Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - GSWS 411 E100

Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (4)

Women in Cities

Class Number: 7555

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Wed, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units, including six units in GSWS.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A specific theme within the field of gender, sexuality, and women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant.

COURSE DETAILS:

Cities are dynamic entities; myriad social forces and processes inform their design and development. Gender and sexual politics are among the most significant -and least discussed- of these forces. Gender and sexual politics underlie urban form and function, from the built environment, to laws and policies, to cultural and memorial landscapes. Yet, cities are often imagined to serve a universal user.

Taking a critical and intersectional approach to the relationship between cities and the intimate lives of their residents, this course examines the interplay between bodies and cities. We will use texts, multimedia, and other tools (including safety audits and collaborative mapping) to ask how embodied experiences of gender and sexual identity and difference shape our perceptions of cities. We will explore, among other topics, the explicit and implicit ways that forms of gender and sexuality (as well as sex acts and gender expression) are promoted or policed, how cities take sexual and gender politics seriously already, and how cities can improve their policies and services.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: http://www.sfu.ca/gsws/undergraduate/courses/Educational_Goals.html

Grading

  • Participation 20%
  • Journal/reading responses 30%
  • Review project 35%
  • Peer review 15%

NOTES:

SYNCHRONOUS and/or ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS SCHEDULING

We will meet online from 17:30-20:00 on Wednesdays for our synchronous sessions. We will use primarily Canvas (Blackboard Collaborate) and Zoom as a back-up.
Asynchronous work will be expected using the discussion space on Canvas, hypothes.is, and other open source online platforms.

Access to internet and a computer with camera and microphone will be required.


Materials

REQUIRED READING:

  • Leslie Kern, 2019, Feminist City: A Field Guide. BTL Press.

(Available as an e-pub via https://btlbooks.com/book/feminist-city)

  • Whitzman, et al (eds.), 2012, Building Inclusive Cities: Women’s safety and the right to the city. Routledge.
    (Available as an e-book via SFU Library)
  • Academic journal articles and other sources will be used throughout the course. Other sources include, but are not limited to: video, oral histories, podcasts, and grey literature (policy documents, municipal reports, NGO-produced materials).

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).