Political Science/Women’s Studies 333
Professor: Julie Novkov
Downtown Office: Milne 306 Uptown Office: TenBroek 101
Downtown Office Phone: 442-5279 Uptown Office
Phone: 442-5635
Downtown Office Hours: 2-4 PM Mon. Uptown Office Hours: 9-10 AM Tues./Thurs.
This
course surveys the relationship between women and the law, looking at the way
that women have been defined as legal subjects over time. While much of the material focuses on the
The course does not assume significant prior background either in legal studies or women’s studies, although previous coursework in either or both of these areas will be helpful. The main prerequisite is to enter the course with a keen interest in the subject matter and a willingness to keep up with a varied and substantial reading load.
The course has two goals. The first is to introduce students to the varied ways that law intersects with women’s lives. The second is to help students to develop critical and analytical skills that they can use to address significant questions about law as a tool for implementing or dismantling power-laden gender relations.
Throughout the semester, students will develop their own reasoned standpoints on important questions about women and law. By the end of the course, you should be able to address effectively the following questions, among others:
You will find that scholars disagree about the answers to these questions and related ones. The goal of the course is for you to learn about these disagreements and develop your own independent and critical assessment of the legal system’s engagement with women.
Students will be expected to attend class and participate in class discussions. Constructive, informed, respectful participation that contributes directly to conversations about the course material will raise borderline grades; lack of participation or consistently disruptive participation may result in lower grades. You will be expected to keep up with the reading throughout the term. You will not be able to do well on the assignments without both attending class sessions and doing the reading.
As a course in law and its impact on society, this course will emphasize the development and exercise of critical reasoning. You will take two quizzes, both of which have minimal point values, to prepare you for the final examination administered at the end of the term. You will also complete a small research project and write up the results in a 2-4 page report.
The major
writing obligation for the course is to write and revise an argumentative essay
on a topic that I will provide. You will
write this essay in two drafts and you will be responsible for critiquing two
other students’ papers. The major
writing obligation will constitute the remaining 45% of your grade. Note:
If any honors student wishes to write a substantial research paper for this
class rather than doing the argumentative essay, you may substitute a research
paper for the essay, critiques, and research project. See me for details.
The weights of these various obligations break down as follows:
Quiz one 5%
Quiz two 5%
Small research project 10%
Essay draft 5%
Essay final 35%
Critiques 10%
Final examination 30%
Papers are due in class at the beginning of class where indicated in the syllabus. Because of the need to allow time for us to provide detailed feedback on your writing, these deadlines are very rigid. If your draft is late for any reason, you will be penalized.
Students with disabilities. If you have a documented disability and
anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please make arrangements to
meet with me soon. Please request that
the
Extensions for papers. To avoid creating inequities for other students in the class and to give me time to provide good feedback, no extensions will be given for rough drafts of papers. Late papers will be penalized half a grade per day for every day that the paper is late, starting at the beginning of class the day the paper is due. Extensions for final papers will only be permitted under compelling circumstances and if the extension is requested in advance. Any student who does not turn in her or his paper on time and has not contacted the professor in advance will lose half a grade per day for every day the paper is late unless the student can provide a University-approved excuse.
Regrading of materials. You may request regrading of materials that I have graded. If you wish to make such a request, contact the professor for a copy of the regrading policy. You will be asked to provide a written explanation of why you wish to have the assignment regraded.
Plagiarism or cheating. This one’s simple: don’t do it. Don’t even think about doing it. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s words or ideas without giving the original author credit by citing him or her. If you use someone else’s language directly, you must use quotation marks. If you rely on another person’s ideas in creating your argument, you must provide a citation. This is obviously required for research papers, but I will expect careful attention to citation in the argumentative essays as well. If you have any questions about plagiarism, please contact me before you submit the assignment for grading. If you plagiarize or cheat in this class, the BEST outcome you can hope to achieve is a failing grade from me, in addition to any mandatory university sanctions. Ignorance will not provide a defense to the application of this policy.
The course materials include two books,
Baer and Goldstein’s The Constitutional
and Legal Rights of Women (Third Edition) and Pinello’s America’s Struggle for Same-Sex Marriage. You will also be responsible for additional
materials available on WebCT and through eres. The course’s WebCT page will also have updates on information and
assignments. To log on to WebCT, go to
http://webct.albany.edu:8900/
and follow the login instructions.
SYLLABUS
Introduction: Women’s Rights in Contemporary and International Context
September 5 What are Rights? Why do They Matter?
September 7 International Standards and Women’s Rights
Liberal Equality and
its Critics
September 12 Liberal Equality
September 14 Criticisms of Liberal Equality
· Elizabeth Schneider, “The Synergy of Equality and Privacy in Women’s Rights”*
· MUW v. Hogan (510)
·
US v.
Women, Work, and Regulation
September 19 The Struggle over Protecting Women Workers
September 21 New Rules or Old Prejudices?
September 26 Sexual Harassment as Sex Discrimination
· Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (150)
· Oncale v. Sundowner (159)
·
Jones v.
·
September 28 Working, Pregnancy, and Motherhood
·
·
UAW v.
Johnson Controls (197)
·
·
QUIZ ONE ADMINISTERED IN CLASS
The Legal Regulation
of Marriage and Family
October 3 Civil Unions, Civil Death
October 5 Regulating Marriage and being Regulated by Marriage
October 10
October 12
October 17
Reproductive Freedom
October 19 Restricting Abortion: Historical Record
· Leslie Reagan, When Abortion Was a Crime*
SMALL RESEARCH PROJECTS DUE
October 26 Restricting Reproduction: Historical Record
·
Buck v.
·
Skinner v.
·
Paul Lombardo, “Medicine, Eugenics, and the
Supreme Court”*
October 31 Contraception and Abortion Rights: Constitutional Foundations
·
Griswold
v.
· Eisenstadt v. Baird (360)
· Roe v. Wade (369)
November 2 Abortion Rights and Abortion Access
November 7 Restricting Reproduction: Contemporary Perspectives
Women and Civic Participation
November 9 Shifting Grounds of Citizenship: Jury Service
· Women Jurors Selected under ‘Neutral’ Laws (95)
· Hans Zeisel, “Dr. Spock and the Case of the Vanishing Women Jurors” (96)
·
·
JEB v.
QUIZ TWO ADMINISTERED IN CLASS
November 14 Voting:
The
November 16 Voting: Suffrage and its Meaning
Women and the
Criminal Justice System
November 21 Battering and Honor Killing
ESSAY DRAFTS DUE
November 28 Rape
November 30 Rape and War
December 5 Historical Concerns about Prostitution and Sex Work
CRITIQUES DUE
December 7 Contemporary Debates over Prostitution and Sex Work
December 12 International Norms
FINAL DRAFTS OF ESSAYS DUE
FINAL EXAMINATION: MONDAY DECEMBER 18, 3:30-5:30 PM