Email arosenth@gustavus.edu
Phone (507) 933-7437
Office Old Main 204H
Course Description
From the founding to the present, politics and government in the U.S. have reflected ideological judgments about who gets what, when and how, including especially who gets what kind of power. Yet, the dominant ideology, its proponents, and the institutions they have created, have been neither neutral nor inclusive. They are rooted in judgments about sex, gender and other elements of human identity. As such, the government has legitimized only certain individuals as political actors, certain identities as politically relevant, certain relationships as important, and certain practices as the means by which one might change political status. This course sets out to discover, discuss, and analyze how sex and gender matter in politics.
We will focus on historical, legal and cultural factors which help shape public policies related to sex, gender, and sexual orientation. We will examine how majority assumptions are reflected in public policy and how, in turn, public policy reinforces or challenges those assumptions.
After briefly exploring the history and experience of political organizing by feminists and GLBTQ activists, we will explore sexual politics by looking in depth at two broad issues:
(1) political and social regulation of reproduction and sexual activity;
(2) the relationships between public and private life as reflected in debates about LGBT identity.
For each issue, we will explore how politicians, academics, the media, activist organizations, and law/legal theory construct the debate.
Required Texts
- No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women, Estelle B. Freedman (ISBN: 978-0345450531)
- Breaking the Abortion Deadlock: From Choice to Consent, Eileen L. McDonagh (ISBN: 978-0195091427)
- Straightforward: How to Mobilize Heterosexual Support for Gay Rights, Ian Ayres and Jennifer Gerarda Brown (ISBN: 978-0691121345)
- The Trouble with Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life, Michael Warner (ISBN: 978-0674004412)
Course Requirements and Assessment
Consistent attendance is a minimum condition of class membership. Students do not receive credit for attending but failure to attend class will negatively affect grades. In a discussion-oriented class such as this, missing class discussion is missing coursework that cannot be made up.
Participation (20%)
We will proceed largely by means of discussion. Thus, attendance, preparation and participation are essential. You should approach each class with a good grasp of the assigned reading and your own perspective toward it. These texts can be dense and complex, so you will need to take time to read carefully, figuring out what claims the authors are making and what questions you have about them.
Students should be prepared to raise questions and offer critical insights about the reading material and the issues that it raises. To facilitate this, I may, on occasion, administer "mini-quizzes" in class. These may or may not be announced in advance. Such quizzes are counted as part of your participation grade.
Vigorous class debate and discussion is both expected and desirable. Presence alone does not earn participation credit: a passively silent and/or clearly unprepared student earns no credit for participation. Note that there is a difference between passive silence and active listening. You need not speak constantly to participate meaningfully in class. Attentive, thoughtful, respectful, and reflective listening to others constitutes active participation. I construe class participation broadly. Come to class having read the material carefully and thoughtfully. Participate in class to the greatest extent you can. Speak when you have something to say. Ask questions when you have them. Listen carefully and respectfully to others. Engage in small group discussions. Come to my office hours. Send me e-mail. Engage in whatever other ways make sense for you. Note: for students who do not enjoy speaking in class, the SPP Debate Club comments offer an excellent opportunity for you to participate actively in the course.
In addition to in-class participation, all students will be required to post (at least) 1 item per month to the Sex, Power, and Politics blog. Such postings should be links to websites, articles, or blogs that you find relevant to the course. Each posting must be accompanied by 150-200 words from you explaining the site and its relevance.
Late arrivals are distracting and disrespectful. Persistent tardiness will lower your participation grade.
Abstract Notebook (20%)
A substantial part of your work for this course will involve a continuing collection of analytical abstracts based on assigned readings. These abstracts are intended to help you lay out the arguments and implications of each day's reading and, in doing so, prepare for class discussions. For each class session for which an abstract is due, do the following:
- Show your understanding of the day's assigned reading: What are the authors' main points or arguments?
- Pose critical questions: What issues do the authors leave unexamined? What problems do you see with the author's argument or its implications? What concepts or arguments do you find confusing or unclear?
- Make connections: Relate this reading to other course readings, class discussions, current campus, national or international events or popular culture in the form of books, film or theater. Look for connecting concepts.
Students must bring their abstract notebooks to every class. Students are required to complete abstracts prior to the class for which the reading is assigned. I will collect each student's abstract notebook twice during the semester and once at the end of the semester. These dates will not be announced ahead of time, so it is essential that your abstract notebook is present at each class and is kept up to date. In addition, I may, on occasion, collect abstracts due for a particular class. These "spot-checks" also count toward your abstract notebook grade.
Students have two "free passes" regarding abstract notebook collection that they may use dur-ing the semester. Use of the "free pass" option must occur before I announce whose notebooks are to be submitted that day. To use your free pass, simply hand me a sheet of paper with your name, the date, and the words "free pass" before class begins. You are still responsible for completing abstracts assigned for the dates on which you use your free pass. Note: use of a free pass does not excuse you from a "spot-check" of abstracts due on that day.
Evaluation will be based on comprehensiveness, depth, complexity and clarity of understanding and analysis of the readings, their implications and connections. As with all work submitted, abstracts must reflect careful proofreading and editing.
Note that all the usual rules pertaining to academic honesty apply to abstracts. While you are encouraged to discuss course readings with classmates, your abstracts must ultimately reflect your own analysis and thought. In accordance with the Gustavus Adolphus Honor Code, each time your case book is submitted, it will contain the statement, "On my honor, I pledge that I have not given, received, or tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid in completing this work."
Sex, Power, and Politics Debate Club (30%) (15% Debate; 5% x 3 Responses)
Students will participate in a series of on-line "debates" over the course of the semester. The home for these debates will be the Sex, Power, and Politics (SPP) Debate Club at: Sex, Power, and Politics Blog
Debate participation will take two forms.
- Each student will be paired with another student and assigned a week and a debate question/topic. Alternating days, each student will post twice over a four day period, debating, contesting, and responding to the arguments of the other. Each posting should be approximately 1000 words (4 pages) and should include citations to appropriate sources.
- Each student will select three of their classmates' debates in which they would like to participate. For each of those debates (and as many others as you'd like), the student will post at least three substantive comments responding to the debaters' arguments. A substantive comment demonstrates serious engagement with the points made in the postings and careful thought and reasoning. Each comment should be approximately 250-300 words.
Consciousness-Raising Group Participation and Activities (20%)
Students will participate in a semester-long consciousness-raising group with other class members. This will require weekly meetings, journal entries, a short group paper, attendance at several campus or community events, the planning of and participation in a guerilla theater event, and the compilation of a resource pack.
Further information is available on the Consciousness-Raising Groups handout available at: Assignments.
Take-Home Final Exam (10%)
Details and information about the format of the exam will be provided in class.
Course Policies
Accessibility
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) work together to ensure 'reasonable accommodation' and non-discrimination for students with disabilities in higher education. A student who has a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical, learning, or attentional disability that may have an effect on the student's ability to complete assigned course work should contact the Disability Services Coordinator in the Advising Center, who will review the concerns and decide with the student what accommodations are necessary.
Accommodations for Religious Observances
If you will require academic accommodations for a religious observance, please provide me with a written request to consider a reasonable modification for that observance by the end of the second week of the course. Contact me after class, during my office hours, or by individual appointment to discuss the issue. I will make every reasonable accommodation.
I may use email occasionally to communicate with the class about assignments and changes to the schedule. You are responsible for the contents of these emails. Thus, you are required to maintain and regularly check your Gustavus email account. If you use an email address other than your official Gustavus address, you are responsible for having Gustavus email forwarded to that address.
N.B.
Failure to complete all of the projects and papers, or a pattern of failure to complete reading assignments, attend class, and/or engage in informed participation will result in failure of this course. If you have a problem, please see me before it becomes a crisis.
Academic Honesty
I take the principles of academic honesty seriously and will uphold the policies and procedures of Gustavus Adolphus College. Dishonesty of any kind with respect to examinations, course assignments, alteration of records, or illegal possession of examinations is considered cheating. Students are responsible not only to abstain from cheating, but also to avoid making it possible for others to cheat.
Submitting someone else's work as your own constitutes plagiarism. Academic honesty requires the full acknowledgement of ideas taken from another source for use in a course paper or project. You must include citations for material that you quote or paraphrase from another text; in general, it is better to overcite than to undercite.
All work that you submit for this course may be submitted only to this course and should be based upon work and thought undertaken only for this course.
Violations of the Academic Honesty Policy will result in at least a grade of zero for the specific assignment and/or failure of the course. Students accused and/or penalized for these violations and students who become aware of such violations have specific rights and responsibilities as outlined in the Honor Code section of the College Catalogue. Each exam and graded paper will contain the statement, "On my honor, I pledge that I have not given, received, or tolerated others' use of unauthorized aid in completing this work." Copies of the Gustavus Honor Code and Academic Honesty policies are available here.