EGL 228

ENGLISH 228 GENERIC COURSE SYLLABUS


I.	Course Prefix	Course No.	Course Name	Credit	Lecture	Lab
	EGL	228	Gender, Identity and Literature	3	3	0

II.

Prerequisite:

EGL 101 or placement into 101

III.

Course (Catalog) Description:

Course introduces students to representations of gender and sexuality in literary works, including poetry, fiction, drama, and film. Content includes theory of gender and sexual identity; influence of gender and sexual identities on literary expression, and influence of literature on gender and sexual identities; terminology and methods of literary analysis and evaluation.

IV.

Learning Objectives:

The student will be able to:

Identify and analyze representations of gender and sexuality in a range of literary texts.
Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of literature on gender and sexuality, with a focus on how race, class, and nationality also affect gender and sexual identity.
Advance interpretations of literature by examining the social, political, and historical contexts in which it is written and read.
Analyze fiction, poetry, drama, and film, and communicate understanding through oral and written assignments, demonstrating critical skills and knowledge of literary conventions used to evaluate texts.

Academic Integrity:

Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

• cheating,
• plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
• falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
• helping others to cheat,
• unauthorized changes on official documents,
• pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
• making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
• any other behavior that violates academic integrity.

There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.

Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.

VI.

Sequence of Topics:

Sequence of Topics:

Readings may be organized thematically or chronologically. A chronological survey can present the development of literature on gender and sexuality, charting discussions of gendered subjectivity that began in the nineteenth century and continuing through contemporary times. Major subtopics for a thematic organization include gender identification, sexual orientation, the social construction of gender and sexuality, the codification of gender inequality, gay and lesbian identities, coming out, AIDS, pre- and post-Stonewall activism, transgender issues, hate crimes, bisexual and hybrid identities, and new voices.

Sample outline by chronology:

Weeks #1-2 Introduction:
Working Definitions of Gender and Sexuality
Gender studies in literature
Literary and theoretical texts from the 19th and early 20th centuries

Weeks #3-4 Gender Theory and Practices
The invention of homo- and heterosexuality:
Freud and Ellis, Jonathan Katz Sexual/textual practices: Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde

Weeks #5-6 Modernism and the Representation of Gender
Virginia Woolf’s Orlando
Sally Potter’s film version of Orlando
Gertrude Stein
W.S. Auden

Week #6 Sexuality and Race: American Expatriates of the 1950s
James Baldwin and Giovanni’s Room

Weeks #7-8 Second-wave feminism and lesbian identity
Rita Mae Brown, Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde

Week #9 Hybrid Identities
Jennie Livingston’s Paris is Burning

Week #10 Pre- and Post-Stonewall Histories
Paul Monette

Week #11-12 AIDS and its Literature
Tony Kushner’s Angels in America
David Wojnarowicz’s Close to the Knives

Weeks #13-14 Queer Politics and Sexual Identities
Dorothy Allison’s Bastard Out of Carolina
Essays by Michael Warner, Lauren Berlant, and Andrew Sullivan

Week #15 Contemporary voices: Gender and Hate Crimes
Documentary: The Brandon Teena Story

Week #16 Contemporary voices: Freedom and Security
Selected short stories and poetry from Beyond Definition: New Writing from Lesbian and Gay San Francisco

VII.

Methods of Instruction:

Methods include lecture, discussion, collaborative work, student presentations, and other assignments that foster critical analysis of the subject matter. Guest speakers, films, and audio-visual materials may be used when appropriate.

VIII.

Course Practices Required:

Success in this course depends on the student’s ability to read and understand the assigned texts. Additionally, students will discuss and write extensively throughout the course as they analyze primary and secondary source materials. Written work will include midterm and final exams, as well as formal essay assignments totaling 12-15 typed pages. Quizzes, group projects and/or oral assignments may also be given.

IX.

Instructional Materials:

Instructional materials include novels, short stories, poetry, drama, and films that thematize gender and sexuality. Essays that provide historical background or theoretical analysis of gender and sexuality will also be included.

Suggested anthology: Queer Cultures, Prentice Hall.
Historical background: Out of the Past: Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present

Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:

In addition to exams and written/oral assignments, students will be evaluated on their active and prepared participation in class discussions and other projects.

XI.

Other Course Information:

Attendance policy

For whatever information/procedures the instructor holds the student accountable.

If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodations or services, contact the ASSIST office in Instructional Support Services. All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.

June 2006