Ethel K. Cantu, M.A., L.P.C.
Office: South Hall 227
Phone: 544-8868
E-mail: ecantu@utb.edu
Web site: http://blue.utb.edu/ecantu
If there is no answer, then leave a message on my voice mail at 544-8868 or with the secretary at 544-8225. If ever you need help or want to talk about anything, feel free to see me after class or in my office. You don't need an appointment to see me during the following hours:
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Faculty Office in South 227 |
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If these times are not convenient for you, please call or email me to set up an appointment.
PSYC 4312
PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER
SPRING 2005
Prerequisite: Nine hours
of PSYC and/or SOCI
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course asks how biological and cultural factors influence the
development of gender roles and identities and stereotypes of masculinity and
femininity and how these affect our lives at the personal, social, and
institutional levels.
II. COURSE PURPOSE
The purpose of this course is to examine gender from a comprehensive,
interdisciplinary view. We will examine gender from a variety of perspectives,
including biological, psychological, and sociological. Gender will be treated
as a nature-nurture issue where biological and cultural factors interact in
such a way that it is impossible to separate their effects and where often the
individual contributions of each cannot be determined.
III. GOALS OF THE COURSE
One goal is to have you master the major concepts and theories of the
psychology of gender. Another goal is to have you develop the critical thinking
skills that are necessary to identify, analyze and evaluate ideas so that you
are better prepared to make decisions related to gender as you live your life
and influence the lives of others. Critical thinking as well as mastery of the
material are the goals of the course. Research exercises and
debates/discussions on current, controversial issues related to gender will
help foster critical thinking skills.
IV. OBJECTIVES
Students who successfully complete this course should be able to:
1) understand broad theories of why the two genders appear to be different.
2) understand how gender operates in biological and cultural ways.
3) understand how gender affects our thoughts and behaviors.
4) understand controversial issues that have profound implications for the way
men and women perceive themselves.
5) understand how these perceptions affect their relationships with each other
and with their children.
6) use evidence to work toward a personal resolution of the issues.
7) clarify their own values.
8) learn about and from fellow students.
9) work collaboratively with other students.
10) express ideas orally and in writing.
V. TEACHING & LEARNING STRATEGIES
In class I will help you learn through lectures, group discussions,
individual and group exercises, films and exams. Since this is an upper
division course, more responsibility is placed on the students for presentation
of course material. This will be accomplished through debates, discussions, web
research, field research and library research.
Outside of class you will help yourself learn by reading the text assignment prior to class using the SQ3R method, completing the assignments and devoting at least two hours of study for every hour of class. A Study Guide has been prepared for each chapter. Bring to each class period your written responses to the appropriate study guide topics and other homework assigned. See the syllabus and online calendar for due dates.
Use my web site at UTB/TSC Blackboard and/or http://blue.utb.edu/ecantu for helpful resources and links. You can also access my web site through the UTB/TSC link by clicking on Faculty and then my name. Use the Calendar button on my web site for Gender to access an expanded daily course outline with links to the assignments.
The following Web sites contain reputable information about psychology,
including student resources for career development:
American Psychological Association www.apa.org
American Psychological Society www.psychologicalscience.org
VI. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, who wish to
request academic adjustments in this class should notify the Disabilities
Services Office early in the semester so that the appropriate accommodations
may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student requesting academic
adjustments must provide documentation of his/her disability to the Disability
Services counselor. For more information, call or visit the
VII. DEALING WITH CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES
The complexity of our society today requires that college graduates have
well developed critical thinking skills which require considered thought and a
sensitivity to a wide range of views on important issues. These skills will be
fostered in this course as we explore several controversial issues. Many of the
issues we will confront have no "right" or "wrong" answers,
but more or less "considered" opinions. You are expected to prepare
yourself for discussion, questioning and informed debate on these issues. You
are expected to be respectful of other students' opinions even when they are
directly opposed to your own views. I will not offer my views on these
controversial issues so as to maintain an atmosphere of open, unbiased
consideration.
VIII. TEXTBOOKS
The primary text is Gender: Psychological Perspectives, 3rd
edition, by Linda Brannon, published by Allyn and Bacon, 2002. Another required
text is Readings in the Psychology of Gender, by Anne Hunter and Carie
Forden, published by Allyn & Bacon, 2002. Additional readings will be
assigned either online or on library reserve. Check the calendar of
assignments on Blackboard or blue.
IX. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Individual homework
assignments will prepare you to interact with your classmates. The homework
will include summaries of readings, investigations of web sites, and other
short writing assignments.
Two exams and a final exam will cover the reading assignments and class presentations. The exams will be multiple choice and essay questions.
For the "Gender in
the Headlines" assignment, find a news or magazine story of gender
research and compare the story to the findings of the original research report.
Get the story, get the original research report, survey your acquaintances
about their impressions of the story, write a two-page interpretation and
critical evaluation of your findings and present your findings to the class.
Provide citations for each source in APA style. See the Purdue
University Online Writing Lab for information and a tutorial on APA style.
You can also consult the one page summary
of APA style that is on my web site under Resources. The schedule of presentations will be arranged in class.
For the "Project"
assignment, you will work collaboratively with a group of four to six people to
design and complete a research project and present your findings to the class.
The projects involve observational studies, interviews, questionnaires, content
analysis and Internet research. A minimum of five references from professional
journals in psychology or related fields are required. Provide citations for
each source in APA style. See the Purdue
University Online Writing Lab for information and a tutorial on APA style.
You can also consult the one page summary
of APA style that is on my blue
web site under Resources. The projects
and due dates will be determined in class, depending on student interest.
NOTE TO PSYCHOLOGY MAJORS: A portfolio will be required for the Senior
Seminar that must be taken by all seniors. For each psychology course, keep a
copy of the course syllabus, a one-page summary of what you learned in the
course, a list of all the readings for the course in APA style, and copies of
your research papers and projects. (Sociology majors also have a portfolio
required for their Senior Seminar.)
X. EVALUATION
|
Homework |
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100 |
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Exams (two @ 100 pts. each) |
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200 |
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Final Exam |
|
100 |
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Collaborative Research Project |
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|
|
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Interpretation/Evaluation |
60 |
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|
Oral Presentation |
30 |
|
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APA Citations |
10 |
|
Gender in the Headlines |
|
|
|
|
Interpretation/Evaluation |
60 |
|
|
Oral Presentation |
30 |
|
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APA
Citations |
10 |
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Total Possible Points |
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600 |
|
A |
90-100% |
540-600 |
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B |
80-89% |
480-539 |
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C |
70-79% |
420-479 |
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D |
60-69% |
360-419 |
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F |
59% and below |
359 and below |
XI. MAKEUP AND LATE WORK POLICY
Exams must be taken at the scheduled time. The only exceptions are
illness and personal emergency. If you have such problems, contact me
immediately, preferably before the exam.
Late work will not be accepted.
XII. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Cheating and plagiarism will not
be tolerated; disciplinary action will be taken. Copying someone else's work is
cheating, and so is allowing someone else to copy your work. Portraying someone
else's ideas or words as your own is plagiarism. Not giving credit for the
source of the ideas, even if you have reworded the work, is also plagiarism.
Go to http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html.
for a tutorial on what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.
I
expect you to be honest about your work. Give credit to others' ideas using
citations in APA style. Follow the APA guidelines for your paper, including
title page, referring to and quoting from published works, and reference
list. See the Purdue
University Online Writing Lab for information and a tutorial on APA style. You
can also consult the one page summary
of APA style that is on my blue web
site under Resources.
XIII. SERIOUSNESS OF PURPOSE/ATTENDANCE
I expect you to be present, prompt, prepared and focused on the activities
of the class. If you miss more than three hours of class, are habitually late
for class or unprepared, or detract from the goals of the class, your grade
will be lowered and/or disciplinary action taken.
XIV. IMPORTANT DATES
|
Jan
18-20 |
Add/Drop
Period |
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Feb
2 |
Official
record date |
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Mar
14-19 |
Spring
Break |
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Mar
28 |
Last
day to withdraw with a W |
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May
2 |
Last
day of class |
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May
3-10 |
Final
Exams |
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May
14 |
Commencement |
XV. COURSE OUTLINE
|
Date |
Topic |
Assignment |
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Jan
19 |
Introduction |
Discussion
on video Sex & Gender |
|
Jan
24 |
Study
of Gender |
Brannon:
Preface & Chap 1 |
|
Jan 26 |
Library Research Skills |
UT System Interactive Library
Online Research Tutorial |
|
Jan
31 |
Researching
Sex and Gender |
Brannon:
Chap 2 |
|
Feb
2 |
Gender & Power
Relations |
Hunter
& Forden: Chap 2 |
|
Feb 7, 9 |
Hormones and Chromosomes |
Brannon: Chaps 3 |
|
Feb 14 |
Intelligence
and Mental Abilities |
Brannon:
Chap 4 |
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Feb 16 |
Exam
I |
Brannon:
Preface & Chapters 1-4, Hunter & Forden: Preface, Introduction, &
Chapters 1-2, Internet & Library Research |
|
Feb 21 |
Collaborative
Research Projects |
Prepare
a two page research proposal with at least 3 references from professional
journals in psychology or related fields. Online
reading: Poster Presentations |
|
Feb 23 |
Gender
Development: Psychoanalytic Approach |
Brannon:
Chap 5 |
|
Feb 28, Mar 2 |
Gender Development: Social Theories |
Brannon: Chap 6 |
|
Mar 7, 9 |
Gender Stereotypes |
Brannon: Chaps 7 |
|
Mar 21, 23, 28 |
Emotions |
Brannon: Chap 8 |
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Mar 30, Apr 4 |
Relationships |
Brannon: Chap 9 |
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Apr 6 |
Exam II |
Brannon: Chapters 5-9 |
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Apr 11, 13 |
Sexuality |
Brannon:
Chap 10 |
|
Apr 18 |
School |
Brannon: Chap 11 |
|
Apr 20 |
Careers and Work |
Brannon: Chap 12 |
|
Apr 25 |
Health & Fitness |
Brannon: Chaps 13 |
|
Apr 27, May 2 |
Stress, Coping, and Psychopathology |
Brannon: Chaps 14 |
|
May
4 |
Final
Exam |
Brannon:
Chapters 10-14 |
XVI. FINAL EXAM
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PSYC 4312.01 |
WEDNESDAY MAY 4 |
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