Anthro 3969-3 Women Cross Culturally

Women Cross Culturally Anthropology 4110/Gender Studies 4110 (3 credit hrs, IR & BS) Spring 2018 Rebecca Olsen (email: [email protected]) Marriott Library #1130 CANVAS to communicate with teacher and turn in assignments Mondays 6 – 9 pm Office hours: after class or arrange appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION- Anthropological fieldwork and theories bring insight into the variety of cultural beliefs and social patterns that influence the lives of women. We will make a cross-cultural investigation of the wide spectrum of women’s experiences in hunter-gatherer, nomadic, horticultural, agricultural, indus- trial, and developing societies. We use lecture, discussions, readings, exams and research. Topics include:  Marriage and reproduction: menstrual taboos, breast-feeding, sexuality, and various marriage configurations (polygamy, polyandry, child marriage, arranged).  Spiritual women: shaman, witches, midwives, Mother Earth, and goddesses.  The sexual division of labor; public and domestic spheres; and the culture/nature paradigm.  Current issues: female circumcision, sex trafficking, rape, honor killings, dowry deaths, female infanticide, and cultural relativism vis-a-vis human rights. REQUIRED TEXTS are available at U bookstore, on reserve at Marriott, and on Amazon, etc.  Elizabeth Warnock Fernea, Guests of the Sheik  Kris Holloway, Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali E–RESERVES articles on this syllabus are available online through the Marriott Library course reserves. Find “Course Reserves” tab, enter “Olsen 4110”. NOTE: Some readings may be updated during semester.

COURSE OBJECTIVES At the end of the course students will be able to: 1) compare and contrast various aspects of women’s lives cross culturally, e.g. marriage, birthing, economic, religious, modesty, sexuality, with men from their culture. 2) demonstrate their understanding of biological and cultural approaches to explaining aspects of women’s lives in different types of cultures. 3) explain how various cultural aspects, i.e., religion, ideas, beliefs, history, biology, etc. affect women’s status and opportunities in their societies. 4) design and research a topic or question that relates to our course topics on women cross culturally.

GRADES are based on the percentage of total points earned during the semester. 73% is passing. A 93–100% A– 90–92.9% B+ 87–89.9% B 83–86.9% B– 80–82.9% C+ 77–79.9% C 73–76.9% C– 70–72.9% D+ 67–69.9% D 63–66.9% D– 60–62.9% E 59% and below

COURSE REQUIREMENTS POINTS are earned in these four areas (# of points approximate) 1. Three exams (100 pts, 110 pts, 110 pts) Exams are taken in class. = 320 Exam format includes: definitions, multiple choice, true/false, short answers, and essay questions. Essay questions are take-home with one week to complete. The final is not comprehensive. NOTE: If a student is absent without prior notification and prior arrangements, there will not be a makeup without doctor, police, or hospital verification. 2. Ethnography Quizzes- Guests of the Sheik (20); Monique and the Mango Rains (20) = 40

3. Outline (bullet points, chart, etc.) and discuss one article from syllabus: = 10 Each student will be assigned an article on the syllabus. Students submit (Canvas “ASSIGNMENT”) a short bullet point list of the 4-6 main ideas and important facts in their assigned article 48 hours before class. Students’ bullet points will be projected for the class to look at while teacher and students discuss. 1 4. Assignment: Select book, topic, question = 30 points Students select topic, book, question etc. to explore – must be approved individually by the teacher. Students will answer questions about your TOTAL = 400 points topic, it will be submitted through TURNITIN via CANVAS.

Reading Schedule and Course Outline Readings are online through Course-Reserves at the Marriott Library. http://search.library.utah.edu It is best to have these assigned readings completed before you come to class – I recommend that you print out the readings and bring them to class as we will be referring to them. ASSIGNED READINGS - you should read all required articles --- Those with an asterisk * are most important, with more info on the test, etc. --- Those marked “below this line not required” – read, if possible, to get the “gist” – these readings discuss important, relevant ideas which will be referred to in class. A few readings may be updated during the semester.

Monday - Jan 8 INTRODUCTION – culture/nature/both

Below this line not required War Against Women by Emily MacFarquhar The Global War Against Women Internationalization of Women’s Issues by Luisita Torregrosa Speaking While Female by Sandberg (listed as “Sheryl Sandberg on Why Women Stay Quiet”) Why Men Need Women by Adam Grant

Monday - Jan 15 * * NO CLASS * * M L King

Monday - Jan 22 DOMESTIC AND PUBLIC WORLDS *No Girls Allowed by Thomas Gregor Look Behind the Veil by Elizabeth and R. Fernea Life Behind the Veil by Cherry and Charles Lindholm

Below this line not required Standoff at Western Wall over Praying by Women by Jodi Rudoren Worldliness, Anxiety, and Head Scarves by Celestine Cohlen Shop Girls: The Art of Selling Lingerie by Katherine Zoepf Making Sense of la Difference by Barbara Ehrenreich Old Tactic Gets New Use: Public Schools Separate Girls & Boys by Motoko Creating Separate Classes for Boys and Girls: NY Times Jewish Woman told to change seats away from man

Monday – Jan 29 EVOLUTION, PREHISTORY & SEXUAL DIVISION OF LABOR Quiz: GUESTS OF THE SHEIK quiz; class discussion *Society and Sex Roles by Ernestine Friedl Weighing the Grandma Factor: In Some Societies, It’s a Matter of Life and Death by N Angier Below this line not required Some Women that Never Evolved by Sarah Hrdy What Are Men Good For? by Jared Diamond Pretty Shield (Native American voice ) Woman the Hunter: The Agta

2 Why Women Left Home by Marvin Harris

Monday – Feb 5 CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER *Sex and Temperament by Margaret Mead *Neither Man nor Woman by Serena Nanda

Below this line not required Benefits for Nonhomophobic Societies by W. Williams (good examples of “3rd” genders) Dude, Close Your Legs: MTA Fights a Scourge by Emma Fitzsimmons Surviving Your Teens by Elizabeth Gleik Eskimo Women by Jean Briggs (chapter in Never in Anger) Etsu by Etsu Sugimoto (chapter - Japanese gender roles)

Monday - Feb 12 * * Mid-Term #1 * * IN CLASS

Monday – Feb 19 * * NO CLASS * * Presidents Day

Monday – Feb 26 SEXUALITY AND MATING *Why Don't We Act Like the Opposite Sex? by Anthony Layng *Mating Game by William Allman

Below this line not required Men, Women, Sex & Darwin by Natalie Angier Status, Property, and the Value on Virginity by Alice Schlegel Pity the Poor Stepmom by Kathryn Harrison Turkey Ends Forced Tests for Virginity South Africa’s Public Virginity Tests in SL Tribune

Monday - Mar 5 MARRIAGE AND KINSHIP ** DUE** Student choice submitted for approval by teacher via CANVAS by 11:59 tonight– book, culture, custom, question to research for assignment due date: April 7th deadline *Origin of Male Supremacy by Marvin Harris (NOTE: an important handout with TERMS on it can be used as you read this to get definitions) *When Brothers Share a Wife by Melvyn Goldstein Land of the Walking Marriage by Yuan and Mitchell

Below this line not required Four-Year Itch by Helen Fisher I Want a Wife by Judy Syfers - (this can be Googled, it is not on course reserves) Who Needs Love! In Japan Couples Don’t by Nicholas Kristof Where Fat Is a Mark of Beauty by Ann Simmons Minangkabau Matriarchy Hey Mom, Call Me When You Find My Wife by Ji Hyun Lee Arranging a Marriage in India by S. Nanda Uncertain Objects of Desire by Atlantic Monthly One Bride for Two Brothers: A Custom Fades in India by Lydia Polgreen Afghan Women Protest New Law on Home Life – D. Filkins in NYTimes Open Eyes to Suffering of Afghan Women by Ellen Goodman

3 More Men Marrying Wealthier Women by S. Roberts

Monday - Mar 12 REPRODUCTIVE LIFE CYCLE Quiz: MONIQUE AND THE MANGO RAINS quiz; class discussion *Theorists See Evolutionary Advantages in Menopause by Natalie Angier Taboo of Menstruation in NYTimes Death without Weeping by Scheper-Hughes

Below this line not required Why Women Change by Jared Diamond If Men Could Menstruate by Gloria Steinem Woman’s Curse? by Meredith Small Is Forced Fatherhood Fair? By L. Shrage Parental Favoritism Toward Daughters by Lee Cronk Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith Small Wives and Co-Wives (chap7) & First Birth (chap 8) by Marjorie Shostak & Nisa Why Johnny Can’t Sleep by Robert Wright

Monday - Mar 19 * * NO CLASS * * Spring Break

Monday - Mar 26 * * Mid-Term #2 * * IN CLASS

Monday – Apr 2 RELIGION - Goddesses, Witches, Venus statues, and Mother Earth Healing Ritual by Marjorie Shostak and Nisa (hunter/gatherer) Shaman’s Apprentice by Laural Kendall (traditional religion in industrialized, modern society) Below this line not required Goddess Myth by Judith Antonelli Goddesses & Witches + Judaism, Christianity, Islam by Renzetti and Curran Challenges to Religious Patriarchy by Claire Renzetti When the Predator Had a Woman’s Face by Barbara Ehrenreich Ecstasy: (Female Korean Shaman) in Natural History Islam’s Shame by Ibn Warraq

** DUE ** Saturday- April 7 by 11:59 pm – term assignment submitted through CANVAS Assignments (TURNITIN filter) Questions on the topic student selected and submitted by March 5 for teacher approval.

Monday - April 9 WOMEN EXPLOITED *Rape Free or Rape Prone by Beryl Benderly Dowry Murders by Fergus Bordewich I Was Wounded; My Honor Wasn't by S. Abdulali

Below this line not required India, Porn and Sexual Violence by M. Thekaekara ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape by Rukmini Callimachi

4 Parents Fly in African Elders to Circumcise Daughters by N. Woolcock Mutilated in the Name of Tradition by Melvin Konner Honor Killing Leaves Two Daughters Dead in NYT Dishonorable Affair (honor killing) by Katherine Zoepf India Asks Mothers to Abandon Babies, Not Kill Them by S. Prasad For Prostitutes Jailed in China, Forced Labor in NYT Born to Die by Vasanti Whose Baby Is She, Anyway? in The Hindu Necessary Ban in Times of India Childhood Lost to Pay for Sins….. (For Punishment of Elders Misdeed) by A. Rubin China’s Brutal One-Child Policy by Ma Jian Wave of Sexual Abuse Allegations for Private Boys’ Schools in Britain by Castle Nawal (pages 4-8) by Nawal Africans Keep Rite of Girls’ Circumcision in Washington Post Talking Female Circumcision out of Existence by Tina Rosenberg What about Female Genital Mutilation….. Understanding Culture by Shweder

Monday - April 16 COLONIALISM AND THE FUTURE *Graduate of the Year by Nicholas Kristof *Testing Limits of Tolerance as Cultures Mix by Barbara Crossette Women of the Future by C. Jones

Below this line not required Native Americans & Violence against Women Act (Rape on a Reservation) by Louise Erdrich Domestic Violence – Eskimo Style in NYT Canada’s Tribal Women Fight Male Graft by J. Brooke Don’t Get the Wrong Message by Susan Faludi

Monday - Apr 23 * * Mid-Term #3 * * IN CLASS

Note: The syllabus is not a binding legal contract. It may be modified by the instructor when the student is given reasonable notice of the modification.

CLASS POLICIES Respect Teacher and students will treat each other with respect at all times. You may not talk or disrupt when the teacher or other students are talking. Attendance & Punctuality are important for learning. Students who read the assigned readings and come to class tend to do well. Missing class presentations and announcements hurts students on exams and assignments. Most PowerPoints used in class, as well as lecture notes, will not be available online because their format is designed for class explanation and discussion. Attendance is typically taken. Class Participation is important and useful to the entire class. Cell Phones and Computers can be used to take notes during class. There will be times when the teacher may request students to turn off both to take quiz, a guest speaker, a particular presentation. I have noticed a few students online (Facebook? shopping?) during class – missing all that information for tests and assignments. Food and Drink are acceptable within reason. Please do not open noisy wrappers or get up to find a garbage can.

5 Anthropology Department and University of Utah Policies ADA Statement: The Americans with Disabilities Act. The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, (801) 5815020. CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.

Addressing Sexual Misconduct: Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) is a Civil Rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status or genetic information. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 135 Park Building, 801‐581‐8365, or the Office of the Dean of Students, 270 Union Building, 801‐581‐7066. For support and confidential consultation, contact the Center for Student Wellness, 426 SSB, 801‐581‐7776. To report to the police, contact the Department of Public Safety, 801‐585‐2677(COPS).

Wellness Statement: Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression, cross‐cultural differences, etc., can interfere with a student’s ability to succeed and thrive at the University of Utah. For helpful resources contact the Center for Student Wellness (www.wellness.utah.edu; 801‐ 581‐7776).

Student Code: (Policy 6‐400) All students are expected to maintain professional behavior in the classroom setting, according to the Student Code (regulations.utah.edu/academics/6‐400.php). Students have specific rights in the classroom as detailed in S. II of the Code. The Code also specifies standards of behavior (S. III) and academic conduct (S. V). ``Students must adhere to generally accepted standards of academic honesty, including but not limited to refraining from cheating, plagiarizing, research misconduct, misrepresenting one's work, and/or inappropriately collaborating'' (S. VB). According to Faculty Rules and Regulations, it is the faculty responsibility to enforce responsible classroom behaviors. Students have the right to appeal such action to the Student Behavior Committee.

Incomplete Policy: An "I" will only be given for work not completed because of circumstances beyond the student's control, providing the student is passing the course and needs to complete 20% or less of the work. Valid reasons for an "I" grade include: (a) An illness (documented by a medical statement) that precludes the ability of the student to perform; (b) an accident or situation that prevents the student from physically being present (documentation may be required); (c) Extreme emotional or other mental circumstances that are severe enough to interfere with a student's normal academic performance. If you do receive an "I", do not register for the course again. You must complete the required work in the time agreed by you and the instructor. If the work is not completed within one year, the grade will change to an "E". Faculty will not accept additional work to change the grade after that one‐year period. If a student has a problem with the course, please deal with it immediately. It is the student's responsibility to contact instructors and submit necessary forms.

Note: The syllabus is not a binding legal contract. It may be modified by the instructor when the student is given reasonable notice of the modification.