Psychology 2074A-001 (Online for 2020-21)
Psychology of Gender
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
Being born into one gender category and not another has a profound impact on how individuals are treated, what they expect of themselves, what others expect of them, and how they lead and experience their lives. We examine gender across a variety of domains from the perspective of psychological science.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Rachel Calogero
Email: rcaloger@uwo.ca
Office Hours: Zoom meetings by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Carolina Patryluk, MSc
Email: cpatrylu@uwo.ca
Office hours: Thursday 9am - 10am or by appointment
Zoom link: https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/j/96205913945
Message from Carolina: Every week on Thursday I hold 9am - 10am open for PSYCH 2074A office hours. If you are not available at this time due to scheduling conflicts, please email me with the subject line "PSYCHOL 2074A - Office Hours Appointment" and your availabilities.
Teaching Assistant: Paolo Palma, MSc
Email: ppalma@uwo.ca
Office hours: Monday 5:00 - 6:00 PM or by appointment
Zoom link: https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/j/93308093862
Message from Paolo: I will be available in the virtual meeting room from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Mondays. If you are not available at this time due to scheduling conflicts, please email me with the subject line "PSYCHOL 2074A - Office Hours Appointment" and your availabilities.
Zoom meetings: Students must sign into Zoom using their western ID (see https://wts.uwo.ca/zoom/index.html for details and to set up your account). Once signed in, you will be placed in a virtual waiting room and allowed in one at a time.
Time and Location of Classes: Asynchronous
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Bosson, J., Vandello, J.A, & Buckner, C.E. (2019). The Psychology of Sex and Gender. Sage.
A paperback version of the textbook can be ordered from the bookstore.
An e-text version can be purchased here:
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is devoted to the investigation of psychological gender rather than biological sex. By the end of the course, students should have an understanding of the basic theories, methods, findings, and problems encountered in the psychological study of gender. We cover a range of topics related to how we study gender, how we become gendered, gender stereotypes and discrimination, sexuality and sexual orientation, gender similarities and differences, gender in work, relationships, and health, and gender-based aggression and violence. After this course, you will be able to think more critically about gender in your everyday lives.
Video-recorded lectures and slides will be posted on the OWL site for this course. Lecture material is intended to complement the textbook, which means I will present a blend of content that will include information not in the textbook. Approximately half of the items on each examination cover material that is presented only in lectures and not covered in readings. Engagement with the lecture material will significantly increase how much you get out of this course. Students who miss lectures score dramatically lower on examinations. I will aim to post the weekly power point slides and the video-recorded lecture by Tuesday morning for each scheduled week of class. You may view the lecture material at any time once it is posted. I would encourage you to attend the available zoom office hours with the TAs for questions and clarification. Please include PSYC 2074A in the subject line for any email communications about this course.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment* |
|
Breadth and Depth of Knowledge.
Define key concepts and methods in psychological research on gender |
View lectures; review slides; complete readings |
Exam questions: multiple choice, true-false |
|
Breadth and Depth of Knowledge.
Distinguish between major theories of gender identity and development |
View lectures; review slides; complete readings |
Exam questions: multiple choice, true-false, short answer |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies.
Recognize and explain key empirical findings on gender comparisons |
View lectures; review slides; complete readings |
Exam questions: multiple choice, short answer |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies.
Evaluate and critique the study of gender in psychology |
View lectures; review slides; complete readings |
Exam questions: multiple choice, short answer |
|
Application of Knowledge.
Explain effects of gender identities, attitudes, roles, and ideologies in everyday life
|
View lectures; review slides; complete readings |
Exam questions: short answer |
|
Application of Knowledge.
Apply knowledge of the psychology of gender to understand current events |
View lectures; review slides; complete readings |
Exam questions: multiple choice, short answer |
5.0 EVALUATION
The course grade is based on two exams comprised of multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions:
Exam 1 – Midterm (40% of overall mark)
Exam 2 – Cumulative Final (60% of overall mark)
Material from the textbook chapters and the corresponding lectures will be covered in each exam, as designated in the class schedule. **Please note that the final exam is cumulative. You are responsible on the final exam for material covered after the first exam as well as the material covered on the first exam.
Exams will be administered online. You will receive an exam link through OWL prior to the start of the exam. Students may complete the midterm exam at any point during a 24-hour time window beginning at 9:30am on Tuesday, October 27th and ending at 9:30am on Wednesday, October 28th. The time window for the final exam will be announced once the exam date has been determined.
Exams will be open book and they will be timed. You will have 2 hours to complete the midterm exam and 3 hours to complete the final exam. Exams will be accessible at the start of the time window for the exam. The exam will end if you have not finished within the 2-hour or 3-hour time period. All responses to any previous questions will be saved. The format for exams will be linear so that you may not go back to a question once you have answered it. You are not allowed to work together on the exam. Suspicion of collaboration on the exam will be subject to investigation, such as the analysis of response patterns. Please just prepare and do your own work.
Make-up exams for this course will be essay-type examinations. I simply cannot set more than one multiple-choice exam for each examination date. Proper documentation is required in order to set a make-up exam.
Please note that I do not make grade adjustments (e.g., applying a bell curve to the distribution of marks on a test or paper). Grades will be rounded only to the nearest whole number, that is, marks ending in a 4 or a 9 (e.g., 74 and 79) will not be rounded up a mark. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade, nor will any requests be considered for additional marks because they are needed for a grad/law/med school application, etc. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every component during the course.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Exam 1: Tuesday, October 27th, 9:30am to 11:30pm, Ontario Canada, Eastern Standard Time
Exam 2: TBD
All exam marks will be posted and available on the OWL site for the course.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Week |
Topic |
Readings |
|
September 15 |
Introducing sex and gender |
Chapter 1 |
|
September 22 |
Studying sex and gender |
Chapter 2 |
|
September 29 |
Becoming gendered: nature and nurture |
Chapter 3 |
|
October 6 |
Becoming gendered: gender development |
Chapter 4 |
|
October 13 |
Gender stereotypes: contents and origins |
Chapter 5 |
|
October 20 |
Power, discrimination, and sexism |
Chapter 6 |
|
October 27 |
EXAM 1 - MIDTERM |
|
|
November 3 |
Fall Reading Week |
|
|
November 10 |
Cognition, emotion, and communication |
Chapter 7 & 8 |
|
November 17 |
Sexual orientation, sexuality, interpersonal relationships |
Chapter 9 & 10 |
|
November 24 |
Work and home |
Chapter 11 |
|
December 1 |
Gender and health: physical and psychological |
Chapter 12 & 13 |
|
December 8 |
Aggression and violence |
Chapter 14 |
|
TBD |
EXAM 2 - FINAL |
|
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2020-2021 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
