Humanities/Social Sciences/Natural Sciences 325

Perspectives on Gender
Fall 2015
Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2-3:50 p.m. Classroom: PS-10

NSCI Instructor: Becky Talyn btalyn@csusb.edu

CS 207
Office Hours: Before class, Th 1-2, and by appointment

SSCI Instructor: Patty Little plittle@csusb.edu

SBS 439 537-5558
Office Hours: TTH 11:45-1:45 and by appointment

HUM Instructor: Jennifer Keys JKeys@csusb.edu

UH 401.42
Office Hours: TR 12-1:45 and by appointment

Course Description
This interdisciplinary course uses scientific, humanistic, and social science perspectives to foster an
understanding of how gender roles in Western culture are established, maintained, and changed
(offered as Natural Science 325, Humanities 325, and Social Science 325). Prerequisite: junior or
senior standing. Priority enrollment will be granted to graduating seniors.

Note: Students are not required to take this specific course to meet the multicultural/gender
requirement and/or the upper division capstones in Humanities, Social Sciences or Natural
Sciences.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, each student will be able to describe and discuss:
1. The difference between the terms sex and gender
2. Scientific, historical and humanistic findings regarding physical, social, artistic and cognitive
similarities and differences between various genders
3. Ways in which gender roles and stereotypes have been and continue to be perpetuated
4. The causes and effects of gender roles vis--vis socioeconomic status, education, culture,
medical research, health care, communication, media, politics, family life, sexuality, and
interpersonal relationships
5. The way gender roles have influenced her/his own life in positive and/or negative ways
6. Mechanisms and policies for resolving/rectifying gender-based inequities at the personal,
institutional, and socio-cultural levels

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Course Content
This course is designed to provide a wide array of insights to topics perhaps never before or
otherwise considered. Students are encouraged to be open-minded and refrain from pre-
judgment.

The study of gender is enlightening and beneficial on many different levels. The best way to
ensure a positive outcome in this course is to become actively engaged in the activities of each
session. Whether outwardly participating or actively listening, try to relate course content to your
own personal background, experience, and interests.

It is assumed that all students enrolled in HUM/NSCI/SSCI 325 are of legal age (at least 18) and are
prepared to examine content and concepts appropriate for adult students. The course will cover a
wide variety of topics, and students should be aware that its academic content includes material
related to sexuality and sexual behavior from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

We will examine artifacts from literature, art, and popular culture that may contain language or
images that some might find unsettling. Media excerpts and films may include profanity, sexual
situations & images, and violent situations & images. It would be impossible to anticipate every
individuals potential response to any given subject, even when taken from public, mainstream
media. Rather than sacrifice a comprehensive overview of gender or the intellectual rigor of the
course, professors will attempt to apprise students of content prior to in-class presentation.

Class Etiquette
Class etiquette requires that we behave respectfully toward one another: arriving on time for
class, preparing for lecture by doing the reading assignments before class, sharing what relevant
knowledge and wisdom we have when appropriate, listening when someone else is speaking to
the class as a whole, and refraining from distracting others in class by chatting with our neighbors,
thus, fulfilling our responsibilities to each other. If you find you must leave class, for example, you
need to go to the restroom frequently or anticipate frequent texts/pages that require your urgent
response please sit near an exit so that you do not distract others in class. Additionally, please turn
phones and pagers to a silent mode while in class. Finally, if you have questions or comments that
we cannot or do not attend to during class, please talk with us before or after class.

Note on Accessibility
In keeping with the Universitys commitment to diversity, we fully support the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Faculty will provide reasonable accommodation to any student who
requests it and is registered with the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities (UH-183;
909.537.5238)

Academic Integrity
We will strictly follow University policy on academic honesty. This includes cheating or other types
of dishonesty such as plagiarism (using someone elses work and presenting it as ones own).
Students may not submit work done by someone else or work they have already submitted in
another course. Depending on the offense, plagiarism or other cheating may result in course
failure and disciplinary action, including dismissal or expulsion from the University.

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Texts
Gender & Literature available at the CSUSB bookstore
Other required readings will be posted on Blackboard http://blackboard.csusb.edu. Plan to
check the site several times a week. It is your responsibility to identify and read the
appropriate readings as posted on blackboard.
Videos will be shown in class, so students should take notes and plan to attend classes
when they are shown because videos may not be available outside the classroom setting.

Course Requirements
1. Two examinations: 200 possible points. Exams are not cumulative. Exam one will cover
lectures, assigned readings and videos for the first half of the class. This examination will be
worth 100 points and will be on October 29. Exam two will be on Thursday, December 10, and
will cover the final half of lectures, assigned readings and videos and will also be worth 100
points. Each exam will be objective (multiple-choice, true and false). Bring a large blue-and-
white scantron (without tears, wrinkles, or creases), two pencils, and a good eraser. Make-up
exams are only allowed for documented illnesses or emergencies. Specific arrangements must
be made by the class session prior to the day on which the exam will be given.

2. Reflection Paper: 100 possible points. This assignment is designed to help you understand a
gendered experience from your own life by examining the related scholarly literature.
Following the guidelines below, submit to Turn-It-In (through Blackboard) a minimum 2 page,
double spaced response using size-12 Arial or Times New Roman font, dark black ink, one-inch
margins, edited for appropriate university-level writing skill (grammar, punctuation,
mechanics, usage, etc.). Indicate your name, section (HUM, NSCI, SSCI 325) and date at the
top. The rubric will be posted on Blackboard under Syllabi. Read the rubric carefully and be
sure to examine how well your paper complies with the rubric. In order to receive credit,
students must submit their paper electronically to Blackboard /Turn-It-In.

GUIDELINES
Section 1: a clear, concise summary of a specific experience during which you were
very aware of the gendered component.
Section 2: a clear, concise discussion of the literature related to your experience.
Use a minimum of three (3) scholarly references related to your experience, plus an
additional two (2) references for each page of your paper beyond the required 2.
Section 3: a clear, concise analysis of how the literature relates to and informs your
understanding of the gendered nature of your experience.
Note: Tutors are available at no cost to CSUSB students at the Writing Center, UH-387-A.

Course Evaluation Grading Range (Approximate)

93%+ A 79-78% C+
2 Exams 200 92-90% A- 77-73% C
2 Reflection Papers 100 89-88% B+ 72-70% C-
Total points 300 87-83% B 69-60% D
82-80% B- 59 and below F

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Important Information about Grades
All grades are posted only on Blackboard. Please contact an instructor if you think we have made
a mistake (e.g. recorded the wrong grade for you) or to discuss with us a missing grade. You may
contact us in person or by email. Keep all work that you submit either on disk or as a hard copy for
your personal records and to verify a potential error in scores. In fairness to all, unless you can
provide copies of your graded work, no changes will be made. After the 72 hours have elapsed,
grades posted on Blackboard are considered final and not subject to revision. It is your
responsibility to monitor Blackboard to make sure you receive credit for your assignments.

Late Policy for Coursework

Late assignments will only be accepted in emergency situations, with documentation (tow truck
receipt, hospital bill, obituary). Otherwise, papers will not be accepted and makeup exams will not
be allowed.

Blackboard
We will use Blackboard to post the syllabus, your grades, reading assignments, handouts, study
guides, and occasionally lecture notes (general outlinesnot complete notes).
To access Blackboard and check your grades go to http://blackboard.csusb.edu
To login: Your username and password are the same as those for MyCoyote
Your grades will be posted on your personal page in Blackboard. Login and choose
Hum/Nsci/Ssci325>Tools>View Grades. Only you and the professors can access your grades.
Campus access: You can access Blackboard from computers in any campus computer lab.
Home access: Blackboard works best with Internet Explorer (IE) or Mozilla Firefox.
Occasionally, you will have problems accessing it if you use Netscape. If you use AOL as your
Internet Browser, you will have problems accessing Blackboard. You may need to download
Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox as your browser if you want to access Blackboard from your
computer at home.

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 HUM/NSCI/SSCI 325 Fall 2015 Calendar
Subject to changes announced in class and/or posted on Blackboard

TR Lecture Topic
2-3:50 pm
Sept 24 Introduction to the course (Keys, Talyn, Little)
Movie: MissRepresentation
Sept 29 What is gender? Artists perspective (Keys)
Oct 1 Sex determination (Talyn)
Oct 6 Socialization (Little)
Oct 8 Socialization (Keys)
Oct 13 Sexualities (Keys)
Oct 15 Sexualities (Keys)
Oct 20 Mate choice (Talyn)
Oct 22 Families (Little)
Oct 27 Parental care (Talyn)
Oct 29 Midterm Exam
Nov 3 Childbirth (Talyn)
Nov 5 Movie: Business of being Born
Nov 10 Reflective Term paper due
Breastfeeding and paternal care (Talyn)
Nov 12 Economics (Little)
Nov 17 Movie: Rosie the Riveter
Nov 19 Identity politics (Keys)
Nov 24 Identity politics (Keys)
Nov 26 No Class: Thanksgiving
Dec 1 Religion (Little)
Dec 3 Movie: For the Bible Tells Me So
Thursday Final Exam
Dec. 10