Womens' Studies 530: Biology and Gender

 

Fall 2003 Course Syllabus

 

Date                      Topic                                                                Assigned Reading       (*=optional)                            

 

Sept 3 (W)             Course introduction: gender concepts;

                              bias in science

 

Sept 5 (F)              Birth of modern science and the                          K. Popper: "Science & Falsifiability"         

                              scientific method.                                              

 

Part I: Genes and Evolution

 

Sept 8 (M)            Biological determinism and the                            TC p.11-30

                              primacy of gender                                              Sidorowicz: "Baby X Revisited"           

                             

Sept 10 (W)           Introduction to genes                                          Fausto-Sterling: p. 61-71

                              Genetics of gender                                             *Gonick & Wheelis:"Cartoon Guide..."

 

Sept 12 (F)            Are we our gametes?                                         Biology & Gender Study Group:

                              Egg/sperm relations                                            "Feminist Critique of Cell Biology"            

 

Sept 15 (M)           Introduction to genetics and evolution                 Charles Darwin: Natural selection

                              Natural selection of physical traits                       (p. 130-142)

 

Sept 17 (W)           Sexual selection;                                                Charles Darwin: Sexual selection   

                              Darwin in historical context                                 (p. 867-75; 907-908)

 

Sept 19 (F)            Genetics of behavior: human                               Wilson: On Human Nature (p. 128-154)

                              sociobiology                                                      Bleier: Science & Gender (p. 15-48)

 

Sept 22 (M)          Human sociobiology: the coy                              Buss: "From vigilance to violence"

                              female and the aggressive male                           Angier: "Men, Women, Sex & Darwin"

 

Sept 24 (W)          Evolutionary psychology:                                    Alexander: "Truth & consequences"

                              methods and madness                                        Wright "Our Cheating Hearts"

                                                                                                             

Sept 26 (F)            Evolutionary psychology:                                    Cowley: "The Biology of Beauty"  

                              Is beauty truth?                                                  Kalick: "Does facial attractiveness...?"

 

Sept 29 (M)          Evolutionary psychology: rape                            Thornhill & Palmer: "Why Men Rape"

                                                                                                        Coyne:“Rape as an adaptation”

 

Oct 1 (W)               Evolutionary psychology:                                    Miller: “Men’s and women’s

                              Summarizing the data                                         mating preferences”

                                                                                                                       

Oct 3 (F)                Gender behavior in primates                               Hrdy: "Raising Darwin's consciousness"

                             

Oct 6 (M)              Primate behavior, continued                               Marlene Zuk, Sexual Selections p.200-12

                              -Evolution paper draft due                              Morell: "Seeing nature through the lens...”                          

Part II: Hormones

 

Oct 8(W)               The endocrine system: introduction                     TC p. 76-88

                              to sex hormones                                                

                             

Oct 10 (F)             Premenstrual syndrome                                      AuBuchon & Calhoun: "Menstrual cycle symptomatology"

                           

Oct 13 (M)            Guest Lecture: Intersex then & now

 

Oct 15 (W)            Hormones and sexual orientation                        Bogaert & Hershberger:"Relation between."

                                                                                                       Zucker et al:"Psychosexual development."

 

Oct 17 (F)             Estrogen and spatial ability                                 TC, p. 31-37, p. 89-95

                                                                                                       Hampson:"Estrogen-related variation"

                             

Oct 20 (M)            Female pheromones                                           Stern & McClintock: "Regulation of

                                                                                                       ovulation by human pheromones"

                                                                                                       Strassman: “Biology of menstruation”

                             

Oct 22(W)             Hormones and aggression                                  TC, p.59-68        

                                                                                                      

Oct 24 (F)             Race, genes, and violence                                  Angier:"Gene defect tied to violence"

                              -In-class roleplay exercise                               

                              -Revised evolution paper due                          

                                                                                                           

Part III: The Brain

Oct 27 (M)            Introduction to the brain: neurology                     Bleier: "The brain and human 'nature'"

 

 

Oct 29 (W)            Measuring brains - historical                              Distant: "On the mental differences..."

                                                                                                       Gould: "Women's brains"  

Oct 31 (F)              no class

                                                                                                      

Nov 3 (M)             Race, class, & intelligence                                  Graves, The Emporor’s New Clothes Ch 10

                                                                                                       Rushton:"Life history comparisons..."

                                                                                                      

Nov 5 (W)             Are there biological races?                                 Anngier: "Do races differ? Not really..."

                                                                                                       Cavalli-Sforza: "A Walk in the Woods"

                             

Nov 7 (F)              Measuring brains - contemporary                       DeLacoste & Holloway: "Sex dimorphism in the human ..."   

                              In-class analysis of original data                        Gray: Mars &Venus Together Forever        

                                                                                                  

                                                                                                      

Nov 10 (M)           Measuring brains - contemporary                       Byne et al:"Variations in the human

                              In-class analysis of original data                     corpus callosum do not predict gender"

 

Nov 12 (W)           “XX/XY” and “Brandon & Rachel” (videos)    

                              - Popular media paper due

 

Nov 14 (F)            Brain structure and sexual orientation                  LeVay: "A difference in..."

                             

Nov 17 (M)           Genetics and sexual orientation                           Bailey et al: Lesbian twins 

                                                                                                       *Chast: Heterosexuality gene        

 

Nov 19 (W)           Mathematical ability & gender                            Benbow & Stanley: "Sex differences in

                                                                                                       math..." and critiques

 

Nov 21 (F)             Math & gender, cont'd                                       TC, p. 38-49

                                                                                                       Hyde et al: "Gender differences in math performance..."      

 

Nov 24 (M)           Jobs and reproductive function                           Smith: "Higher education of women"         

                                                                                                                                   

Nov 26 (W)           no class-Thanksgiving

 

Nov 28 (F)             no class- Thanksgiving

 

Dec 1 (M)              Social policy outcomes                                       Biology At Work excerpts

                                                                                                       Hammer & Dusek: "Brain difference

                                                                                                       research & learning styles"

 

Dec 3 (W)             "Brains on Toast" and "Boys & Girls

                              ARE Different" (videos)

                              -Popular Media  revised paper due

                                                                                                      

Dec 5 (F)               Why do this research?                                        In-class essay & discussion on

                                                                                                       research ethics and outcomes

 

Dec 8 (M)               Women in science                                              Brush: "Women in science"

 

Dec 10 (W)            Is there a feminist science?                                 Keller: "The gender/science system

 

Dec 12 (F)             Debunking As Positive Science;                          TC p. 107-109

                              Course evaluation;

                              -Popular media papers returned