US Women's
History/BIS 463
Autumn 2008
Prof. Michael Goldberg
Office Hours: Thursdays 12-2pm and 5-6pm; and by appt.
UWB-1 Room 119 Office phone: 425-352-5362
e-mail: mlg@uwb.edu
web page: faculty.uwb.edu/mgoldberg/
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
There are many ways to examine the history of the United States—in this
course, we will put women at the center of the story. The course traces a number
of different interrelated themes from the early 19th century through World War
II: the changing conditions and ideas about unpaid housework and paid work;
the relations between different groups of women and the way relations of power have
shaped these interactions; the interconnections between family and gender roles; the ongoing political struggle to gain increased
civil and political rights; alternative means to women's empowerment outside of the political arena; and the ideal of the "proper" roles
for women. We will consider which ideas and assumptions within American culture
have changed and which have stayed the same, how these cultural factors have
related to the material conditions through which people experience their daily
lives. Finally, we will seek to understand who has gained and who has lost from
these changes and continuities.
Although the course seeks to "survey" U.S. women's experience from the late 1700s to the 1970s, it aims more for depth than coverage. The course uses collaborative problem-based learning techniques to allow students to develop their critical reading, analytical and interpretive skills. Each week, we will use the readings as the basis for exploring a specific historical problem using analytical questions. At first, I will provide the problems and questions, and groups will respond to the questions in an asynchronous online learning environment (Blackboard's Discussion Board). As students develop their abilities in the course, the groups themselves will identify the problems and analytical questions. By the second half of the course, groups are usually able to take control of the direction of the discussion. Each week I will also introduce a new historical concept, including as cause and effect, continuity and change, motivation, historical agency, cultural diversity and similarity, historical narrative, historical empathy, and evaluation. Thus the course is designed to enhance students historical thinking skills as well as their general critical thinking and analytical abilities. I hope that students taking the course to fulfill their K-12 certification requirement will be especially well-served by this approach.
This course is organized as a "hybrid," using both traditional in-class meetings as well as asynchronous online discussions (Blackboard Discussion Board). I will use the in-class time to introduce the framework of the historical problem to be considered and to cover comprehension questiions about the readings. The cooperative learning groups, which will be formed the second week, will meet to discuss how they will be addressing the historical problem in the online learning environment. Asynchronous discussion allows participants to step back and consider their contribution to class discussion more carefully, referring to the readings when necessary. It also enables those less comfortable speaking up in class to have their say. At the same time, it requires that everyone comes to the discussion with at least a minimum level of preparation, since it becomes clear when students have not done the reading. Finally, it enables different layers of communication, since Blackboard makes it easier for users to email each other directly. Students can thus decide whether a comment is more appropriate for direct communication or for the entire course. This course uses a very structured approach to online discussion, with the first entries similar to informal writing assignments leading to more wide ranging discussion afterwards. This approach, which I developed drawing on established research, is intended to enhance the group learning experience while improving individual's skills and abilities yet also allowing for intellectual exploration and personal engagement.
NOTE:WE WILL NOT BE MEETING TUESDAY, NOV. 11 (VETERANS DAY). INSTEAD, THAT WEEK WE WILL MEET THURSDAY, NOV. 13, FOR THE MIDTERM EXAM.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Assessed outcomes:
This course has been designed to facilitate and assess your mastery of the following
outcomes:
Unassessed outcomes:
Additional outcomes that you might achieve, but which will not be assessed,
include:
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, ASSESSMENTS, AND GRADING:
The course is based on a "scaffolding" approach to learning: first, you will develop a critical engagement with the course material, including careful note taking and completion of the class preparation sheets; then, in small group and class discussions based on the first step, you will extend and deepen your understanding of the material and the larger issues; and finally, you will draw on abilities and knowledge gained in the first two steps when preparing for and completing your formal and exam writing assignments. Each step is assessed independently, but they are all connected.
1. Online Participation/Cooperative Group Work:
In the second week of the course you will
be assigned an online discussion group. You will meet with your group in class on Tuesday and then engage them in discussion during the rest of the week. You may participate in the group at
any time between Tuesday following class and Monday 8pm, but you will need to make your
first posting at some point between Tuesday after class and Thursday 10pm, and a second posting by
Saturday at 11pm. One group member per week will post a concluding comment between Saturday 11pm and Sunday 11pm. The posting criteria must be followed explicitly to gain credit and maximize your learning experience. CLICK HERE for the guidelines (PDF file).. There are a number of ways one might EFFECTIVELY take notes (written or oral, linear or mapping, etc.) but highlighting or scribbling in the margins is not sufficient. While these activities can enhance note-taking, they are no substitute for your critical engagement with the material. In order to aid your preparation for participating in your small groups and creating your postings, I have developed a form that you must complete before each class. If you take effective notes, the form should not take you long to complete. Being prepared for small group discussion is essential for a productive cooperative learning experience. Even if you are pressed for time on a particular reading assignment, make sure you set aside a minimum amount of time (15 minutes) to respond critically to what you've read, listened to, or viewed. You will find that time far more valuable than an additional 15 minutes of skimming the content, which you will probably not retain for more than a few days (if that) There is a separate form depending on whether two articles, three articles, or a book is assigned. [Click here to access forms.] You must bring the form and your other notes on the reading to class with you.
Schedule of postings:
Step One (Initiate or Response) by Thursday, 11pm.
Step Two (Informal Follow-up) by Saturday, 11pm
Conclusion (1 student per group) between Saturday, 11pm and Sunday, 11pm
Additional postings may continue until class Tuesday
Remember, the communication part of this assignment substitutes for in-class attendence, so plan on spending at least 2 hours a week communicating online (reading postings and responding informally). The writing part (the formal postings) should be considered part of the regular assigned work of the class. When I redesigned the course I substituted one class' worth of reading per week for the writing and discussion part. That is why you are assigned only 2-3 articles per week (with one exception), a very small amount for a 400-level course. You will be assessing your group members' performance as well as your own at the midterm and at the conclusion of the course. I will use these comments to help me assess your work in this area. You will receive a midterm and final assessment of your participation, which you will receive via email. I will let you know after the second week's postings if you are not meeting the basic criteria. (40% of grade).
IMPORTANT!! You must submit a copy of an essay from another that you consider among your strongest work by Sunday, Sept. 28. 10pm, along with a completed Group Member Information Form.. Failure to submit these will result in a loss of .2 on your online assignment grade. These documents are very helpful in enabling me to construct well-balanced groups. Submit these documents to the Sample Essay and Group Member assignments in your Blackboard Assignments section.
2. In-class midterm exam: Tests comprehension of assigned articles. THURSDAY, NOV. 13 (20% of grade)
3. Argumentative analytical essay. A 1500-2000 word (6-8
page) essay on the theme of women's economic, political and social "progress,"
assessed using the Criteria for Evaluating
Analytical Essays. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with me and/or
work with the Writing Center while developing and writing this paper. For a
more thorough explanation of the assignment, click
here. Due Dec. 9 at 1pm in the Blackboard Assignments section. Essays received after
that time will lose .2 point/day for the first day (after 6pm), and .2 points
thereafter. (40% of grade)
BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Other Guidelines:
(Adapted from Dr. David-Goldstein-Shirley's web site: faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/ are marked with an * )
*Consideration: Be considerate of your instructors and classmates. Please turn off cell phones, pagers, and watch alarms before entering a classroom. Also, be aware that entering a classroom after class has started distracts your instructor and your classmates. If you must do it, please try to enter through a back door, if possible. That probably will distract your instructor (for which you should later apologize), but at least it will reduce the disruption you cause your classmates.
*If you need to drop: You and I both invest a significant amount of time and effort having you in this course, so it is unfortunate when students do not complete a course that they began. Sometimes, however, students need to drop a course for good reasons. If that should become the case, I ask, as a favor, that you send me an e-mail message notifying me. Of course, I hope everyone who starts the course can complete it, so your work and time and mine are put to good use!
Laptop and handheld device policy: You are welcome to bring your laptops and handheld devices to class for notetaking and for accessing the Blackboard site to post your group's historical problem and questions. You may not access the Internet during class time for any other reason without my consent (which might pertain to a specific assignment in class). Violation of this policy will result in your loss of the priviledge of bringing your laptop or handheld device to class for the remainder of the term. I have found that when students abuse their digital privileges, it is much more annoying to fellow classmates than to me.
*Class Communication: This course requires the use of e-mail and the World Wide Web, with which we will assist you if necessary. You must obtain a UW Net ID (for using various UW services. Also, make sure that your UW e-mail account is switched on, which you can do at MyUW, located at http://myuw.washington.edu.
This course uses the online courseware called Blackboard. For information on all things Blackboard, CLICK HERE. NOTE: YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED TO SET UP A NEW ACCOUNT BECAUSE UWB UPGRADED THEIR SOFTWARE. YOU NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO MOST MATERIAL THAT WAS STORED ON BLACKBOARD PREVIOUSLY. You will need to enroll in the Blackboard area set up for this course (CLICK HERE) no later than Sunday, Sept. 28. (Search for "U.S. Women's History.) When you sign up, make sure you input an email address that you check most days, as I will use it to communicate to you about your postings. (Tools > Personal Information > Edit Personal Information). Many private email services (Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) filter out email generated from Blackboard. For that reason, it's safest to use your UW account, unless you know how to use your email service to allow certain addresses to pass through (see below). Note that you can check your UW e-mail account anywhere you have access to the World Wide Web, including public libraries, by using MyUW <http://myuw.washington.edu>.
Important: If you do not usually use your UW e-mail account, it is possible to have it forwarded to one that you check regularly by following the directions at MyUW <http://myuw.washington.edu>. (Click on "UW Net ID Resources" and then on "Change your forwarding.") However, if you choose to forward your UW email account to another account, mail sent to that account may be caught by your "Junk Mail" filter. Therefore, as explained on the MyUW site, UW C&C recommends that you don't forward it. If you do, make sure that you add the UW domain (u.washington.edu) to the alternative accounts list of approved addresses. I use email software (Entourage for the Mac; Outlook is the standard software for PCs) that enables me to place all of my accounts in plain view so that I can easily check each one to see if I've received new mail. As noted in your Student Handbook, the University only has your official UW e-mail address and will send all mail to it. The class email list, which I usually use for class communication, also uses your UW email account, so you will miss important messages if you do not have them forwarded to an account you check regularly.
NOTE ON STUDENT-FACULTY COMMUNICATION: A central component of a successful course is open communication between the instructor and the students. Please avail yourself of the many avenues of communication listed at the head of the syllabus if you have anything you'd like to share with me outside of class. While direct communication is best, if you have an issue you feel uncomfortable discussing with me, you may e-mail me anonymously through UMail, a tool developed by UW Catalyst. The tool allows you to send an anonymous e-mail message that cannot be traced in any way to Michael Goldberg's e-mail account. To learn more about the tool, visit the link on the course web site.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OF ANY KIND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THIS CLASS. It is your responsibility to be knowledgeable about this topic. (You will find a link to a fuller explanation on the UWB Student Affairs site) Academic dishonesty covers a range of behaviors—please become knowledgeable about this topic, as "I didn't know" is not an acceptable defense. Please be aware that there are numerous ways to detect plagiarism beyond the instructor actually identifying the source of the plagiarism. Plagiarism wastes my time and yours, and is conscious choice by the student that the learning process in this course holds no value for him or her. If you are experiencing any kind of difficulty in completing an assignment, PLEASE see me as soon as possible. This and all other UWB courses are now guided by the campus-wide policy on academic dishonesty. All confirmed cases of plagiarism will result, at a minimum, in a failure of the entire assessed grade for the assignment and a letter to the Vice- Chancellor, as prescribed by the new UWB Guidelines.
Students with Disabilities: I gladly accommodate all documented disabilities as directed by Disability Student Services at UWB. You must be a documented DSS student to receive accommodations. I encourage anyone believing themselves to be covered by DSS guidelines to visit the UWB DSS web page. Accommodations are not "extra help"—they are actions taken to provide people with disabilities an educational environment similar to those who enjoy the benefits of a system designed to cater to the needs of the non-disabled majority.
Weekly Schedule
All readings marked with an asterisk (*) will be available via the UW
Bothell Library E-Res web page. To navigate there, follow the path: UWB
home page > Students > UWB Library > Reserves/Course Readings >
Connect to Electronic Reserves, or go there directly by CLICKING HERE.. The password required is your UW Net ID (from your UW email account).
September 25: Course Introduction: Living Women's History (Also, a heckuva lot of information about the course.)
September 30: Intercultural Conflict, Negotiation, and Accommodation
Guest instructor: Leslie Ashbaugh
Reading:
Women and the American Experience, pp. 17-22 ("Native American Women"), 48-52 ("The Diversity of Cultures), 71-81 (Introduction and "The Home and the World")
Theda Perdue, “Cherokee Women and the Trail of Tears”
(Unequal Sisters)
*Joan Jensen, "Native American Women and Agriculture: A Seneca Case Study" (From
Unequal Sisters, Second Edition—Available through E-Res)
October 7: Slavery and the Perversities of Powerlessness
Reading:
Women and the American Experience, pp. 116-122 ("Women in Slavery")
Brenda Stevenson, “Distress and Discord in Virginia Slave Families, 1830-1860”
(Unequal Sisters)
*Deborah White, "Female Slaves: Sex Roles and Status in the Ante-bellum Plantation
South" (From Unequal Sisters, Second Edition—Available through E-Res)
October 14: Making Choices: Gender, Race and the Politics of Woman Suffrage
Reading:
DuBois, Feminism and Suffrage, chs. 1-6
October 21: After Freedom: Alternative Routes to Power
Reading:
Women and the American Experience, pp. 147-152 ("The Black Experience"), 197-202 ("Clubwomen and Crusaders")
Elsa Barkley Brown, “To Catch the Vision of Freedom: Reconstructing Southern Black Women's Political History, 1865-1880” (Unequal Sisters)
Elsa Barkley Brown, "Womanist Consciousness: Maggie Lena Walker and the Independent Order of Saint Luke"(From Unequal Sisters, First Edition—available through E-Res)
October 28 : The Suffrage Movements and Women's Activism
Reading:
Women and the American Experience, pp. 207-211 ("Social Housekeepers), 231-251 ("The Argument Over Suffrage," "The Voices on the Left," "Peace, War and the Women's Party," "Women and the Vote")
Ellen Carol DuBois, "Woman Suffrage Around
the World: Three Phases of Suffrage Internationalism" (Unequal Sisters)
Melanie Gustafson, “Partisan Women in the Progressive
Era: The Struggle for Inclusion in American Political Parties" (Unequal
Sisters)
*Kim Nielson, "Helen Keller and the Politics of Civic
Fitness" (From The New Disability History: American Perspectives—Available
through E-Res)
November 4: Understanding Histories of Silence
Reading:
Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy, "'But We Would Never Talk About It': The Structures of Lesbian Discretion in South Dakota, 1928-1933" (Unequal Sisters)
Jacqueline Dowd Hall, "Open Secrets: Memory, Imagination and the Refashioning of Southern Identity" (Unequal Sisters)
November 11: NO CLASS/Veterans Day
November 13 (Thursday): Midterm Exam
November18: Domestic Laborers
Reading:
Women and the American Experience, pp. 300-312 (Introduction, "Depression Families," "Working Women"), pp. 321-333 ("The Impact of World War II")
Annelise Orleck, “We are that Mythical Thing Called
the Public': Militant Housewives During the Great Depression” (Unequal
Sisters)
Evelyn Nakano Glenn, "From Servitude to Service Work:
Historical Continuities in the Racial Division of Paid Reproductive Labor" (Unequal Sisters)
Valerie Matsumoto, "Japanese American Women During
World War II” (Unequal Sisters)
November 25: Argument/Thesis Development Workshop (Assignment will be distributed)
No Online Discussion This Week
December 2: Every Mother is a Working Mother: Rethinking Betty Friedan's 1950s
Reading:
Women and the American Experience, pp. 331-335 ("Postwar Prospects"), pp. 342-254 (Suburban Housewives," "Working Mothers")
Daniel Horowitz, "Rethinking Betty Friedan and the Feminine Mystique: Labor Union Radicalism and Feminism in Cold War America" (Unequal Sisters)
Note: Students will only need to post a Step One posting, no conclusion
December 9 : Paper Due, 1pm