Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Introduction to Women and Gender Studies (Face-to-Face)

WGS 2010-01

Course: WGS 2010-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: HSOC
CRN: 32976

Course Description

The course explores women’s and gender experiences/issues from interdisciplinary perspectives while acquainting students with the major theories and debates of feminist and gender scholarship. Note: this is the last and final time WGS 2010 will be offered, due to SUU’s cancellation of the Women and Gender Studies minor.

Required Texts

There are no texts to purchase for this course. All texts/readings will be available through Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain Multiple Perspectives on Gender: Students will identify and compare various theoretical approaches to understanding gender, including biological, social, and cultural perspectives.
  • Analyze the Relationship Between Identity Categories and Social Experiences: Students will examine how factors such as race, class, age, and other identity markers interact with gender to shape individuals’ experiences in domains including workplace dynamics, family structures, media representation, and social movements.
  • Connect Historical Developments to Contemporary Gender-Related Issues: Students will trace connections between past and present gender-related topics by synthesizing course materials ranging from historical documents to current media coverage and academic research.

Course Requirements

Grading:
15% Weekly Check-Ins
10% Weekly Quizzes
25% Weekly Response Papers
25% Take-Home Midterm Exam
25% Final Project

Grading scale: A= 90-100%; B+=87-89%; B=80-86%; C+= 77-79%; C=70-76%; D+= 67-69%  D= 60-66%; F= 59% or lower

Assignments:
Weekly Check-Ins:
The Weekly Check-In is a worksheet that will be due by the start of class every Monday (starting on Week 2). The Check-Ins will report on what you did and learned the previous week (attendance, participation, what you learned, what you’re confused about). This will allow you both to take stock of what you are learning in class, provide accountability for your attendance and contributions to the class, and offer you the opportunity to communicate to me any challenges or difficulties you may encounter. The check-ins will be graded based on completion (i.e. did you answer all parts of the worksheet honestly). These worksheets will take the place of an attendance or participation grade. I will still take attendance but it will not be built into the course grade.

Yes, this means that, theoretically, you could never attend, but still turn in all the Weekly Check-Ins and get full credit for that portion of your final grade. However, I would strongly advise against this for at least 2 reasons: (1) you will miss out on important information, discussions, and materials that will be vital for your success in the course, including peer reviews; and (2) at the end of the semester, if your grade is “on the bubble” (e.g. 68, 78, 88, etc.), your lack of attendance/participation will make it highly unlikely that I will bump your grade up to the next letter grade.

Weekly Quizzes:
Each quiz consists of four short-answer questions designed to make sure you are keeping up with the readings and attending class (and are at least somewhat paying attention). Each quiz will cover material introduced since the last quiz.

Weekly Response Papers:
You will write short, two-page response papers each week (due at the end of each week starting Week 2) that discuss and analyze the reading from that week’s classes. No outside research is necessary; I’m interested in your insights into the texts and what connections you can draw between the different authors we will read.

Take-Home Midterm Exam:
A take-home short answer exam that covers key terms and concepts from the first half of the semester.

Final Project:
Your final project will not be a traditional essay, but rather some form of digital essay, video essay, infographic, visual argument, or similar nontraditional format. Your project must make some kind of argument about the literature we’ve read this semester, referencing at least 4 texts (at least 2 from this class), as well as include outside research (at least 3 sources).

Course Outline

Disclaimer: Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. In the event that there are changes to the syllabus, I will notify you both in-person and electronically.

Course Schedule:

Week 1: Foundations – What is Gender?
W 8/27
Introductions and overviews

F 8/29
Read: Judith Lorber, "The Social Construction of Gender" (PDF)
Watch (before class): Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “We Should All Be Feminists" (link on Canvas)

Week 2: Intersectionality and Identities
M 9/1
No class – Labor Day

W 9/3
Read: Audre Lorde, "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House" (PDF)
Listen: Podcast Episode: “Introduction to Intersectionality” from Theoryish (link on Canvas)

F 9/5
Read: Gloria Anzaldua, "La Conciencia de la Mestiza" (PDF)

Week 3: Biology, Bodies, and Science
M 9/8
Read: Anne Fausto-Sterling, "The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough" (PDF)

W 9/10
Read: Emily Martin, "The Egg and the Sperm" (PDF)

F 9/12
Read: Boston Women's Health Book Collective, Course Introduction to "Our Bodies, Ourselves" (PDF)

Week 4: Feminist Movement History
M 9/15
Watch in Class: She's Beautiful When She's Angry and Storming Caesar's Palace

W 9/17
Watch in Class: She's Beautiful When She's Angry and Storming Caesar's Palace

F 9/19
Watch in Class: She's Beautiful When She's Angry and Storming Caesar's Palace

Week 5: Gender Identity
M 9/22
Discuss both documentaries from last week

W 9/24
Read: “Chapter 4: Performances” from Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions (PDF)

F 9/26
Read: Juliet Jacques, "What Sort of Woman Do I Want to Be?" (link on Canvas)

Week 6: Aging, Beauty, and Representation
M 9/29
Read: Susan Sontag, "The Double Standard of Aging" (PDF)
Read: Naomi Wolf, "The Beauty Myth" (PDF)

W 10/1
Watch in class: Killing Us Softly 4

F 10/2
Watch in class: Killing Us Softly 4

Week 7: Masculinity Studies 
M 10/6
Read: Alan Johnson, "Can a Man Be a Human Being?"(link on Canvas)

W 10/8
Read: Allison Pugh, "Men at Work"(link on Canvas)

F 10/10
Read: C.J. Pascoe, “Making Masculinity: Adolescence, Identity, and High School” (PDF)

Week 8: Family, Marriage, and Motherhood
M 10/13
No Class – Fall Break

W 10/15
Read:  Emma Green, “The Case for Having Lots of Kids” (PDF)

F 10/17
Due: Midterm Exam
Listen: Podcast: "A Former Trad Wife on What It Actually Takes to Leave" (link on Canvas)
Read: Claire Cain Miller, “Millennial Men Aren't The Dads They Thought They'd Be” (PDF)

Week 9: Work and the Economy
M 10/20
Read: Arlie Hochschild, excerpt from The Second Shift: Working Families and the Revolution at Home (PDF)

W 10/22
Read: Marianne Cooper, “Why Women (Sometimes) Don’t Help Other Women” (PDF)

F 10/22
Watch: Documentary: 9to5: The Story of a Movement


Week 10: Reproductive Rights and Health
M 10/27
Finish 9to5 film and discuss

W 10/29
Read: “Introduction to the Turnaway Study” (link on Canvas)
Watch (before class): “What Happens When We Deny People Abortions?” (link on Canvas)

F 10/31
Listen: Podcast: Tested, Episode 1: The Choice (link on Canvas)
Watch in class: Documentary: Period. End of Sentence

Week 11: #MeToo and Sexual Violence
M 11/3
Read: Alexis Okeowo, "What Happened to the Women of #MeToo" (PDF)

W 11/5
Read: Ellie Batten, “The Shifting Dynamics of College Hookup Culture” 
Listen: “The Death of Feminism” (link on Canvas)

F 11/7
Read: Excerpt from In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (PDF)

Week 12: Media and Representation
M 11/10
Watch in class: Documentary: Breaking the News

W 11/12
Watch in class: Documentary: Breaking the News


F 11/14
Watch (before class): “The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies” (link on Canvas)
Watch (before class): “We Should Scrap the Bechdel Test” (link on Canvas)

Week 13: Technology and Feminism
M 11/17
Read: Donna Haraway, “A Cyborg Manifesto"(PDF)

W 11/19
Listen: “Why Tech Needs Feminism” (link on Canvas)

F 11/21
Listen: “Invisible Women” (link on Canvas)


Week 14 
11/24-11/28 – No Class – Thanksgiving Break

Week 15: Contemporary Debates and Future Directions
M 12/1
Read: Sara Ahmed’s “A Killjoy Manifesto” (link on Canvas)

W 12/3
Read: Kat Rosenfield, “Should Your Husband Tie Your Shoes” (PDF)
Read: “Why Women are Weary of the Emotional Labor of ‘Mankeeping’” by Catherine Pearson (PDF)

F 12/5
Last Day of Class
Read: Faith Hill, “First Came Tea. Then Came Male Rage” (PDF) 

Finals Week:
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1:00 pm, Final Projects Due

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

You will turn in most of your major assignments online. It is your responsibility to make sure that your submission goes through, which means going back after you have uploaded your assignment to double check that it is there. Computer problems are not a valid excuse for late or missing work. If you are having trouble uploading an assignment from your home computer, go to the library and upload it from there. Plan ahead.
 
Major assignments that are turned in late will be deducted 10% for each 24-hour-period after the stated deadline. Late Weekly Check-ins will not be accepted. In-class work cannot be made-up.
 
Extensions are negotiable. If you anticipate needing more time for an assignment, you must get in touch with me at least two days before the assignment is due. Together we will arrive at a later due date. I will hold you to that new due date and deduct points if you miss it. Do not email me the day before something is due to ask for an extension; I will refuse. Plan ahead. I reserve the right to refuse extensions.

Attendance Policy

While regular attendance is expected and is crucial to your success in the course, there is no explicit grade or penalty for attendance.

AI Policies

AI Writing Policy:
Use of AI (artificial intelligence) writing programs (such as ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Claude) is allowed in this class. Please note that successfully writing a paper using AI will involve just as much (if not more) work as writing the paper without AI. AI cannot write your paper for you.

For each essay, you need to decide whether or not you want to use AI writing tools to help you write the essay (either in part or in whole). It will make no difference to your standing in my class which option you pick; however, telling me which option you pick will allow me to provide more helpful, targeted feedback and assistance to you. This is because writing an essay with AI is a very different mode of writing than writing an essay without AI. 

The same grading standards will be in place for each essay regardless of whether or not you are using AI in your writing process. To set the bar for outpacing AI, submitted writing that exhibits the characteristics of AI-generated writing is the standard for a failing grade in this course. AI-level work is defined as any assignment that is vague, generic, poorly researched, includes factually inaccurate information, and offers little relevant textual evidence. Submitted work that exhibits these characteristics—whether you wrote them with AI or not—will earn a maximum of 50% credit.

AI and Factual Accuracy:
AI is prone to writing factually incorrect statements, inventing fake quotes from real sources, and inventing entirely fake sources. It is your responsibility to double-check that any AI-assisted work you submit is free from these errors. Work containing obvious factual errors or fictitious quotes or sources will receive a grade of zero (0) with the option for a one-time revise and resubmit. Submitting more than one assignment with these types of errors will result in you failing the class.

Disclosure of AI-Assisted Writing:
As there is no penalty for using AI in this class, there is no benefit to lying about or trying to conceal your use of AI in this class. Concealing or lying about your use of AI will result in your work being given a zero and there will be no opportunity for re-submission.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.