PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES II
Spring 2004
|
Lesa Ellis Foster 319 Office phone:
832-2425 Office Hours:
Tues., 10-12, Wed. |
Mark Rubinfeld Nightingale 8 Office phone: 832-2430 Home phone: 364-1228 mrubinfeld@westminstercollege.edu www.people.westminstercollege.edu/faculty/mrubinfeld Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., and Thurs. |
Required
Psychology
Pinker, Steven. The
Modern Denial of Human Nature. 2002.
**Book may be purchased at
Barnes & Noble ($16.00), Borders, ($14.40) or ordered from Amazon.com for
under $12.00. Free shipping if three or more of you order together. ORDER
IMMEDIATELY FOR DELIVERY BY WEEK TWO OF CLASS**
Baron Cohen, S. (2002) The
extreme male brain theory of autism. Trends in Cognitive Science, 6, 248-254
Buss,
D.M. (1998). Sexual Strategies Theory: Historical origins and
current status. Journal of Sex Research, 35(1), 19-31.
Kimura,
D. (2002). Sex differences in the brain. Scientific American Online.
Okami, P., & Shackelford,
T.K. (2001). Human sex differences in sexual psychology and
behavior. Annual Review of Sex Research, 12, 186-241.
**Articles will be provided
online. You may read them from your computer or print them as desired**
Required
Sociology
Berger,
Peter L. “Invitation to Sociology.”
Cancian,
Francesca M. “The Feminization of Love.”
Cohn,
Carol. “Wars, Wimps, and Women: Talking Gender and Thinking War.”
Dowling,
Colette. “The Incredible Shrinking Woman.”
Durkheim,
Emile. “What Is a Social Fact?”
Fausto-Sterling,
Anne. “How to Build A
Fernea,
Elizabeth W. and Robert A. Fernea. “A Look Behind the Veil.”
Leblanc, Lauraine. “I’ll
Slap on My Lipstick and then Kick Their Ass: Constructing Femininity.”
Mills,
C. Wright. “The Sociological Imagination.”
Ruth, Sheila. “Women’s
Personal Lives: The Effects of Sexism on Self and Relationships.”
Sapolsky,
Robert M. “The Trouble With Testosterone: Will Boys Just Be Boys.”
Tavris,
Carol. “The Mismeasure of Women.”
Course Objectives:
Procedures and Course
Outline:
This course utilizes
a variety of learning tools including readings, lectures, videotapes, class
discussions, guest speakers, group exercises, and oral presentations.
Assignments and Grading:
Final grades will be
based on a mid-term (30% of the final grade), a final examination (30% of the
final grade), one research paper (15% of the final grade), five critical reaction
papers (15% of the final grade), and a group presentation (10% of the final
grade). In calculating final grades, class participation will also be taken
into account. You must complete all of the course requirements in order
to pass this course. Final grades will be based on the percentage of total
points earned: A (93-100), A- (90-92),
B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+
(67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), and F (below 60).
Exams: The exams include multiple choice, true-false,
and short essay questions covering material from the readings, lectures, class
discussions, and group presentations.
Research paper: Prior to
assigning the research paper, we will spend class time detailing the nature of
the assignment, our expectations for a successful completion of the assignment,
and our grading criteria. The paper assignment will consist of an eight-to-ten
page paper (double-spaced) requiring you to research, apply, and present social
scientific concepts covered in lectures and readings. Late papers will be
accepted up to one week late with a ten-point penalty; after one week, no
late papers will be accepted. (Note: an absence on the day a paper is due
is not a valid reason for missing a deadline. It is your responsibility to find
someone to deliver the paper for you or to e-mail us a copy of the paper on the
due date).
Critical reaction papers: At
various intervals in the course, you will be responsible for writing a
three-to-four page “reaction” paper (double spaced) that includes your critical
reactions to the readings, lectures, and discussions covered during that
interval. Each of the five critical reaction papers will be worth 3% of your
final grade. Late critical reaction papers will be accepted up to one class
late with a ten percent penalty attached to the grade; after one class, no late
papers will be accepted. (See above note about absences on dates that critical
reaction papers are due).
Class Participation and
Attendance:
Classroom
discussions are important; they help to clarify various issues that arise from
the readings and add diversity to the learning experience. We expect that all
students will participate in classroom discussions. As such, students are
expected to attend class on a regular basis. Although students will not be
formally penalized for missed classes, a significant number of questions
on the midterm and final will focus on class lectures and discussions.
Furthermore, since we will be weighing class participation in borderline
grading situations, students who regularly attend class and frequently participate
in classroom activities will have an “edge” in achieving a higher final grade.
Finally, we reserve the option of giving quizzes, assigning additional
homework, or emending this syllabus as the need arises.
Student-Student and
Student-Faculty Relationship:
All students must be
respectful of other students. This means no talking while other students are
talking or trying to listen. It also means showing up to class on time so as
not to disrupt the class with late arrivals. Once class begins, no chatting, no
reading outside materials, and no sleeping in class. If you must eat, make sure
it is a “quiet” food. Also, turn off your cell phones. In other words, act
appropriately for a college class—if your actions create a distraction, you
will be asked to leave. In accordance with college policies, any acts of
cheating or plagiarism will be penalized to the severest extent. Our office
hours are listed at the beginning of this syllabus. At any time, feel free to
meet with us to discuss any matters relevant to this course. It is especially
important to see us early in the semester if you are having difficulties. Do
not wait till the end of the semester when there is little, if anything, we can
do to help.
Group Presentations
Due to time
constraints, there are a number of social science issues that will not be
covered in lectures or assigned readings. In order to broaden your exposure to the
social sciences, we will use group presentations that will: 1) allow us to
cover more material than we could normally cover through lectures and readings,
2) provide you with a greater variety of viewpoints, and 3) afford you the
opportunity to experience working on a group project that includes public
speaking.
Midway through the semester, we will
form groups with each group being responsible for reporting on a significant
social science issue. Each group will have 30 minutes to report to the class on
their issue, and 10 minutes for a question and answer period. The group should
not try to cover all aspects of their issue but focus, instead, on the most
pertinent points), serving as the “instructor for the day,” and emphasizing
what it thinks the students should most learn.
Each member of the group must
participate in the oral presentation. All students in the group will receive
the same grade. One week prior to the presentation, each group must submit an
outline of its presentation and what specific topic each individual member will
be covering. The final exam may include several questions stemming from the
presentations so it is important that students not presenting on a given day
listen attentively. It has been my experience that the best presentations are
those that involve the following:
Solid preparation: All group members should be equally
prepared for the presentation. This usually necessitates a clear delineation of
member roles in preparing for and conducting the presentation. In addition, many
of the best presentations involve outside research or activity. The format
(panel report, powerpoint presentation, videos, handouts, posterboards, etc.)
is up to each group. There are only three limitations: that the presentation
take no more than 30 minutes (plus an extra 10 minutes allotted for questions
and answers); that the presentation incorporates social science analysis; and
that the presentation is tied to a significant social science issue.
Class activity
and/or handouts: Having the
class take an active role in at least part of the presentation (through
handouts, posters, transparencies, videos, or any other audio or visual aids
that the group deems useful) often results in better class attention and
discussions. In presenting your material, strive to be informative, engaging,
and creative. Try to think of different ways of involving the class into your
presentation so that your audience stays interested.
Introduction of
the panel members: You can
make the group presentation a bit more personal by introducing yourselves at
the beginning of your presentation. This helps to lessen the “intimidation
factor,” and to create an atmosphere more conducive to audience participation.
Furthermore, try not to forget to establish occasional eye contact with members
of the audience, and to smile from time to time. Also try to be sure that you talk
to your audience rather than read the entire time from notes or cue cards.
Careful time
budgeting: Use your time
wisely. Thirty minutes is not very long for a presentation. While you should be
prepared to use the entire 30 minutes for your presentation, this does not mean
that you should try to cram as much information or activities as possible into
your presentation. It is better to cover a few well-developed points about a
topic than to zip through ten confused and disjointed points.
Expectations
about audience participation:
Of course you will do the best you can to encourage participation and
discussion from the class. However, the burden of responsibility is not
entirely yours. The rest of the class is also responsible for ensuring that the
group presentations are an engaging and rewarding experience for everyone
involved. This entails: 1) listening attentively (showing respect for
speakers), 2) taking part in the discussion and/or activity, and 3) preparing
at least one question or comment to share with the class during the question
and answer period.
Grading: As previously mentioned, each member in the
group receives the same grade. The grades for the group presentations will be
based on the following criteria: 1) substance or content, 2) creativity and
resourcefulness (use of materials, exercises, activities, etc.), and 3) form
and style (articulation, length, organization, preparedness, etc.). If the
group is having a problem with one or more of its members (e.g., not coming to
preparatory meetings, showing no interest in the project, not doing his or her
share of the work), first, try to work it out with the member or members. If
the problem persists, however, let us know about it as early as possible. If
the group consensus is that one or more members of the group are not
participating to the satisfaction of the group, the non-participating member or
members will not get credit for the assignment, and receive a zero for their
group presentation grade. This ensures that the group is not penalized for the
lack of preparation of any of its members and that no group member or members
receive credit for the work that others are doing.
Having fun: Education does not always have to be a
chore. In addition to learning new material, this is an opportunity to develop
public speaking skills, gain self-confidence, make new friends, and have some
fun. This is your time to teach and to reach. Go for it!
Week
|
Topic
|
Assignments
|
|
1 |
Introduction
to Psychology |
|
|
2 |
Introduction to Psychology (and)
Introduction
to Sociology |
Tuesday January 13
Pinker, Preface and Chapters 1-3 Thursday January 15“Invitation
to Sociology,” Peter L. Berger |
|
3 |
Introduction
to Sociology |
Thursday January 22“The
Sociological Imagination,” C. Wright Mills (and) “What
Is A Social Fact,” Emile Durkheim |
|
4 |
Introduction
to Sociology (and) Research Methods in Psychology |
Thursday January 29***First
Critical Reaction Paper*** (Assessment and Comparison of Introduction to
Psychology and Introduction to Sociology) Thursday January 29
Pinker,
Chapters 4 and 5 (and) Additional
readings TBA |
|
5 |
Research
Methods in Psychology (and) Research Methods in Sociology |
|
|
6 |
Research
Methods in Sociology (and) Overview of Gender: Definitions, Themes, and
Controversies |
Tuesday February 10“I’ll
Slap on My Lipstick and then Kick Their Ass: Constructing Femininity,”
Lauraine Leblanc Thursday February 12
***Second
Critical Reaction Paper*** (Assessment and Comparison of Research Methods in
Psychology and Research Methods in Sociology) Thursday February 12Pinker,
Chapter 18 (and) The
Trouble with Testosterone: Will Boys Just Be Boys,” Robert M. Sapolsky |
|
7 |
Overview
of Gender: Definitions, Themes, and Controversies (and) Midterm Exam Review |
Tuesday February 17
“The
Mismeasure of Women,” Carol Tavris Thursday February 19
****MIDTERM
EXAM**** |
|
8 |
Why
Nature vs. Nurture Matters: Psychological Perspectives on Gender (and)
Why Nature vs. Nurture Matters: Sociological Perspectives on Gender |
Tuesday March 2
“The
extreme male brain theory of autism,” Simon Baron Cohen (and) “Sex
differences in the brain,” Doreen Kimura (and) “How
to Build A Man,” Anne Fausto-Sterling (and) “Wars,
Wimps, and Women: Talking Gender and Thinking War,” Carol Cohn Thursday March 4“A
Look Behind the Veil,” Elizabeth W. Fernea and Robert A. Fernea (and) “Women’s
Personal Lives: The Effects of Sexism on Self and Relationships,” Sheila Ruth |
|
9 |
Class
Debate on the “Nature” of Gender (and) Love and Sexual Attraction:
Definitions, Themes and Controversies |
Tuesday March 9
***Third
Critical Reaction Paper*** (Assessment and Comparison of Psychological and
Sociological Perspectives on the “Nature” of Gender). Tuesday March 9
***Students
should be prepared to present their best arguments in favor of the
psychological or sociological position on the “nature” of gender as
part of a class debate*** Thursday March 11
***Students
need to hand in their list of topics—and choice of students to work with—for
upcoming group presentations*** |
|
10 |
Psychological
Perspectives on Love and Sexual Attraction (and) Sociological Perspectives on
Love and Sexual Attraction |
Tuesday March 16
“Sexual
Strategies Theory,” David Buss (and) “Human
sex differences in sexual psychology and behavior,” Ikami & Shackelford Thursday March
18
“The
Feminization of Love,” Francesca M. Cancian (and) “The
Incredible Shrinking Woman,” Colette Dowling |
|
11 |
|
Tuesday March 23Selected
Thursday March 25***GUEST
LECTURER: William H. Calvin*** |
|
12 |
Class
Debate on the “Nature” of Love and Sexual Attraction (and) Group Presentation
Preparations |
Tuesday March 30
***Fourth Critical Reaction Paper*** (Assessment and Comparison of Psychological and Sociological Perspectives on Love and Sexual Attraction) Tuesday March 30
Students should be prepared to present their best
arguments in favor of the psychological or sociological position on the
“nature” of love and sexual attraction as part of a class debate. Thursday April 1Students
will meet in their groups, in class, to make final preparations for their
group presentations |
|
13 |
Group
Presentations |
Tuesday April 6
Group Presentations Thursday April 8Group Presentations
|
|
14 |
Group
Presentations |
Tuesday
April 13
***Research Paper*** Thursday April 15 Leftover group
presentations and discussion of group presentations |
|
15 |
Final
Exam Review, Class Wrap-up, and Student Course Evaluations |
Tuesday
April 20
***Fifth
Critical Reaction Paper*** (Assessment and Analysis of Your Group’s Group
Presentation) Tuesday
April 20
Group Presentation Grades and Feedback, Final Exam Review, and Class
Wrap-up ***FINAL EXAM*** is scheduled for Friday April 23rd,
|