UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT ____ FALL, 2011PAPER GRADING RUBRICCriteriaUNIVERSITY OF VERMONT ____ FALL, 2011 Psychology 295A/WGST 271B PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER Terrill 207 T/Th 2:30-3:45 pm 3 credits Instructor Annie Murray-Close, Ph.D. Office: Dewey 210A (to the right of the psych 1 TA office) Phone: 656-4142 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1-2 pm; Wednesdays, 4-5 pm; and by appointment Writing Tutor Gena Zollman Email: [email protected] Contacting Me E-mail is the best way to reach me. Although I usually check my email frequently, please know that a response may take up to a couple of days. I’ll do my best to get back to you earlier, if possible. If you choose to call and leave a voice mail message, please include your first and last name, your full telephone number, and the best time to reach you. Course Overview This course is an examination and critique of psychological theories, methods and research about gender. Social, situational, individual, and biological explanations of gender similarities and differences and their development will be explored. Class members will compare alternative—often contradictory—explanations of the selected phenomena. Case examples will come from the areas of social development, social relationships, moral reasoning, sexual orientation, cognition, and health. A sub-theme will be the embeddedness of psychological theories and research about gender in history, culture and society. This course is cross-listed with WGST 271B. Class Format The format of the course will include lectures, discussions, and active learning activities. Questions, comments, and active class participation are encouraged. I expect students to come to class with the readings for the assigned day completed, to listen attentively and respectfully, and to contribute to in-class discussions. Please remember that in a class of this nature, a variety of opinions and views are to be expected. To ensure a positive learning experience and full participation by all, please listen with an open mind and express your thoughts and responses in a respectful manner. 1Course Requirements Exams (200 points total; both exams will be in class and closed book; 100 points each). Two exams are required. Each exam will include multiple-choice questions and short answers/essays. The exams will each count 100 points and will not be cumulative. Each exam will begin promptly at the start of the class period. Please note the make-up exam policies listed under “Course Expectations and Responsibilities.” Paper (200 points total; see below for a breakdown of points). An 8 – 10 page paper is required for this course. Paper topics must address an issue concerning the psychology of gender. Acceptable topics include: (1) library research leading to a review of the literature in a particular area or (2) a research proposal to test a hypothesis about gender. You can choose a topic that we haven’t yet covered in class, or even a topic that isn’t covered in the course readings; however, your topic must be related to the psychology of gender. Details regarding the assignments related to the paper will be provided as a handout. Please read the handout carefully. In addition, criteria for grading these papers appear on page 9. Read them over carefully in preparing to write your paper. Please be careful not to accidentally plagiarize any ideas; you must use APA citations as necessary (for example, for any ideas brought up in class or the readings that are not your own). Papers are due at the start of class. Late papers will be docked a full letter grade for each day late. Papers turned in after the start of class on the due date will be considered a day late. E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Students will be assigned to a writing group early in the semester. There are several assignments related to the paper that allow students to provide each other feedback. Although these assignments are ungraded, your peers will provide me with feedback regarding your contributions during the peer review process, and I will include this feedback when I assign Class Participation grades. Class Participation (100 points). Small group and class-wide discussion and activities are an important component of this course. Students are encouraged to express their thoughts and opinions regarding course readings. Participation requires class attendance, completing assigned readings prior to class, and actively contributing to class activities and discussions. There are also several assignments related to the literature review that require peer review. Although your feedback is not graded, I will review your feedback when I assign class participation grades. I will also ask each group member to rate your feedback throughout the peer review process, and I will use this feedback when assigning Class Participation grades. Grades regarding class participation are assigned based on the rubric on p. 10. 2Summary of Course Requirements Course Requirement Possible Points Percentage of Course Grade Exams (2 @ 100 pts) 200 40% (each counts 20%) Paper 25 pts for proposal 25 pts for prospectus 150 points for final draft 200 40% Class participation 100 20% TOTAL 500 100% Textbooks and Readings The two books required for this course is available through the UVM bookstore. Eagly, A. H., Beall, A. E., & Sternberg, R. J. (2004). The Psychology of Gender (2nd Ed.). New York: The Guilford Press. Helgeson, V. S. (2011). The Psychology of Gender (4th Ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Course Chapters and Articles These readings will be available online on Blackboard. Baron-Cohen, S. (2002). The extreme male brain theory of autism. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 6, 248-254. Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2004). Sexual economics: Sex as a female resource for social exchange in heterosexual interactions. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8, 339 – 363. Bem, S. L. (1993). Ch. 6: Transforming the debate on sexual inequality. In The Lenses of Gender (pp. 176 – 196). New Haven: Yale University Press. Bem, S. L. (1995). Dismantling gender polarization and compulsory heterosexuality: Should we turn the volume up or down? The Journal of Sex Research, 32, 329 – 334. Brown, P. L. (2006). Supporting boys or girls when the line isn’t clear.