Sociology of Gender- Fall 2005

Some argue that gender determines how much individuals are paid, how beer is marketed, and how much violence people endure. From cultural production to social policy issues, students will examine how gender is constructed in the context of inequality and in relation to race, class, geography, generation, and sexuality. This interdisciplinary course examines gender as a central organizing principle in society. Using visual, written and oral materials and exercises, this course focuses on how to use a gender perspective as an analytical and research tool.  This course integrates a social responsibility component into our intellectual inquiry. As such, students will work 30 hours in a community placement.

The first section of the course looks at gender in relation to the community placements. As students enter the fieldwork site, this portion combines theory and practice by emphasizing reading on gender, adolescence, and education.

In the second section, we will compare and contrast sociological paradigms of gender. We will analyze questions such as: is gender a matter of biology? How is gender a social construct? How do race, class, and sexual orientation shape gender and power?

This class draws heavily on a collective commitment to dialogue and critical examination of the readings. At the end of the course, participants of the course will hopefully have further developed a set of analytical tools to examine the role of gender in their own lives and in the society-at-large.

Not pictured: Felicia Wu, Jeanine Daniels, Latrice Jones

Standing (from L to R): Kathy Yep, Andrea Juckneiss-Kemerer, Jennifer Rosenberg, Alex King, Ali Naqvi, Lan Nguyen, Corey Fetzer, Cassie Cona, Diane Crandall, Sophie Goodwin, Amy Kahn, Zoe Lantelme

Sitting/kneeling (from L to R):Vanessa Rundle, Laura Rosen, Kerstin Sandquist, Amy Callanan, Lolly Beck-Pancer

Total number of hours: 325+

Vina Danks Middle School

AVID program

After-school tutoring

Claremont Tutorial