 |
| Edward H. Thompson, Jr.
Department of Sociology & Anthropology Holy Cross College ethompson@holycross.edu |
Office: Beaven
211
Office Hours: T
3:30-5, W 1-3
Th 3:30-5, and by appointment
Phone: 793-3468
Fax: 793-3709
|
|
|
| OBJECTIVES
OF THE COURSE
Courses that explicitly examine masculinities and men’s lives are still relatively new contributions to a gender studies curriculum in the United States. Social science and humanities courses offer some information about men as historical figures, folk heroes, evil patriarchs, anonymous and absent fathers, coercive husbands, and other caricatures. But too few courses, even those within gender studies, ask about ordinary men's lives. In this sociology of men course, men's experience as gendered persons is made visible. What does it mean to study men and masculinity? We will explore what men experience in their lives just because they’re men. This course begins from the realization that, far from being a given of anatomy, masculinity must be continually performed, continually recreated and reassured. The course is designed to recognize the matrix of masculinities “out there” in the culture that help to script gender relations, men’s use of power, and their anxieties, distress, and other emotions. We explored the various meanings of “being a man” and the effects of these different types of masculinities. I expect that this course will provide you with an appreciation of the sociological perspective, a heightened sensitivity to gender studies, and a basic understanding of men in our society. We begin with the recognition that masculinities (as much as femininities) are socio-historical products. We will explore how individual performances occur within cultural contexts that sanction these performances. The course will make you much more conscious of gender. This is not an encyclopedic course, but we do examine a series of topics and try to piece together an interesting collage of what it means to be born male. Topics covered include the conditions of daily experience that privilege some men; men’s bodies; men in family life, work, sport and politics; men and emotions; male sexualities; men in popular culture; men and violence. REQUIRED TEXTS
ADDITIONAL READINGS Regularly, there are articles assigned which are only available through Electronic Reserve. The authors and articles are designated on the syllabus. ACADEMIC HONESTY Violations of academic integrity undermine trust and will be severely penalized. This could become a demanding course for some students in terms of the energy and time needed to meet your own expectations and to satisfy the course requirements. The reading load is moderately heavy. Students’ responsibilities are to: (1) faithfully read assigned material beforehand and attend classes prepared to participateParticipation and Attendance. The course is based on lecture & discussion and class attendance is expected. Missing class once every other week is unacceptable, and will affect your grade. More importantly the success of this course depends upon how engaged students are and the extent to which all of you participate. The reading assignments often incite questions and debate. You are encouraged to bring up a reading, ask questions, make comments, bring newspaper or magazine articles to the attention of the class; frankly put, preparation and active participation are pivotal to the success of the course. Read the articles and chapters for themes, theoretical and public policy issues, unanswered questions, new ideas, troubling conclusions, alternative interpretations, and things that arouse feelings. Unfortunately class sessions never permit enough time to thoroughly discuss the background readings. To get the most out of each class session, your reading beforehand and asking questions are absolutely essential. Group Presentation/Discussion. You will be randomly assigned to a 7-8 person team at the end of the first week of the semester. Your team’s responsibility is to fully organize one class session. In consultation with me, the group will prepare a presentation/discussion (perhaps using media, guest lectures). The first group will discuss masculinities and race/ethnicity (February 13); the second group will direct a class conversation on “toughness & success” in sports (March 13); the third group will take responsibility for a discussion of the beautification of men’s bodies (March 20); and, the final group examines men’s relationships with women (April 10). This group work becomes 5% of a person’s course grade. Book Reviews. Everyone is expected
to submit the first day discussed a 3-4 page critical review of the three
of the five monographs – Bordo’s The male body, Duneier’s Slim’s table,
Ehreinreich’s Hearts of men, and Faludi’s Stiffed, Lefkowitz’s Our guys.
You assignment is to integrate your own understanding of the issues (e.g.,
race and masculinities, breadwinning, sexual assault and violence) with
theoretical tools provided in course readings. The reviews constitute
15% of the course grade and are noted on the syllabus with a graphic pointer Exams. One midterm examination and one final are scheduled. The in-class midterm will cover all assigned materials to that point of the course and comprises 25% of the course grade. The midterm exam typically consists of two parts: 2 essays, which are evaluated for your ability to systematically use course materials as you analyze issues we have been addressing; and, short answer questions written to determine how well you understand concepts and issues found in the readings and lectures. The final exam covers the latter half of the course, and it comprises 30% of the course grade. Research Assignment. The major project of this course is the construction of a critical analysis of a significant issue which has relevance to you. My objective is to further develop your analytical skills as you examine how men's lives are constructed and experienced. This assignment involves either a significant literature review or "hands-on" research with library research. I have several research projects that I could use research assistants. But the assignment is designed to provide you the freedom to select a topic, which is of interest to you. For many students interested in gender studies, hands-on research makes studying gender relations much more intriguing. You will come away from the research with a deeper understanding. This assignment is a semester-long project. Only very rarely can someone submit a quality paper by trying to complete the work in the last month of a semester. Early in the semester (by the end of the second week) you are expected to identify yourself as one of the students doing a research paper. Repeating this: The fork-in-the-road decision for developing a research paper or maintaining a journal is the end of the second week. A research project requires a number of invisible hours engaged in the library reading. To assure the project begins with enough time to complete it, you must consult with me outside of class time before February 4. A one-page prospectus with at least five journal article references is due no later than February 25. The final paper is due April 29. Late papers will be penalized. Guidelines and information will be discussed during the office visit. The paper constitutes 25% of the course grade. Journal Assignment. This too is a semester?long project in lieu of a research paper. The journal must be started by the end of the first week of class. Your objective is to routinely analyze and/or critically reflect on the social world you and others inhabit. Over the semester, your journal will reveal what you have thought about when you are (re)examining men’s lives. You will not have a shortage of things to write about. A journal is not a diary summarizing personal feelings and thoughts. Rather, each entry is a critically reflective short paper (3 pages in length) that reveals your use what your are learning from the course as you analyze issues and events outside the classroom from a perspective that studies masculinities and men’s lives. At the end of the semester, you submit your entire journal for evaluation. The journal is worth 25% of the course grade. But do not delay starting. You are expected to write, on average, one entry a week beginning the first full week of classes and ending April 24. The journal you submit at the end of the semester will contain at least 10 entries, each 3-pages in length (one inch margins, TimesRoman 11 or 12, or Arial 10 font). Several of the individual entries will
have already been graded, because I will collect the entire journal for
three to five students each week. Yours could be randomly selected
several weeks in a row. Everyone maintaining a journal must bring
her/his work to class each Thursday. No exception. Each the
time you submit the journal for evaluation, you select the entry you wish
to be graded from among the ones you have already written. At the
close of the semester, you again submit the entire journal. The completed
journal is graded on the quality of each of the six entries I grade, plus
the overall quality of a journal. Your weekly entries reveal detailed
analysis; the overall journal should reveal that you have in fact
spent the semester thinking about different aspects of the course.
The final journal is due April 24, no exceptions. Late submissions
will be penalized
 |
.