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Dr. Mary Jane Hurst
Office: Administration 150 Call 742-2501 for current office hours Office phone: 806.742-2121 |
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Studies in Linguistics: Language and Gender Fall 2007 – English 5337 – Dr. Hurst Course Objectives and Course Design Our main goals in this offering of English 5337 will be to learn some basics of language study, to explore the relationship between gender and language, to examine competing theories about language and gender, and, overall, to understand the context of gender studies from the perspective of linguistics. Aside from some introductory background lectures, the first three-fourths or so of the semester will be arranged around discussions of specified readings. The last part of the semester will be devoted to student presentations applying course concepts in the analysis of specific texts. The class will generally operate as a seminar; students should not expect a lecture-driven format. Outcomes and assessments are listed below. Required BooksCameron, Deborah, ed. The Feminist Critique of Language: A Reader. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 1998. Coates, Jennifer, ed. Language and Gender: A Reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1998. Holmes, Janet, and Miriam Meyerhoff, eds. The Handbook of Language and Gender. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005. Tannen, Deborah, ed. Gender and Conversational Interaction. New York: Oxford UP, 1993. Recommended MaterialsInformation about supplemental readings, research materials, and resources can be found on the following website: www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/hurst. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the course, researchers should be prepared to consult more than just the MLA Bibliography or any one reference source for information about gender and language. Reference indexes for psychology, history, linguistics, and other fields may be useful in this course. How to Contact the ProfessorDr. Hurst will ordinarily be in her 485 English office immediately before and after class. Dr. Hurst’s primary office is in 150 Administration (Office of the President); call 742- 2121 for an appointment. Send her an e-mail message at <maryjane.hurst@ttu.edu>. Telephone her English office (742-2500 x253) or her Administration office (742-2121). Speak to her before or after class to set an appointment. Leave a message for her with the secretarial staff in 150 Administration (742-2121). Course RequirementsEach student will attend class regularly, having done the assigned readings in advance, and will participate positively in class discussions. Individual conferences with the professor are encouraged but not required. Each student will take one test over the course material. Each student will write two position/response papers about a specific idea in a text or about a specific idea discussed in class and will circulate those position papers to other class members. These papers may be very informal and, generally speaking, should not be longer than one single-spaced, typed page. Each student will write one response paper to someone else’s position paper (or a response to a group of position papers) and will circulate the response paper to other class members. These papers may be very informal and, generally speaking, should not be longer than one single-spaced, typed page. Each student will write a brief research proposal (2 or 3 pages) setting forth plans for a research paper. Each student will write a paper of about 15 pages applying data from gender and language research in the explication of some text or portion of text. Students will discuss their research projects in well-developed oral presentations to the class. After their oral presentations, students may revise their work based on class discussions and instructor comments. More information about this assignment appears on a separate sheet. General Class PoliciesEach student's final grade will be determined by the quality of that person's daily work, written exam, research proposal, research paper, position/response papers, and oral presentations. Questions about grades and grading policy are welcome at any time. Assuming that a student's attendance, class preparation, and oral presentations are appropriate for a graduate course, the research paper will be worth 35 points, the test will be worth 25 points, and the position/response papers and the prospectus will be worth 10 points each.In their language and behavior, students will demonstrate integrity and show respect for themselves, their class-mates, and their professor. Controversial concepts may be discussed, and students may encounter sexually explicit material and potentially inflammatory ideas in some readings. In classroom discussions, nevertheless, students will be expected to maintain decorum and intellectual focus appropriate for academic discourse. A student found plagiarizing or cheating can expect to receive an F for the course and to be referred into the university’s disciplinary process. Only extreme emergencies should be the cause for absence on the test day; students will not have the opportunity to arrange individual make-up tests at their convenience. In general, students should not expect to be able to arrange make-up tests at all. If university classes should be cancelled, as, for example, in a weather emergency, on a day when a test is scheduled or an assignment is due, the test will be administered or the assignment collected on the next class day. No papers will be accepted after the last day of regular classes except for the research paper, which is due no later than noon on the day of the scheduled final exam. Absence due to observance of religious holidays or official university business will be excused with the understanding that any work missed must be completed in a timely manner; please discuss arrangements in advance. The English Department offers correspondence classes, but this is not one of them. Regular and prompt attendance is expected. Ordinarily, students with more than seven absences will receive an automatic F in the course. Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the professor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations. Students will need to present appropriate verification from the appropriate university office because it is university policy that accommodations will not be made prior to completion of the approved university process. Other information about university policies can be located in the Graduate Catalog and in the Directory of Classes. Students with concerns not addressed in this policy statement should discuss their situations with their professor at their earliest convenience. The English Department’s Code of Ethics can be found at www.english.ttu.edu under “About the Department.” . . . . . . Learning Outcomes and Assessments for English 5337 (Studies in Linguistics: Language and Gender) Upon successful completion of this course, a student should be able to do the following: · Define what linguistics is; name and describe the main subfields of descriptive linguistics; and name and describe some of the subfields of applied linguistics. Discuss the relevance and significance of linguistics for academic scholarship and for daily life.
· Place the study of language and gender within the field of linguistics. That is, explain how the topic of language and gender is connected to the descriptive and applied subfields of the discipline.
· Define what gender is and what language is. Know some basic facts about the presence or absence of grammatical gender in English and the etymology of words in English such as gender, man, woman, male, and female. Discuss the relevance of language and gender studies for linguistics, for academic scholarship in general, and for daily life.
· Outline the history of inquiry into language and gender with some emphasis on critiquing the aims and origins of various approaches to the field and with some assessment regarding the methodologies and contributions of particular language and gender scholars. Provide a history of stands taken by such organizations as NCTE or MLA on the issue of non-sexist language.
· Summarize the primary existing theories of language and gender research, tying the theories to broad cultural trends. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of various models of analyzing language and gender.
· Identify and discuss the points of intersection between gender, power, status, class, age, symbolic or material capital, race or ethnicity, and other sociolinguistic factors.
· Assess the validity of applying concepts from studies of white, middle-class, English-speaking subjects to cultures or subjects not white, middle class, and English-speaking. Discuss gender patterns in languages other than English.
· Question stereotypical or monolithic interpretations of male or female behavior. Frame research findings within a rich cultural context. Hypothesize concerning the causes, if any, of gender differences in language.
· Respond to other people’s statements about language and gender in a reasoned manner with theoretically sophisticated concepts of language and gender and with appropriate references to established research.
· Use specific evidence and specific examples in discussing concepts related to gender and language.
· Define and explain how issues such as the following are interpreted or are important in studies of language and gender: semantic derogation, covert prestige, interruption patterns, symbolic capital, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, social network theory, prescriptivism, social solidarity, sexism, reverse sexism, intonation patterns, silence, declarative statements, and interrogative statements.
· Formulate a linguistically-informed hypothesis about the future of language and gender research. Identify the research questions that need to be asked and answered in the future.
· Find, read, summarize, and evaluate scholarly resources in some areas of linguistics. Cite sources using a standard scholarly documentation style. (The MLA style will be the default for this class because this is an English class, but students who wish to use another style may inquire about alternatives.)
· Contribute to scholarship by engaging in original research. Write a research proposal and then a research paper. Assessment methods for the above outcomes include the following: Ø Graded test and graded papers. Ø Oral presentations. Ø Class discussions and class analyses. Ø In-class review sessions. Ø Individual consultations during appointments and conferences. . . . . . Syllabus English 5337 Fall 2007 This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class. T Aug 28 Course introduction with background information on linguistics Th Aug 30 Background information on gender and language. Read: Cameron preface (ix-xviii) Tannen introduction (3-13) Coates “Language and Gender” section of introduction (2-3) Holmes and Meyerhoff “Different Voices, Different Views” (1-17) T Sept 04 An overview of language and gender research Read: Holmes and Meyerhoff Part I (19-141) Th Sept 06 Views from the past Read: Cameron Chapters 16, 17, 18 (215-258) T Sept 11 Difference and dominance Read: Coates Chapters 27, 28, 29 (413-458) Th Sept 13 Difference and dominance?? Read: Cameron Chapters 19-20 (261-292) Tannen Chapter 7 (165-188) T Sept 18 Questions of power Read: Coates Chapters 24, 25, 26 (373-412) Th Sept 20 Specific studies Read: Coates Chapters 1-5 (7-63) T Sept 25 Specific studies Read: Coates Chapters 6, 11, 12, 13 (64-75 and 161-196) Th Sept 27 Specific studies Read: Coates Chapters 14, 17, 18, 21, 22 (197-210, 254-284, and 309-353) T Oct 02 Universal or local? Read: Coates Chapters 30-32 (459-510) Th Oct 04 Communities of practice Read: Coates Chapters 7-10 (77-159) T Oct 09 More communities Read: Tannen Chapters 3-4 (62-109)) Th Oct 11 Specific studies Read: Tannen Chapters 8-9 (189-274) T Oct 16 Discussion of research proposals Th Oct 18 Specific studies Read: Tannen Chapters 1, 2, and 10 (17-61 and 281-312) Research proposals are due; earlier submissions are encouraged T Oct 23 Negotiating relations Read: Holmes and Meyerhoff Part II (159-276) Th Oct 25 Authenticity and place Read: Holmes and Meyerhoff Part III (277-444) T Oct 30 Stereotypes and norms Read: Holmes and Meyerhoff Part IV (445-570) Th Nov 01 Institutional discourse Read: Holmes and Meyerhoff Part V (571-698) T Nov 06 Catch up day: discuss any readings previously given too little attention or discuss individual papers as needed Th Nov 08 Review session Read: Holmes and Meyerhoff “Epilogue: Reflections on Language and Gender Research” (699-721) T Nov 13 Test (open book, open notes) Th Nov 15 Presentations of student papers T Nov 20 Presentations of student papers Th Nov 22 Thanksgiving Holiday T Nov 27 Presentations of student papers Th Nov 29 Presentations of student papers T Dec 04 Presentations of student papers S Dec 08 Date of final exam. Final copies of research papers are due by noon; earlier submissions are encouraged . . . . . English 5337: Language and Gender Instructions for Research Prospectus Assignment: Write a research proposal (about two or three typed pages plus a bibliography) for a specific topic or problem in language and gender studies. Your prospectus should set forth your plans for your research paper. The prospectus can be turned in any time before 5 P.M. on October 18. Purpose of assignment: This assignment will give each person an opportunity to identify texts, sources, and methodologies to be used in the term paper. This assignment will foster the development of good research techniques and good writing skills. This assignment will allow us to discover and share some state-of-the-art information about specific topics. This assignment will help us learn the skills needed to write an independent study proposal, a thesis or dissertation prospectus, or a grant proposal. Suggestions: 1. A title for this assignment might be “A Proposal to Study ______.” 2. My website www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/hurst lists or gives links to resources and information you might find helpful in locating sources and identifying topics. Ideas about texts for the study can be found on the research paper assignment sheet. Literary texts are appropriate. Source texts found in historical records or linguistic databanks are appropriate and welcome. Texts based on audio or video tape are welcome. Popular topics are fully acceptable if handled with insight and dignity and without trivializing the assignment. I can recall some excellent work on gender and language in popular culture examples, but I can also recall some abysmal and juvenile papers on popular topics. 3. Include a clear and unambiguous statement of your intended study at the beginning of the proposal. There should be an argumentative edge to your proposal, for you are trying to persuade your reader of the worth and value of the proposed project. 4. Note what has already been done on your topic or on background ideas related to your topic. 5. Identify the main questions you want to ask in your study. 6. Explain what methodologies and techniques you would use in your research. 7. Explain what steps you would take in carrying out this project. 8. Note any pitfalls you foresee. 9. Describe what you think you might find. That is, what are your initial hypotheses and what is your preliminary thesis? 10. Describe what the significance of your study might be. 11. Include a bibliography not just of sources you have cited in the proposal but also of sources important for your proposed research. 12. Attach an application for Institutional Review Board (IRB) exemption, expedited review, or full review as appropriate. (See OP 74.09 for details.) 13. This assignment is intended to help you prepare for your research paper and to help me help you by letting me know the details of your term paper before you get too far into your project. I myself have written, presented, and published on the subject of language and gender, so from my personal experiences as well as from my previous work in guiding students through this process, I can provide assistance to you. . . . . . English 5337: Language and Gender
Instructions for Research Paper Description of Assignment and Purpose of Assignment: Write a paper in which you utilize or apply findings in gender and language research to the explication of some specific text or portion of text. The choice of topic (that is, the text) is to be made by individuals in consultation with their professor. After considering the text in light of language and gender research, each student should develop a thesis about his or her topic and support that thesis in an academic, research-based essay of about fifteen pages in length. The primary audience for the paper will be the class and the professor, though students are encouraged to prepare their papers with an eye toward presenting them at conferences or publishing them. Students will present their research to the class, and, immediately thereafter, their work will be discussed by the class. Students will then be able to revise their material based on comments from the other students and the professor. The paper can be turned in any time before noon on December 8. This assignment will enable students to apply what they have learned in the analysis of texts. This assignment will encourage the development of analytical skills needed for advanced research and writing. Guidelines: 1. Choose the topic carefully. Texts may be written or oral. Fiction, drama, scripts, children’s books, student papers, movies, interviews, political speeches, e-mail communications, advertisements, and taped conversations are some examples of what could be used as texts. Feel free to discuss your topic ideas with me early in the semester. 2. Identify a number of features or variables you wish to examine in your text. Study the text according to these features. 3. Submit a prospectus for your project no later than 5 P.M on October 18. 4. Obtain IRB approval for research on human subjects (see OP 74.09) as needed. 4. Background research for the papers can come from readings we have done in class. It will probably be necessary, though, to do additional secondary research. Enough source material and enough specific examples must be used in the paper to establish your thesis effectively. 5. I will try to help you locate sources, but, for some topics, the reference librarians or professors in other departments may be more knowledgeable resources. 6. Based on your research and on your examination of your selected text, develop a thesis and organize your material around that thesis. Then write the paper. 7. Essays should be written in a consistent style and tone appropriate for academic discourse. Adherence to standard conventions of writing is expected. Effective academic prose is, at best, readable, informative, direct, and persuasive. It is not contrived, pretentious, or wordy. 8. Refer to the most recent edition of the MLA Style Manual for the default bibliographical format expected in English Department papers. 9. Plan an interesting presentation of your research and your ideas for the class. Exactly how much time each student will have for the oral presentation will depend on how many students there are in the class, but we can tentatively plan for each student to have at least forty minutes, with twenty minutes allotted for the actual presentation and twenty minutes allotted for discussion of the presentation.
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