Course Detail

G ST 391 Women, Gender & the Environment

G ST 391 IS Sec 1, University of Mississippi
[See UM Catalog for Description]

3 credit hours

Instructor Information:

Instructor name:
Kevin Cozart, M.A.
kcozart@olemiss.edu

Areas of specialization:

• Women and STEM
• Gender and Sexuality
• Media Studies
• Gender, Sexuality, and Mass Media

Contact Information:

If you have questions concerning the content of the course, you may contact the instructor directly using the Email Your Instructor link in the Lessons or Content page. NOTE: Whenever sending email, please be sure to indicate your course title and number in the subject line. You can expect a response within 72 hours, although it may be longer on weekends. Many instructors reply within 24 hours.

For lesson or test administration issues, please contact the iStudy department:

Course Description

This 14-lesson Independent Study course provides a historical introduction to women's relationship to the environment and their political and economic contributions to the environmental movement. Theory and political action, particularly as they relate to the issues of race and class, will be emphasized. You will read the works of women writers in this field and examine your own communities to analyze the ways in which the individual, community values, and institutions impact women's relationships with the environment. You will also learn to formulate responses and interpretations using varied strategies (e.g., critical reading, online discussion, self-reflection, comparative analysis). There are no prerequisites for this course.

Textbook Information:

Textbook information will be provided upon enrollment in your iStudy course.

Course Objectives:

Objectives include (but are not limited to):

1. Understand more fully the connections between theoretical concepts and peoples lived experience in relation to the environment: "The 'personal' is 'political' is a statement closely associated with eco-feminism. Many of the readings for this course will illustrate a personal history and its relationship to a woman's contribution to environmental awareness. Required learning activities also explore this connection.
2. Recognize the intersection of gender and the environment: Gender -- the social-cultural elaboration of sexual difference -- shapes identities, defines behavioral expectations, and frames individual possibilities. Since gender constantly interacts with other cultural-social constructs such as race and class, one cannot accurately speak of men-in-general or women-in-general. Many of the readings and learning activities of the course deal with this intersection.
3. Improve critical thinking skills: The readings and the written assignments for this course are designed to prompt you to think about women and their role in raising modern environmental awareness. "Critical" does not mean "to criticize," but "to question" based on reason and evidence.

Course Outline:

This course consists of 14 instructional modules (or lessons) and 2 proctored exams.

You MUST take the syllabus quiz within 2 weeks of enrolling or you will be dropped from the course. NOTE: you must pass the Syllabus and Orientation Quiz for the course materials to appear on the Lessons page.

Unit

Topic

Reading Assignments

Due for Grades

Pacing guide to complete the course in a semester

Start Here

Syllabus and Orientation

*You MUST complete the syllabus quiz as soon as you have access to your Blackboard course. This is mandatory to verify your attendance.* NOTE: you must pass the Syllabus and Orientation Quiz for the course materials to appear on the Lessons page.

Syllabus Quiz

Week 1

1

An Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Women, Gender and the Environment

• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Foreword, Pg. 1, Mariposa Morning-Beauty of Beingness, Pg. 7)
• Taylor, “Great Women Exploring Nature” (Introduction, Pg. vii)
• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Introduction, Pg. xi)
• Breton, “Women Pioneers for the Environment” (Introduction, Pg. 1)
• Barlow, “Blue Covenant-The Global Water Crisis” (Introduction)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Valerie Andrews & Opal Whitely, pp. 3-7)

Journal Entry

Week 1

2

Exploring the Relationship

• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Metzer & Neale Hurston, pp. 10-14)
• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Her Royal Highness, Pg. 23)
• Taylor, “Great Women Exploring Nature” (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Pg. 1)
• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Chapter One, Page. 1)
• Breton, “Women Pioneers for the Environment” (Chapter One, Devi & Maathai)
• Barlow, “Blue Covenant-The Global Water Crises” (Where Has All the Water Gone? Pg.1)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 2

3

“Sisters of the Earth”

• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Chapter 2, Pg. 5), (Chapter 3, Pg. 15)
• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Old Bristlecone, Pg. 15)
• Taylor, “Great Women Exploring Nature” (Mina Edison #2, Pg. 13)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Peterson & Hasse, pp. 15,36)
• Breton, “Women Pioneers for the Environment” (McCrory & Bori, Ch. 1, Pg. 3)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 3

4

Is Water a “Woman’s Issue”?

• Taylor, “Great Women Exploring Nature” (Douglas #3, Pg. 23), (Hurston #4, Pg. 35)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 4

Research assignment 1

Research assignment exploring "What is the most important environmental issue facing us today?"

Do not begin the next lesson until the research assignment has been submitted.

Week 5

5

Pioneering the Environmental Movement, Part 1

• Breton, “Women Pioneers of the Environment” (Bullitt & Fuller, Ch. 1, Pg. 3), (Ch. 2, Pg. 47)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Erdrich, Pg. 19), (Zepeda, Pg. 22), (Swenson, Pg. 52)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 5

6

Pioneering the Environmental Movement, Part 2

• Barlow, “Blue Covenant-The Global Water Crisis” (Pg. 34), (Pg. 68)
• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Ch. 4, Pg. 39), (Ch. 5, Pg. 53)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Carrighar, Pg. 37), (Tapahonso, Pg. 48)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 6

7

Life and Acceptance

• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Ch. 6, Pg. 63)
• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Eye of the Falcon, Pg. 33), (Feral Orphans, Pg. 51)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Ehrlich, Pg. 123), (Dean, Pg. 50)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 7

Mid Course Exam

Proctored Exam

Be sure to complete all previous assignments before taking this exam. Complete this test before moving on to the next unit.
The midterm consists of 10 short answer questions and 2 essays.

To be scheduled
and completed
before proceeding

End of Week 7

MIDPOINT OF COURSE

If you are a semester student, you must reach the midpoint of your course by the date specified in your information.
If you are a Flex UM student, you CANNOT WITHDRAW from this course after the exam has been submitted.

All lesson assignments or exams needed to reach the midpoint of the course

The exact date semester students are required to reach the midpoint is specified in your information.

8

Global Water Crises

• Breton, “Women Pioneers of the Environment” (Ch. 3, Pg. 64), (Ch. 5, Pg. 102)
• Barlow, “Blue Covenant-The Global Water Crisis” (Pg. 102)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Dickinson, Pg. 77), (White, Pg. 88)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 8

9

Balance and Loyalty

• Taylor, “Great Women Exploring Nature” (Betz, Pg. 45) (Rawling, Pg. 57)
• Breton, “Women Pioneers for the Environment” (Ch. 10, Douglas, Pg. 237 ) (Ch. 10, Carr, Pg. 245)
• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Balance of Realty, Pg. 115) (Punpkin Pie-Loyalty, Pg. 97)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 9

10

“Silent Spring”

• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Ch. 7, Pg. 85) (Ch. 8, Pg. 103)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 10

Research assignment 2

Research assignment that includes conducting a poll.

Do not begin the next lesson until the research assignment has been submitted.

Week 11

11

Great Women, Great Mother Earth

• Taylor, “Great Women Exploring Nature” (Lindbergh, Pg. 69) (Cochran, Pg. 79)
• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Ch. 9, Pg. 129) (Ch. 10, Pg. 154)
• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Dancing on Diamonds, Pg. 87)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 11

12

The Tao of Nature

• Breton, “Women Pioneers of the Environment” (Ch. 6, Pg. 116)
• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Ch. 11, Pg. 173) (Ch. 12, Pg. 187)
• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Autumn Afternoon, Pg. 127) (The Enchanted Forest, Pg. 143)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Silko, Pg. 108)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 12

13

Water and Food Enough for All?

• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Ch. 13, Pg. 199) (Ch. 14, Pg. 219) (Ch. 15, Pg. 245)
• Taylor, “Great Women Exploring Nature” (Carson, Pg. 91) (Carr, Pg. 105)
• Barlow, “Blue Covenant-The Global Water Crisis” (Pg. 142)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 13

14

Understanding Our World and Final Thoughts

• Carson, “Silent Spring” (Ch. 16, Pg. 262) (Ch. 17, Pg. 277)
• Breton, “Women Pioneers of the Environment” (Ch. 8, Pg. 161)
• Rain, “Tao of Nature” (Valley, Pg. 227) (Rainbow, Pg. 247)
• Anderson, “Sisters of the Earth” (Deming, Pg. 379)

Journal Entry, Written Assignment

Week 14

Final Exam

Proctored Exam

Be sure to complete all previous assignments before taking this exam. Any assignments not completed before the exam is taken will receive a grade of zero. All course work must be graded before you will be eligible to take the Final Exam.
The final consists of 10 short answer questions and 4 essays.

To be scheduled
and completed
to finalize credit

Week 15

Grading:

GRADING SCALE:
94 - 100% = A
90 - 94% = A-
87 - 90% = B+
84 - 87% = B
80 - 84% = B-
77 - 79% = C+
74 - 77% = C
70 - 74% = C-
64 - 69% = D
Below 64% = F

FAILURE TO TAKE THE FINAL EXAM WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE.

You must submit the lessons required to take the course exam(s). Lessons required but not submitted will receive a grade of zero. For the final exam, all coursework must be submitted and graded.