Syllabus: Hist 532: Japanese Women (Spring 2012)

Japanese Women
History 532-01/700-07

http://dresnerjapan.edublogs.org

Prof. Jonathan Dresner Pittsburg State University e-mail: jdresner@pittstate.edu Phone: 235-4315

Spring 2012 Class Meetings: TuTh 11am-12:15pm, RH 407 Office Hours: MWF 11-12, 1-2, TuTh 9-11 Office: RH 406F

Description

Japan has had one of the most interesting trajectories in human history: a society in which women had broad and real cultural and economic power, at least at the highest levels of classical (Nara-Heian) society, but which became increasingly patriarchal and limiting for women over time. Modernity in Japan has also brought particular roles and limitations for Japanese women (as well as gains in education and legal protections), from the patronizing “Good Wife, Wise Mother” model to the suddenly imposed legal emancipation of the post-WWII Constitution.

The traditional narrative of Japanese history is told in decidedly male voices, but the experience of Japanese women is another powerful perspective on this history. Moreover, in the study of human societies, the distinctive position of Japanese women is an important case to be examined by those interested in the different ways gender roles have been developed and shaped. Certain aspects of Japanese society, including the high position of Heian aristocratic women, Kabuki theater’s female impersonators (onnagata), and the evolution of the Japanese family in the last half-century are natural test cases for theories of gender and social systems.

This course examines the history of women in Japan from the earliest historical eras through the present. Topics to be discussed include property rights, family structures, the influence of religion and secular philosophies, the effects of political changes including specific legal revisions, womens’ role in the economy and its effect on their status and lives, and womens’ activism.

Course Goals

Students will, of course, master some basic historical material: (a few) crucial dates and names, historical processes and issues. This is not just a history course, but a specific Japanese history course, and students will learn a great deal about Japan’s past and society, culture, politics, etc. There will be discussion of the theory and practice of gender studies, and the application of gender theory to cases in Japanese history. Students will read primary and secondary sources, and demonstrate their understanding by writing, participating in class discussions and making individual presentations.

Course Prerequisites and Application
Prerequisite: World History to 1500 or World History from 1500, its equivalent or permission of instructor. This course counts towards the History major or minor as a non-Western course, towards the History/Goverment major as an Asian history course, and counts as an upper-division Women’s Studies elective. May be taken for honors.

Advisory
History is about real peoples, diverse cultures, interesting theories, strongly held belief systems, complex situations, conflicts and often-dramatic actions. This information may be disturbing. Such is the nature of historical study.

Civility

Students are expected to behave respectfully towards their peers and instructor. Disruptive behavior, including failing to turn off cell phones during class, will result in penalties and possibly removal from the classroom. This does not mean that there can’t be lively discussions and disagreements, but personal attacks, excessive volume, threatening gestures or words, and failure to give others a chance to speak and be heard are not acceptable.

 Technology in the classroom

The use of laptop computers and other devices is permitted only if they are relevant to the material at hand: note-taking, fact-checking, assignment scheduling, etc. Web surfing, video, gaming, email and messaging are not appropriate classroom activities and can be distracting to the instructor and fellow students. Moreover, I expect the lectures and classroom discussions to be reflected in your test and essay answers; if you’re not paying attention, participating and taking notes, you will almost certainly not do as well, gradewise.

Advising

Advising is a very important resource designed to help students complete the requirements of the University and their individual majors. Students should consult with their advisor at least once a semester to decide on courses, check progress towards graduation, and discuss career options and other educational opportunities. Advising is a shared responsibility, but students have final responsibility for meeting degree requirements.

 Student Accommodation

Any student with a documented disability who would like to request accommodations should contact the instructor as early in the semester as possible. For more information, contact the Center for Student Accomodations (235-4309, csa@pittstate.edu).

 Syllabus Supplement

For more information on deadlines, severe weather policy, visas, grades, attendance, final exams, student support, etc. please see the University Catalog or the 2012 Spring Syllabus Supplement, available through the Registrar’s office:  http://www.pittstate.edu/office/registrar/forms.dot

Assignments
Note: All schedules, assignments, etc, in the syllabus are subject to change.

 Course Website: http://dresnerjapan.edublogs.org
Bookmark it. Check it regularly. I will use it for announcements (assignments, special events, extra credit), to maintain the schedule (particularly if it changes), to post handouts (so if you lose or miss one, it’ll be there) and keep a small library of useful links. This website largely takes the place of ANGEL for this class, though I will use ANGEL for email, the syllabus and for certain material which shouldn’t be available publicly. In the event of a disparity between the original syllabus and the website, follow the website: I reserve the right to change readings, test dates, due dates, grade weights and assignments as necessary throughout the semester.

Lectures and Discussions

There will be some lecture days, but most class sessions will involve discussion of the assigned readings. Some of my lectures will expand on the material presented, adding detail and alternative understandings. Some of my lectures will introduce and raise questions about historical sources or historians’ arguments. Some of my lectures will be about historical practice and theory as it applies to specific topics. I will, on occasion, correct or disagree with the readings or with other historians. Historians do that.

Readings

Reading assignments must be done before class on the day indicated. Lectures and discussions will assume that the reading has been done. Reading assignments may be supplemented with online image viewing assignments. Regular and substantive participation in discussions is an integral component of this course. I will try to make sure that everyone has a chance to speak up, and if you have trouble speaking up, talk to me privately and we’ll work on opportunities.

Required Readings

• Murasaki Shikibu, Diary of Lady Murasaki, trans. Richard Bowring, Penguin, 1999.
• Karen Brazell, ed. and trans., The Confessions of Lady Nijo, Stanford UP, 1973.
• Yamakawa Kikue, Kate Wildman Nakai (Translator), Women of the Mito Domain: Recollections of Samurai Family Life, 1997, Stanford UP
• Robert John Smith, Ella L. Wiswell, Women of Suye Mura, 1982, Chicago UP.
• Mikiso Hane, ed. and trans., Reflections on the Way to the Gallows: Rebel Women in Prewar Japan. University of California Press, 1993.
• Kaori Okano, Young Women in Japan: Transitions to Adulthood, Routledge, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0415590518
• Additionally: The ACLS e-book collection, available through the library website, has a surprisingly substantial collection of works on Japanese women. There will also be a few of my books on Japanese women’s history on reserve at Axe Library.

 Writings

Writing will be evaluated first and foremost on constructive engagement with the issues and texts assigned (thesis, use of evidence, relevance to question); clarity will be an important secondary factor and that is often a function of grammar, structure and similar technical aspects of writing.

Short Papers
Perhaps the most distinctive part of the historian’s job is the analysis and discussion of original historical sources, also known as primary sources; a great deal of Women’s Studies scholarship also involves the discovery and analysis of women’s self-expression. For each of the assigned texts you will write a short (500-750 words) essay addressing an important historical question related to the reading. I will provide the questions, as well as other details, in a handout to follow soon.

Research Project
Each student will pick a topic (involving the history of Japanese women, of course) on which there are substantial sources available. You will write a 2000-3000 word paper on some aspect of that topic. You will consult with me on the selection of the subject and sources, and there will be several preliminary assignments along the way which will make up a portion of your final project grade. You will do a presentation and answer questions on the topic with the entire class near the end of the semester, as well.

 Final Exam: Essays

The final exam will cover all readings, resources and lectures of the course. It will be consist of two take-home essay assignments. Questions and detailed instructions will be distributed well before the final exam due date.

 Professionalism: Preparation, Attendance and Participation

This is not just a classroom: it is a work space, and you are adults. You are expected to be present and prepared for class time, not only physically but intellectually, and to carry out your assignments in a timely and careful fashion. You are responsible for keeping track of assignments, due dates, and announcements made through the course website.

The essence of scholarship is constructive engagement; the best learning comes from doing. It is very important that everyone keep up with the readings, and come to class prepared to think and talk and question and listen. Asking good questions is an important form of participation. Asking questions which can be easily answered by referencing the syllabus, course website or textbook is not. Pop quizzes may be used to monitor your completion and comprehension of assigned readings, and will be part of your Professionalism grade.

Absences may be excused for unusual school-related events (not athletic practices), illness or family-related problems, but only if I am informed in advance (email is fine) or you have documentation (such as a doctor’s note). Unexcused absences will lower your professionalism grade. I do not drop students for non-attendance: it is your responsibility to be aware of your course load and your grades. However, I reserve the right to drop students with no record of attendance in the first two weeks of the semester in closed classes with students waiting to enroll.

There may be days on which there will be a video lecture available online rather than an in-class lecture. Students are not required to come to class on those days, but are responsible for the material in the lectures. Recorded lectures may also be used to make up a day lost to weather or instructor absence; these are also required.

There will sometimes be homework assignments which do not fall into the above categories which will be considered part of the professionalism grade. The first assignment is that all students are required to find the student information form on the course website, complete it, and email it to the instructor before the second class meeting. Also for the second class meeting, students will survey how Japanese women are depicted online and email the results to the instructor before class. Failure to complete assignments, or consistently sloppy or incorrect work, will also lower your professionalism grade.

Extra Credit

I will announce cultural and historical events for which extra credit may be earned. Check the website for current listings. Visits to museums, art galleries, historical sites and other cultural institutions may also qualify. If you know of an event or a cultural institution and would like to have it considered for extra credit, or announced to the class, let me know. To get extra credit, attend or participate in the event listed, and write a short (under two pages, single-spaced) summary of the event and describe your reaction and what you learned from it. Extra Credits are added to the professionalism score at the end of the semester.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course.
Plagiarism is the use of the words or ideas of another person without proper acknowledgement. Plagiarism is intellectual theft; in an educational setting it is particularly repugnant. Plagiarism in my courses will be punished. It’s simple: Anytime you copy words into your own work, you must clearly mark them and acknowledge the source of those words. Anytime you use someone else’s ideas, you must admit it. There are three options: put it in quotation marks and note the source; paraphrase and note the source; or be original. If you have any questions or any concerns about citation format or necessity, ask someone who knows what they’re doing.

Other forms of academic misconduct will not be tolerated either, including the use of unauthorized aid on tests, failing to write one’s own papers, using papers for more than one course without permission. None of this precludes group study and discussion: those are actually really good ideas. For more detail, see the relevant sections of the University Catalog: http://www.pittstate.edu/audiences/current-students/policies/rights-and-responsibilities/academic-misconduct.dot.

Grade Policies

• For most assignments I use letter grades with plus/minus markings, converted to a standard 4-point scale: A=4, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3, B-=2.7, etc. I reserve the right to adjust grades upwards to reflect the performance of the class as a whole; I do not “curve” grades towards a target distribution, nor do I adjust grades downwards.
• Assignment format, requirements and due dates will be included in the assignment instructions: read them carefully, and ask questions well in advance of the due date if there is anything you do not understand.
• If hard copy (printed) is required, email will only be accepted as proof of completion in emergencies: the student is still responsible to get a printed copy to the instructor as soon as possible. For assignments which are to be turned in by email, I will send a confirmation email; If you have not gotten one in a reasonable amount of time (a day or so), it is your responsibility to confirm that your assignment was recieved.
• In the event of an excused absence on an assignment due date, the student is responsible for turning in the work no later than the next class, unless other arrangements have been made.
• Unexcused late assignments, due to absence, technical problems, etc., will be penalized one grade level (B to C, etc.) per class period late. Even very, very bad (or very late) work is still going to get an F, which better than a zero.
• Plagiarism or other violations of academic honesty will result in zero credit on that assignment and may result in an F or XF for the semester depending on circumstances.
• NOTE: I do not post grades on ANGEL. I will be happy to go over your grades and let you know how you are doing in the course at any time. Come to my office hours, or email me.

Grade Distribution