Time Schedule:
Kathryn A. Quinn
WOMEN 490
Seattle Campus
Exploration of specific problems and issues relevant to the study of women. Offered by visiting or resident faculty members. Primarily for upper-division and graduate students.
Class description
Most of us are influenced by issues of work and family at some point in our lives. We all work, whether paid in the labor force or unpaid in our homes or communities. We all have families, whether biological or adoptive, parents, siblings, children, or same- or opposite-sex partners. This course is an introduction to Work and Family guided by three broad questions: 1) What factors contribute to work and family conflict?; 2) What factors facilitate balance between work and family?; and, 3) How can these factors in work and family conflict or balance be interpreted through the perspectives provided by women studies, economics, and sociology?
Topics include: Rise of the Two-Earner Family: Changes in Wages and the Labor Market; Demographic Changes; Specialization vs. ‘Having It All;’ Balancing Multiple Roles: Compartmentalization vs. Integration; Spillover; Sequencing; Feminist Perspectives: Do Moms Need Special Treatment in the Workplace?; Public vs. Private Care; National, State, and Employer Policies; and International Differences.
The goal of the course is for you to be able to: 1) Critically analyze and utilize source materials and literature; and, 2) Apply theory and empirical evidence in self-reflection and decision-making related to work and family issues.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Lecture, discussion, and guest speakers. Attendance and active participation in class discussion by all students will be critical to the success of our class meetings. You are expected to complete the readings by the day they are listed in the syllabus and to discuss them in depth. Over the course of the quarter, students will develop research projects of their own for the final paper.
Recommended preparation
Students should have an interest in the course topic. Critical thinking and clear expression of thought in discussion and writing will be stressed.
Class assignments and grading
Reading, reflection, writing. Discussion of key ideas and analysis of arguments.
Your final grade will consist of your final paper (30%), three written assignments (15% each), weekly reading response papers (10%), and course participation (including EPosts) (15%). You must turn in all written assignments to pass the course.
