HISTORY 791B: Seminar in U.S.
Women's and Gender History
Spring 2008
Monday 6:00-8:30pm
214 Herter Hall
Professor Laura Lovett
635 Herter Hall
545-6778
Office Hours: By appointment.
Course Description:
This research seminar encourages
research and writing on the history of women and/or gender in America from 1600
to the present. The course requires the completion of a potentially
publishable paper or project, e.g. oral history project.
During the first half of the
semester, our focus will be on historical methods, varieties of modes of
historical writing, and writing techniques. We will schedule a visit to
the Sophia Smith Center at Neilson Library at Smith College and other local
archives. The second half of the semester is devoted to the first draft
of your paper or project and the revision process, culminating with your
submission of a final draft by the end of the semester.
Course Website: https://spark.oit.umass.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct
Evaluation:
Participation 10%
Your
active engagement in class discussion is essential, especially as we read and
respond to each other's work.
Proposal 10%
1-2 pages. Statement of your central claim and
questions with an outline of your sources and a partial bibliography. Due March 3rd.
Critiques 10%
You are
responsible for leading the critique/ class discussion of one of your peer's
drafts. You should provide written
comments for the paper you are assigned to critique as well as class
discussion. Critique guidelines will be distributed to the class. You are responsible for providing
comments in class on every paper distributed as par of the course but you will
be responsible for organizing the discussion of only one paper.
Research Paper 70%
Completion
of two drafts of a publishable paper.
Your
first draft must be distributed prior to its presentation in the last weeks of
the term. You will sign up for a
presentation date in advance.
Your
final draft will be due no later than May 19th.
Howell, Martha, From
Reliable Sources: An Introduction to Historical Methods, A Translation and Adaptation of Uit goede
bron by Walter Prevenier. (Ithaca, NY:
Cornell University Press, 2001).
Rabiner, Susan and Alfred
Fortunato, Thinking Like Your Editor.
Norton 2002.
Rael, Patrick. Reading, Writing, and Researching
for History: A Guide for College Students
(Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004).
http://academic.bowdoin.edu/WritingGuides/
Strunk, William, Jr. and White, E.B. The Elements of
Style. 3rd ed. (New York, NY: MacMillan,
1979).
Turabian, Kate. A manual for writers of term papers,
theses, and dissertations. 6th ed. Revised
by John Grossman and Alice Bennett. (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press,
1996).
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.
We will be scheduling a visit to
the Sophia Smith Archives at Smith College for our second class (February 4th). This is one of the premiere collections
of women's history material in the world.
We'll organize transportation at our first meeting.
We will try to schedule a visit to
Lisa Baskin's library in Leeds for March or April. We'll discuss this possibility as everyone develops research
topics.
Schedule: (subject to change)
1/28 Introduction: Research Ideas
Assignment:
Post on SPARK Discussions Blog site your proposed topic.
Begin preparing ÒInspiration PieceÓ for
class reading.
2/4 Sophia Smith Collection Visit.
Either
meet at the Smith College Library or meet at UMass to carpool to Northampton.
2/11 W.E.B. DuBois Archive Visit
Meet at
the Special Collections Department at DuBois Library, UMass for a tour of
material in the UMass archives, 25th floor.
2/18 Holiday. No Class.
2/19 TUESDAY: Meets on Monday Schedule: Anatomy
of an Article
Reading:
Martha
Hodes, "The Mercurial Nature and Abiding Power of Race: A Transnational
Family Story," American Historical Review 108:1 (February 2003): 84-118.
Discussion
of Inspiration Pieces. Note, this discussion should begin online in SPARK
Discussion forum soon after January 28, 2008. Visits to Archives may change
topics or inspiration pieces. Comparative discussion of your inspiration piece
and the Hodes' article.
2/25 Discussion
We may meet at DuBois Library to review online archives and
databases.
3/3 Proposal Workshop
Bring
enough copies of your proposal to share with everyone. Be prepared to discuss your proposal
and those of others in the class.
3/10 Proposal Workshop continued (if needed)
3/17 Spring Break. No Class.
3/24 Group
Discussion and Progress Reports: SIGN UP FIRST CLASS
3/31 Group
Discussion and Progress Reports: SIGN UP FIRST CLASS
4/7 Group
Discussion and Progress Reports: SIGN UP FIRST CLASS
4/14 Group
Discussion and Progress Reports: SIGN UP FIRST CLASS
4/21 Holiday. No Class.
4/28 Presentations and Critiques
5/5 Presentations and Critiques
5/12 Presentations and Critiques