Women's History and Feminist Theory

HIST 182-4522/WMS 100-4522	Professor Catherine Lavender
Fall 1997	Office: 2N 203, 718-982-2869
Monday 440-620 pm 2N 112 Wednesday 440-530 pm 4N 217	Office hours: M 2:00-4:00 pm, T 5:00-6:00 pm, and by appointment

Purpose of the Course:

This course explores both the history of women's experience and feminist interpretations of their historical condition. The course will also emphasize student development of analytical skills through textual analysis and critical thinking. The course will also aim to familiarize the student with historical method and historiography, emphasizing the construction of historical arguments (thesis, methodology, historiography, evidence, sources, research, and narrative), as well as identifying areas for further research.

Course Requirements:

All students are required to attend lectures and take part in discussions. Exams will require students to synthesize lecture materials as well as readings. Students must also read and assimilate required readings, and be prepared to discuss readings on the schedule given below. Students will submit all assignments on time; late papers will not be accepted without prior arrangement with the professor. Further, no student with more than four unexcused absences will receive a passing grade for the course.

Contacting the Professor:

My office is in 2N 203, and my office phone is 718-982-2869; I have office hours Mondays from 11:00 to 12:00, Wednesdays 2:30 to 4:30, and by appointment; I am usually in my office on Tuesdays. You may also reach me via email at lavender@postbox.csi.cuny.edu.

Assignments:

First Midterm (Monday, October 15, 1997): 25% of Final Course Grade
Second Midterm (Monday, November 12, 1997): 25% of Final Course Grade
Final Midterm (Wednesday, 17 December 1997): 25% of Final Course Grade
Participation (attendance and discussion contribution): 25% of Final Course Grade

Required Texts:

Virginia Woolf, Orlando: A Biography (1928)
Elsie Clews Parsons, The Journal of a Feminist (London: Thoemmes, 1994).
Patricia Raybon, My First White Friend: Confessions of Love, Race, and Forgiveness (New York: Penguin, 1996).
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland (New York: Pantheon, 1979).
Alice Walker, The Color Purple (New York: Pocket Books, 1982).

Working Girl (Film to be viewed in class, or at the Audio-Visual Department at the Library)
Salt of the Earth (Film to be viewed in class, or at the Audio-Visual Department at the Library)
Imitation of Life (Film to be viewed in class, or at the Audio-Visual Department at the Library)

There are additional optional materials for this course on the WWW at http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/182links.html

Course Schedule:

Week One: Introduction
	Wednesday, September 3	Introduction to the Course
Week Two: Women's History
	Monday, September 8	Introduction to Women's History and Feminist Theory
	Wednesday, September 10	A Feminist Glossary--Defining Our Terms
	Readings: Nancy Cott, "Feminist Theory and Feminist Movements: The Past Before Us"; Woolf, Orlando
Week Three: The Construction of Gender
	Monday, September 15	The Meanings of Gender, Sex, and Sexuality
	Wednesday, September 17	The Scientific Construction of Gender
	Readings: Phyllis Burke, "Science," from Gender Shock: Exploding the Myths of Male & Female; Woolf, Orlando; Elsie Clews Parsons, The Journal of a Feminist
Week Four: The Historical Creation of Patriarchy
	Monday, September 22	Discuss Orlando in class
	Wednesday, September 24	The Creation of Patriarchy; Discuss Elsie Clews Parsons, The Journal of a Feminist
	Readings: Elsie Clews Parsons, The Journal of a Feminist
Week Five: Women's Economies
	Monday September 29	The Industrial Revolution and Women's Labor
	Wednesday, October 1	NO CLASS--Classes follow a Friday Schedule
	Readings:Elsie Clews Parsons, The Journal of a Feminist
Week Six: Women and Identity
	Monday, October 6	First Midterm (Click here for the Study Guide)
	Wednesday, October 8	Feminism and Class
	Readings: Raybon, My First White Friend
Week Seven: Working Girls
	Monday, October 13	CUNY CLOSED--No class.
	Wednesday, October 15	Watch Working Girl in class
	Readings: Raybon, My First White Friend
Week Eight: Working Girls, cont.
	Monday, October 20	Watch Working Girl in class; Discuss Working Girl
	Wednesday, October 22	Feminism and Class Issues
	Readings: Raybon, My First White Friend; Mary Childers and bell hooks, "A Dialogue About Race and Class"
Week Nine: Feminism and Race
	Monday, October 27	View Imitation of Life in class.
	Wednesday, October 29	Discuss Imitation of Life
	Readings: Raybon, My First White Friend
Week Ten: Communities and Communication Among Women
	Monday, November 3	Feminist Theory and Race
	Wednesday, November 5	Discuss Raybon, My First White Friend
	Readings: Raybon, My First White Friend
Week Eleven: Women's Ways of Knowing
	Monday, November 10	Second Midterm (Click here for the Takehome Essay question)
	Wednesday, November 12	Women's Writing
	Readings: Gilman, Herland
Week Twelve: Feminism and Utopia
	Monday, November 17	Women Remaking the World--Utopian Feminism
	Wednesday, November 19	Feminism and Social Critique
	Readings: Gilman, Herland
Week Thirteen: Herland and Other "Women's Places"
	Monday, November 24	Women and Cultural Critique
	Wednesday, November 26	Discuss Gilman, Herland
	Readings: Gilman, Herland; Walker, The Color Purple
Week Fourteen: Womanism and Feminism
	Monday, December 1	Womanism
	Wednesday, December 3	Histories Behind The Color Purple
	Readings: Walker, The Color Purple
Week Fifteen: The Color Purple
	Monday, December 8	Discuss Walker, The Color Purple
	Wednesday, December 10	Discuss Walker, The Color Purple
	Readings: Walker, The Color Purple
Week Sixteen: Finding Our Place
	Monday, December 15	Summing Up
	Readings: Walker, The Color Purple
Final Midterm (Click here for the Study Guide)		Wednesday, 17 December 1997

Prepared by Professor Catherine Lavender for History 182 (Women's History and Feminist Theory), The Department of History, The College of Staten Island of The City University of New York. Send email to lavender@postbox.csi.cuny.edu
Fall Semester 1997. Last modified: Monday 22 September 1997