LANGUAGE AND GENDER
Linguistics 330
Winter 2003
Enarson Hall, Room 200
Monday & Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. – 10:48 a.m.
Instructor: Craig Hilts
Teaching Coordinator: Dr.
Richard Janda
Office: 218 Oxley Hall
Office:
223 Oxley Hall
Mailbox: 222 Oxley Hall lobby
Phone:
688-3109
Phone: Office 292-3802
Home 263-7455 (before 10:00 p.m.,
please)
Email: chilts@ling.ohio-state.edu (most efficient method
of contact)
Office Hours: Monday 11:00 a.m.-12:00
noon
Tuesday 4:30-5:30 p.m.
And by appointment
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This class is an investigation into
the connections between language use and culturally/socially constructed and
enshrined views of gender. While much of the material we will examine
is recent work in sociolinguistics, the topic is such that we will also need
to draw from related fields such as anthropology, sociology, women’s studies
and psychology to place this work in an adequate context. We will look
at the various levels of language in which variation occurs and how the social
environment shapes that variation. Some of the aspects of the interaction
of language and gender that we will examine are: What is gender?
How are gender differences manifested and perpetuated by language use?
Are there “men’s” and “women’s” languages? How does gender influence
inter- and intra-gender communication? How do other social factors such
as ethnicity and socio-economic class interact with gender? How is
gender-differentiated language acquired by children?
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Women, Men, and Language by Jennifer Coates.
Language and Gender: A Reader edited by Jennifer
Coates.
The other readings on the class schedule are on reserve
in the library.
ATTENDANCE:
Your presence and participation in class discussions
is essential to your understanding not only the materials presented in the
readings, but other materials which will be presented only in class.
Much of the reading material is subject to more than one interpretation,
and the presentation and discussion of these materials in class will be crucial
to your understanding, as well as for preparation for exams. In the
event that you have an emergency which will prevent your taking an exam at
the prescribed time, you must notify me as soon as possible, preferably ahead
of time, in person or by telephone and/or email at my office or home numbers,
and bring the medical excuse with you upon your return. Makeup exams
will be given only in the case of a documented medical emergency, at my discretion.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:
While the demonstration of mutual respect for
your classmates, yourself, and me should be a sufficient description of this
topic, I will clarify what this entails, since your registration and participation
in this class is equivalent to signing a contract to abide by the rules of
our classroom. Come to class on time. Late arrivals are
disruptive to the flow of the class, and chances are good that you will miss
an important aspect of the discussion. For these same reasons, please
do not leave (or start packing up to do so) until the bell rings and/or I
have dismissed you. If you need to leave early, please notify me before
class starts. Finally, please do not talk to your neighbors during presentations
or discussions; besides the above-mentioned reasons, the class will likely
benefit from your sharing your insights and comments with the rest of us.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Homework: There will be five homework
assignments during the quarter, due on the dates listed in the Class Schedule
(see attached homework sheet). All assignments, (homework, research
projects) are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on the due date and can be put in
my mailbox or under my office door until that time. Assignments will
be devalued by 25% every 48 hours after that. This policy is designed
to help keep all of us current, and in the interests of fairness, there will
be no exceptions to this policy on accepting late assignments. If you
have questions while working on the assignments, I’ll be available during
my office hours, or by phone (until 10:00 p.m.) or by email to help you with
them. Homeworks will be given out no later than Wednesday to be handed
in the following Monday.
Journals: You will write a one-paragraph
summary for each article assigned to be read for that day, to include the
main point(s), the most interesting finding or fact, and the strongest degree
of difference with something(s) we have previously covered in class or the
readings. These must also include a personal reaction, either philosophical
or emotional, to the point of the reading. Journals will be due at the beginning
of class from randomly selected groups of students on randomly chosen days.
(Note that for days when a written homework is due or an exam is scheduled,
no journals will be collected). All readings on the Class Schedule are
required reading; those marked with an asterisk (*) must be summarized.
Exams: There will be two exams given during
the quarter. The midterm exam will be given in class on the scheduled
date (February 12th). The final exam will be given in accordance with
the scheduled date and time of 9:00-10:48 a.m., Wednesday, March 12th.
Research Project: You will develop and research
a topic in some area of interest within the scope of “language and gender”,
and present your results to the class during the last two weeks of the quarter.
This may be done individually or in groups. Note that group projects
will include group member grading of each other’s input and a commensurate
increase in length of presentation and paper. The project will consist
of a written proposal for your topic (due October 18), your presentation,
a 4-6 page written paper, and at least one pertinent comment or question for
each of the presentations made by your classmates (due at the end of each
day of presentations). The written version will be due at the beginning
of the last day of class, November 30th.
Grading:
Your grade will be based on your homeworks, journals,
exams, and research project as follows: Letter grades are
assigned according to the following scale:
A 93↑
A- 90-92
Midterm
25%
B+ 87-89 B 83-86
B- 80-82
Final
25%
C+ 77-79 C 73-76
C- 70-72
Research Project
25%
D+ 67-69 D 63-66
Journal Work
10% (10@1%)
E 62↓
Homework
15% (5@3%)
`
100%
Keep in mind that in-class participation can play a part in determining
your final grade if your total score falls on the border between two grades;
strong participation in group and general discussions can tip the balance
toward the higher grade.
Graduating seniors: Students graduating
at the end of the quarter must inform me of this fact by the end of the second
week of classes (January 17), so that I can adequately plan for your final
exam. Notification after this date may make it difficult for me to make
accommodations for your final exam and presentation dates.
Students with special needs: Please let
me know within the first full week of class if you are registered with the
Office of Disability Services (ODS) and have any physical impairments or
learning needs I should be aware of to assist you in meeting the requirements
of this class. I will work with the ODS to provide special testing
accommodations to students requiring such assistance. Students who
might benefit from services offered by ODS but who have not been assessed
as yet should contact them as soon as possible (292-3307, 150 Pomerene Hall.)
I cannot make special arrangements for students not registered with ODS.
Academic Misconduct: Cheating in any manner
in this class will not be tolerated. Students suspected of plagiarizing,
cheating on a test, or misrepresenting work from any source as their own work
when it is not, will be referred to the Committee on Academic Misconduct and
prosecuted to the fullest extent possible under the policies of that committee
and the Ohio State University.
Class Schedule: The dates given in the class schedule
for homework assignments, summaries and test dates are firm unless otherwise
announced in class. Adjustments to the Class Schedule may be made during
the quarter depending on the rate of our discussion of the material and the
possibility of visiting researchers of relevance to our class. Please
let me know of any visiting speakers you feel would be pertinent to our class.
All schedule changes will be made with ample notice.
Extra Credit: Extra credit will be
given for turning in homeworks early (at latest by 5:00 p.m. the day before
the due date).