Women's Studies 102
Women's Studies 102
Women and Religion
Instructor: Amy Holzgang, Ph.D.
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 11:00-12:00 Office: SS 40 (basement of SS bldg.)
Office Phone: 562.860.2451 x2768 Email: socprofessoramy@gmail.com or aholzgang@cerritos.edu
Required Materials for Course
- The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant. Picador USA.(ISBN# 0-312-19551-6)**
- Handouts provided by instructor on Talon Net Resources
**The Red Tent book is also available in the library on reserve and may be in your local public library. It is also available as an ebook.
Course Description
This course is a multi-disciplinary, social science look at women's religious lives. We will be investigating how women experience religion and practice religious rituals by listening to women's writings about their lives, not what others say about them or how their particular tradition says they should act. Throughout the semester we will be looking at how a women's culture shapes how religion is understood, practiced and experienced. Topics for the semester will include issues such as identity, religious language, rituals performed by women, sacred texts, and women's religious leadership, just to name a few. We will look at a variety of religious traditions through this lens. Most importantly, we will take time to “listen” to women's voices and lives. Because “once women are allowed to speak about their own space…, an entirely otherworld of experience may be identified (Franzmann, p. 3)”
Course Requirements
Your grade will be based on several components:
Exams
The first part of your grade will be based on 2exams. The exams will be in-class, short essay exams and will cover lecture material and course readings. The date of each exam is listed on your syllabus. If you miss the exam, you may take a make up exam for a deduction in points (10 points = 10%). This make up exam must be taken within the week after the original exam. NO MAKE UP exams will be allowed once graded exams have been passed back to students. You must contact me to set this up. There are always situations beyond your control, so please contact me as soon as possible if there is a problem.
Group Research Project and Poster Session
This semester you will be working in a group on a specific project. Your group will research women's experiences within a particular religious tradition (any tradition is fine). You will be asked to research women's lives within this particular religion - rituals, the background, etc. The final project will be presented as a poster session on the day of the scheduled final exam. You will be given more details about this later.
In Class Assignments
You will also have some in-class assignments or group exercises. The in-class activities cannot be made up – you must be there to receive the points.
Homework/short papers
You will also have occasional homework assignments and/or short essay assignments throughout the semester. The homework assignments will be posted on TalonNet before the homework is due. I will tell you about the assignments in class. They are not listed on the syllabus. When you turn in your homework assignments, you may do so in class or on TalonNet. DO NOT EMAIL ME YOUR ASSIGNMENTS! If you turn them in to me in class, you must have your name, the class name on it and the homework assignment title. You may turn in homework late, but I will deduct one point down for each day it is late.
All assignments done outside of class are to be typed. They are to be in font no larger than 12 point, no smaller than 10 point, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Do NOT use texting language. These are to be considered professional documents.
Reading Assignments
The readings are to be completed by the date listed on the syllabus. This way you will have done the readings and will be ready to discuss the issues in class. If you miss a class, please check with a classmate for the notes missed.
Participation/Attendance
Your attendance and participation is expected for every class period. You are also expected to be on time and stay until class is dismissed. I will be taking attendance each day. Excessive absences will impact your course grade – you must be in class to participate. Participation will be in the form of coming to class prepared to discuss that day's readings, participating in group activities, as well as turning in assignments in a timely manner. According to Cerritos College policy, if you miss more than 5 days (2 ½ weeks) of class consecutively, you may be dropped from the class by the instructor. If there is a problem, please get in touch with me.
Academic Honesty
Honesty is expected of all students. Students should consult the Cerritos College Catalog regarding official policy. For this class, cheating is unacceptable in any form. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing, you will receive a zero on that assignment and possibly a failing grade in the class.
Your final grade composition will be based on the following:
2 exams @ 100 points each 200 points
group project
100 points
homework/short essays/in class activities
50 points
Total 350 points
Distribution of the course grades typically follows the following scale:
GRADE A 90-100% 315-350 points
GRADE B 80-89% 280-314 points
GRADE C 70-79% 245-279 points
GRADE D 60-69% 210-244 points
GRADE F below 59% Below 210 points
Do's and Don'ts for this class:
Do: Attend class each day
Don't: Come in late.
Do: Read the course material.
Don't: Leave early unless you notify me ahead of time.
Do: Ask questions.
Don't: Answer your cell phone in class!!
Do: Turn your cell phone off before you come into the classroom.
Don't: Turn in assignments late or miss an exam.
Do: Respect classmates' opinions and experiences.
Don't: Be judgmental.
Do: Come talk to me if you don't understand something.
Don't: Remain confused.
A Note about Extra Credit
Generally, I do not believe in Extra Credit. To succeed in this course you are asked to be diligent, committed, and serious about your regular assignments. If you put forth this effort on your class assignments, you will not need extra credit. There may be times when speakers are on campus or there are important events happening at Cerritos College. I will let you know if there are any such events and if so, which events you may attend and do a write-up to count as extra credit.
**Any student who needs instructional accommodation due to a disability should see me as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.
Note: This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor in order to adapt to instructional and/or student needs.
How to E-mail Your Professor
On the first day of class, many professors will tell you their preferred method of communication outside of class is e-mail. The ability to communicate your ideas and questions effectively through e-mail is a valuable skill to develop. Use the following tips to help you develop quality e-mails.
Address yourself well. Write from an academic account (.edu) or develop a professional e-mail address on a free site. You are in college now, so drop the crazy e-mail names. Your professor shouldn't be receiving e-mail from Stud_muffin@yahoo.com or rowdygirl2000 @gmail.com. A simple address at a site like Gmail or Yahoo that is composed of a variation on your full name is a good way to present yourself.
Check your class resources first. Before sending your e-mail, be sure you don't already have the information you need. Did you check your syllabus? Did you check your professor's website or TalonNet? You might already have what you need; if you do, asking for it again will make you seem lazy or unfocused.
Use the subject line. The subject line of the e-mail should be informative. Most professors receive a lot of e-mail and are looking to delete spam as quickly as possible. Do not leave the subject line blank. If you have nothing in the subject line, your e-mail may be tossed out with the other trash. The best subject lines will, in a few words, state the purpose of your message. “Question about Essay #3 for English 52” or “Need to meet during office hours.”
Greet the professor politely by name and title. “Dear Professor Jackson” is probably too formal. Try “Hello Professor Jackson” or “Hi Dr. Jackson.” Never greet your professor with “Hey,” and avoid using the last name without a title. “Hey Jackson” is not a good way to start, and never address your professor by his or her first name unless you have been explicitly invited to do so.
Briefly and politely explain why you are e-mailing. Think about your audience. What does your professor need to know to respond to your question or concern? Be sure you are asking a question. “I don't get it” is a statement, not a question, and it isn't clear or specific. Also, don't ask your professor to review an entire lecture. If you have a more involved question, you should make arrangements to speak with your professor in person during office hours.
Choose a professional tone and style. Remember this is a professional correspondence, not a text message to a friend. You need to correctly spell out all of the words. Avoid text lingo like “lol,” “r, ”or “u.” Your writing should be grammatically correct and well structured—so proofread your e-mail before you send it out. Avoid emoticons, exclamation points, and fancy stationary. It's cheesy and unprofessional.
Allow time for a response. Your professor is not sitting by the computer, eagerly awaiting your e-mail. During the week, you should wait at least 24 hours for a response, often longer. If you e-mail over the weekend, you may not get a response until Monday. If you have not heard anything within five days, you can resend your message. The rule here is to not procrastinate and expect an instant response prior to a due date or deadline.
Do not use e-mail to vent, rant, or whine. You may very well be frustrated about a situation, but e-mail is not the place to deal with it. If you find yourself writing an angry e-mail, don't send it. Remember that what you write and send becomes public, and you never know who will end up reading it. A better option will be to speak with your professor in person. If you need to write about a sensitive issue, it is a good idea to have someone else read over the e-mail before you send it.
Don't be insulting, or worse, clueless. If you have missed class, do not send your professor an e-mail asking if you missed anything. Of course you missed things, and if you miss class too often, this behavior will impact your grade. If you must miss class, make arrangements to get together with a classmate to catch up.
Who are you? Be sure to sign your e-mail. Use your first and last name, and if you are already enrolled in the professor's class, include the name and time of the class below your name.
Course Schedule/Readings
Week 1
Introduction to the class
Studying religion academically
Week 2
MLK Day Classes Canceled
Studying women's religious lives
Reading due: Orvit Avishai, Women of God
Week 3
Talking about the Sacred: What is Sacred and what isn't
Reading due: Johnson, The Sound of Grace
Imbolic – Wiccan celebration of renewal
Week 4
Women Creating Sacred Space
Women in Judaism
Sacred Space: Food as Sacred
Reading due: Sered, Sacralizing the Feminine: Food Preparation as Religious Activity
Moskin, Cooking Defines Sephardic Jews at Sukkot
Week 5
Creating Space: Religious Identities
Movie in class: Arranged
Creating Space: Religious Identities
Movie in class: Arranged
Week 6
Mardi Gras - Christian
Religious Identities
Women in Islam
Reading due: Yousra Fazili, Fumbling Toward Ecstasy
Week 7
Creating Space: Religious Identities
Women in Buddhism
Creating Space: Religious Identities
Reading due: Harris, Jamil's Heart
Lillian Guild, The Perfect Buddhist Boyfriend
Heiman, Winning over Depression
Week 8
Creating Space: Religious Identities
Reading con't: Harris, Jamil's Heart
Lillian Guild, The Perfect Buddhist Boyfriend
Heiman, Winning over Depression
Exam #1
Week 9
Women's Religious Leadership
Reading due: Karuna Dharma, Daughters of the Buddha
Ordained: Women Rabbis Speak their Minds (from Lillith)
Women's Religious Leadership
Reading due: Wallace, Gender and the Pastoral Role
Week 10
Feminist Critiques of Religion
Reading due: Daly, After God the Father
Week 11
Reforming Rituals – Language and Symbols
Reading due: Miriam's Cup at Passover:http://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/miriams-cupPrayers from New Zealand Book of Common Prayer
Week 12
Inheriting and Reforming Traditions
Reading due: Peterson, The Feminine and the Tao: A Dialogue with Ursula LeGuin
Women in the Coptic Church
Week 13
Women Centered Traditions
Reading due: Christ, Why Women Need the Goddess
Women Centered Traditions
Reading due: Lozano and Foltz, Into the Darkness: An Ethnographic Study of Witchcraft and Death
Week 14
Women Centered Traditions
Reading due: Karen McCarthy Brown, Mama Lola
Week 15
Book Club Day! Discussion of The Red Tent
Week 16
Integration
Work in Groups
Week 17
Poster Session
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