WGS 399
Feminism in the Workplace
Assignment: Adding to the SOCS Library

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ASSIGNMENT IS WORTH 5% OF THE COURSE GRADE - so FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!

The SOCS library is a collection of articles chosen by students who have taken WGS 399 in the past. Your first assignment this semester is to choose one article or chapter to add to the library, drawing on recently published books related to the broad topic of feminism, women, gender, or sexuality in the workplace. These books are on reserve in the library.

To get full credit for this assignment (5% of course grade), do the following:

• Make your selection from one of the books listed under "New books" at this link. Start by browsing the list and narrowing down your choice of books to explore more closely. Click on titles to see brief descriptions of the books. Then go to the library to get the books of your choice off reserve.
• Choose a chapter or article between 5 and 40 pages in length.
• Make a CLEAR xerox copy on 8-1/2 by 11" paper. Make sure ALL of the text is readable, and don't mark up this copy with marginal notes or overlining.
• Write full publication information for the book on the first page (author or editor, title of book, publisher, and date of publication), and write your name on the back of the last page.
• DO NOT staple the pages together.
• Bring this copy to class on September 3.
• To help future students decide whether they wish to assign this article, write a brief critical review of the article and submit the review electonically via the SOCS dropbox before . Your review should be 100-200 words in length. As you prepare your review, consider the following:

  1. What is the topic? What overall purpose does the source seem to have? For what audience is it intended?

  2. Does the source argue for a particular thesis? Does it argue against particular ideas? What are the theoretical assumptions? Are they discussed explicitly?

  3. What does the work contribute to the overall topic of feminism, gender, women, or sexuality in the workplace?

  4. What kinds of material does the work present as evidence supporting its central points (e.g. primary documents or secondary material, literary analysis, personal observation, quantitative data, qualitative data, biographical or historical accounts)?

  5. How is this material used to demonstrate and argue the thesis? (In addition to describing the overall structure of the work, your review could briefly quote or summarize specific passages to show the style and tone of the work.)

  6. Could other arguments be made from the same source material? Does the work show an awareness of possible other interpretations, or indicate why and how the author agrees or disagrees?

  7. Where might discussion or research on the topic go based on the conclusions of the source, or the loose ends left at the end? What theoretical issues remain open-ended or unresolved?

  8. For what purposes would you recommend this source? What are the limits of its usefulness?

  Reviews by previous students are available here and here.