Gender and Communication

COMM 5425

Texts:

Canary, D. J., & Emmers-Sommers, T. M. (1997). Sex and gender differences in personal relationships. New York: Guilford Press.

          Pipher, M. (1994). Reviving Ophelia: Saving the self of adolescent girls. New York: Ballantine.

            Pollack, W. (1998). Real boys: Rescuing our sons from the myths of boyhood. New York: Owl Books.

            Additional reading packet to be provided.

 

Attendance:

Attendance of graduate classes is always expected. In order for this class to be successful, your attendance and participation are imperative. This class will be conducted as a seminar; we will all perform the roles of teachers and learners simultaneously. You are responsible for keeping up with all assigned readings. We will discuss the readings extensively as a class and your comments will be welcome and expected.

Late work will be lowered five percentage points for each day late, beginning after class. For example, if you do not show up to class on the day an assignment is due but turn it in after class is over, your grade on that assignment will be lowered one letter grade. If you turn it in the next day, your grade will be lowered ten percentage points.

You should keep up with all of your work in this class. All papers should be saved on disk and be easily accessible.

Course Description:

This course incorporates theory and research in the social and behavioral sciences to examine how gender is culturally created and maintained through communication and in our relationships.

By the end of this course, you will be expected to demonstrate:

1)            comprehension of the major theoretical perspectives and research concerning gender and communication;

2)                  an analytical awareness of gendered behavior and gender issues;

3)                  critical understanding of the relationship between gender, class, and race;

4)            understanding of the essential role communication plays in cultural constructions of gender (what it means to be female or male in our culture and others).

Academic Misconduct:

All work should be uniquely your own in both word and thought. You should correctly document all words and ideas belonging to others according to APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. This course is subject to university policies on academic misconduct. For example, academic misconduct, including plagiarism and cheating, will automatically result in a failing grade and will be reported to the University. Please see the UNT Student Handbook for explanations of UNT=s policies.

 

Access Policy:

Students needing accommodations should register with UNT’s Office of Disability Accommodation (565-4323/University Union, #318A). Please let me know if accommodations are necessary and I will be happy to oblige.

Method of Evaluation:

Participation:   (50 points)

This class will be conducted as a seminar; you should complete all readings prior to class and be prepared to comment on those readings in depth. Each week, you should bring in questions and points of  interest related to the readings. In addition, you can bring in newspaper clippings, or other items that add to our understanding of gender and/or our culture’s understanding of gender.

Reaction Papers (3) and PowerPoint Presentation (1):   (100 points each)

Choose 4 of the five areas this course is divided into (sex and gender; culture; race, class, and gender; men and masculinity; women and femininity) to react to. As you complete the readings, ask questions of the reading and then set out to answer those questions in your reaction papers and presentation. Your papers should be well-written, well-argued, and concise, consisting of an introductory paragraph, 4-5 paragraphs of support/argument, include brief transitions, and a concluding paragraph. You should use 10 academic sources/research at a minimum.

Research Paper:   (250 points)

Your primary and final project in this class will involve conducting research in some area of gender. For example, you can examine gender in organizations, in the media, and  distribute surveys and conduct interviews to gauge how people feel about your topic. We will discuss this assignment in much more depth.  

A:         368-400
B:         336-367
C:         300-335
F:         0-299