Human Sexuality
Family Studies 253
Fall Semester 2009
T 11:45-1:10; TH 12:45-2:05
Rm. 501 Holland Hall
I'd thought sexuality was instinctive or natural, but it's profoundly linked to inner security and cultural context. Tahar Ben Jelloun
General Overview: This course explores the varied dimensions of human sexuality as they relate to, affect, and are affected by past and present human relationships. Sexual problems and issues are examined for the development of a value framework and for the enrichment of family life.
Instructor: Devyani Chandran, Ph.D. 213D Holland Hall Phone: (507) 646-3130 Email: chandrad@stolaf.edu Office hours: MW 11:00-1:00 or by appointment
**A word about e-mail: I check my email frequently on weekdays and in the weekend. I am also available by phone during school hours. You may also call me on my office phone during weekdays. Please leave a message if I am not there and I will get back to you by email as soon as possible.
Course Objectives:
- To appreciate the functions of the human reproductive system and to develop a better understanding of birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual dysfunctions and disorders, and social issues related to sexuality
- To enhance the development of a value framework by providing opportunities for students to explore and discuss personal attitudes and values
- To think critically about the influence of cultural and societal attitudes on the development of an individual’s values, attitudes, and patterns of behavior
- To understand how human sexual behavior relates to, affects, and is affected by past and present human relationships and by the social context in which it occurs
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the class students should be able to:
- Understand the importance of sexuality in their own lives and in their relationships with others.
- Develop an understanding of theories and research in human sexuality.
- Discuss the effect of values and social context on how sexuality is viewed and its impact on people’s lives
Required Reading:
- Text: Crooks, R. & Baur, K. (2008). Our Sexuality, 10th Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
- Articles: In addition to the textbook, some scholarly and popular articles will be assigned. The professor reserves the right to change the schedule/assigned readings as new opportunities for learning present themselves.
Course Format: During class periods there will be several instructional strategies used:
- lecture,
- large group discussion, and
- small group discussion of the assigned readings, videos, case studies, etc.
Course Requirements:
Class participation and attendance: Attendance will be taken through intermittently assigned questions or comments. An unusual number of absences will reduce one’s grade.
Assignments (Please see separate handout)
Schedule
DATE |
TOPIC |
READINGS |
ASSIGNMENT DUE/GUEST LECTURES |
09/10/09 |
Classes begin |
|
|
09/15/09 |
Introduction and History of sex in America |
Book: Ch. 1 Articles: Reading exercise #1 |
|
09/17/09 |
Sex Research |
Book: Ch. 2 |
|
09/22/09 |
Sex Research |
Book: Ch. 2 |
|
09/24/09 |
Gender Issues |
Book: Ch. 3 |
|
09/29/09 |
Gender Issues |
Book: Ch. 3 |
|
10/01/09 |
Sexual Arousal and Response |
Book: Ch. 6 |
|
10/06/09 |
Sexual Arousal and Response |
Book: Ch. 6 |
|
10/08/09 |
Sexual Behaviors |
Book: Ch. 8 |
|
10/13/09 |
Sexual Behaviors |
Book: Ch. 8 |
|
10/15/09 |
Exam 1 |
Exam 1 |
Exam 1 |
10/20/09 |
Sexual Anatomy |
Book: Ch. 4 & 5 |
Guest lecture Dan Van Wylen (Biology) |
10/22/09 |
Sexual Anatomy |
Thought Paper 1 |
|
10/26/09- |
FALL BREAK |
|
|
10/29/09 |
Love, Attraction, and Attachment |
Book: Ch. 7 |
|
11/03/09 |
Sexual Orientation |
Book: Ch. 9 Articles: Reading exercise |
Library work |
11/05/09 |
Sexual Orientation |
Book: Ch. 9 Articles: Reading exercise |
Library work |
11/10/09 |
Childhood and Adolescent Sexuality |
Book: Ch. 12 |
|
11/12/09 |
Exam 2 |
Exam 2 |
Exam 2 |
11/17/09 |
Childhood and Adolescent Sexuality |
Book: Ch. 12 |
|
11/19/09 |
Childhood and Adolescent Sexuality |
Book: Ch. 12 |
|
11/24/09 |
Sexual Difficulties |
Book: Ch. 14 |
Thought Paper 2 |
11/25/09- |
THANKSGIVING BREAK |
THANKSGIVING BREAK |
THANKSGIVING BREAK |
12/01/09 |
Sexual Coercion |
Book: Ch. 17 |
|
12/03/09 |
Sex for Sale |
Book: Ch. 18 |
|
12/08/09 |
Presentations |
|
|
12/10/09 |
Presentations |
|
|
12/15/09 |
Presentations |
Research Paper |
|
12/19/09 |
FS 253 Final Exam: 2-4pm |
|
Grading
Assignment |
Possible Points |
Thought Papers |
15 points |
Research Project |
15 points |
Exam 1 |
20 points |
Exam 2 |
20 points |
Exam 3 |
20 points |
Class participation and attendance |
10 points |
TOTAL |
100 points |
Incompletes will be given in this course only for documented emergency situations with approval of the appropriate dean of students. Course grades will be assigned in terms of the percentages listed below:
Letter Grade |
Percentage |
A |
93-100 |
A- |
90-92 |
B+ |
88-89 |
B |
83-87 |
B- |
80-82 |
C |
73-77 |
C+ |
78-79 |
C- |
70-72 |
D+ |
68-69 |
D |
63-67 |
D- |
60-62 |
F |
less than 60 |
Class Expectations:
Students are expected to attend every class. Attendance is not taken but your presence in class will enhance both your own and your classmates’ experience. Additionally, you (or someone) have paid a lot of money for you to take this class. You’ll get the best value by attending. Assigned readings are to be read in advance of the class for which they were assigned, and students should be prepared to engage in discussion. If class is missed, participants are responsible for obtaining missed materials and information from another class member.
In order to optimize the learning environment in this class, students are asked to honor the following:
- Be on time for class and stay until the end. We will start promptly at the designate a start time and end promptly at the designated end time.
- Do not read the newspaper or chat during class.
- Turn cell phones and pagers off during class. If an emergency page or call is expected, set the device to “vibrate” rather than to “ring.”
- If you must enter late or leave early, do so quietly.
- If class is missed, participants are responsible for obtaining missed materials and information from another class member.
- “Extra credit” assignments are not given, so please do not ask.
- Exams will be given during class time as noted on the class schedule. Only rare exceptions will be made for scheduling an alternative time to take the exam.
Grading Definitions:
A: Outstanding (deep understanding)
- Exceptional performance that exceeds course expectations
- Thorough, deep, mature understanding
- Genuine comprehension, insight and synthesis
- Thorough preparation and extensive, thoughtful class participation
B: Competent (clear understanding)
- Course expectations fully met
- Clear understanding without much originality
- Competent grasp of subject matter
- Regular preparation for and participation in class
C: Acceptable (basic understanding)
- Minimally prepared for further study in the field
- Adequate grasp of subject matter
- Minimally completed assignments with many areas for improvement
- Frequent neglect of important information
D: Passing (limited understanding)
- Unprepared for further study in the field
- Minimal understanding of subject matter
- Little evidence of critical or creative thinking
- Lack of apparent seriousness
Disability Statement: Any student with a documented intellectual, physical or emotional disability needing academic accommodations is expected to speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. If you don’t have a documented disability for which accommodations may be required in this class, please contact Ruth Bolstad (bolstadr@stolaf.edu ) or Connie Ford (ford@stolaf.edu) in the Academic Support Center (x3288) located in the Modular Village. If you already have documentation on file with Student Disability Services in the Academic Support Center you are required to present your letters to the professor within the first two weeks of class.
Other Concerns: If you have other concerns that you think may affect your performance in this class, please let me know ASAP so that we can work together to find a solution.
Reading Exercises
Three times during the semester, you will be assigned several articles on a certain topic (e.g.- gender). Rather than reading each article, you will be assigned one of the articles to read. In class, you will meet briefly with others who have read the same article and devise a brief presentation highlighting the main points of the article. You will have about 7 minutes to present your article to the class. These exercises will take place for the following topics: history of sex in America; gender; and sexual orientation.
Reading exercise #1 articles (History of Sex in America):
Kinsey, A.C., Pomeroy, W.B., & Martin, C.E. (1948). Sexual behavior in the human male. Philadelphia: Saunders Company.
Masters, W.H., & Johnson, V.E. (1966). Human sexual response. Boston: Little, Brown, & Company.
Newton, R. (1942). How to improve your personality. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Riessman, F. (1998). Help for the addict-in-chief. Social Policy, 29, 6-8.
Sanders, S.A. & Reinisch, J.M. (1999). Would you say you had sex if...? JAMA, 281, 275-277.
Sanger, M. (1969). My fight for birth control. New York: Maxwell Reprint Company.
Thayer, F.C. (1998). Clinton as sexual addict? A false traditional argument. Social Policy, 29, 18-26.
Walling, W.H. (1902). Sexology. Philadelphia: Puritan Publishing Company.
Reading exercise #2 articles (Gender Issues):
Buss, D.M. (1995). Psychological sex differences. American Psychologist, 50, 164-168.
Colapinto, J. (1997). The true story of John Joan. Rolling Stone, 775, 1-24.
Fausto-Sterling, A. (1993). The five sexes: Why male and female are not enough. The Sciences, 33, 20-27.
Hamson, S. (2004). The passive/active divide: What the village is teaching our children about gender. Siecus Report, 32, 14-16.
White, E. (2002). Fast girls: Teenage tribes and the myth of the slut. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Reading exercise #3 articles (Sexual Orientation):
Adams, H.E., Wright, L.W., & Lohr, B.A. (1996). Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 440-445.
Bower, B. (1996). From exotic to erotic. Science News, 150, 88-89.
Cotten-Huston, A.L., & Waite, B.M. (2000). Anti-homosexual attitudes in college students: Predictors and classroom interventions. Journal of Homosexuality, 38, 117-133.
Reading exercise #4 articles (Sex for Sale):
Articles to be announced.
Assignment Handout
Three Exams:
Purpose: To encourage students to gain a broad understanding of the various issues included in the field of human sexuality which will be discussed in the classroom.
Description: Three exams will be given throughout the semester. Exams will be multiple choice and cover class lectures, videos, class presentations and discussions. Please note that these are closed book exams. Daily attendance and keeping up with your reading will help you do well in these exams.
Evaluation: Each exam is worth 20 points and form 60% of your grade. Though the exams are multiple choice, there will be only one correct answer to each question.
Thought Papers:
Purpose: To encourage students to critically evaluate the topics which are being covered in the classroom. Students should be able to identify two areas/issues that particularly interest them among the many that will be covered in the classroom
Description: Two thought papers will be required throughout the course of the semester. These papers are designed to help you begin to think critically about the role of human sexuality within our society. Each paper will consist of your thoughts about a topic covered in class and should be 2 pages maximum. You may choose to write from five topics:
- gender issues;
- sexual behaviors;
- childhood and adolescent sexuality;
- sexual difficulties;
- sex for sale.
Papers should be written in 12 font and be 1.5 spaced. Due dates for the papers are listed on the course schedule.
Evaluation: This assignment forms 20% of your grade. Each thought paper is worth ten points. Students will be graded on a judicious selection of topic for discussion in the thought paper, clarity of writing and critical thinking. While it is important that you accurately represent what is taught in the classroom, this assignment is designed so that you learn to express in writing your own critical reflections on some of the topics covered in classroom.
Group Paper and Presentation:
Purpose: To encourage students to draw ideas and knowledge from a wide variety of sources including scholarly and popular media sources. Students must be able to demonstrate their understanding of the theoretical material and research that have been taught in the classroom and their real world applications. This project also brings together students who may have differing views on human sexuality in an academic endeavor.
Description: This project will give you an introduction to ways that research and theory development can apply to practical issues in the area of human sexuality. A minimum of twelve sources will be required for your paper and presentation. Your group will submit a 10 page maximum paper (12 point font, double-spaced). Your presentation will last 20 minutes and should incorporate a report on the topic and some form of interactive activity for the class. Additional information will be handed out in class.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on clarity of writing, presentation style. Students do not necessarily have to do PowerPoint presentation. Presentations will be evaluated on content and interaction in the classroom and not on technical savvy. Students are encouraged to work together and discuss the issues they are interested in. This is a group assignment and every member of the group is expected to participate. The group is required to meet with the instructor and discuss its strategy for completing this assignment and to keep a log of activities performed by various members in completing this assignment.
