Speech 443 : The Rhetoric of Feminist Movements 

  

  Spring 2000 10:10-11:50 Mondays Wednesday 

  Lawrence D. Medcalf Humanities 434, MW 9-10 a.m. 2-3 p.m. 

  phone: 338-3174 e-mail:lmedcalf@sfsu.edu 

  http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~lmedcalf





  Text: There is no assigned textbook for this course.

   All readings will be:

    1) Selfgenerated 

    2) Posted on the Speech 443 Web page or

    3) Put on 2 hour reading reserve in the SFSU Library.

       

  Purpose of Course: The purpose of this course is to examine the 

    literature from Communication Studies, Women's Studies and 

    American History which documents and analyzes the creation and 

    presentation of rhetorical messages to a patriarchal society aimed 

    at securing significant changes in how American cultural viewed, 

    identified and treated women.

      

  Topic of the Course: In 1848 over one hundred women and men met 

    in Seneca Falls, New York, for the first Women's Rights 

    Convention. 

    At the convention the participants selected the major issues 

    they would confront America with in regards to the rights of 

    women in society. 

    This course will trace these issues, including suffrage, marriage 

    and divorce rights, labor rights,temperance,educational rights, 

    family planning etc., that are relevant and pertinent to women's 

    movements over the past 150 years, and will examine the various 

    uses of rhetoric employed by feminists to achieve their goals. 

    Graded Work: Students may anticipate 4-5 papers based on the 

    readings, of 2-3 pages maximum for each assignment. 

    Students will also have one final research paper, about 8-10 pages, 

    along with an oral presentation of that research paper 

    (either as an individual or as part of a group report,which will be 

    due at the end of the semester. 

   

  Class Format: The class will include lectures, films, and student 

    reports and discussion on the readings. 

        

  Attendance Policy: Your attendance in class is expected. You may 

    miss two class meetings without penalty,every absence afterwards 

    equals 1 point per absence being deducted from your final grade. 

    Late papers are deducted 10% of the possible grade, missed  

    oral assignments may not be made up.