Course Syllabus
Counseling 20: Sex & Gender
Section 4627
Instructor Contact
Instructor/Counselor: Sara Malmquist-West
Email: smalmquistwest@santarosa.edu
The best way to contact me is through Canvas inbox or email me at smalmquistwest@santarosa.edu. I will respond to emails within 24 hours Monday-Thursday. I will check my emails occasionally over the weekend so please make sure to review the course material before the weekend to make sure you do not have any immediate questions. Please include your name, student ID number and the course title (COUN 20) in your email.
Course Description
This course is an exploration of gender and sexual identity in U.S. culture. Topics include definitions of femininity and masculinity in popular culture, contemporary and traditional sex roles, male and female stereotypes and issues related to sexual orientation, gender and sexual discrimination (sexism, homophobia, sexual harassment, etc.). The relationship between gender and sex and other aspects of our personal and social identities, such as race/ethnicity, age, and physical disabilities will be examined. Cross-cultural comparisons of non-Western societies’ view of sex and gender will be explored. For complete course outline information, go to: Counseling 20: Sex & Gender.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Distinguish between the three aspects of human sexuality (sex, gender, and sexual orientation) and relate them to personal identity and societal norms.
- Explain the issues related to sexual and gender inequality as they affect both men and women including sexism and male privilege, and homophobia and heterosexual privilege.
- Make cross-cultural comparisons with U.S. gender and sex norms to non-Western societies’ views of gender identity and expression.
- Define sexual discrimination and identity inappropriate behavior pertaining to sexual harassment laws.
Materials
- Gendered Worlds by Judy Root Aulette and Judith Wittner (3rd edition, 2015).
- Additional readings (such as handouts or online courses) will be posted on Canvas
Course Structure & Web Site
- Students will use the Canvas course web site for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmate's work, sharing resources, and viewing grades.
- This is an Asynchronous course which means there are no live Zoom sessions. You are expected to log into Canvas and complete all the week’s activities by Sunday at 11:59 PM.
Participation/Drop Policy
- Participation is extremely important. Because this is an online class, your “attendance” will be measures based upon your participation in the discussions and the timely submission of your assignments. You are required to log into Canvas at minimum once per week. If you do not log in weekly, you will lose points and can possibly be dropped from the course.
- If you have not logged into this Canvas course and completed the Week 1: Syllabus Quiz by Sunday, January 24th at 11:59 PM, you will be dropped from the course.
Important Dates
Day Class Begins: Wednesday, January 20th, 2021
Day Class Ends: Friday, May 21st, 2021
Last Day to Drop and be eligible for refund: Sunday, January 31st, 2021
Last Day to Drop without a 'W' symbol: Sunday, February 7th, 2021
Last Day to opt for Pass/No Pass: Sunday, February 28th, 2021
Last Day to Drop with a 'W' symbol: Sunday, April 25th, 2021
If you have further questions, call the Office of Admissions & Records in Plover Hall at (707) 527-4685.
Grading Policy
Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade once a week and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook.
Grading Scale Final Grade
90%-100% A
80%-89% B
70%-79% C
60%-69% D
59% and below F
Assignment Guidelines
|
Assignment |
Due Date |
Points Possible |
|
Weekly Quizzes |
Sunday at 11:59 PM |
150 Points (10 points x 15) |
|
Weekly Discussions |
Sunday at 11:59 PM |
150 Points (10 points x 15) |
|
Participation Assignments |
Sunday at 11:59 PM |
150 Points (10 points x 15) |
|
Reflection Papers |
See course schedule |
100 Points (25 points x 4) |
|
Research Paper |
5/2 |
100 Points |
|
Research Presentation |
5/9 |
50 Points |
|
Midterm |
3/21 |
100 Points |
|
Final Exam |
5/23 |
100 Points |
|
|
TOTAL: |
900 Points |
All assignments are due no later than 11:59 PM on the date listed. Typed assignments need to be completed with a 12-point font, one-inch margins, and double spaced. Directions for completing assignments will be given throughout the semester and listed in your Canvas course. Please save your documents as Microsoft Word or PDF attachments. For MAC users, save as PDF not PAGES files. You can do this for free through google docs.
Discussion Posts: This is part of your participation in the class and is vital component of your grade. Due to the nature of being enrolled in an online course, you will be required to participate in discussion forums where you will post answers and respond to your peers. It is expected that responses will be respectful of each other. In addition, if a side-discussion develops, please continue it in a separate venue so the class does not become side-tracked.
Participation Assignments: In lieu of the participation activities such as group projects and journaling that we would do in a face-to-face classroom, I will ask you to do various assignments each week to demonstrate that you are engaging with the material.
Weekly Quizzes: You will have weekly quizzes on the material presented in the lectures.
Reflections Papers: You will be asked to write 2-3-page reflection papers throughout the course on various topic from class. Detailed instructions will be provided
Research Paper: You will be asked to write a 5-page research paper. Detailed instructions will be provided.
Research Presentation: For this assignment you will present the findings of your research paper to the class by writing a summary or recording a video of what you learned.
Late Policy
All assignments are due at 11:59 PM on the due date. A late submission will receive a minimum 20% penalty if it is turned in the following week with the exception of the Final Project. NO LATE FINALS WILL BE ACCEPTED. If you have trouble meeting the deadlines, contact the instructor at smalmquistwest@santarosa.edu. I understand that many of you are facing unique challenges due to COVID-19, so please contact me if you need additional support.
Online Technical Expertise
This course is 100% online. As a result, you will be required to:
- Navigate the Canvas course environment
- Use the Internet
- Participate in online discussion forums
- Utilize basic word processing, such as MS Word or Google Docs (free)
- If you use a MAC, please become familiar with Google Docs so that you can turn your .pages documents into PDF. I cannot accept .pages documents.
If you are not comfortable or do not have much experience in the online environment, you may wish to consider taking CSKLS 334 (Taking an Online Class, .5 unit) before taking any online class. However, this is not required for this course and detailed instructions on how to proceed with this course are provided at the beginning in the section titled "Getting Started.”
Technical Support
If you need help in navigating the material of this course or if you have any technical issues, please first contact the instructor (me) at smalmquistwest@santarosa.edu. If you are having a technical issue that I cannot resolve I will refer you to tech support. If you'd like to go directly to student tech support, go to: https://de.santarosa.edu/content/student-help-canvas
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
It is the mission of the Santa Rosa Junior College to support inclusive learning environments. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment of achievement—such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos—please notify the instructor as soon as possible. Students are also welcome to contact the Disability Resources Department (DRD). DRD is a resource for students that provides authorization for academic accommodations, training and access to assistive technology, and collaborates on strategies for academic success.
Standards of Conduct
Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.
Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's policy on Academic Integrity (Links to an external site.)
Other Important Policies and Practices
Avoid Plagiarism Like the, er, Plague
Although most students have likely heard about plagiarism during their years of schooling, it still is prevalent-even in higher education.
The video below reviews what plagiarism is and how not to do it.
Plagiarism: How to avoid it (Links to an external site.)
Netiquette, or Why Is It Harder to Be Polite Online?
Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication. All members of the class are expected to follow netiquette in all course communications. Use these guidelines:
- Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
- Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
- Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
- Cite all quotations, references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).
- Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.
- Use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
- Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when texting.
Contact the Counseling office at (707) 527-4451 (Santa Rosa) or (707) 778-3914 anytime if you have further questions.
Spring 2021 Course Schedule (Subject to change)
|
Date |
Topic |
Assignments |
|
Week 1: 1/20-1/24 |
Welcome & Introductions |
Reading: Syllabus |
|
Week 2: 1/25-1/31 |
Power, Privilege & Intersectionality History of Feminism |
Reading: Chapter 1 |
|
Week 3: 2/1-2/7 |
Bodies & Gender |
Reading: Chapter 2 |
|
Week 4: 2/8-2/14 |
Social Construction of Gender |
Reading: Chapter 3 Reflection #1 Due |
|
Week 5: 2/15-2/21 |
Sexualities |
Reading: Chapter 4
|
|
Week 6: 2/22-2/28 |
Education |
Reading: Chapter 5 Reflection #2 Due |
|
Week 7: 3/1-3/7 |
Popular Culture & the Media |
Reading: Chapter 11 |
|
Week 8: 3/8-3/14 |
Families |
Reading: Chapter 7 Reflection #3 Due |
|
Week 9: 3/15-3/21 |
Gender & the Global Economy |
Reading: Chapter 6 Midterm |
|
Week 10: 3/22-3/28 |
SPRING BREAK No class! |
|
|
Week 11: 3/29-4/4 |
Violence |
Reading: Chapter 8 |
|
Week 12: 4/5-4/11 |
Gender & Race-Based Illnesses |
Reading: Chapter 9: Reflection #4 Due |
|
Week 13: 4/12-4/18 |
Politics, Prisons and the Military |
Reading: Chapter 10 |
|
Week 14: 4/19-4/25 |
Sports |
Reading: Chapter 12 |
|
Week 15: 4/26-5/2 |
Religion |
Reading: Chapter 13 Research Paper Due |
|
Week 16: 5/3-5/9 |
Globalization, Organization & Making the World a Better Place |
Reading: Chapter 14 Research Presentation Due |
|
Week 17: 5/10-5/16 |
TBD |
Reading: TBD |
|
Finals week: 5/17-5/23 |
Final Due: Sunday, May 23rd 11:59 PM
|
Final |