BIOL/GNPR 252:
Women, Medicine, and Biology

Spring, 2000
TTh 10-11:30 in Sharpless 324
Professor Kaye Edwards: Sharpless 113, 610-896-1191
Teaching Assistant Patricia Kinser: 610-642-2449

Course Requirements
Syllabus
Texts and Web Sites
Web Forum
Reading Circles
Talks and Workshops
Outreach Opportunities

this course

provides readings, films, electronic resources and guest speakers to address some of the key issues in women's biology and medicine

works to establish a respectful learning community to analyze and discuss these issues

will help you understand the biological concepts that surround gender issues

will help you gain historical and political perspectives about women's health issues

encourages you to expect better representation of women in biology and medicine, and better health care for women

encourages you to create and participate in community efforts to improve women's health

asks you to evaluate critically the information about women's biology and health and to be aware of the limitations of available knowledge

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Course Requirements

  • Prepared attendance at all classes. Group work is a significant part of this class: we select groups, determine goals, allocate responsibilities, have discussions, report on progress. Group work becomes frustrating when people are not responsible about their attendance. If you will not be in class, you need to send me (and your current working group) an e-mail as soon as possible and make the appropriate arrangements to compensate for your absence.
  • Web Forum participation
  • Two biology papers, each 3-4 pages, due Feb 7 and Feb 28.
  • One social justice paper, 6-8 pages, due Mar 27.
  • Portfolio of reflections, 12 pages, due during finals.
  • Group presentation of a case study illustrating how biology and politics affects a particular aspect of women's bodies and health. Each group of 5 students will lead one class between Apr 4 and Apr 18. A group portfolio will be due the week before your class presentation.
  • Outreach work in women's health. Possibilities include volunteering one time for 3 hours and reflecting on the experience in your portfolio; volunteering on a regular basis and analyzing this experiential work for your social justice paper; setting up a group outreach and sharing the work with the class during your group presentation.

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Texts and Web Sites

  • assigned texts available at Haverford College bookstore (a copy of all assigned texts will be on reserve in Sharpless library. Material for reading circles will also be available on reserve.)
    • Gender and the Social Construction of Illness by Judith Lorber. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks, CA. 1997.
    • Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century by The Boston Women's Health Book Collective. Touchstone, NY. 1998.
    • The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde. aunt lute books, San Francisco. 1980.
    • The Invisible Epidemic: The Story of Women and AIDS by Gena Corea. HarperPerennial, NY. 1992. (limited quantities: out-of-print)
  • class list and e-mail addresses
  • links to relevant on-line information

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Prepared by Kaye Edwards
last updated 1/13/00