This course will survey the social, cultural, economic, and political developments that shaped American women's lives in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Through readings, images, discussion, and writing, we will examine how women challenged the constraints of their historical times to move beyond their prescribed and limited roles. As we study the ways in which women confronted the forces of industrialization, (im)migration, war, culture, and politics, we will come to understand not only what changed in women's lives, but what women thought about these changes. And by analyzing the impact of race, class, and ethnicity on women’s experiences, we will confront the commonalities that have linked women as well as the differences that have divided them.

Required Readings:
• Linda Kerber and Jane Sherron DeHart, Women’s America, 6th edition (K&D)
• Susan Ware, Modern American Women, 2nd edition (MAW)
• Anzia Yezierska, Bread Givers
• Susan Ware, Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism
• Susan J. Douglas, Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media

• other readings TBA – including online assignments and handouts

All books can be purchased at the University Bookstore, Volume Two Bookstore, and the Tech Bookstore. Additional readings to be announced (TBA) and distributed either online or in classroom handouts. All of the required books are or soon will be available on reserve at Newman Library.

General Course Requirements:
This is a course that requires reading, writing, listening, and talking. Classes will be structured around a combination of lectures, occasional videos, and regular discussions, all of which will relate to the assigned readings for the day. As a result, the course requires your active and informed participation in order to succeed. Please be sure to complete the assigned readings before the class meets – otherwise it will be difficult, at best, for you to contribute to our discussions.

The readings for each class session vary in length. I’ve tried to break up the books so that not too much is assigned for any given day and so that there are periodic breaks in the reading load. You know more than anyone how quickly or slowly you can read. Make sure to review the schedule so that you can plan in advance and pace yourself accordingly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to come see me for help.

Class Preparation and Participation:
It is essential that you come to class prepared to discuss that day’s assigned readings. Read the books, articles, and document carefully beforehand and take notes if you feel that’s necessary to help you remember key points. Make sure to keep track of any questions that the readings raise for you as you go along and to bring the assigned readings with you to class so that you can refer to them during discussion.

Your Written Reflections on the readings (see below) will give you the opportunity to think about and reflect on the assigned material before you come to class, and thus help you become a more informed and active participant. You are required to hand in eight of these Reflections over the course of the semester. You may also find it helpful to take notes on the readings even if you’re not preparing a Written Reflection for that week since the act of writing will help you gather and clarify your thoughts.

I will determine your class participation grade, which will comprise 20% of your final grade, through a combination of attendance records (since you can’t participate if you’re not in class) and my assessment of your level of participation. Just coming to class and sitting in your seat is not enough. You all have something to say and questions to ask – avail yourselves of the opportunities that this class provides.

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Written Work
Written Reflections
To help you articulate your ideas both in class and out, you will each be required to turn in 8 short (2-3 pages, double-spaced) Written Reflections on the reading over the course of the semester. These Written Reflections will provide an opportunity for you to think critically about the readings for each week – and to come to terms with the significance and meaning of the readings. Simple summaries of the books or articles will not suffice. Nor will emotional or gut-level responses (although your personal perspective will certainly inform your analysis). Instead, use these papers to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the week’s readings, to respond to the major arguments made by the different authors, to critically examine the theoretical and methodological frameworks of the reading assignments, and/or to relate these readings to items read earlier in the semester.

You will have 12 opportunities to submit Written Reflections (see Course Schedule), but you only need to turn in 8, which can be turned in any weeks that you choose, but not after the assigned due date. Pace yourself wisely – don’t leave them all for the end! The papers are due at the beginning of class on the dates designated and should address some aspect of the assigned readings for that particular week (not day). Papers should be concise, well-written, and carefully proofread. No late papers will be accepted.

“Images of Women” Research Assignments
These two short research assignments will require you to search through newspapers and magazines for visual representations of women in the 1920s and the 1950s. We will work on the collection and analyses of these materials during in-class library sessions and in-class discussions. In addition, you will need to submit a short written analysis of your chosen images. Detailed guidelines will be distributed prior to the library sessions and at least one week before the due date. Each of these assignments is worth 5%, for a total of 10% of your final grade.

The “Images of Women” assignments are due at the beginning of class on the following dates:

#1: Images of Women in the 1920s Thurs, March 17
#2: Images of Women in the 1950s Thurs, April 7

Extra Credit Opportunities
Many people like to do extra credit to boost their grades. If you’re one of these people, you will have a number of opportunities to do so. Extra credit assignments involve either extra reading (from a provided list of possible topics and articles) or going to an approved extra-curricular event AND then writing a 3-4 page analysis that places the readings or the information learned from the event into the broader context of U.S. Women’s History.

Each completed Extra Credit assignment will add the equivalent of 5% to your grade. You can submit up to two (2) such assignments over the course of the semester, for a total of 10% extra added to your final grade.

Final Portfolio
Make sure to save electronic and hard copies of all of your papers because ... at the end of the semester, you will compile your written work into a Final Portfolio that will include:
• five (5) of your favorite Written Reflections from the class
• both of your “Images of Women” assignments
• any Extra Credit writing that you’ve done

• and (most importantly) a 4-5 page summary/analysis of the material that you discussed in the above assignments.

Your completed Final Portfolio will be due by 9:45 am, Tuesday, May 10th – the time and date designated by the university for your final exam. It will be worth 15% of your final grade.

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Computer Requirements:
This class requires access to an up-to-date computer and the web – for access to the class webpage and for e-mail communication.

Course Webpage
The class webpage houses the basic syllabus for the class, specific assignments, and links to online readings. While we won’t rely on it heavily, it’s there as a resource. Make use of it if you need to and on the weeks when online readings are assigned.

Communication
I will communicate with you periodically via e-mail. If you check your e-mail through an account other than your Virginia Tech account (ie: Hotmail or Yahoo), make sure you configure your Virginia Tech e-mail account to forward your mail. Otherwise you will miss out on important announcements.

If you wish to communicate with me via e-mail, please be sure to type “Hist 3106” in the subject header line. Otherwise, I may delete the message without reading it since I get too much spam and virus-laden e-mails these days to open up messages that I don’t immediately recognize.

Finally, some things are best discussed in person rather than electronically. If you have a complicated or sensitive problem to discuss, please feel free to come and introduce yourself to me. I am always available during my office hours as well as after class.

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Honor Code:
Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the Virginia Tech Honor Code on all assignments for this course, particularly those aspects of the Honor Code related to plagiarism. http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/noframes/noframeswhatis.html

As the Virginia Tech Department of History explains on its website – http://www.history.vt.edu/UDGHowToWriteEss.htm – plagiarism is “the use of the writing and/or ideas of another without proper acknowledgment.”

• If you use the exact words of another person, no matter how long or short the quote, you must put those words into quotation marks and include a citation to indicate their source.

• If you use someone else’s ideas or paraphrase someone’s words, you must cite that as well.

Failure to do any of the above constitutes plagiarism and will result in the filing of a report to the Virginia Tech Honor Court. If you’re unsure about whether an idea or words are yours or somebody else’s, ere on the side of caution and include a citation.

Be forewarned: I read published book reviews (both online and in printed format) and am quite adept with online search tools. Please don’t become one of the several people that I report each semester to the University for Honor Code violations.

Grades:
Grades for the course will be based on the following formula:

All written assignments must be completed in order for you to receive a passing grade for this class.

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