Spring 2005 Dr. Erin A.

Smith
School of General Studies
Tuesday 7:00 – 9:45 p.m.

ISGS 4311.501
Gender & Education

Description:

This course examines the impact of gender, race, and class on the educational experiences of men
and women in the United States. Drawing on history and literature, sociology/anthropology,
philosophy, psychology, and public policy, it considers the ways educational institutions both
empower individuals and reproduce social inequalities based on class, gender, and ethnicity. We
examine Enlightenment discussions of gender and reason, women’s contested entrance into and
transformation of education in America, and public policy initiatives designed to make schools more
equitable places for all students. We will ask how gender roles are learned and reinforced by the
structure of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. We will examine debates
surrounding co-ed vs. single sex education, consider curriculum transformation efforts to include the
history and experiences of women and ethnic minorities, and discuss feminist and critical
pedagogies. The course invites students to think critically about their own educational experiences
and enables them to make more informed decisions about contemporary educational policy.

Required Texts May Include:

Lois Weis and Michelle Fine, eds., Beyond Silenced Voices: Class, Race, and Gender in United
States Schools (1993) – a collection of essays by sociologists and education researchers

David Tyack and Elisabeth Hansot, Learning Together: A History of Co-Education in American
Public Schools (1992) – a history of elementary and secondary schooling in America

Lorene Cary, Black Ice (1991) -- the autobiography of a working-class African-American woman who
attended a formerly all-white, all-male, elite prep school on scholarship

Nancy Lopez, Hopeful Girls, Troubled Boys: Race & Gender Disparity in Urban Education (2003) –
ethnography of girls and boys from a variety of ethnic/racial backgrounds in contemporary urban
schools

Separated by Sex: A Critical Look at Single-Sex Education for Girls (1998) – an AAUW report on
the results of a major study of single-sex vs. co-ed education

coursepack

Method of Evaluation:

class participation
one presentation/leading of class discussion OR 6 one-page reading journals
midterm and final essay exams
2 short (5-page) papers