California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo
English Department
Dr. Johanna Rubba
LAST UPDATED 9/19/11
ENGL 495 Language and Gender Fall 2010
Syllabus and Reading Schedule
This is not an assignment page. To see what
is currently assigned, go to the Assignments page.
- Week 1 9/19-21
- 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 behavior
- Readings: Sheldon, Gastil, Leap, Eisikovits
- Week 2 9/26-28
- Unit 1 Continued
- Unit 2:
Theories and methods of language and gender research
- Methods:
- Critical Discourse Analysis vs. empirical studies
- Theory:
- Deficit, Dominance,
and Difference models
- Readings: Talbot Chs. 7 & 8, Morrish
- Weeks 3 - 5 10/3-5, 10/10-12, 10/17-19
- Project Proposal due 10/6
- Unit 2 Continue as needed
- Unit
3: How gender is constructed
- Discourses and power
- Readings: Pollack, Mehren, Talbot Chs. 9 & 10
- Weeks 6 - 8 10/24-26, 10/31-11/2, 11/7
- >>MIDTERM EXAM Mon., 10/24<<
- 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 & Backlash
- Readings: Graddol & Swann; August; Talbot
Ch. 11; Miller, Swift, & Maggio; Mills
- Weeks 8-9: 11/9, 11/14-16
- Unit 5: Gendered language; the role of language in gender
performance
- Gender-typical language
- Readings: Meyers,
Talbot Ch. 3 "Sex, gender, and voice quality" only
- The Difference Model
- Situational vs. gendered determinants of language
- Weeks 10-11: 11/21, 11/28-30
- No class 11/23 - Travel Day
- Wiggle room: Continue previous unit if needed
- Presentation and discussion of your research projects
- Papers due 11/30
- Final exam review session last hour of class 11/30
- Exam week 12/5-9
- Final exam: Weds., 12/7, 1:10 pm