Syllabus

HIST 344: Women in America from the Colonial Era to the Present (Fall 2013)

MW, 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. • Old Business Building 206

Instructor: Dr. Leslie Madsen-Brooks

E-mail: lesliemadsen-brooks@boisestate.edu

Office: Library 183

Office hours: Monday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Thursday 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., and by appointment.

Course website: http://uswomen.doinghistory.com

Introduction

What does it mean to engage with women’s history? What happens, historiographically speaking, when we begin our research and writing with women’s experiences and concerns? (And with which women should we begin?) What kinds of sources will we have to use, and why? How do historians interpret non-textual sources like photographs and artifacts? Whose perspectives should we be taking into account, and why? If we practice women’s history well, what do we learn about the advantages and liabilities of mainstream historical practice?

Questions such as these will drive our inquiry into the history of women in the United States. This course is about the experiences of those women, but it is also about methods, controversies, ideas and ideologies, and the ways women’s history gets deployed in academic circles, K-12 history lessons, and everyday life in the United States.

Course materials (available at the campus bookstore)

Gabriela Arredondo et. al., eds., Chicana Feminisms: A Critical Reader (2003)
Susan Klepp, Revolutionary Conceptions: Women, Fertility, and Family Limitation in America, 1760-1820 (2009)
Devon Abbott Mihesuah, Indigenous American Women: Decolonization, Empowerment, Activism (2003)
Mimi Thi Nguyen and Thuy Linh Nguyen Tu, eds., Alien Encounters: Popular Culture in Asian America (2007)
Mary E. Oden, Delinquent Daughters: Protecting and Policing Adolescent Female Sexuality in the United States, 1885-1920 (1995)
Katherine Kish Sklar and James Brewer Stewart, eds., Women’s Rights and Transatlantic Slavery in the Era of Emancipation (2007)

Learning Goals

By the end of the course, students will:

■ write and talk thoughtfully about key “islands” in the archipelago of women’s experiences in the U.S.;

■ address the necessity of considering identity politics when writing history;

■ make an argument about the utility of the content of, and approaches to, women’s history to academic and popular history.

Participation

The day-to-day requirements of this class are simple: do the required reading, reflect on it, and come to class prepared to engage in thoughtful discussion. (I promise to do the same.)

Your presence in lecture and section is very important. Participation in discussion section constitutes a significant portion of your grade (10%). To receive an A for your participation, you must participate meaningfully in class. Merely attending class will earn you a C- for participation.

Writing

The quality of your writing—both its clarity and the depth of thought expressed in it—contribute significantly to your final grade in this course. It is imperative, then, that you schedule sufficient time to conduct the research required for each paper, write a first draft, and conduct several revisions. I recommend you form a writing group with two or three other students to swap papers at least a few days before they are due.

Late paper policy

In the historical professions, deadlines matter. Exhibitions must open on time. Grant deadlines aren’t negotiable. Collaborative public history endeavors—like building digital tools and organizing festivals—require everyone to contribute in a timely manner so that work can proceed. The same holds true for this class. Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Late assignments will be penalized 1/3 of a grade (e.g. a B becomes a B-) after the beginning of class, and I will deduct an additional 1/3 grade for each 24 hours that pass before you turn in the paper.

That said, I’m not heartless. If you have an emergency or anticipate not being able to turn in your assignment on time, come see me and we’ll see if we can work something out.

Please note: Technological failure does not constitute an emergency. Hard drives fail, servers go down, file transfers time out, and files get corrupted. You must plan for such contingencies: keep backups of your files, have extra ink cartridges handy, know where the local wifi hotspots are in case your home internet goes down. Technological issues are not excuses for late work. Please protect yourself (and your grades) by managing your time and backing up your work.

Grade distribution

Class participation: 10%
Research paper topic, outline, and annotated bibliography: 15%
Polished research paper draft: 15%
Research Paper: 35%
Final exam: 25%

Plagiarism

A student commits plagiarism not only if she turns in someone else’s work as her own, but also if she borrows others’ ideas or phrases without giving them credit. We can discuss this in class if anyone has any questions. Any student who plagiarizes or cheats on any assignment may receive zero credit for the assignment and/or an F in the course and may be subject to academic discipline by the university.

I am interested in your thoughts and your creative and analytical work. Please share them with me!

Accommodations

I need to hear from anyone who has a disability that may require some modification of seating, assignments, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during my office hours.

Talk to me

I will be available during my office hours to address your concerns with the class and assignments. I encourage you to come see me if you feel you have not been offered a chance to participate in class discussion, you are troubled by a particular assignment, you would like to talk more with me about an issue raised in class, or you have concerns about your performance in the course.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Please complete each set of readings before class on the date shown.

Mon., Aug. 26: Introductions

Wed., Aug. 28:

Mon., Sept. 2 : Labor Day holiday. Class does not meet.

Wed., Sept. 5: Revolutionary Conceptions, pp. 1-87

Mon., Sept. 9: Revolutionary Conceptions, pp. 88-178

Wed., Sept. 11: Revolutionary Conceptions, pp. 179-247

Mon., Sept. 16: Revolutionary Conceptions, pp. 248-286

Wed., Sept. 18: Women’s Rights and Transatlantic Slavery, pp. xi – 54

Mon., Sept. 23: Women’s Rights and Transatlantic Slavery, pp. 57-139 (skim, according to your interest) and pp. 143-188

Wed., Sept. 25: Women’s Rights and Transatlantic Slavery, pp. 189-241.

Mon., Sept. 30: Women’s Rights and Transatlantic Slavery, pp. 242-296

Wed., Oct. 2: Women’s Rights and Transatlantic Slavery, pp. 299-365.

Monday, Oct. 7: Delinquent Daughters, pp. 1-62

Wed., Oct. 9: Delinquent Daughters, pp. 63-127. Paper topic and preliminary annotated bibliography due.

Mon., Oct. 14: Delinquent Daughters, pp. 128-189

Wed., Oct. 16: Indigenous American Women, pp. xi-13, 21-38

Mon., Oct. 21: Indigenous American Women, pp. 41-80

NOTE the schedule and deadlines have changed. Changes are indicated in red.

Wed., Oct. 23: Indigenous American Women, pp. 81-142.

Mon., Oct. 28: Workshop day. Bring thesis and outline.

Wed., Oct. 30: Indigenous American Women, pp. 143-171. Thesis, outline, and annotated bibliography due. (Include original annotated bib with instructor’s comments)

Mon., Nov. 4: Chicana Feminisms, pp. 1-58.

Wed., Nov. 6: Chicana Feminisms, pp. 114-154

Mon., Nov. 11: Chicana Feminisms, pp. 184-210, 220-227

Wed., Nov. 13: Chicana Feminisms, pp. 228-259.

Mon., Nov. 18: Alien Encounters, pp. 1-15, 35-68.

Wed., Nov. 20: Alien Encounters, pp. 130-149, 221-243. Polished draft due.

Mon., Nov. 25– Fri., Nov. 29: Thanksgiving holiday. Class does not meet.

Mon., Dec. 2: Alien Encounters, pp. 247-270, 305-333.

Wed., Dec. 4: Workshop day. Bring latest draft to class.

Mon., Dec. 9: Workshop day/final exam study day. Bring revised draft to class and/or notes to help each other study for final exam.

Wed., Dec. 11:

Course evaluations and review.
Research paper due.

Wed., Dec. 18: Final exam, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.