Link to list of readings

Week 1 9/17-19
Unit 1: Foundations

• Gender as a social category
  • Social constructionism vs. essentialism
  • Gender vs. sex vs. sexual behavior
    • Readings: Talbot Ch. 1; Bing and Bergvall
• Language in thought and culture
  • The role of language in social construction
  • Language about gender vs. "gendered language"
    • Readings: Sheldon, Leap, Eiskovits

Week 2  9/24-26

• Unit 1 continued
• Unit 2: Theories and methods of language/gender research
  • Methods: Critical Discourse Analysis vs. empirical studies
• Theory: Deficit, Dominance, and Difference models
  • Readings: Talbot Ch. 8, Morrish, Gastil

Weeks 3 & 4   10/1 - 10

• Unit 3: How gender is constructed
  • Discourses and Power
  • Readings: Talbot Ch. 8, Morrish, Pollack, Mehren, Talbot Chs. 9 & 10
    
    

Weeks 5 & 6   10/15 - 24

• Unit 4: Sexist language
  • How the words and sentences of language express the organization of gender in a culture
• How changes in language (and conflict about such changes) both reflect and help create a new organization of gender
• Political Correctness
  Readings: Talbot part of Ch. 3: 'Man-made language'; Talbot Ch. 11., Graddol & Swann; August; Miller, Swift, & Maggio

• Week 5: Midterm review session - day & time to be announced
• Monday, 10/22: In-class midterm (one hour - lecture second hour)

Weeks 7-9 10/29 - 11/14

• Unit 5: Gendered language; the role of language in gender performance
• Gender-typical language
• Readings: Armstrong, Smyth, Meyers
• The Difference Model
• Readings: Maltz & Borker, Tannen
• Situational vs. gendered determinants of language
• Readings: James & Clarke, O'Barr & Atkins
  
  
• Mon., 11/12 no class: Veterans' Day 

Weeks 10-11  11/19 - 28

• Wiggle room if lecture falls behind schedule
• Presentation & discussion of your research projects
• Final exam review session to be announced
  
  
• Final exam: 10:10 am, Mon., Dec. 3rd
  • Final exam may be a take-home with negotiable due date in finals week.