University of Wisconsin-Madison
GWS 102: Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective
3 credit course
Fall 2020
Asynchronous Online
Canvas URL:
https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/215766
Instructor: Dr. Katherine Phelps
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Gender and Women’s Studies
Email: kphelps@wisc.edu
Office Hours: By appointment - https://katherine-7.youcanbook.me/
Office: Virtual
Course Description
"I entered the classroom with the conviction that it was crucial for me and every other student to be an
active participant, not a passive consumer . . . education as the practice of freedom . . . education that
connects the will to know with the will to become. Learning is a place where paradise can be created. " -
bell hooks
Gender, Women and Society in Global Perspective is an introductory course that provides students with an
understanding of the essential concepts and methods of feminist inquiry, as well as a wide range of global
women’s and gender issues. When the course concludes students should be able to use the basic tools of
feminist inquiry to explore how power relations based on gender, class, race, sexuality, location and
ability impact the lives of others in local, national and global contexts. In addition, they should be able to
use these tools to examine their own experiences and social locations.
Requisites:
There are no prerequisites for this class.
TA Information and Discussion Sections:
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Teaching Assistant: Kathleen Crawley Teaching Assistant: Rodlyn-mae Banting
Email: kcawley@wisc.edu Email: banting@wisc.edu
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 1 – 2 p.m. and by Office Hours: Thursdays 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and by
appointment appointment
Office: Virtual Office: Virtual
Discussion Sections: Discussion Sections:
102-302 102-307
102-308 102-309
102-310 102-311
102-315 102-313
Some Course Discussion Themes:
Sex vs. gender
Social constructionism
Feminist inquiry and methodology
Intersectionality
Identity politics
Body politics
Feminist histories
Global feminisms
Gendered institutions
Sexual and reproductive health
Privilege, oppression, and systems of power
Social movements and activism
Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this course you will be able to:
• Observe, think, and write critically and analytically – learn to challenge and question your
assumptions and look at issues from multiple perspectives.
• Understand how social constructs operate and intersect and how social constructs inform lived
experience for various groups.
• Learn how to search for and read different types of scholarly sources.
• Practice personal reflection on your social location and understand how your social location
connects to the broader social world.
• Recognize systems of privilege and oppression and micro/macro manifestations of privilege and
oppression.
• Hopefully feel some joy, energy, and curiosity through the learning process!
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• Understand the complexity and messiness of social movement and social justice work and
recognize why we do it anyway.
Required Texts:
There is no required text for purchase in this class. All class readings and viewings are available on our
course Canvas page.
Assignments and Grading:
Attendance/Weekly Check In (150 points – 15% of overall grade): Every week on Monday mornings I will
post a lecture video pertaining to the course content and theme for that week. You are required to view
the lecture video and you are encouraged to take notes, as they will help you in Canvas discussions and
for your final project. Every lecture video will have a “code word” somewhere within it. Each week you
will fill out a brief quiz on Canvas with the code word that demonstrates that you have watched the
lecture video. You won’t know when the code word in the lecture is coming, and it will change every
week! Fun! Basically, watch the lectures and do the quiz to demonstrate class “attendance” each week.
Canvas Discussions (300 points - 30% of overall grade): Because we are not meeting in person this
semester, online discussion sections are a big part of assessment! Be prepared to do the readings and
viewings each week and have discussion within your small group discussion sections on Canvas related
to the lecture video and assigned readings and viewings. You are expected to access course readings and
viewings, complete assigned readings and viewings on time, and participate in your group discussion
section each week. Bear in mind that participation in these discussions is a substantial part of your final
grade. You are expected to submit a substantial initial discussion post (300 to 400 words) by
WEDNESDAY at midnight of each week, and at least THREE substantial peer responses (at least 100
words each) by SATURDAY at midnight of each week. Our weeks run from Mondays to Sundays. Each
week of discussion is worth 20 points – the rubric for discussion posts can be found on the Canvas page
under “Rubrics.”
Gender Scripts and Reflection Worksheet (100 points – 10% of overall grade): For this assignment, you
are being asked to follow the instructions on the designated worksheet. You will read through a variety
of character scenarios and “assign” a gender to that character based on the descriptions given on the
worksheet. Once you assign a gender to each character, you will reflect on why and how you came to
those conclusions, and you will reflect on the process of assigning gender as a whole. The purpose of
this assignment is to think about and understand gender biases, gender scripts, and gender as a social
construct.
Advertisement Analysis Worksheet (100 points - 10% of overall grade): For this assignment you will
select an advertisement (print, video, social media, etc.) and fill out the designated worksheet to
demonstrate critical thinking and media literacy about that advertisement. Who is being represented
and how? The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate understanding of social constructs, identity
politics, representation in the media, and how advertisements display certain values and are geared
toward certain consumers.
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Topic and Three Sources (50 points – 5% of overall grade): In the first part of the semester, you will be
asked to select a topic for your final paper or presentation and provide citations for three academic
sources related to that topic. This assignment is to help jump start you for the final paper/presentation
and to demonstrate your ability in seeking out academic literature related to a particular topic and
providing formal citations for those sources.
Final Paper or Presentation (250 points - 25% of overall grade): For this assignment, you will submit a
paper or presentation on the topic of your choosing related to the course material. You can select to write
a paper OR put together a presentation. Perhaps you want to look at health care disparities based on
gender, or explore contemporary feminist movements and what it means to do feminism today, or look at
gender based violence in cross cultural perspective. The sky is the limit! Draw inspiration from units in the
class that speak to you in selecting your topic for the final. The paper or presentation must use critical
thinking and theoretical frameworks and concepts explored in class in the analysis. You must use relevant
readings from the class in your analysis (at least three readings from the class) and additionally cite at
least THREE external academic sources in your paper or presentation. Papers will be 5 to 7 pages (not
including the bibliography), double-spaced, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman font, ASA citation format.
Presentations should be 15 to 20 minutes long, presented as a YouTube video, Prezi video, or some other
platform that allows for both slides and voice capability. Presentations must also include a bibliography
listing sources used. A rubric for the final paper or presentation can be found on the course Canvas page.
Personal is Political Reflection (50 points – 5% of overall grade): This assignment asks you to reflect on
the course and fill out the questions on the designated worksheet. You will reflect on your experiences
in the class, what topics you were particularly drawn to and why, how you will apply what you learned
outside of class, and how the course content connects to your own social location, and the broader
social world.
All assignments will be submitted on our course Canvas page.
Course Grading Scale:
A = 93-100
AB= 87-92
B = 83-86
BC = 77-82
C = 70-76
D = 60-69
F = below 60
Policy on Late or Missed Assignments:
For every week that an assignment is late, you will incur a penalty of 10% off your total grade for that
assignment. If you have a valid reason to turn in an assignment late, you must talk to me or your TA
before the due date if that's possible. Assignments submitted more than two weeks past the original due
date will be considered a zero. Discussion board posts must be submitted during the week they are due,
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or they will not be accepted for credit. The final paper or presentation must be submitted on the due
date. No late work will be considered past the last day of the semester.
RULES, RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
• See the Guide’s to Rules, Rights and Responsibilities
Academic Integrity:
By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in UW-
Madison’s community of scholars in which everyone’s academic work and behavior are held to the
highest academic integrity standards. Academic misconduct compromises the integrity of the university.
Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, and helping others commit these acts are
examples of academic misconduct, which can result in disciplinary action. This includes but is not limited
to failure on the assignment/course, disciplinary probation, or suspension. Substantial or repeated cases
of misconduct will be forwarded to the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards for additional
review. For more information, refer to studentconduct.wiscweb.wisc.edu/academic-integrity/.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
McBurney Disability Resource Center syllabus statement: “The University of Wisconsin-Madison
supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity. The Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12), and UW-Madison policy (Faculty Document
1071) require that students with disabilities be reasonably accommodated in instruction and campus
life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities are a shared faculty and student
responsibility. Students are expected to inform faculty [me] of their need for instructional
accommodations by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after a disability
has been incurred or recognized. Faculty [I], will work either directly with the student [you] or in
coordination with the McBurney Center to identify and provide reasonable instructional
accommodations. Disability information, including instructional accommodations as part of a student's
educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA.”
https://mcburney.wisc.edu/
Resources for Academic Assistance:
• The UW Writing Center: https://writing.wisc.edu/
• Tutoring and Learning Support Services – https://newstudent.wisc.edu/academic-support/
• https://academicsupport.wisc.edu/
Diversity and Inclusion
Institutional statement on diversity: “Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for
UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity,
culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We
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commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as
inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive
community for people from every background – people who as students, faculty, and staff serve
Wisconsin and the world.” https://diversity.wisc.edu/
Important Notes:
1. This syllabus is to act as a rough guide for the semester; it is not set in stone. Certain due dates for
assignments may shift slightly – but I will do everything I can to make sure people are fully aware of
changes well in advance. As such, by choosing to remain in this course, you agree to all of the
addressed requirements and stipulations. I reserve the right to alter this syllabus at any time, but
with fair and appropriate warning.
2. This course may require you to think and write in ways that are unfamiliar to you. I encourage you to
utilize my virtual office hours to make appointments to talk about assignments, and of course reach out
to your teaching assistant as well! Also, I encourage all students to use the UW-Madison Writing
Center and academic support services and resources.
3. I will attempt to respond to student emails as promptly as I am able. I will generally check and
respond to email between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. I will always try to get you a response
within 24 hours. Also, please send me emails from either your student email address, or another
email address that readily identifies you.
COVID-19 Information:
Students' Rules Rights, & Responsibilities
During the global COVID-10 pandemic, we must prioritize our collective health and safety to keep
ourselves, our campus, and our community safe. As a university community, we must work together to
prevent the spread of the virus and to promote the collective health and welfare of our campus and
surrounding community.
UW-Madison Badger Pledge
UW-Madison Face Covering Guidelines
While on campus all employees and students are required to wear appropriate and properly fitting face
coverings while present in any campus building unless working alone in a laboratory or office space.
Face Coverings During In-person Instruction Statement (COVID-19)
Individuals are expected to wear a face covering while inside any university building. Face coverings must
be worn correctly (i.e., covering both your mouth and nose) in the building if you are attending class in
person. If any student is unable to wear a face-covering, an accommodation may be provided due to
disability, medical condition, or other legitimate reason.
Students with disabilities or medical conditions who are unable to wear a face covering should contact
the McBurney Disability Resource Center or their Access Consultant if they are already affiliated. Students
requesting an accommodation unrelated to disability or medical condition, should contact the Dean of
Students Office.
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Students who choose not to wear a face covering may not attend in-person classes, unless they are
approved for an accommodation or exemption. All other students not wearing a face covering will be
asked to put one on or leave the classroom. Students who refuse to wear face coverings appropriately or
adhere to other stated requirements will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Community
Standards and will not be allowed to return to the classroom until they agree to comply with the face
covering policy. An instructor may cancel or suspend a course in-person meeting if a person is in the
classroom without an approved face covering in position over their nose and mouth and refuses to
immediately comply.
Quarantine or Isolation Due to COVID-19
Students should continually monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested for the virus if they
have symptoms or have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19. Students should reach out to
instructors as soon as possible if they become ill or need to isolate or quarantine, in order to make
alternate plans for how to proceed with the course. Students are strongly encouraged to communicate with
their instructor concerning their illness and the anticipated extent of their absence from the course (either
in-person or remote). The instructor will work with the student to provide alternative ways to complete the
course work.
A Final Thought:
This class will be an open and affirming learning space for all students, regardless of age, race, ethnicity,
citizenship status, gender, sex, sexual orientation, size, parental status, religion, ability, or socioeconomic
status. As an instructor, I pledge to respect all students based upon these factors, including the use of
preferred/correct names and pronouns. I encourage open communication among teaching assistants, our
students, and myself. Students are welcome and encouraged to share viewpoints relevant to course material,
and respectful, relevant debate is encouraged.
At times this semester we will be discussing historical events that may be disturbing, even traumatizing, to some
students. If you ever feel the need to refrain from engaging with the material during one of these discussions,
you may always do so without academic penalty. However, you must make me aware of the circumstances. And
you will be responsible for any material you miss. If you ever wish to discuss your personal reactions to this
material, either with the class or with me, I welcome such discussion as an appropriate part of our coursework.
I want to challenge us to remember that we are not the measure of all things. I absolutely encourage the use of
experience and personal perspective in framing how we talk about the material, but the goal of the course is
to think beyond those experiences and perspectives, and engage in thinking critically about the social, cultural,
and political realities of various groups, identities, and social structures.
The success of this class is a community effort!
Weekly Readings and Viewings Schedule
Week One: Wednesday 9/2 – Sunday 9/6, Introducing course concepts
• The Urgency of Intersectionality - Kimberle Crenshaw TED talk (video)
• Rose Weitz - A History of Women’s Bodies (reading)
• Intersectionality for Beginners - Kaufman (reading)
• About Those 79 Cents - Wingfield (reading)
Week Two: Monday 9/7 – Sunday 9/13, Sex/Gender, Social Constructionism
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• Social constructionism - Khan Academy (video)
• Judith Lorber - The Social Construction of Gender (reading)
• The Story of X - Lois Gould (reading)
• On Gender Differences - Parker, Horowitz, Stepler (reading)
• Butler and Gender Performativity (video)
• The Gender Tag TED Talk (video)
• Inside the Book: Alok Vaid-Menon (BEYOND THE GENDER BINARY) - (video)
Supplementary viewing
• Gender Revolution documentary (video - 1 hour, 32 minutes)
Week Three: Monday 9/14 – Sunday 9/20, Why Feminism Matters and Doing Feminist Work
• Feminism is for Everybody excerpt - bell hooks (reading)
• The Combahee River Collective Statement and Black Lives Matter Statement (reading)
• We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie TED talk (video)
• Excerpts from This Bridge Called My Back (reading)
• Like Totally Whatever - Melissa Lozada Oliva (video)
Week Four: Monday 9/21 – Sunday 9/27, Western Knowledge and Different Ways of Knowing
• The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House - Lorde (reading)
• The Politics of Black Feminist Thought, Matrix of Domination- Patricia Hill Collins (reading)
• Reflections on the Black Woman’s Role in the Community of Slaves - Angela Davis (reading)
• Brown Queer Bodies – Calafell (reading)
• Formation video - Beyonce (video)
Supplementary Viewing
• Tending the Wild documentary (approx. 1 hour)
https://www.kcet.org/shows/tending-the-wild/episodes/tending-the-wild
Week Five: Monday 9/28 – Sunday 10/4, Exploring the Waves
• In 1920, Native Women Sought the Vote. Here’s What’s Next. - Cahill and Deer (reading)
• How Battles Over Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Fractured American Politics - Fresh Air
interview (listen)
• Meet the Brave but Overlooked Women of Color who Fought for the Vote - NYT (reading)
• I am the Third Wave - Rebecca Walker (reading)
• Stray Thoughts on Transgender Feminism - Susan Stryker (reading)
• The Redstockings Manifesto (reading)
• The Personal is Political – Hanisch
Week Six: Monday 10/5 – Sunday 10/11, Transnational Feminisms/Going Global
• Explaining Transnational Feminism (video)
• Femen in Paris - Tayler (reading)
• What Do Sweden and Mexico Have in Common? A Feminist Foreign Policy - Gupta (reading)
• Why Southern Feminisms? - Byrne and Imma (reading)
• Saving Face (documentary ~ 40 minutes)
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Supplementary Viewing
• I Am FEMEN documentary (accessed via UW Madison library)
Week Seven: Monday 10/12 – Sunday 10/18, Gendered Institutions, Family, School and Work
• Poor Girls are Leaving their Brothers Behind - Semuels (reading)
• How Millions of Women Became the Most Essential Workers in America - Robertson and Gebeloff
(reading)
• The Second Shift - Arlie Hochschild (video)
• Examining the Roles Gender and Race Play in Political Discourse (listen)
• Chain of Love documentary (video - accessed via UW Madison library)
Week Eight: Monday 10/19 – Sunday 10/25, Gendered Institutions, Media and Representation
• Steven Universe’s Quiet Gender Revolutions – Min (reading)
• Various advertisements:
- Nike
- Frida Mom
- Knixwear
- Bodyform Blood Normal
- Gillette
- Aerie
• Jameela Jamil and the Problem with #NoFilter Feminism - Georgis (reading)
• Postfeminism and Popular Culture - McRobbie (reading)
Week Nine: Monday 10/26 – Sunday 11/1, Menstruation, Sexual Health, Reproductive Rights/Justice
• Why Menstruate if you Don’t Have To - Renault (reading)
• Menstrual Pads Can’t Fix Prejudice - Bobel (reading)
• The Feminist Pursuit of Good Sex - Aronowitz (reading)
• Sex, Pleasure, and Liberation (video)
• Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies are in a Life or Death Crisis - Villarosa (reading)
• Romper’s Doula Diaries - Natural Birth Seemed Impossible (video)
• Shulamith Firestone: Why the Radical Feminist Who Wanted to Abolish Pregnancy Remains
Relevant - Margree (reading)
Week Ten: Monday 11/2 – Sunday 11/8, Gendered Violences
• When Your Abuser is Also Queer - Machado (reading)
• Masculinity as Homophobia - Kimmel (reading)
• The Link Between Natural Disasters and Domestic Abuse - O’Neil (reading)
• Sexual and Gender Based Violence During Covid-19: Lessons from Ebola - Onyango (reading)
• Why Violence Against Transgender Americans is a Crisis that’s Underreported (video)
• Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (explore) - https://www.csvanw.org/mmiw/
Week Eleven: Monday 11/9 – Sunday 11/15, Intersectional Body Politics: Queering Gender, Colorism,
Size
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• Bathroom Battlegrounds and Penis Panics - Schilt and Westbrook (reading)
• America’s Profound Gender Anxiety - Green (reading)
• LGBTQ Mental Health Survey - NPR (listen)
• Skin Lightening - Vox (video)
• The Fat Joke - Rachel Wiley (video)
• Hollywood’s Colorism Problem - ICYMI (video)
• Here’s What Fat Acceptance Is and Isn’t - Dionne (reading)
Week Twelve: Monday 11/16 – Sunday 11/22, Intersectional Body Politics, Disability
• Disability Visability Project website (explore) https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/
• Asexuality in Disability Narratives - Kim (reading)
• Nobody Cat Calls the Woman in the Wheelchair - Whaley (reading)
• How Using a Wheelchair Confronts Ideas of Normal - Stran (reading)
• Inside the Controversial World of Medically Assisted Sex, VICE (video)
Week Thirteen: Monday 11/23 – Sunday 11/29, Exploring Feminist Movements
• History of Women’s Activism in the US - Gillis and Jacobs (reading)
• Collective Memory and the Transfeminist 1970s - Enke (reading)
• An Interview with the Founders of Black Lives Matter (video)
• Guerilla Girls Talk the History of Art vs. The History of Power - (video)
Week Fourteen: Monday 11/30 – Sunday 12/6, Movements are Messy, The Future of Feminism
• Teaching Outside Liberal Imperial Discourse - Falcon et al. (reading)
• Pew Research Report - Barroso (reading)
• Good and Mad - Traister (reading)
• Confessions of a Bad Feminist - Roxane Gay (video)
Week Fifteen: Monday 12/7 – Thursday 12/10, Course Reflections
• No readings or viewings
• Course reflections and finalizing course work
List of Assignment Due Dates:
- Due Weekly:
Lecture check in code word quiz due on Sundays by midnight
Discussion board posts
Initial posts due Wednesdays by midnight
Three substantial peer responses due Saturdays by midnight
- Other assignments (all due by midnight on the day indicated)
Gender Scripts worksheet due Sunday 9/13
Topic Selection and Three Sources worksheet due Sunday 9/27
Advertisement Analysis worksheet due Sunday 10/25
Final Paper/Presentation due Sunday 12/6
Personal is Political Course Reflection worksheet due Thursday 12/10
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