Anthr 310 - A1 (Fall 2016 Term)
The Anthropology of Gender
Class time and place: MWF 9-9:50 AM, 1-90 Tory Instructor: Joseph Hill
Office: 13-29 Tory
Telephone: 780-492-5889 Fax: 780-492-5273 Office Hours: W 1-3 PM or by appointment Personal Website:
https://www.ualberta.ca/arts/about/people-collection/joseph-hill http://ualberta.academia.edu/JosephHill
Course Website: https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/
Course Prerequisites: ANTHR 110 or 207 or 209 or consent of Department Course Description and Objectives
From the catalog:
A comparative, cross-cultural, and cross-species perspective on biological and social aspects of sex and gender differences.
Gender might be defined as the social and cultural ideas and practices associated with biological sex dis- tinction, or in other words, the contrast between men and women—and by extension masculinity and femininity—in any particular cultural context. Gender oppositions appear to members of society to be absolutely natural—perhaps even the most fundamental part of a person. Yet paradoxically, what it means to be masculine or feminine differs from society to society and is even hard to pin down within any cul- tural context. Apparently clear distinctions between two universal opposites actually prove to be neither clear nor binary nor universal. Yet the idea that gender distinctions are natural and immutable seems nearly universal in human social groups.
Gender studies grows out of women’s studies and feminist scholarship, yet it has come to include a broad range of questions, including masculinity, sexualities, gender relations, and non-binary gender. This course explores anthropological approaches to sex and gender around the world, including intersections between gender, culture, class, globalization, race, and ethnicity.
Some of the topics we will examine include: the history of feminism and the study of women, sex, and gender in anthropology; the mutual influence between cultural, medical, and evolutionary understand- ings of sex and gender; relationships between gender and colonialism, capitalism, globalization, ethnicity, and the state; the ways in which gender metaphors serve to describe non-human phenomena; the con- struction of gendered identities and subjectivities; and gender identities and practices beyond hetero- normative binaries.
Ultimately, we approach gender not as an academic specialization but as a central dimension of any social phenomenon we may want to analyze and of any problem we may want to solve. After this course, stu - dents will come to perceive gender all around them, a part of all social, political, and cultural questions.
Texts
There is one required text, called “Mascia-Lees” in the assignment schedule:
• Mascia-Lees, Frances E. 2010. Gender & Difference in a Globalizing World: Twenty-First Century Anthropology. Long Grove, IL: Waveland.
Other readings will be available through links oneClass. They are given full bibliographic references in the assignment schedule. You can usually copy these references to cite them in your written work.
Hint on Downloading Scholarly Articles:For scholarly articles available in databases to which the uni- versity subscribes, the university encourages professors not to provide direct links or PDFs, instead en- couraging students to learn to find these articles on their own. I am therefore adopting this policy.
Usually, it is very easy to find scholarly articles simply by going to Google Scholar (http://scholar.- google.ca) or the library web site (http://library.ualberta.ca/) and entering the author’s name and the title of the article (or a few key words from it). Make sure you find the article with the exact title, author, and publication name and date, not something sort of like it.
In most cases, if you areoff campus, you have to use aproxy server to download the actual PDF. One way of doing this is to add “.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca” to the end of the server address for a search engine or database (for examplehttp://scholar.google.ca.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/ for Google Scholar).
Personally, I use anEZProxy plugin on Chrome (also available on Firefox and other browsers), which adds a button to my browser that automatically changes the address. Before using it, you have to specify the proxy domain as “login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca” in the settings. Pressing this button is much easier than copying and pasting each time.
Another tip on sources: For citations/bibliographies/note-taking I strongly recommend—even require for my advanced students and graduate students—the use of abibliographic citation manager. I use the free program Zotero (http://www.zotero.org/), which allows me to collect and store academic references, web links, PDFs, and notes in one place. Then it automatically generates citations and bibliographies in all my papers (and in the reading schedule below—all those references are automatically generated by Zotero). While using Zotero, whenever you come across an article or web page on line that you want to save, you just click the little Zotero icon and it automatically saves the reference and, in many cases, the PDF (if using EZProxy). Then, while reading, you can take notes in Zotero, then when you’re writing a paper, you can instantly add the reference as a citation and bibliography entry.
Grade Distribution
Participation and attendance in class and/or online 15%
Reading journal (turned in weekly) 15%
Oral presentation 5%
Essay 1 15%
Essay 2 15%
Midterm exam 15%
Final exam 20%
Assignments
All assignments will be submitted electronically through theeclass web site (https://eclass.srv.ual- berta.ca/).
You must read and be prepared to discuss the assigned readings before class. You are required to read at leastone third of the week’s readings before each class period. This means that if there are 3 articles, you
read 1 per class period. If there are 1 or 2, read at least a third of the overall pages.
Reading journals. The reading journal is comprised of short responses to each of the readings and is due through eClass before Friday’s class session each week. Each week’s entry should be around 600 words (or as long as you wish). The main purpose is to demonstrate that you actually read and thought about the assigned readings. You are not required to understand everything perfectly, since you will probably write the entries before we discuss in class. Rather, you need to show an attempt to understand. For full credit, each week’s entry must adequately discuss each reading assigned for that week. On some weeks, I will post specific questions to guide you toward important issues in those readings. In these cases, your entry must explicitly address these questions. The score is out of 10 points each three-class week.
Oral presentation. You will be required to give one very short oral presentation (5-7 minutes) that exam- ines some contemporary gender-related phenomenon (most likely something you find online) from an anthropological perspective. For example, it could be a YouTube video, a news story, a blog post, or a per- sonal observation. It might look at issues such as gender equality, gender identity, gender metaphors for non-sexed phenomena, gender stereotypes in popular culture, notions of gender in some particular cul- tural context, and so on. I will post further instructions and a grading rubric.
Two essays. You will also write two essays on the same kind of phenomenon you might discuss in the oral presentation. As with the oral presentation, you will relate your analysis to the concepts we are reading about or discussing in class. The two essays can be on separate topics, or the second can follow up on the first or develop it into a research paper. I will post further instructions and a grading rubric.
The midterm and final exam will consist entirely of multiple choice questions. The final exam will mostly focus on material covered after the midterm exam but will also have some cumulative questions.
Participation and attendance count for 15% of the grade. Please see below for the attendance policy.
Although this class is a lecture, I do expect students to participate actively in discussions, whether in class, during my office hours, and/or in the discussion forum on eClass. Not everyone participates in exactly the same way but you are evaluated on your efforts to participate in some way.
Academic Integrity
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at
http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBeh aviour.aspx) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
Learning and working environment
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment. The department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to:
• Discuss the matter with the person whose behaviour is causing concern; or
• If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the Chair of the Department.
For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy you may contact the student ombudservice:
(http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/ ). Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures can be found in the GFC Policy Manual, section 44 available at
http://gfcpolicymanual.ualberta.ca/.
Plagiarism and Cheating
All students should consult the “Truth-In-Education” handbook or Website
(http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/TIE/) regarding the definitions of plagiarism and its consequences when detected. Students involved in language courses and translation courses should be aware that on-line
“translation engines” produce very dubious and unreliable “translations.” Students in language courses should be aware that, while seeking the advice of native or expert speakers is often helpful, excessive editorial and creative help in assignments is considered a form of “cheating” that violates the code of student conduct with dire consequences. An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. Before unpleasantness occurs consult http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/TIE/; also discuss this matter with any tutor(s) and with your instructor.
It has become so easy to copy and paste information freely that plagiarism for many feels as natural as eating and breathing. Make sure you are familiar with the rules of properly citing sources, and clearly identify all words and ideas that you take from others. If you have any doubt that what you have written might count as plagiarism, have someone look at it and advise you before you turn it in.
All instances of plagiarism will be referred to the Associate Dean for disciplinary action.
Recording of Lectures
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.
Attendance, Absences, and Missed Grade Components:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify your instructor by e-mail within two days. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for addressing course components missed as a result, consult sections 23.3(1) and 23.5.6 of the University Calendar. Be aware that unexcused absences will result in partial or total loss of the grade for the “attendance and participation” component(s) of a course, as well as for any assignments that are not handed-in or completed as a result.
In this course, I will take attendance during most class sessions, and each unexcused absence after the first two absences will result in losing 2.5% of the final grade. Thus, six unexcused absences result in losing 10% in the overall course grade (not just taken from the participation component). More than six unex- cused absences may result in failure in the course.
I will also expect everyone to participate in class discussion and/or the online forum. I keep notes on the regularity and quality of students’ participation (that is, does your participation show that you’re reading and thinking?). Those who are shy about participating in class can somewhat make up for this by posting to the online forum, and I encourage everyone to do both.
Policy for Late Assignments
Late assignments will lose 10% of the overall grade per late day. If you have extenuating circumstances (illness, personal or family emergency) that prevent you from completing an assignment on time, inform me in writing (preferably by email) as soon as possible (before the due date) for authorization to turn in an assignment late. I will use my discretion to determine whether the excuse is substantiated.
Grading
Marks for assignments, tests, and exams are given in percentages, to which letter grades are assigned ac-
cording to the table below. The final letter grade is calculated using the same scale following the grade distribution above.
Percentage Letter Grade Grade Point Value
Excellent 95-100 A+ 4.0
90-94 A 4.0
85-89 A- 3.7
Good 80-84 B+ 3.3
74-79 B 3.0
70-73 B- 2.7
Satisfactory 66-69 C+ 2.3
62-65 C 2.0
58-61 C- 1.7
Poor 54-57 D+ 1.3
Minimal pass 50-53 D 1.0
Failure 0-49 F 0.0
Assignment schedule
Note: There may be minor changes to this schedule that will not increase course workload, so always check online for the latest schedule.
9/6–8
Studying Gender Anthropologically in a Global Age
Mascia-Lees Chapter 1 (“Gender, Difference, and Globalization,” 3-31).
9/11–15
hooks, bell. 2000. Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. 2nd ed. London: Pluto Press. Chapter 1 (“Black Women: Shaping Feminist Theory,” 1-17).
Mascia-Lees Chapter 2 (“A History of Gender and Difference,” 33-59).
9/18–22
Anthropology: Cultural Relativism vs. Feminism?
Ortner, Sherry B. 1972. “Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture?” Feminist Studies 1 (2) (October 1): 5–
31.
Mascia-Lees Chapter 3 (“The Politics of Anthropology,” 61-81).
Cameron, Deborah. 2016. “On Banter, Bonding and Donald Trump.” Language: A Feminist Guide.
https://debuk.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/on-banter-bonding-and-donald-trump/.
9 /25–29
Abu-Lughod, Lila. 2002. “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others.” American Anthropologist 104 (3): 783–90.
Hirschkind, Charles, and Saba Mahmood. 2002. “Feminism, the Taliban, and Politics of Counter- Insurgency.” Anthropological Quarterly 75 (2): 339–354.
Constructing Sex and Gender: Science, the Economy, and Politics
Mascia-Lees Chapter 4 (“Sex Differences: Nature and Nurture,” 85-103).
10/2-6
Kessler, Suzanne J. 1990. “The Medical Construction of Gender: Case Management of Intersexed Infants.”
Signs 16 (1): 3–26.
Karkazis, Katrina, Rebecca Jordan-Young, Georgiann Davis, and Silvia Camporesi. 2012. “Out of Bounds? A Critique of the New Policies on Hyperandrogenism in Elite Female Athletes.” The American Journal of Bioethics 12 (7): 3–16.
10/6: Essay 1 due by midnight 10/9: Thanksgiving holiday—no class.
10/11–13
Mascia-Lees Chapter 5 (“The Evolution of Gender and Difference,” 105-128).
Mullings, Leith. 2005. “Resistance and Resilience: The Sojourner Syndrome and the Social Context of Reproduction in Cenral Harlem.” Transforming Anthropology 13 (2): 79–91.
10/16–18
Mascia-Lees Chapter 6 (“Production, Capitalism, Ideology, and the State,” 131-160).
Chatterjee, Partha. 1989. “Colonialism, Nationalism, and Colonialized Women: The Contest in India.”
American Ethnologist 16 (4): 622–633.
10/20: Midterm exam in classroom 10/23–27
Mascia-Lees Chapter 7 (“The Global Economy, Neoliberalism, and Labor,” 161-177).
Agency, Subjectivity, and the Body
Mascia-Lees Chapter 8 (“Producing Culture: From Structure to Agency,” 179-200).
10/30–11/3
Masquelier, Adeline. 2002. “From Hostage to Host: Confessions of a Spirit Medium in Niger.” Ethos 30 (1–
2): 49–76.
Mascia-Lees Chapter 9 (“Embodying Politics,” 203-231).
11/6–10
Boddy, Janice. 1982. “Womb as Oasis: The Symbolic Context of Pharaonic Circumcision in Rural Northern Sudan.” American Ethnologist 9 (4): 682–98.
Mascia-Lees Chapter 10 (“Minding Gender and Difference,” 233-250).
11/13–17: Remembrance Day/Reading Week 11/20–24
Butler, Judith. 1988. “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory.” Theatre Journal 40 (4): 519–531.
Mahmood, Saba. 2001. “Feminist Theory, Embodiment, and the Docile Agent: Some Reflections on the Egyptian Islamic Revival.” Cultural Anthropology 16 (2): 202–36.
Heteronormativity, Sexuality, and “Third Genders”
11/27–12/1
Mascia-Lees Chapter 11 (“Reproducing Gender and Difference,” 251-272).
Hall, Kira, and Veronica O’Donovan. 1996. “Shifting Gender Positions among Hindi-Speaking Hijras.” In Rethinking Language and Gender Research: Theory and Practice, edited by Victoria Bergvall, Janet Bing, and Alice Freed, 228–266. London: Longman.
Watch: Gilbert Herdt’s documentary Guardians of the Flutes.
Note: Professor Hill will be away at a conference on Friday, 12/1. Stay tuned—there may be a guest lecturer or some other make-up activity.
12/4–8
Kulick, Don. 1997. “The Gender of Brazilian Transgendered Prostitutes.” American Anthropologist 99 (3):
574–585.
12/8: Essay 2 due by midnight
TBA: Final Exam (in regular classroom)
