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Women, Gender and Society. Soc/WMST 308. Survey. 1) You meet a couple and find that the children have the woman’s last name, not the man’s. What goes on for you? 2) You walk into class and see a female professor at the podium? What do you expect? 3. Equality. What is it?. Knowledge.
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Women, Gender and Society Soc/WMST 308
Survey • 1) You meet a couple and find that the children have the woman’s last name, not the man’s. What goes on for you? • 2) You walk into class and see a female professor at the podium? What do you expect? • 3. Equality. What is it?
Knowledge • 1. Knowledge is political. -- powerful people who convince others that their interpretation of reality is fact. • What is considered knowledge changes over time and across cultures. • For example – Sun went around the earth. How was this political? • Give examples of present day knowledge that’s political. • Global Warming. Sex Education
Knowledge • 2. Knowledge is political in what is taught. But knowledge is also political in what is absent. • Think about what subjects are taught in school. What is absent? • 3.Women’s studies classes are political. So are other classes.
Opposite? • 1) Define what the word “opposite” means on a piece of paper. • 2) Give some examples • 3) Justify how those examples are “opposites using the definition you provided. • 4) Can you now apply that same definition of “opposite” to men and women? Justify.
What is Sex/Gender • 1) Definitions • "Butler argues that gender, race, sexuality, etc., are the products of a "ritualized repetition" of normative understandings constructed through relations of power through which individuals are compelled to recognize themselves and performs their identities." from Luann Duesterberg. 1999 • 2) What does it mean to be: • Masculine • Feminine?
What is Sex/Gender • 1) Gender as a dichotomy ?– • Men and women are not opposites. Evidence. But, it’s important for us to see them that way. Why? • 2) Gender as androcentric – • We tend to value male characteristics more than females. • 3. Male as norm -- • Men are perceived as the yardstick by which we compare women. Evidence.
Women and Men: Different/ Same • What does it mean to say that men and women are different? • What does it means to say that men and women are the same? • Inequality/Equality and Problems with Opportunity
3 Themes of Class • 1) Learn the difference between morality and analysis • Define the terms • Morality – value laden judgement about good/bad, right/wrong. • Analysis – Questioning why something exists • Go over survey
3 Themes of Class • 2) Understand how gender and our knowledge of it is socially constructed.
3 Themes of Class • 3) Understand Contradictions in our thinking • For example: We believe in equality --- except for gays/lesbians • We believe that women deserve equal opportunity, except we only feel comfortable with women nurturing.