Spring Semester 2005
Juda Bennett
Office: Bliss 239
Office Hours: M & R,
Phone: 771-2380
http://socs.tcnj.edu
FSP 103-01: Inside/Out: Gay and Lesbian Studies
(T & F at
Required Texts:
James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room
Kate Bornstein, My Gender WorkbookJeff Perrotti, When the Drama Club Is Not Enough
Jim Schutze, Bully: Does Anyone
Deserve to Die?
Alice Walker, The Color PurpleRiki Wilkins, Queer Theory, Gender Theory
Aug 30 (T): Introduction to class
Sep 2 (F): Kate Bornstein, My Gender Workbook (1-157)
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Sep 6 (T): Memorial Day
Sep 9 (F): Kate Bornstein, My Gender Workbook
(159-292) * * Paper # 1 * * Evaluate an effective part of My Gender Workbook.
Begin with a sentence or two that locates your specific focus within the
larger book and then evaluate this section of the book. You might focus on a SPECIFIC paragraph,
phrase or word, illustration, anecdote, description, or definition. Although you might relate your chosen focus
to the larger book, you should stay focused on the smaller and defined topic.
(Goal: beginning an essay with a focus that is contextualized and quoted
correctly.)
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Sep 13 (T): Riki Wilkins, Queer Theory, Gender Theory (1-57)
Sep 16 (F): Riki Wilkins, Queer Theory, Gender Theory (59-106) * * Paper #2 * * Find a point of
comparison between My Gender
Workbook and Queer Theory. Use a short quote from each
book that is exemplary of the differences. (Goal: locating a
illustrative quote and arguing for its usefulness in understanding some
characteristic of the whole book.)
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Sep 20 (T): Riki Wilkins, Queer Theory, Gender Theory (107-157)
Sep 23 (F): * *
Paper #3 * * Use a quote from My
Gender Workbook or Queer Theory
to analyze or evaluate some aspect of sexuality and/or the performance of
sexuality at TCNJ—i.e., as observed in a class, dorm, library, or café. (Goal:
applying theory to life
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Sep 27 (T): TBA
Sep 30 (T): Jim Schutze, Bully: Does Anyone Deserve to Die? (Chapters
1-5)
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Oct 4 (T): Jim Schutze, Bully: Does Anyone Deserve to Die?
(Chapters 6-10)
Oct 7 (F): * * Essay ONE * * Choose one or two quotes from
any of our previous theoretical texts to help you provide a critique of
Jim Schutze’s handling of gender or sexuality in Bully. You may choose to focus on a passage or even
a phrase or sentence from the primary text (Bully). In-Class Showing of It’s Elementary
Oct 11 (T): Jeff Perrotti, When the Drama Club Is Not Enough (1-45)
Oct 14 (F): Jeff Perrotti, When the
Drama Club Is Not Enough (46-72)
Oct 18 (T): TBA
Oct 21 (F): James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room (3-71)
Oct 25 (T): Fall
Break
Oct 28 (F): James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room (75-118)
Nov 1(T): James
Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room (119-169)
Nov 4(F): Library
Class (Meet in the Library)
Nov 8 (T): TBA
Nov 11(F): * * Essay TWO
* * Make use of at least one secondary resource in writing an analytical paper
on Sherman Alexie’s “The Toughest Indian in the
World” (SOCS)
Nov 15 (T): Alice
Walker, The Color Purple (1-75)
Nov 18 (F): Alice
Walker, The Color Purple (76-183) * *
Paper #4 * * Reflection essay on your class participation, your writing, and
your growth in the class. Submit, all previous papers and essays (with teacher’s
comments) with this essay.
Nov 22 (T): Alice Walker, The Color Purple (183-288)
Nov 25, (F): Thanksgiving
Nov 29 (T): TBA
Dec 2 (F): TBA
Dec 6 (T): Essay #3
Dec 9 (F): Last Class
REQUIREMENTS
Papers 1-4: Each paper is weighted 5%
Essays 1-3, Each essay is weighted
20% of final grade
Class Participation and Pop Quizzes: 20% of final grade;
this grade will be determined based on your engagement in the class and your
responses to pop quizzes. In missing
three or more classes, you are in danger of receiving zero points for this
portion of the grade. Merely attending
class, however, guarantees you nothing more than an average grade for this
portion of the final grade. To receive
an A, you must not only attend but distinguish yourself. To receive a B, you must not only attend but
contribute in ways that reflect your engagement with the texts, vocabulary, and
concepts. To receive a C, you must not
only attend but be involved. Students
who have attended class are frequently surprised when they receive grades in
the 60-79 range. Let me stress that
attendance is NOT ENOUGH and also that poor attendance can hurt the grade of
even the most involved student. Please,
do not take this grade for granted. To
end on a positive note—I have found that students who make a good faith effort
often do well in this portion of the overall grade, many receiving grades of 84
and higher.
Policy on Late Essays:
Essays received after the due date and even after the class time will be
penalized by five points for the first 24 hours and ten points for the first
week. Essays will not be accepted any
later than a week after the due date.
Remember, you have four opportunities to make three deadlines (if we
consider Paper #1 and Essays 1-3 together), and so I will not be particularly
interested in hearing excuses for being late.
Excuses: Although I believe the system above is fair for all
students, occasionally students experience real hardship, loss, or
illness. Do not hesitate to inform me of
any special situations, but I ask that you provide documentation when asking
for an exception from the rules above.
ESSAY FORMAT:
Be professional! Paper submissions (versus
SOCS drop-box submissions) must use dark ink printed on standard-sized white
paper (8.5”x11”). Do not play with
margins, colored fonts, or other distracting features. There should be 1”
margins all around and the text should be justified to the left and unjustified
to the right. You should use a font that results in approximately 300
words per page. (Times New Roman 12 pt. yields about 300 words per page while
Courier 12 pt. yields approximately 200 words per page).
You may use a cover page. If you do not,
you should place the following information in the upper, left side of the first
page: Juda Bennett, Course Title and Number,
Your Name, Date, Word Count. If you choose to use a cover page, you
should place this same information somewhere on that page and not to be
duplicated on the first page of the essay.
Every essay must have a title. Do not vary
the font, color, or pitch of the text or title. Keep copies of your work!
Failure to do any of the above may result in a lower grade.
ESSAY GRADE:
Papers will receive the following points for:
a) Technical Form (10 points): Students
should follow the guidelines for “Essay Format” as stated above. They
should also attend to proper form when quoting or providing
citations.
(b) Writing Style (15 points): The successful
paper will use proper grammar and spelling, but will also engage the reader by
varying sentence length and structure, attending to diction and word choice, and
employing active verbs and rich language. Redundancies and undeveloped
passages are both problems of organization and writing style.
(c) Organization (15 points): Essays must feel
cohesive and planned, or the reader will distrust the work and thought that
went into the paper. Develop your ideas, and provide guide-posts to that
development. Organization is not simply a question of transitions.
Consider writing an outline. Consider writing the introduction after you
have written the rest of the paper.
(d) Content (60 points): If there are significant
problems with the form, style, or organization of the paper, it may be
difficult to fully appreciate the content of the argument. It is your
responsibility to successfully convey your best ideas with clarity. You
may, however, receive all 50 points if your ideas are strong and there is
enough clarity to convey those ideas. It is, however, difficult to
receive even a passing grade if you do not have original ideas to
convey.
A Word of Caution: You may receive zero
points in any of the above categories of evaluation if your work does not
demonstrate basic care or ability. You may, for example, write an essay
that demonstrates technical skill and care on every page except the last page.
This may result in a grade of zero points for the technical aspect of the
paper. The paper, finally, must be graded as a whole. This means
that there are some mistakes that may overshadow a few strengths. Late
papers will receive a grade penalty, depending upon how late they are received.
SPECIAL NEEDS AND EXCUSED ABSENCES:
If you honor certain religious observances that
conflict with the class schedule, please contact me at the beginning of the
semester.
If you have extracurricular activities (e.g.,
sports or theater) that conflict with the class schedule, please contact me at
the beginning of the semester.
If you have diagnosed learning-needs that I
should know about, please contact me at the beginning of the semester.
If medical problems affect your performance,
please contact me as soon as possible. An excused absence will be given
for legitimate situations and if you provide documentation of the problem.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Each student is expected to submit original work
that has been produced by the submitting student for this and no other
class. If students wish to collaborate, rework a previous project, or
combine projects for this class with another class, students are required to
receive permission from me.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
The above schedule of readings and assignments
may change to accommodate the class, the college, or the weather. I will
try to give advanced notice in class, through e-mail, and/or on this website in
the event of any needed changes.