Professor Nancy Dowd
Fall Semester, 2003
MTuW 1pm, Room 292
Office: Rm. 312E Holland
Office phone: 392-2236; Email: dowd@law.ufl.edu
The goals of this class are to learn the major strands of feminist theory, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each; to understand and evaluate areas of gender inequality from an antiessentialist perspective; and to consider strategies and goals for equality, and how equality might be accomplished by litigation, legislation, or grass roots activity.
Required Texts:
Martha Chamallas, Introduction to Feminist Legal Theory, second edition (2003)
Nancy E. Dowd and Michelle S. Jacobs, Feminist Legal Theory: An Antiessentialist Reader (2003)
Syllabus:
| Week |
Dates |
Assignment |
| 1 |
August
19, 20 |
First class: no reading assignment; bring data to class (see posted assignment) Second class: Dowd and Jacobs, 9-13; Chamallas 1-22 |
| 2 |
August 25, 26, 27 |
Chamallas 23-92 |
| 3 |
[Sept 1 no class/holiday]; Sept 2, 3 |
Chamallas 92-133 |
| 4 |
September
8, 9, 10 |
Chamallas 135-172; Dowd and Jacobs 13-25 |
| 5 |
September 15, 16, 17 |
Dowd and Jacobs 26-62 |
| 6 |
September 22, 23, 24 |
Dowd and Jacobs 63-92 |
| 7 |
September 29, 30, October 1 |
Dowd and Jacobs, 93-135 |
| 8 |
October 6, 7, 8 |
Dowd and Jacobs, 136-188 |
| 9 |
October 13, 14, 15 |
Dowd and Jacobs, 189-232 |
| 10 |
October 20, 21, 22 |
Dowd and Jacobs, 233-290 |
| 11 |
October 27, 28, 29 |
Dowd and Jacobs, 291-338 |
| 12 |
November 3, 4, 5 |
Dowd and Jacobs, 339-375 |
| 13 |
November 10, [Nov. 11 no class/holiday], November 12 |
Dowd and Jacobs, 376-402 |
| 14 |
November 17, 18, 19 |
Presentations |
| 15 |
November 24, 25, 26 |
Presentations |
Class Policies:
1. Agenda: We construct an agenda of what you would like to discuss every week, in Monday's class. This is done in small groups, who then report back to the larger class. Therefore, please complete your reading for the week by Monday's class, be especially careful to be on time to get into your small group, and be prepared to identify what you would like to discuss. The small groups change composition at least once during the semester.
2. Small groups: The class will be divided into three sections of small groups by the end of the first week. The small groups will define the agenda for class discussion, and will start the discussion process. Each section of small groups will define the class agenda once every three weeks; the other two groups will be entitled to modify and prioritize the agenda. The other two sections of small groups will rotate being first up as discussants on Tuesday and Wednesday. You may have no more than 5 students in your small group.
You will not be graded on your individual or group participation except to the extent that it will resolve your grade if your grade is on the borderline. If you fail to participate or contribute to your group, or are unprepared, your final grade may be lowered by up to a full grade or you may be asked to drop the course.
3. Short papers: You are required to write 4 papers of no more than 5 typed, double-spaced pages, reflecting critically on the readings for one week, due prior to class discussion of the readings. You pick the weeks. 50% of your course grade.
You may opt to do a 5th paper, and then count the 4 papers with the highest grades toward your grade.
The papers should be an analysis of any or all of the week's reading that particularly caught your attention (e.g., you strongly disagree, agree, or it triggers other knowledge or experiences that enrich, contradict, etc. the reading, and then you explain and argue your perspective). No credit is given for description or summary of the reading; these are meant to be sophisticated, rigorous analytical papers that reflect the best of your critical intelligence, but expressed in whatever way you choose, e.g., conventional case analysis, poetry, using stories or experiences to challenge theory or legal rules, etc.. These papers are graded and the grades posted and kept by my secretary, with grades usually posted 1-2 weeks from the Monday that the papers are handed in. The papers must be handed in to me or my secretary before class begins on Monday in order to be given credit for that week.
4. Final exam or paper or project: You must do a final paper or project, or do a take home examination. The paper option or take home examination will be due on the date of the scheduled examination, on or before 5 pm to Career Services. You must have your topic and bibliography approved on or before October 6. 50% of your course grade.
The paper can be either a book review of a book of your choice related to this course; a research paper on a topic that interests you; or any other project that you would like to do. Collective projects are fine; you may also combine your paper in this course with a project or paper that you are doing for another class this semester. In the past, I have had videos, games, poems, songs, surveys, in addition to conventional papers. In addition, many projects have had a pragmatic focus, such as generating a brochure or resources or contributing to a brief. A deadline for opting to do a paper or project will be set in class.
5. Class participation: Excellent participation is factored into your grade especially if you are on the boundary between two grades, and in exceptional cases, will raise your grade 1/2 letter grade. If you are absent in excess of 15% of our classes (6 classes), your grade will be dropped one letter grade. If you are unprepared or late you will be counted as absent. If you are excessively absent, you may be dropped from the course. If there are extenuating circumstances, please let me know.
6. Class presentation: You are not required to do a class presentation on your project or paper, but may opt to do so. If you do, you may opt to request that your presentation be graded and be treated like a fifth short paper, i.e., if the presentation grade is higher than one of your paper grades, it will be counted as one of your four paper grades.