History 393S

History 393S: Topics in the History of Sexuality in the United States

Spring 2004

Friday: 2:30-5:00, 214 Herter

Professor Laura Lovett

635 Herter Hall

545-6778

Lovett@history.umass.edu

Office Hours: M 1:15-2:15, F 2-2:30, and by appointment

Course Description:

This reading seminar will consider selected topics in the History of Sexuality in the United States from the colonial era to the present. Topics may include shifting definitions of sexualities (including bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, straight, transgendered, and transsexual sexualities), sexual science and eugenics, the debate over biological determinism and the social construction of sexuality, the relationship between experiences of sexuality and their definitions, changing portrayals of sexuality in the media, social activism with regard to a variety of sexuality issues, and the value of using sexuality as a historical framework for issues in US social, cultural, and political history.

I expect everyone in this class to be courteous, cooperative, and supportive of each other at all times. You may disagree with someone's ideas or values, but please be mindful and respectful of each other's differences. All opinions are welcome.

Goals:

n Provide an historical perspective on the changing meanings of sexual categories, their development, and their deployment in specific contexts.

n Provide a survey of events and experiences concerning the history of sexuality which until recently were not given a voice by historians.

n Explore the relevance of the history of sexuality for contemporary events and for our understanding of other types of history.

Texts: (Available at Food For Thought Books or at Library Reserves)

Elizabeth Kennedy and Madeline Davis, Boots of Leather - Slippers of Gold: A History of a Lesbian Community

Discussion Leader: Each week we will have two student discussion leaders and one student presentation. The discussion leaders should be prepared to lead a discussion on the assigned reading with at least three open ended questions or themes to explore. They may want to circulate the questions in advance to the seminar participants or suggest areas of concentration for the week's readings. Student discussion leaders should meet with instructor at least two days in advance of the meetings for which they are leading.

Presentation and Write-Up: Each week one student will make a presentation to the class concerning both the topic for that week and its relevance to a contemporary issue. Some possible presentation topics are included in the course schedule below. Students are welcome to suggest other topics. Student presenters should meet with instructor to discuss the presentation at least one week before they present to the class. Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long. They should extend the class's perspective on the historical material for that week by demonstrating how it connects to some contemporary concern. Presentations may take any format you wish, but you should remember that this material will probably be unfamiliar material to the class. You will also be expected to write-up your presentation as a 4-5 page paper due one week after you present.

Response Papers: Each week you will be asked to respond in writing to the reading before coming to class. You may post your responses on the appropriate discussion pages on the class website OR you may elect to write a 2 page paper due at the beginning of class. You will also be asked to write a response to the North American Sexualities Conference.

Project: Each student will be required to conduct outside research on some topic related to this course and then construct an annotated historiography "teaching kit" for that topic. A teaching kit should include a critical overview of your topic, a selection of "primary materials," an annotated bibliography of the relevant literature and media resources, an analysis paper discussing the historiography of your topic, and a timeline of important events, for which you may want to use the Timeline Tool (discussed in class). Students will present their teaching kits to the class during the last two weeks of the term. Final projects will be due at the end of the term.

Participation: You are expected to attend every class meeting, to be prepared, and to contribute to our discussion. Your participation grade will consider both the quality and quantity of your contributions to the class discussion. Attendance at the North American Sexualities conference on April 24th is required.

Grade Scale

A = 93 and above; AB = 88-92; B = 83-87; BC = 78-82; C = 73-77; CD = 68-72; D = 60-67; F = 59 and below.

Late Assignments

Papers handed in late will be graded down one letter grade per day late. Discussion leading and class presentations cannot be made up with out an approved excuse.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism is a serious violation of expected academic conduct. Your work must be your own. If you quote or paraphrase work from someone else, you must give credit and provide a reference for that source. Links to guidelines on plagiarism, including the official policy on academic honesty, can be found on the following webpage: http://www.umass.edu/history/links_writing.html. The penalty for plagiarism in this class is zero credit for the assignment in question.

Disabilities

If you have a documented disability that may affect your performance in the class, please speak to the instructor as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Reading: You are expected to do the assigned reading in advance of each class. I have not assigned many of the articles included in the Peiss collection yet. I'd like to decide as a class what we would like to read from this collection.

Discussion Leader	20%
Presentation and Write-Up	20%
Response Papers	30%
Project	20%
Participation	10%

Grade Scale

Late Assignments

Academic Honesty

Disabilities