History of Women in the United States, 1870 – Present
Spring 2017

CRN 36309
Tuesday, Thursday, 12:00 – 1:20 in Pacific Hall 123

Professor Ellen Herman
office: 335 McKenzie Hall and 280G Knight Law Center
phone: 346-3118 and 346-3699
e-mail: eherman@uoregon.edu
office hours: Tuesday, 1:30 – 3:30 in 280G Knight Law Center

GEs/Graders
Molly Richmer
e-mail: mollyr@uoregon.edu
office hours: Wednesay, 1:00 – 3:00 in 340Q McKenzie Hall

Tyler Sirman
e-mail: tsirman@uoregon.edu
office hours: Wednesday, 3:00 – 5:00 in 273A McKenzie Hall (Go to the department office, room 275 McKenzie Hall, and look for the small reading room.)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

HIST 309 is the second part of a two-quarter sequence on the history of women and gender in the United States. Its starting point is that the history of women and gender is U.S. history rather than something set apart from the major developments that have shaped the nation’s past. The course examines the historical significance of gender, for men and boys as well as women and girls, and explores Americans’ lives as family members, workers, and citizens. It will survey many different dimensions of gendered lives from Reconstruction to the present. As we read and think about change and continuity over the course of modern U.S. history, we will consider the following topics in relation to women and gender: migration and immigration; industrialization; reform movements; suffrage; labor and consumption; family roles; war; sexuality and health; violence; feminism and anti-feminism. The course will emphasize diversity in the history of women and gender and profile individuals who illustrate the dynamic relationship between gender and other aspects of social identity, including race, ethnicity, class, national origin, sexual orientation, and age. The course is designed to move forward chronologically in time, but its thematic organization also means that we will sometimes move across time, compare different periods, and ask questions—and question our assumptions—about the meaning and inevitability of progress.

CLASS FORMAT

There will be two lectures each week. Although this course requires no separate discussion sections, you can expect to participate in regular small and large group discussions about the assigned weekly readings, typically on Thursday. Please be sure to bring the reading and your notes to class with you in whatever form (electronic or hard copy) is most convenient.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS

Three short essay-writing assignments. Each one will explore and/or compare required readings, especially primary sources. Each essay should be 4 pages long, double-spaced.

Essay #1, due during week 4 on April 25, 2017 by noon.

Essay #2, due during week 7 on May 16, 2017 by noon.

Essay #3, due during week 9 on May 30, 2017 by noon.

There will be a comprehensive take-home final exam, covering the major readings and themes of the course. It will be distributed on the last day of class, Thursday, June 8, 2017. It will be due on Monday, June 12, 2017 by noon.

Please notice when the written work is due and plan your time accordingly.

READING REQUIREMENTS

Required reading does not mean required buying. You can find all of the texts below on reserve in Knight Library as well as at the UO Bookstore. You are expected to complete the required reading before class. Doing so will make the lectures more understandable and interesting. It will also prepare you for the in-class discussions.

Required reading amounts to slightly more than 100 pages each week, on average. (I know because I counted.) The reading is not, however, always distributed evenly. Some weeks will have fewer pages and some will have more. Please look ahead in the syllabus and plan your time accordingly.

Rita Mae Brown, Rubyfruit Jungle (Bantam, 1973).

Ellen Fitzpatrick, The Highest Glass Ceiling: Women’s Quest for the American Presidency (Harvard University Press, 2016).

Danielle McGuire, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance–A New History of the Civil Rights Movements from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power (Vintage, 2011).

Recommended text:
Ellen Carol DuBois and Lynn Dumenil, Through Women’s Eyes: An American History With Documents, 4th edition (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2016).

THINKING REQUIREMENTS AND COURSE OBJECTIVES

History is a discipline that requires discipline, no less than music, neuroscience, or architecture. That means you should expect this course to require real time and effort. But history repays those who devote time and effort to it many times over. If you work hard in this course, you will end the term knowing something about the chronology and significance of the various topics listed on this syllabus. You can also expect the following tangible benefits, all applicable in a very wide range of occupations and careers:

• the habit of asking critical and imaginative questions frequently
• improved reading, writing, and analytical skills
• the ability to recognize and evaluate primary and secondary sources, with special attention to interpreting multiple, sometimes conflicting, examples of documentary evidence
• practice in thinking about change over time and considering how economic, political, cultural, and social forces interact to promote or inhibit change
• facility with revising questions and rethinking answers based on empirical and especially documentary evidence

My hope is that you will also experience the pleasures of learning. History promises to make us more interesting people and better, more insightful citizens of our communities and our world.

RULES

Academic Honesty: If this course is to be a worthwhile educational experience, your work must be original. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are very serious infractions and will not be permitted. Students who are uncertain about what plagiarism is, or who have questions about how to cite published, electronic, or other sources should feel free to consult with the instructor. You can also consult the brief guide to plagiarism and citation posted on my web site.

Classroom Etiquette: In order to create an atmosphere conducive to mutual respect and learning, please refrain from activities such as eating meals, texting, or newspaper-reading during class time. Using computers to take notes is encouraged. If you would prefer to spend the class time on Facebook, shopping, or conducting other online activities, please do that. Just don’t come to class!

The Inescapability of Offensive, Disturbing Material: Learning anything important about history means encountering people whose lives are very different than yours as well as confronting ideas, values, language, and experiences that you may find offensive and disturbing. Doing that, and learning how to engage in civil conversation about things that matter, is part of what it means to become an educated person. This course is a place to practice that kind of conversation. I encourage you to share your responses to assigned reading materials as well as to views expressed in the classroom. Read thoughtfully and listen carefully to other students. My door is always open to students who wish to discuss sensitive issues privately.

Lateness Policy: No unexcused late assignments will be accepted and no makeup exams will be given. Students who miss essay deadlines or the final exam will be given 0% for that assignment. If you anticipate difficulty meeting a deadline, please talk to the instructor or one of the GEs in advance. Medical emergencies cannot, by definition, be anticipated in advance. Accommodations will be made for these so long as documentation is available.

Accommodations: If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please arrange to see me soon and request that the Accessible Education Center send a letter verifying your disability.

One last note: I apologize for having all these rules! Try to imagine the administrative challenges your instructor faces in managing this large course in a way that is fair to all students. Please be patient with me and with your GEs!

GRADES

essays: 20% each
final exam: 40%

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COURSE CALENDAR