TIMES: MWF 3-3:50pm AMH 212
INSTRUCTOR: Carole S. Slotterback, Ph.D.
OFFICE & OFFICE HOURS: AMH 218 Mon Fri 11-11:50
AM, Weds 1-1:50 PM
(or by
appointment)
PHONE: 941-7895
E-MAIL: slotterbacc1@uofs.edu
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Matlin, M. W. (2000). The Psychology of Women (4th edition). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt, Inc.
Coyle, J. M. (2001). Handbook on Women and Aging. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers.
DESCRIPTION: Examines the biological, sociological, and cultural influences on the psychology of women. Topics include gender socialization, sex roles, and the impact of gender on personality, communication, achievement, and mental health.
OBJECTIVES: To increase students’ awareness and understanding of the following
(1) The biological, sociological, psychological, and cultural influences
on women’s development and identity.
(2) The influence of race, class, culture, ethnicity, sexism, ageism,
and other areas of privilege in relation to women’s issues.
(3) Current controversies in the field of psychology of women.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
EXAMS: A total of three regular exams will be given.
Each will be worth 100 points. These exams may include several components:
multiple choice, true/false, or matching questions, as well as essay questions.
The chapters each exam covers, as well as tentative exam dates, are on
the attached schedule. Please note that the third exam (given during
finals week) will not be comprehensive. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE UP
EXAMS. If the student is absent, he/she will receive a score of zero
for that exam, unless a sufficiently compelling reason for the absence
is presented (i.e., a doctor’s note or copy of a police report for an accident).
In such a case, the exam score will be prorated (the student will receive
a score based on an average of his/her other two exam scores). NOTE:
Anyone caught cheating on a test will receive a score of zero for that
test, and other actions may be taken (I will follow the university’s policy
on academic dishonesty).
QUIZZES: A total of 10 quizzes (worth 10 points each) will be given. The quizzes will be based on the readings from the Handbook on Women and Aging. Test questions will also come from these readings, and the readings will serve as the basis for some discussion in class. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped; thus, a total of 90 points can be earned from quiz grades.
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT: For this assignment (worth a total of 60
points—50 for the paper, and 10 for a presentation of that paper), you
must choose one of the projects at the end of this syllabus and write a
10-page paper (due date: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2002).
Please note that you may NOT turn in a paper from another class (or re-use
a paper, if you are taking this class over again) or use someone else’s
paper for this assignment.
DISCUSSION: Students can earn up to 10 points for discussion.
The points will be awarded as follows: at the end of the semester, every
class member will rate the entire class’s quality and quantity of discussion
on a scale of zero to five. I will average across everyone’s ratings;
thus, your rating counts for half of your discussion points. I will
also rate the class’s discussion, on the same scale; thus, my evaluation
counts for the other half of your discussion points. Discussion is
a two-way street: we can’t have any if you won’t talk! I guarantee
that I can fill the time with lecture, so if you want discussion, OPEN
YOUR MOUTH AND CONTRIBUTE!! Please be sensitive to others, and respect
their opinions (no name-calling or derogatory slang).
ATTENDANCE: You are responsible for finding out about any additions/deletions to the syllabus that are made during class. If you are absent, you cannot participate in discussion; thus, after two absences, points will be taken away from your total discussion points.
EXTRA CREDIT: At various, unannounced times during the semester, opportunities will be given for students to earn up to ten points of extra credit.
GRADES: There will be a total of 460 points that can be earned (plus an additional 10 points of extra credit). Grades will be assigned based on the scale below:
Letter Grade Points Needed
Letter Grade Points Needed
A
428+
C+
354-367
A-
414-427
C
336-354
B+
400-413
C-
322-335
B
382-399
D+
308-321
B-
368-381
D
276-307
ADDENDUM: You [the student] should be able to display a professional
attitude and behavior, which includes the following: reliability, respect
for and cooperation with colleagues, willingness to work calmly and courteously
under difficult conditions, determination to achieve first-class work while
meeting deadlines, respect for equipment and systems, and constructive
response to criticism. (reference: Kilian (1995). Design
your syllabus as a management tool. Teaching for Success,
7, 2).
DATES
TOPICS
CHAPTERS & READINGS
August 26-30
Introduction & Research
Matlin 1
September 4-6
Gender Stereotypes
Matlin 2; Coyle, 1
September 9-13
Infancy and Childhood
Matlin 3
September 16-20
Adolescence
Matlin 4; Coyle, 25
September 23-27 Cognitive Abilities
& Achievement Motivation
Matlin 5; Coyle, 16
EXAM ONE—CHAPTERS 1-5 October 4
Sept 30-October 2 Gender Comparisons in Social & Personality Characteristics
Matlin 6; Coyle, 2
October 7-11
Women & Work
Matlin 7; Coyle, 7
October 16-18
Love Relationships
Matlin 8; Coyle, 3
October 21-25
Sexuality
Matlin 9; Coyle, 24
October 28-November 1 Pregnancy, Childbirth & Motherhood
Matlin 10
EXAM TWO—CHAPTERS 6-10 November 6
November 4-8
Women & Physical Health
Matlin 11; Coyle, 14
November 11-15 Women & Psychological
Disorders
Matlin 12; Coyle, 5
November 18-22,25
Violence Against Women
Matlin 13; Coyle, 13
December 2-4
Women & Older Adulthood
Matlin 14
THE THIRD REGULAR EXAM WILL COVER ONLY CHAPTERS 11-14. FINALS BEGIN SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7—AS SOON AS I KNOW THE EXACT DATE FOR THE FINAL, I WILL LET YOU KNOW!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Research Project #1: Portrayals of Men and Women on Soap Operas
For this project, you must watch two episodes each of three different
soap operas (a total of six episodes), and note how men and women of various
ages are portrayed. In particular, make note of the number of aggressive
acts, prosocial acts (e.g., sharing, helping), who initiates sexual acts
(and the number initiated), and other habits displayed by the characters
on the shows (e.g., smoking, exercising). Compare and contrast the
ways men and women are portrayed on these shows. Your paper should
be approximately ten pages in length, and should incorporate the questions
below. Your paper should also include a table (see sample below)
listing the behaviors of the characters in the shows you chose to examine.
You may also include graphs and figures based on your findings.
| Character | Occupation | Age | # Aggressive Acts | # Prosocial Acts | # Sexual Acts | Habits (e.g., smoking) | Other Activities |
What to include in your paper:
(1) Based on the shows (and episodes) you chose to watch, would you
say they encouraged or discouraged sexist, racist, and ageist attitudes?
Provide examples to back up your conclusions. What do researchers
say about the portrayal of women on television shows (use at least three
sources)? Does your research agree or disagree with theirs?
(2) Are equal numbers of male and female characters in the shows?
Do male and female characters behave similarly or dissimilarly?
(3) Are there groups of people that are largely invisible on the programs?
For example, are there elderly characters? Do these “invisible” groups
behave differently than the more visible groups?
(4) What kinds of problems do the characters have to solve? Are
they different for males and females? How do the characters go about
resolving problems and conflicts? Do they use realistic means?
Do they work cooperatively with other characters? Again, do male
and female characters differ in how they resolve problems/work with others?
(5) What values are emphasized in these shows (e.g., obedience, creativity,
autonomy, aggression, power, nurturance)? What features would you
like to see retained or emphasized more? What aspects bothered you
most? If a child/young adolescent were to watch these shows, what
do you think he/she would take from this exposure?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Research Project 2: Song Lyric Values
You must find lyrics of six currently popular songs (use Top 40 charts to determine popular songs) and six songs that were popular ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. Select one type of music (e.g., rock, country, or folk) for both time periods. You should evaluate each set of lyrics in the following observational areas: sexism, ageism, attitudes toward love, work, and life, and general values (see below). Your paper should be approximately 10 pages long.
Rate each song’s lyrics in each of the observational areas using the following scale:
Very High High Average Low Very low Absent
5
4 3
2 1
0
Use the chart below to evaluate each song (turn these in with your completed project).
Observational Areas: Current Songs Older Songs (year _____)
Attitudes toward females
Attitudes toward males
Attitudes toward children
Attitudes toward teenagers
Attitudes toward adults
Attitudes toward older adults
Attitudes toward love
Attitudes toward family
Attitudes toward work
Attitudes toward country
Values: Wealth
Peace
Achievement
Education
Government
Serving Others
Rate each song’s lyrics in each of the observational areas using the
following scale:
Very High High Average Low Very low Absent
5
4 3
2 1
0
Observational Areas: Current Songs Older Songs (year _____)
Change
Drugs
Sex
Conflict
Beauty
Happiness
Self-sacrifice
Marriage
What to Turn in:
(1) The ratings for each song and a copy of the lyrics for each song.
(2) Your thoughts on the following questions:
(a) What attitudes/values have remained consistently high/low over
the years? Which have changed considerably (either higher or lower)?
(b) What external, world/national events occurred during each time
period that might have influenced popular song lyrics?
(c) What values seem to appeal to today’s adolescents/young adults?
Why?
(3) Next, focus on the portrayal of women in the songs and in the videos,
if any are available. What kinds of characteristics are attributed
to women in the songs? If you have seen the video for the song, how
are women portrayed in the video (e.g., how are they dressed? Are
they smoking, drinking, dancing, etc.)? Are the values attributed
to women different from those attributed to other groups? Incorporate
some research here (find at least three sources)—what do psychologists
have to say about the portrayal of women in song and video? Do your
findings coincide with their research?
(4) Also include in your paper a discussion of attempts to regulate
songs and music. What reasons do people give for wanting to keep
certain songs/music off the air? What reasons do people give for
allowing anything to be played?
(5) After looking at lyrics and thinking about these issues, do you
feel children need to be protected from certain types of songs/music or
should they be allowed to listen to anything? What would they learn
about women if they listened to/watched the videos of these songs?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Research Project #3: Past and Present Magazine/Newspaper/Journal Portrayals of Women
This project is an exploratory look at gender stereotypes in magazines, newspapers and/or journals through time. You are to look at one magazine/newspaper/journal across at least four periods of time, and compare/contrast portrayals of women in the stories and advertisements. Evaluate physical appearance, personality terms used, and jobs and behaviors depicted. If you choose to evaluate a journal, note the number of studies containing women as subjects and the topics covered in those studies. The following magazines/newspapers/journals are all available in our library (either in microfilm, in the stacks, or on-line):
(1) Harper’s Magazine (first known as Harper’s New Monthly Magazine
1850-1900, then Harper’s Monthly Magazine 1900-1939, then Harper’s Magazine
1992+ full text on Infotrac (Academic ASAP))
(2) Time Magazine (1926+)
(3) Reader’s Digest (1933+)
(4) Newsweek (1937+)
(5) New York Times (1900+)
(6) Scranton Times (1900+)
(7) Journal of the American Medical Association (1941+)
For your paper, consider the following:
(1) How frequently were women portrayed in stories and advertisements?
How frequently were men portrayed? How were their physical appearances
described, what personality terms were used, and what jobs and behaviors
were depicted? If there were no women in the stories of your magazine/newspaper,
were any of those stories written by women? If so, how many?
How many were authored by men?
(2) What do researchers say about the portrayal of women in magazines/newspapers/journals
(use at least three sources)? Does your research agree or disagree
with theirs?
(3) What kinds of problems do the men and women in the stories have
to solve? Are they different for males and females? How do
they go about resolving problems and conflicts? Do they use realistic
means? Do they work cooperatively with other characters? Again,
do male and female characters differ in how they resolve problems/work
with others?
(4) If you choose to examine the number of studies that use women as
subjects in JAMA, be sure to include in your paper a short description/summary
of the studies themselves as well as the numbers of studies using women.
Are there any patterns in terms of issues explored by these studies?