SYLLABUS

ANTH 214: Language, Sex, and Gender
SUMMER SESSION 2003, Term II (July 7-Aug 8)

Binghamton University
State University of New York

Class Time: MTWRF - 12:00 pm-1:40 pm
LOCATION: SW 324
Gen Ed: JN
Credit: 4

Instructor: Susan Pietrzyk
spietrz1@hotmail.com
Office hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 2:00-3:00 PM or by appointment
Office Location: Science I-208 (Inside Lab 206)

Course Description

This course explores the interconnections between cultural understandings of sexed bodies, gender identities, sexualities, and communication. There is substantial literature in both linguistic anthropology and in sociocultural anthropology that asserts fundamental differences between "women's language" and "men's language". For example, these can range from minor differences in pronunciation to major differences in the length of time speaking and frequency of interruptions. In this course, we will investigate, complicate, and critique this body of literature through analysis of sex, gender and the usage of language. We will examine the ways language use structures our daily experiences and attempt to find ways of expanding our language to explore new possibilities for sex and gender. Course grades are based on class participation, 2 oral presentations, 20 pages of written work, original research projects, and a final in-class examination.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This is an oral presentation and composition (J) course that contributes to the fulfillment of the Harpur College Writing requirement.

Readings:
One textbook has been ordered for this class and is available at the University Bookstore.
Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective - Edited by Brettell and Sargent

All other readings listed on this syllabus are on reserve in the Reserve Room. Additional brief readings may be assigned occasionally during the summer session; they will be placed on reserve or in other readily accessible sources (such as newspapers or news magazines).

All readings should be completed by the class periods for which they are assigned. Lectures and discussions will presume a familiarity with the reading material, so be prepared to discuss the assigned readings on the day they are due. You will be expected to demonstrate your completion and understanding of the readings in discussion, presentations, written work, and on the final exam.

Exams, Assignments and Grades:
The final exam will be an in-class test given on the last day of classes. The exam will be comprehensive, meaning that it will include information from the entire summer session.

No make-ups for the exam are possible except in case of (documented) medical or other emergency situations and only if you notify me BEFORE the exam.

Regular class attendance and participation in class discussions are mandatory, especially with the concentrated nature of a summer session course. Missing any class meeting will affect your grade. If for whatever reason you do miss a lecture, it will be your responsibility to get the notes, etc., from a fellow student in the class. I suggest that you exchange emails with another student in the class for this purpose.

Summary of grading:

Description of Presentations:
Students are required to give two oral presentations during this course, one based on a course reading which they have chosen to present and the other based on original ethnographic mini-fieldwork projects which all students will be required to design, execute, and report on. Peer Reviews will be completed for both oral assignments. For more information on Peer Reviews, see that section of the syllabus.

1. Analytical Presentation
Each student will be responsible for presenting one article to the class, to be chosen from a list provided by the instructor. Students will select an article during the first week of class and sign up for specific presentation dates. The goal of this presentation is to focus on the main point of the article as well as drawing out a couple of interesting ideas. Do not simply outline the article and then reread it to the class. On the day of your presentation, each student will bring a sufficient number of handouts with information on their presentation for the entire class. Each presentation should be from 10-15 minutes in duration. This presentation is the subject of your first Analytical Summary writing assignment.

2. Fieldwork Presentation
The Fieldwork Presentations will take place during the last week of the summer session. Your presentation should focus on the research question of your investigation, methods used for your study, and the results from your research. For more information on the fieldwork assignment, please read under Research Methodology in the Written Assignments portion of this syllabus. Students should use some sort of visual aid such as, but not limited to, handouts, slides, or PowerPoint presentations. Students are responsible to tell the instructor about any equipment they might need (i.e. slide or data projector) one week in advance of their presentation. Presentations should be from 13-15 minutes in duration.

Description of Writing Assignments
Writing, in this course, will be examined as a process of revision and editing. In this vein, students will write drafts of their written assignments that will be discussed in small groups and reviewed by their peers. Students are also encouraged to visit the on-campus Writing Center in the Library. Students should check with the Writing Center to ensure that there is space for their appointment well before the assignment is due as well as their summer hours.

In all writing assignments it is important to be well organized. Students should have well thought out introductions and conclusions for their work. Creating an outline before beginning any of your writing assignments is required. Other requirements for the writing assignments will be discussed in class.

Assignments that are NOT stapled together will NOT be accepted.

1. Analytical Summary (2):
The first five-page paper will be an analytical summary of an article of the student's choice from a list provided by the instructor. Students will choose their article during the first week of class and sign up for presentation dates. The papers will be due on the day after the article is presented in class. Students should focus on the overall point of the article as well as two to three important or interesting ideas presented through the course of the paper. All quotes from the assigned reading should be properly cited as discussed in class. Students should also include a bibliography with their paper.

The second analytical summary will be based on an article of the student's choice from the course syllabus (the last two weeks of the summer session are exempt from this assignment). This article will not be presented on. Students will choose and sign up for their articles during the first week of class. All other guidelines for the paper are the same as for the first Analytical Summary.

2. Research Methodology
The Research Methodology assignment will culminate in a 10-page paper that details the research methodology and findings from each student's ethnographic research project. Research Design is a particular type of paper and requires specific types of formatting, as will be discussed in detail in lecture. All cited material should appear in a bibliography at the end of the paper. Please note dates for submission of outlines, drafts, peer reviews and final versions of papers as detailed in the Course Schedule portion of the syllabus.

Drafts of the paper will be submitted for Peer Review in class. Mark as much on your peer's draft as you can. The more information given, the more helpful this exercise can be. You must turn in the marked up draft of your paper with your final paper. Do Not lose your marked up draft. This will be worth significant points of your final paper.

Ethnographic Research Project
Students will choose a specific "environment," as discussed in lecture, in which to study gender roles. There should be a specific research question to be addressed through the assignment. Students will submit in writing a proposed research question and environment for study to the instructor by the date specified in the syllabus. The final paper will include the following sections, therefore these should be kept in mind during the construction, implementation, and recording of your research.

Research Question
This is the question upon which your research is founded. Developing a good research question should take a fair amount of time and should be well thought out and constructed. This section of your paper should not be over one page in length, nor does it replace your introduction.

Methodology
This is the nuts and bolts part of your study. In this section you detail exactly how you went about your research: which environment you chose, how and why you chose that environment, what exactly did you do in your study, what observation and/or participation techniques were used, time of day(s) when study was conducted, etc. Options of environments that can be used for this study must be approved by the instructor and include, but are not limited to: a grocery store (mainstream such as PriceChopper, Giant, or Wegman's; or a smaller store such as a local butcher or ethnic market), a laundromat, a party, a bowling alley, a religious service (church, mosque, temple, etc.), a sporting event, Planned Parenthood, a political rally/meeting, Hooters, a gym, a martial arts studio, or a retail store. In all of these environments you must be able to observe communication (not simply between two or three people). If this is not possible in the environment chosen, you must choose a different environment and inform the instructor. If there is an environment that you would like to study that is not on this list, you should present this to the instructor for approval before any part of the assignment is due.

Description
In this section, you should describe in detail (not too exhaustive, please) the environment chosen and what happened during the course of your research. Students should pay specific attention to the built environment (architecture, structure, features, etc.), the types of people involved (sex, gender, socio-economic level, age, etc.), and the ways in which language is used. Look at issues such as how the built environment structures interaction between people. For example, how do women speak and act towards other women in that environment, how do they speak and act towards men, and vice versa? How is language used to both construct and reflect social norms? How is language used to subvert the norm?

Results
In this section, students should discuss the results of their study. This is not a place to simply repeat what you wrote in the Description section, but to synthesize your findings and to explain what the final outcome is. Think of the Results section as where you attempt to answer your research question.

Relevance
Finally, students should conclude their assignments with a discussion of the anthropological relevance of their studies. This is the section in which each student should draw upon what has been learned about anthropological studies through the course of this class. How is your question anthropologically relevant? What does it contribute to anthropology as a discipline?

Peer Reviews:
Peer Reviews will be conducted for both oral presentations and for the draft of the Research Methodology written assignment. Copies of the Peer Review forms for both oral and written assignments are included at the end of this syllabus. These forms should be kept blank in case you lose the copy provided in class. Make photocopies of the blank forms if necessary. Directions on how to complete the forms are given on the forms themselves. Once completed, all peer reviews are to be returned to the instructor for evaluation. Students will be graded on the types of advice offered to their peers as well as how they incorporate given advice into future performance.

Policy on Late Work and Missed Exams:
No late presentations will be accepted. Late papers will drop by one grade increment (from an A- to a B+) for each day they are late. No make-ups for the final exam are possible except in case of (documented) medical or other emergency and only if you notify me BEFORE the exam.

University Policy on Plagiarism:
Academic dishonesty refers to acts of plagiarism, cheating and falsification of research data. Plagiarism is taking and passing off as one's own ideas, writings, computer-generated material, etc. of others: that is, the incorporation into one's written or oral reports of any unacknowledged published, unpublished or oral material from the work of another. It is the right of the faculty member to whom such reports are submitted to decide whether plagiarism has been committed. Obviously, no faculty member makes such a determination without evidence. Factors contributing to that determination include the degree of dependence on unacknowledged outside material, inadequate acknowledgement or the presence of misleading references. In any particular course, students should contact the individual faculty member for information about acceptable and appropriate methods of acknowledgement.

Cheating is using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise.

Falsification of research data involves the intentional misrepresentation of circumstances, procedures, participants and/or results of research projects. For additional information on what constitutes plagiarism, contact the Writing Center, LN-120.

Introduction
Go over Syllabus
Why Study This Topic?
What is an Anthropological Perspective?
Discuss: New Articles