HISTORY 791B: Seminar in U.S. Women's and Gender
History
Spring 2010
Wednesday 1:00-3:30pm
504 Tobin 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 February 24th.
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 10th.
Recommended Texts
for Research and Writing:
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).
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.
Sophia Smith Archive
Visit
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.
Lisa Baskin Women's
Literature Collection Visit
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)
1/20
Introduction: Research Ideas
Assignment: Post on SPARK Discussions Blog site your proposed topic. Begin
preparing "Inspiration Piece" for class reading.
1/27
Sophia Smith Collection Visit.
Either meet at the Smith College
Library or meet at UMass to carpool to
Northampton.
2/3
Possible Archive Visit
2/10
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.
2/17 Discussion
We may meet at DuBois
Library to review online archives and databases
2/24 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.
3/3
Proposal Workshop continued (if needed)
3/10
Group Discussion and Progress Reports:
SIGN UP FIRST CLASS
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
No Class.
4/21
Presentations and Critiques.
4/28
Presentations and Critiques