PAX 401/WGS 401– Women Activists: Warriors for Peace and Justice Syllabus – Fall 2014
Yvonne Thibodeau
208-C East Annex
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 3-4:30 PM, and by appointment. I am also willing to schedule office hours with anyone needing them via online chat or skype. Please don't hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns either using the above address or private mail on the course site.
PAX 401/ WGS 401
This course will examine the lives of a diverse group of women who were committed activists attempting to create change. We will examine the historical, social, and political circumstances that motivated these women to actively seek social transformation. Finally, we will look at what some of the current generation of women activists/feminists have to say about peace and social justice issues. Prerequisites: PAX 201 and/or WGS 101 or permission.
The contributions of the following women will be discussed:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Ida B. Wells Tillie Olsen Theresa Malkiel Rachel Carson Angela Davis Wilma Mankiller Leymah Gbowee Meena
Course Goals and Objective –
♦ To provide the student with an historical overview of culturally diverse women as they move into an activist identity and work for social change, challenging the values and ideas of social and political institutions.
♦ To provide the students with a broad perspective of activism in contemporary America and internationally; from the Suffragist, to the Revolutionary, to Peace Pilgrim, to Meena and those working now.
♦ To encourage further exploration through the creation of a final project.
Expected Outcomes –
♦ The student will gain knowledge of the history of activist work for peace and social justice.
♦ Students will have understanding of how cultural identity informs them.
♦ The student will have an appreciation of the ideals of community, activism, and social justice in contemporary America and internationally.
♦ The student will have a deep understanding of the importance of these movements, and how they continue to inform the personal, social and political landscape of today.
Academic honesty (plagiarism, etc.)
If you feel anxious about completing an assignment, we would rather work with you to resolve the issue than to discover that you have used someone else’s work to fulfill a class requirement. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism and all forms of misrepresentation in academic work, and is unacceptable at The University of Maine. As stated in the University of Maine’s online undergraduate “Student Handbook,” plagiarism (the submission of another’s work without appropriate attribution) and cheating are violations of The University of Maine Student Conduct Code. An instructor who has probable cause or reason to believe a student has cheated may act upon such evidence, and should report the case to the supervising faculty member or the Department Chair for appropriate action.
Students with disabilities
You are not required to disclose your specific disability category to your instructor; however, we find that it helps me as a teacher to know your individual learning style and support needs. If you have a disability for which you may be requesting a formal accommodation (extra time on assignments due to sensory processing impairment, audio version of texts, etc.), please contact Ann Smith, Director of Disabilities Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319, as early as possible in the term. If you require audio versions of your texts, please arrange for this prior to the start of the semester, since this takes time. A word about classroom civility
The topics of this course require us to examine human variation from physical, social, economic, racial/ethnic, cultural, political, cognitive, religious, and other perspectives. I anticipate that each of us may feel challenged, at times, with the beliefs and values of our classmates and instructors (our “neighbors”) in this learning community.
At the University of Maine, we are working to enhance the ways that we welcome learners from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and belief systems, and to minimize the ways that we exclude those from marginalized populations.
If you are feeling challenged, please think before you react, and, at the same time, please let me know if you feel silenced or intimidated about expressing yourself. In our learning community, I certainly want to model civility, respect, tolerance and deep listening to what our fellow-travelers might be trying to express.
Please familiarize yourselves with the "netiquette" of participating in an online course. Go to http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html for more information on net etiquette.
The University of Maine’s non-sexist language policy may be viewed at: http://www.umaine.edu/WIC/both/language.htm.
Ø If you need technical help, or help with technology related to this class, please call CED Tech Help – (207) 581-HELP or email them on First Class. If you are working from a UNET Site or Center, ask the coordinator of the site as well – often these folks are a wealth of information and support.
Required Texts:
• Carson, Rachel, Silent Spring • Chavis, Melody Ermachild, Meena, Heroine of Afghanistan • Davis, Angela Yvonne, Angela Davis: An Autobiography • Duster, Alfred M., editor, Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells • Gbowee, Leymah, Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War • Malkiel, Theresa, Diary of a Shirtwaist Striker • Mankiller, Wilma, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People
There are also excerpts the course site . There are directions on accessing these readings on the homepage.
Excerpts:
• Chinn, Peggy, Peace and Power • Coiner, Constance, Better Red – Tillie Olsen • D’Emillio, et al., Hidden From History – Gay/Lesbian Actvism, • Olsen, Tillie, Tell Me a Riddle • Pearsall, Marilyn, Women and Values • Rossi, Alice, Feminist Papers -The Grimke Sisters • Stanton, Eighty Years or More
You will also be responsible for examining websites pertaining to each activist. I have placed them in separate pages under each name. Some of these sites are current activist sites; some named in honor of the individual, and their mission is to continue the work begun by the honoree.
Grading:
1. Online essays: 35% - 12 reflection essays- 3 full pages (700-800 words-word count tool), equivalent to12 point font Times New Roman, double spaced well thought-out, critically written analysis/reflection/responses to the readings. There is a specific question for essay 1. Each essay will have a separate on-line fora, e.g., essay one should be posted in the fora titled “essay 01” in the bulletin board section of the website. Here is what you should be addressing in your weekly reflection essays. Basically, look at this in terms of why/what, socially, politically, personally, sparked these women to become activists. Why you feel they were or were not successful. What made you say, 'Wow, amazing or incredible." What distressed you, angered you? What does this work have to do with Peace and Reconciliation Studies and Women and Gender Studies?
Please proofread your papers for spelling and grammatical errors. Spell check is not always enough! Read your essay aloud or have someone else read it to you. You will be surprised at the errors you will find. I cannot stress this enough. The best way to post your essay is to write it in your word processing program, save it, and then “copy” and “paste” it into the compose window of the appropriate topic. This way you have a saved document and are able to do your editing and, trust me it happens, you won’t risk losing your work into the cyber-abyss because of some technical difficulty (like losing our online connection) and have to begin from square one. I have had it happen to me, typing away in a compose window and “poof” it disappears. Losing a response is one thing, an entire essay is frustrating and stressful.
I will send your grade with any comments, suggestions via private mail.
2. Essay Responses, Discussion and Participation: 30% of your grade. Because this course is asynchronous discussion and participation are central to the creation and success of our learning community! Discussion in the cyber-classroom community means your written participation addressing/responding to the weekly topics in the “Discussion” topic, as well as to each other’s essays. (I will be adding my two cents as well.) You are expected to respond to at least five of your classmates’ essays each week. These need to be thoughtful and analytical responses, a full paragraph. You are expected to log in a minimum of twice a week, posting at least two contributions to the blog section. One post should be your thoughts about the readings and/or something from outside, e.g. movies, news, internet site, an event, etc., that pertains to the class. The other post can be a response to another student’s blog post. The more HIGH QUALITY comments you post - including comments on classmates' essays, the higher your participation grade. I will, also, be hosting online chats that will be scheduled the first or second week of classes. You will be required to attend at least 5.
Please be mindful of this part of the course requirement. Remember this is worth 30%. A low participation grade can significantly lower your final grade!!! You may have an A on all your other requirements and end up with a B or lower if you have a low grade for participation
3. On-line presentation: 25% of your grade. This will be on an activist of your choice, one we have not discussed in class. This will be in the form of either a 10 page paper for under grads/15 page minimum for grad students, not including the title page or bibliography, or you may choose to do a powerpoint. Undergrads should have a minimum of 25 slides, not including title and bibliography slides. Graduate students should have a minimum of 30 slides. You are expected to have more than one word or sentence on each slide. Another words, there should be comprehensive information in this presentation. I expect you to include in your research at least five outside sources. These should include written scholarly material and then scholarly web-based material. Do not use Wikipedia, or any encyclopedia or dictionary. These are not appropriate at the college level, especially a 400 level/500 level graduate course. Please site your sources correctly. Start thinking about your choice now.
4. Reviews of lectures, films, events, music, outside reading – having to do with activism. 10% of your grade. Format requirements located on the course content page. 2 reviews for undergraduate students, 3 required for graduate students. Due throughout course – final due date, December 18.
GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS IN THIS CLASS:
1. Yvonne Thibodeau is the instructor for this course. Please contact me directly on our class site (“mail” feature) or on FirstClass if you have any problems or questions related to this course. 2. This is an asynchronous course, meaning that students and the instructor may work on the course at any time. You will note that the syllabus states that essay assignments are due the week of, e.g. essay 2 is due the week of September 13. This means that you have until Saturday evening 11:59 PM of that week to post your essay assignment. The only exception is essay 1 which is due the following Tuesday, September 6. Assignments turned in late will result in a lower grade. 3. I understand that many of you will only be able to work on this class on the weekends, but try to check in a few times during the week and post comments to your classmates’ discussion postings. If necessary, you can work ahead and post work early! 4. This is an interdisciplinary course, which means that we are exploring the topic of Peace and Reconciliation Studies through the “lenses” of various disciplines. Different disciplines – history, literature, ethics, sociology, law - employ different methodologies and different sources. As you read and analyze the material, think about how the different sources and methods result in different interpretations. Further, look for connections – patterns and common themes - among the various lessons. Be alert for opportunities to use ideas from one lesson to enhance your understanding of a later lesson. 5. All students must check the course conference frequently - I recommend a minimum of two times per week. Online class participation is a significant and important part of this course. I expect all students to contribute to the electronic discussion regularly and to respond meaningfully to the comments of other students in the class.
Reading Assignments:
Week 1 – Week of September 2: Overview of Institutionalized oppression: Peace, Power, and the Classroom. The Foremothers. - Peace and Power-parts 1 & 2 and Eighty Years and More, parts 1 & 2, websites.
The philosophy of the class, creating a peaceful classroom community. The beginning of the suffrage movement part 1: The Fore-Mothers.
Essay 1 – Due September 8
Week 2 – Week of September 8: Suffrage and Abolition Eighty Years and More, parts 3-5, and The Feminist Papers, “The Grimke Sisters”. Reexamine websites.
Reflection Paper 2 – Due the week of September 15.
Week 3 – Week of September 15: Post-civil war and the African American Experience part I. Before Rosa Parks came Ida B. Wells. Crusade for Justice, Intro – Chap. 26, pp. xiii-224. Websites
The world of post-civil war, speaking truth to power and resistance. A look at the treatment of African Americans after the abolition of slavery.
No Reflection Paper
Week 4 – Week of September 22: Post-civil war and the African American Experience Part II. Ida B. Wells cont. Crusade for Justice, Chap. 27-46, pp. 225-420. Websites
Reflection Paper 4 – Due the week of September 29.
Week 5 – Week of September 29: Gender and the workplace in early 20th Century. Women in the Factories. The Diary of a Shirtwaist Striker, Theresa S. Malkiel and websites.
Reflection Paper 5 – Due the week of October 6.
Week 6 – Week of October 6: Women and the Socialist Movement. Better Red, Coiner (excerpts) and Websites.
Reflection Paper 6 – Due week of October 13.
Week 7 – Week of October 13: 60’s and 70’s Activism · 2nd Wave Feminism · Civil Rights – African–American, American Indian Movement · Environmental Movement · Lesbian Activism
Introduction and Chapter 1 – Angela Davis, An Autobiography, Silent Spring, and Mankiller: a Chief and her People
Reflection Paper 7 – Due week of October 20.
UMaine Fall Break – Oct 13 – Oct. 14
Classes resume October 15
Week 8: Week of October 20: Civil Rights and a Revolutionary. Angela Davis, An Autobiography, Angela Yvonne Davis and Websites.
Reflection Paper 8 – Due week of October 27.
***Project Presentation Topic – Please, post in the presentation topic the woman activist you have chosen to research and present. Due by Friday, Oct. 25
Week 9 – Week of October 27: Women and Environmental Activism. Silent Spring, Rachel Carson and Websites.
Reflection Paper 9 – Due week of November 3.
Week 10 – Week of November 3: Native American Activists. American Indian Movement and the First Woman Chief. Mankiller, A Chief and Her People, Wilma Mankiller and Michael Wallis and Websites.
Reflection Paper 10 – Due week of November 10.
Week 11 – Week of November 10: Lesbian Activism - Read the excerpts from Women and Values, and Hidden From History and Websites.
Reflection Paper 11 – Due week of November 17.
Week 12 – Week of November 17: An International Perspective: Challenging Patriarchy and Colonialism. I, Rigoberta, edited by Elizabeth Burgos-Debray or Meena, Heroine of Afghanistan by Melody Ermachild Chavis.
Reflection Paper 12 – Due week of November 24.
***Thanksgiving Break – Nov. 26(8 AM) – Nov. 30***
Week 13 – Week of November 24– Envisioning a Peaceful and Just Society: Directions beyond Second Wave and Civil Rights. What are the possibilities? Women working to manifest peace, justice and equanimity. Present day activism part I, Examine websites.
No reflection paper
Week 14 – Week of December 1 – Envisioning a Peaceful and Just Society: Directions beyond Second Wave and Civil Rights. What are the possibilities? Women working to manifest peace, justice and equanimity. Present day activism part II, examine websites. Wrap up.
Reflection Paper 14 – Due week of December 8.
***Project Presentations are to be posted no later than Friday, December 5. The reason I am having you post on December 5 is that you are expected to read and comment on each other’s projects.
All work is to be in no later than Wednesday, December 17.
***This Syllabus is subject to change.***
This Syllabus is subject to change. In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.