GCH : SEX AND WESTERN SOCIETY

Transcription

1 GCH : SEX AND WESTERN SOCIETY (to be changed to History under new gen ed) When it comes to sex and sexuality, what is "traditional" about our traditional values? Where do sexual beliefs come from, and how do they change over time? GCH 102 is a TEAM-TAUGHT HISTORY COURSE that will bring interdisciplinary perspectives to sexual practices, ideologies, and identities in the Western World from the Classical era to the modern United States. Modern sexual values and laws in the United States are the product of centuries of cultural and religious evolution based, above all, on a set of norms and beliefs established in the first century CE. We will trace this evolution with attention to the role of sex and sexuality in society during different cultural epochs. The unifying theme of this team-taught course will be how western societies have defined appropriate sexual practices, with an emphasis on how and why these definitions have changed. We will conclude with an analysis of how the cultural and historical inheritance of the United States has shaped its modern sexual values, laws, and most controversial debates. Unifying themes: Sex as a social construct and the mutability of sexual ethics and mores The evolution of sexual boundaries and notions of transgression and perversion The legacy and impact of past sexual mores on modern society To be added in 2016: humanities and cultural competency SLOs CLASS INFORMATION, INSTRUCTORS and CLASS TEXT CLASS MEETS: Tuesday and Thursday 8:00-9:15am Lippitt 402 Course Coordinator: Dr. Miriam Reumann Instructor: Dr. Bridget Buxton 217 Washburn / ph Washburn / ph mreumann@uri.edu babuxton@uri.edu Office hours: Office hours: Class Text: Course Readings (CR) compiled by the instructors for each lecture will be available for download from Sakai. These readings will be posted as they become available. Our class textbook for the second half of the course is John D'Emilio and Estelle B. Freedman s Intimate Matters: A History of sexuality in America (University of Chicago Press, Third Edition, 2012) - note the correct edition! LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students in GCH 102 will participate in an historical survey and critical examination of the sexual values, beliefs, and practices of past societies that have played an important role in shaping the modern United States. Students will learn to evaluate how specific cultural and temporal contexts have influenced the role of sex and sexuality within past societies, always with a view to understanding why some beliefs and values became entrenched while others were transformed. Beyond gaining a broad knowledge and insights into the cultural history of sexuality, students will gain practice in reading complex texts, critical interpretation of both primary sources of evidence and modern scholarship, and constructing persuasive written answers to complex questions.

2 2 ASSESSMENT and CLASS POLICIES How does the course work? Each lecture will be linked to a brief lecture abstract, a reading assignment, and a list of learning outcomes supplied in advance on Sakai. Completing the assigned reading before class and being aware of critical issues and questions identified under the learning outcomes for each class will help you to take effective notes and prepare for exams. Midterms: 20% each Two in-class tests with questions requiring multi-choice and written answers, as well as a brief analytical essay based on material from the assigned readings. Participation and Professionalism: 30% - this grade is determined by the instructors based on an overall assessment of a student s performance in a variety of in-class activities (10%); conduct including contributions to class discussion (10%); and a brief response paper (10%). The easiest way to achieve full points in this category is to be present and intellectually engaged in every class. In any class dealing with sex and sexuality, the relevant scholarship will contain themes and examine texts and images that some students may find uncomfortable. We expect all students of GCH 102 to support an atmosphere of maturity and courtesy in the classroom. Please respect the instructors and your classmates by arriving on time, remembering to switch off your phone, and refraining from activities that distract the class. Grade points will be deducted for disruptive or disrespectful behavior. Final Exam: 30% - Will be similar to the midterms, and will also include several essay questions requiring students to draw on material learned over the entire semester. Makeup policy: During the final exam time, there will be an option to take an additional make up midterm. This will be similar in format to the previous midterms, and questions will be drawn from all the material covered in the course. A student s lowest score out of three midterms will be dropped and the two higher scores will count towards the final grade. The makeup midterm is intended to accommodate students who miss or do poorly on one of the earlier in-class midterms. The opportunity to take the make-up is not automatic and will be at the discretion of the instructors. Laptop and phone policy: The proper place for a cell phone during a class is stored away out of sight, NOT sitting on your desk or in your hand or lap. Unfortunately due to the distractions caused by their inevitable misuse, we do not allow LAPTOPS, ipads, tablets, or similar devices in GCH 102. Contacting the Professor(s): is the best way to reach Dr. Reumann or Dr. Buxton outside of class and office hours (you can write to us simultaneously if you wish). Use your URI account and put GCH 102 in the subject line. Correspondence should be professional and specific. Consult

3 3 STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS GCH 102 is a lecture-based course - that means self-motivation, solid attendance, attentive notetaking and review, and reading preparation will be critical for success. Lecture notes and powerpoints will NOT be given out for missed classes. To pass this course, an average student should plan to spend at least two hours reading and studying for every class hour. It is highly recommended that you review your notes after each lecture to identify issues you don t understand, and flag any questions. TAKING NOTES: Note-taking and using your own words to record facts and describe ideas is a highly effective way of learning new information. Do not try to write down everything said in a lecture or paraphrase every page in the reading assignments - instead, use the lecture abstract and learning outcomes provided in advance along with the lecturer s verbal cues as guides to what is most important. Do not try to write in complete sentences: use abbreviations, initials, arrows, whatever works for you. Do not be shy about raising your hand to request clarification or ask a question. STRUGGLING? If you are struggling with any aspects of the course - do not wait! Come to office hours or visit the Academic Enhancement Center ( , on the 4th Floor of Roosevelt Hall for assistance. Any student with a documented disability is welcome to contact Dr. Reumann during the first week of the semester to discuss your needs. As part of this process, please be in touch with the Disability Services Office at 330 Memorial Union Academic dishonesty of any kind will result in failure, with reports submitted to your Department and Deans. See section 8.27 of the URI manual ( CLASS INFORMATION & FINAL CHECKLIST CLASS CANCELLATIONS & SCHEDULE CHANGES. The class schedule may change due to unforeseen factors such as weather-related class cancellations, etc. We will keep you informed of any changes via Sakai. The class assessment criteria will NOT change. Please call SNOW or for information about campus-wide class cancellations, sign up for emergency alerts ( and check your URI for updates - I have read and understood this syllabus and I agree to all the class rules & requirements. I understand and accept that breaking the class rules will affect my grade in the class. - I have marked the dates for exams in my calendar and will be available for these dates. (athletes and others with URI-approved accommodations should contact the course coordinator). - I have taken my student ID card to the library to have it activated. - I have learned how to access course materials on Sakai: - I have signed up for Ecampus & emergency alert: - I have confirmed my correct address with URI (this is essential for your participation in GCH 102; go to to change your address).

4 4 ONE Sept 10 Thu TWO Sept 15 Tue Sept 17 Thu THREE Sept 22 Tue Sept 24 Thu FOUR Sept 28 Tue Oct 1 Thu FIVE Oct 6 Tue Oct 8 Thu SIX Oct 13 Tue Oct 15 Thu SEVEN Oct 20 Tue Oct 22 Thu EIGHT Oct 27 Tue Oct 29 Thurs NINE Nov 3 Tue Nov 5 Thu TEN Nov 10 Tue Nov 13 Thu PART ONE: MEDITERRANEAN FOUNDATIONS INTRODUCTION Introduction: Does Sex Have a History? MR / Sources & Evidence - BB BIBLICAL SEX Sex, Lies, and Leviticus: the Old Testament Perspective - BB Sex after Jesus: New Testament and Gnostic Perspectives - BB CLASSICAL FOUNDATIONS The Greek Erotic - BB The Roman Erotic - BB THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES Sex, Marriage, and Sharia - Verskin Medieval Sex and Prostitution - Koster PART TWO: EUROPE AND THE AGE OF ROMANCE THE AGE OF CHIVALRY Central Middle Ages Pearson Medieval Romance and Virginity Davis RENAISSANCE AND DISCOVERY Sex Lives in the Renaissance Williams MIDTERM ONE THE AGE OF DISCOVERY 16 th Century Porn Tom / The World of Caribbean Piracy Mather Midterm Review MR/BB / The Colonial Experience MR PART THREE: OLD WORLDS AND NEW A DECENT SOCIETY The Sex Life of Puritans MR London and Paris: Dangerous Liaisons MR THE LONG EIGHTEENTH CENTURY Sex and American Slavery MR The Victorians in Public and Private - MR PROSTITUTES AND PROGRESSIVES Prostitution as Labor Loomis Moral Crusades of the Progressive Era - MR

5 5 ELEVEN Nov 17 Tue Nov 19 Thu TWELVE Nov 24 Tue Nov 26 Thu THIRTEEN Dec 1 Tue Dec 3 Thu FOURTEEN Dec 8 Tue Dec 10 Thu FINAL EXAM PART FOUR: AMERICA AND THE 20 th CENTURY SEXUAL REVOLUTIONS I MIDTERM TWO From Courting to Dating: The Jazz Age & Great Depression MR SEXUAL REVOLUTIONS II Midterm Review MR/BB / Home Front Panics: WW2 USA & UK MR THANKSGIVING RECESS NO CLASS SEX AND THE MODERN USA 1950s / 1960s Sex and the American Dream MR / Widell The Medical History of Sexuality BB/MR THE GRAND CHALLENGE Science, Sex, and Power / Transgender Identities BB/MR From Past to Present: Reflection & Discussion BB/MR details to be advised