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Course Description: This research seminar will examine the status of women comparatively with an emphasis on Asian, Middle Eastern and Western civilizations. In addition to mainstream political and historical analysis, the course will explore a variety of feminist perspectives to illuminate women’s roles in society both historically and in the present day. Broadly speaking, the professors will pursue four major themes and the issues related to those themes. The four themes are (1) women and work, (2) women and family, (3) women and ideology/religion and (4) women and politics/law.

Evaluation:

• Farman Farmaian, Sattareh. Daughter of Persia: A Woman’s Journey from Her Father’s Harem through the Islamic Revolution. NY: Anchor Books, 1992.
• Seager, Joni. State of Women in the World Atlas. New ed. London and NY: Penguin Reference, 1997. (Atlas)
• Wiesner, Merry and Lisa DiCaprio. Lives and Voices: Sources in European Women’s History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. ("Voices")
• Woloch, Nancy. Early American Women: A Documentary History 1600-1900. 2^nd ed. NY: McGraw Hill, 2002. ("Woloch")
• Ware, Susan. Modern American Women: A Documentary History. 2^nd ed. NY: McGraw Hill, 2002. ("Ware")
• Handout packets for Units Two and Three will be distributed before those units start.

It is absolutely essential to success in this class that you attend regularly, participate in discussion, and keep up with the readings. To aid you in that effort:

• Attendance is required: the units are so short that a few absences could seriously affect your learning experience. It is your responsibility to sign the attendance sheet at each class meeting; you will not be allowed to sign the sheet at a later date. Class notes are not accepted as ‘proof’ that you attended class on a particular day.
• Excessive absences: More than three unexcused absences will result in grade penalties; your final grade will be reduced by one-half for each absence after the third. We require documentary evidence for excused absences: a note from a doctor, coach, or college administration, or a phone call from the health service. Oral excuses are not accepted. Athletes should show us game/match schedules early in the semester. All excuses for absences should be given to Dr. Evans.
• Tardiness: If you are more than 15 minutes late for class, you will not be given credit for attending. Please be aware that oversleeping, studying for tests, taking tests in other classes, or being held over in another class is not an acceptable reason for missing this class. If you have repeated problems with another professor holding you over, talk to one of us. If you are in a class whose requirements conflict with this one, you should drop one of them.
• Missed research assignments and quizzes may be made up with an acceptable excuse, as long as the excuse is given within one week of the absence. If you know one week before an exam that you will be absent, you must present us with documentary evidence in order to schedule a make-up exam.
• Any student with a documented disability (e.g., mobility, learning, psychological, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange accommodations must contact both the professors and Disability Services (826-2188) at the beginning of the term.
• We will not tolerate plagiarism or cheating. Violations of the "Policy on Academic Dishonesty" detailed in the Baldwin-Wallace College Catalog will result in a failing grade and will be reported to college authorities for investigation and disciplinary action. Plagiarized research papers or exam essays will receive a grade of 0.
• We strongly encourage you to make use of our e-mail and posted office hours. This is the best way to ensure that we get to know you as a person, so that we are aware of your individual strengths and any difficulties you may experience. If you need to meet with one of us outside of regular office hours, either drop by our offices or contact us to schedule an appointment.

Tentative Course Schedule – please note that readings, topic headings, and discussion questions may be adjusted as the semester progresses, particularly in the later units.

T 1/14 Introductions

TH 1/16: Readings: (approximately 55 pages)

"Voices": Articles 53, 54, 74, 97, 100, 104, 118, 126, 176a (in their entirety)

"Woloch": All readings are "et seq."

Section 1/3-slaves, p.53

Section 1/3-Ballard, p.62

Section 2/8-Lowell, p.177

Section 3/13-Prostitutes, p.287

Section 3/13-Domestics, p.296

Section 3/13-Sweatshop, p.306

"Ware": All readings are "et seq."

Section 1/3-All articles but photo essay, pp.47-65

(May review photo essay, but will not be held responsible for it)

T 1/21: Readings: (approximately 53 pages)

"Ware": All readings are "et seq."

Section 2/7-LeSueur, p.145; Hagood, p.156; Dollinger, p.165;

Olsen, p.171

Section 2/8-Hill, p.185; Stegeman, p.188

Section 2/9-Boggs, p.208

Section 3/11-pp.268-289 and pp.292-293

TH 1/23: Readings: (Approximately 54 pages)

"Voices": Articles 9, 14, 28, 37, 62, 65, 98, 121, 141, 167, 171

"Woloch": All readings are "et seq."

Section 1, part 2-Wadsworth, p.27

Section 1, part 2-Pinckney, p.33

Section 2/7-pp. 141-159 (inclusive)

T 1/28: Readings: (Approximately 52 pages)

"Woloch": All readings are "et seq."

Section 3/14-Shinn, p.332

"Ware": All readings are "et seq."

Section 1, part 4-Gilman, p.78

Section 1, part 4-Conger-Kaneko, p.81

Section 1, part 4-Sanger, p.84

Section 2/6-Mothers, p.130

Section 2/7-Martin, p.162

Section 2/9-Rubin, p.215

Section 3/10-Mainardi, p.243

Section 3/12-pp.298-326 (inclusive)

TH 1/30: Readings: (Approximately 81 pages)

"Voices": Articles 3, 5, 16, 21, 30, 31,42, 45, 46, 52, 61, 78, 79, 90, 92, 115, 116, 147, 171, 175, 179abc, 181, 186, 188

T 2/4: Readings: (Approximately 81 pages)

"Woloch"" All articles are "et seq."

Section 1/5-Bradstreet, p. 98

Section 1/5-Old Eliz., p. 115

Section 1/6-Adams, p. 127

Section 2/8-Willard, p. 164

Section 2/10-Williams, p. 226

Section 2/11-Seduced, p.232

Section 2/11-Sojourner, p. 247

Section 3/14-Howe, p. 317

Section 3/14-Terrell, p. 328

Section 3/15-Leavitt,p.337

Section 3/15-Zitkola-Sa, p. 344

"Ware": All articles are "et seq."

Section 1/1-Wells, p. 14

Section 1, part 2-Addams, p. 34

Section 1, part 2-Fields, p. 40

Section 2/6-Stevens, p. 123

Section 2/9-Parks, p. 220

Section 3/10-NOW, p. 237

Section 3/10-Wallace, p. 257

Section 3/12-All articles, pp. 300-326

Section 3/13-Hill, p. 334

Section 3/13-Bunch, p. 350

TH 2/6: Readings: (Approximately 82 pages)

"Voices": Articles 12, 23, 24, 56, 57, 62, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 81, 85, 86, 95, 98, 101, 106, 107, 129, 134, 138, 149, 157, 162, 164, 171, 178, 182, 184, 186

T 2/11: Readings: (Approximately 79 pages)

"Woloch": Section 1, part 4-Contract, p. 70

Section 1, part 4-Morse, p. 90

Section 1/6-Wilkinson, p. 122

Section 1/6-Galloway,p. 124

Section 2/9-Cherokee, p. 199

Section 3/12-Alcott, p. 255

Section 3/12-Jones, p. 265

Section 3/12-Taylor, p. 282

Section 3/16-All articles, pp. 355-374

"Ware": Section 1/5-All articles, pp. 93-114

Section 2/6-Catt, p. 121

Section 2/6-Stevens, p. 123

Section 2/8-Hill, p. 185

Section 2/8-Sone, p. 197

TH 2/13 Unit One Exam. Heuristic questions due.

Begin reading Daughter of Persia, by Sattareh Farman Farmaian. As you read, keep the following questions in mind: (1) How does Satti’s mother react to laws intended to ‘liberate’ Iranian women? (2) According to Satti, what were the most important challenges facing Iranian women up to the 1970s? (3) What is Satti’s reaction to the women who wear the chador during the Iranian Revolution, and what does this suggest about her attitude towards religion? There will be an essay question on the exam relating to these issues.

T 2/18 Sacred Text and Social Space Read: "Women in Islamic History," by Indira Gesink, selections from the Qur’an and sayings of Muhammad, "The Status of Hindu Women in India: A Brief Introduction," by Nancy Falk, and stories of Hindu female archetypes. Discussion: What rights, duties, and restrictions on women’s status can be attributed to Hinduism and Islam?

TH 2/20 Read "Om Gad," by Nayra Atiya; "Rassundari Debi," by Malavika Karlekar; Atlas, 26 (Domestic Violence), 34 (That’s My Boy), 46 (Birth and Death), 52 (Under the Knife). Discussion: In what ways does religion affect the lives of Muslim and Hindu women in the Middle East and South Asia? In what ways do economic and social status affect them?

T 2/25 Imperialism, Industrialization, and the Changing Nature of ‘Women’s Work’ Video: Arab Women at Work. Read: "Entrepreneurial Women," by Afaf Lutfi al-Sayyid Marsot; Altas, 16 (Gains and Losses), 62 (Fieldwork–note that statistics do not include unreported women agricultural workers), 64 (On the Move), 68 (Women’s Work), 78 (Poverty), 70 (Unequal Opportunities)

TH 2/27 Read: "Women in Independent India," by Geraldine Forbes; "The Growing Burdens of Women," by Sulabha Brahme; Atlas, 74 (Literacy). Discussion: We often assume that modernization and industrialization improve the lives of women. Has this proven to be the case in the Middle East and South Asia, according to the examples given in the readings? Why/why not?

T 3/4 Feminist Ideology and Family Roles Video: A Veiled Revolution. Read: Two perspectives on veiling and seclusion: "Unveiling and veiling," by Nazira Zein-ed-Din; "A Lecture in the Club of the Umma Party (1909)," by ‘Bahithat al-Badiya’; "The Veiled Revolution," by Elizabeth Fernea; review the verses of the Qur’an on modest dress; Atlas, 28 (In Their Place).

TH 3/6 Read "Why I do not Call Myself a Feminist," by Madhu Kishwar, and "Islam and Feminism," by Haleh Afshar. Discussion: How do these authors characterize western feminism? What alternate models of women’s liberation do they discuss? Be prepared to argue whether styles of feminism that focus on western themes of liberation really deal with the kinds of problems Middle Eastern and South Asian women might face. There is no "correct" answer–just be prepared to defend your point of view with evidence from the readings and videos.

T 3/11-TH 3/13 SPRING BREAK

T 3/18 Politicized Religion and Political Participation Read "An Islamic Activist: Zaynab al-Ghazali," interview by Valerie Hoffman; "Communalising Gender Engendering Community," by Ratna Kapur and Brenda Cossman; Atlas, 14, 104 (State of Women); 84 (Making the Grade), 86 (Matters of Degree), 88 (Vote), 90 (Seats of Power).

TH 3/20 Discussion of Daughter of Persia. See questions above.

T 3/25 Unit Two Exam. Annotated bibliography, title pages of sources, and reliability analyses of web pages due.

TH 3/27 Confucian Ideology and the Position of Women in Traditional China  Read: "Chu Hsi and Women’s Education," by Bettine Birge and "Widows in the Kinship, Class, and Community Structures of Qing Dynasty China," by Susan Mann.

T 4/1 Video: Chinese Women: From Confucius to Mao

TH 4/3 Socialism’s Model Women / Gender and the Cultural Revolution Read: "Call me ‘Qingnian’ but not ‘Funu’": A Maoist Youth in Retrospect," by Wang Zheng; "My Wandering Years in the Cultural Revolution: The Interplay of Political Discouse and Personal Articulation," by Bai Di; "Times Have Changed, Men and Women are the Same," by Jiang Jin, and "Iron Girls Revisited: Gender and the Politics of Work in the Cultural Revolution 1966-1976," by Emily Honig.

T 4/8 Revival of Femininity in Contemporary China Read: "The Pleasures of Adornment and the Dangers of Sexuality," by Honig & Hershatter and "Flower Vase and Housewife," by Beverley Hooper.

TH 4/10 Women’s Working Lives in East Asia Read: "Women and Work," by Honig & Hershatter and "Women, Work, and Marriage in Three East Asian Labor Markets: The Cases of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea," by Yean-Ju Lee and Shuichi Hirata.

T 4/15 Political Participation Read: "Women and Political Participation in China," by Stanley Rosen; "Japanese Women and Political Institutions: Why Are Women Politically Underrepresented?" by Tokuko Ogai and "Self-Governance, Political Participation, and the Feminist Movement in South Korea," by Mikyung Chin.

TH 4/17 Gender and Korean Nationalism Read: "Re-membering the Korean Military Comfort Women: Nationalism, Sexuality, and Silencing," by Hyunah Yang; and "Prostitute Bodies and Gendered States in U.S.-Korean Relations," by Katharine H.S. Moon.

T 4/22 Video: Comfort Women

TH 4/24 Unit Three Exam

T 4/29 Research portfolios due. See portfolio assignment specifications below.

TH 5/1

Research papers are due during the final exam period: Thursday, May 8, 9-11 AM. According to college policy, classes must meet for educational purposes during the schedule exam session. Events TBA.

Part I – What is the question you are answering for your research paper? (e.g., the heuristic question you answered–see heuristic question exercise)

Part II – What is the possible/probable answer to the question you are asking? (e.g., your thesis statement)

Part III – What is your research plan? This should include responses on the types and numbers of sources you are using (e.g., 3 monographs, 2 internet sites, 1 journal article). What target dates have you set for yourself to have certain tasks accomplished?

Part IV – Annotated bibliography of sources to be used for research paper.

This section will have proper bibliographic citations for each source you are using for your research paper (use Chicago Manual of Style or American Psychological Association citation styles). Each source should be evaluated for its usefulness to your project—this should be done in 2-3 sentences. You MUST include a copy of the title page of any book or journal article you are using; for websites, a copy of the home page for the website. You can use no more than two websites for your paper and in your annotation, explain why you think they are valid and reliable for your research. All of these sources will be checked by the professors.

Part V – Copy of the title page of the style manual you are using (Chicago or Turabian are the preferred manuals. Students who have done the majority of their work in Political Science may use APA format. MLA style is not acceptable.)

All of these elements should be put into a folder or binder of some kind. You should include a title page of your own, stating your name, the title of your paper, HIS/POL/INT 463 (as appropriate for credit). Pages should be numbered in the lower right hand corner. Due date for the portfolio is in your syllabus.

Part One: Heuristics. Define your research question (due on day of Unit One exam)

A good way to generate interesting research is to experiment with "heuristic questions." Heuristic questions help you work with vague questions to generate more specific questions and parallel lines of inquiry. To formulate heuristic questions, follow these directions:

2. Formulate your general interests in terms of a question, and make the questions specific by limiting them to specific groups, geographical areas, and time periods:

3. You may not be able to find information on the specific question you have outlined, so you must consider other possibilities as well. Add specific descriptive terms to your question and ask yourself how your answer might change if you changed your descriptors. Consider all possible variables and subsidiary questions.

4. Write up three of your most interesting resulting questions to turn in, including any secondary questions they generate (preferably your three questions should be on different topics, unless you already know exactly what you want to do). Obviously your research question will change and become more specific after you explore the resources available to you in the library, but the heuristic question exercise will help you to generate the kind of very specific yet interesting questions that can be answered in a short paper.