 24, 26,
28 Eisenstein book, Part I Handout
on theories of rape
Assignment of one-page discussion #2
October 1, 3, 5
What is rape, what is wrong with rape
One-page discussion assignment #2 due October 5th
October 8, 10, 12 Theories of rape, discussion of victimization.
Handout of Katie Roiphe
article
Assignment of one-page discussion #3
October 15, 17, 19 Problems with the victimization complex, Eisenstein
book, Part II
One-page discussion assignment #3 due October 19th
Assignment of Paper #1 and Paper 1 WE
October 22, 24, 26
Eisenstein book, Part II, continued
October 29, 31, November 2 The gender structure, what its character is.
Paper 1 WE
due November 2nd; assignment of Paper 2 WE
November 5, 7, 9 The gender structure, some reasons why it might be the way it
is Paper #1 due November 9th; assignment of Paper #2
November 12, 14, 16 Oppositions within feminist theory
Paper 2 WE due November 16th;
assignment of Paper 3 WE
November 19, 21 Same sex orientation, lesbianism and feminism.
Handout: Carol Gilligan article
November 26, 28, 30 Gender issues in moral development – do men and
women have different ‘ethics’?
Paper 3 WE and Paper #2 Due November 30th
December 3, 5, 7 Gender issues in moral development; Gender issues in religion
how can females be comfortable with a male God?
Handout on God being male
Assignment of final study questions and paper topics
December 10, 12, 14 Gender issues in religion, continued. Review.
December 21, 2001 (Friday) 10:30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m.
Final examination (or final paper due)