Course Content
Students will examine the role of gender, class, race, and region in
explaining the social, economic, political, and cultural circumstances
of women in the U. S. South. Readings, films, and discussions are
designed to illustrate the myths and realities of Southern womanhood from
the colonial period to the present.
Course Purpose
A research seminar is designed to give students the opportunity to
"practice" history; i.e., to conduct original research using primary sources,
to engage in historiographical debate, to present arguments in oral and
written contexts, and to revise work in response to external criticism.
The product of this historical research will be a 20-30 page analytical
paper on some aspect of women's and gender history in the U.S. South.
Required Readings
Clinton and Gillespie, The Devil's Land: Sex and Race in the Early
South
Fox-Genovese, Within the Plantation Household: Black and White Women
of the Old South
Hagood, Mothers of the South: Portraiture of the White Tenant Farm
Woman
Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History
Handouts as provided
Web sites as indicated
Written Assignments
The major written assignment will be a 20-30 page (5,000-7,500 words)
analytical research paper on some facet of women's and gender history in
the U.S. South. See Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History
for format. Each student will discuss her/his paper topic and thesis
with the instructor during an individual conference on February 11 or 16.
A statement of the thesis (a one-sentence explanation of what you intend
to prove in your paper) and an annotated bibliography on the topic will
be presented to the class and turned in to the instructor on February 23.
A topical outline delineating the issues to be explored in developing your
thesis should be turned in by March 16. The first version of the
paper will be due on March 30. Bring two copies (one for the instructor
and one for a classmate to critique). Students will exchange papers,
and readers will discuss the drafts with the authors in class on April
6. The second draft is due on April 15. Students will present
their papers to the entire class on April 22 and 27. Final papers
(including annotated bibliography, outline, first and second drafts, student
and instructor critiques) are due on or before 4 p.m. on May 4. Late
papers will be penalized one letter grade for each day tardy.
The completed paper should be between 20-30 typewritten pages (exclusive of endnotes), double-spaced in 12-point font (either Times Roman or Courier) with one inch margins, and documented in the humanities style using consecutively numbered endnotes. Papers should include at least five primary sources and at least ten secondary sources. All material taken from a specific source, whether paraphrased or quoted, must be cited in the endnotes (See Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History for format). Because you will make substantial revisions between the first and final versions of your paper, you MUST type your work on a word processor.
Papers will be assessed on both form (organization, style, clarity, citations, bibliography) and content (nature and proof of thesis and subsidiary arguments).
History majors and minors will also write their reflective essay for their portfolio during the seminar. See Reflective Essay Worksheet for details.
Class Participation/Attendance
Class participation and regular attendance are essential to the success
of the seminar. Both the quality and the quantity of your remarks
will be considered when computing final grades (i.e., you do not get "points"
for talking on a subject when you have not read the assignment).
Students will be expected to read the assignments, to lead discussions
on the readings, to present portions of their own research to the class,
and to critique the work of their classmates.
Grading
Final grades will be based on class discussions of readings (35 percent),
annotated bibliography (10 percent), topical outline (10 percent), presentation
of individual research materials (10 percent), and research paper (35 percent
or 10 percent for each draft and 15 percent for the final version).
The grading scale is as follows: 90-100 = A; 86-89 = B+; 80-85 = B;
76-79 = C+; 70-75 = C; 60-69 = D; 0-59 = F.
Date Topics/Readings/Assignments
Jan 14
Course Introduction; Historical Methodology
https://www.cofc.edu/~mccandla/usweb.htm
https://gen.com/ani/hermks.htm
Jan 19
Southern Distinctiveness
McCandless, "Introduction: The Past in the Present"
Jan 21
Sex and Race in the Early South
Clinton and Gillespie, The Devil's Lane, xiii-34
Sign-up sheet for individual chapters
Jan 26
Discuss: The Devil's Lane, 39-153
Jan 28
Discuss: The Devil's Lane, 154-266
Feb 2 Local Library Resources; Visit SC Historical Society
Feb 4
Discuss: "Southern Women, Southern Households"
Fox-Genovese, Within the Plantation Household, 1-99
Sign-up sheet for individual chapters
Feb 9 Discuss: Within the Plantation Household, 100-396
Feb 11 Student conferences to select paper topic; no class
Feb 16 Student conferences to select paper topic; no class
Feb 18 Slide
Lecture: Women in South Carolina History
Feb 23
Student Presentation of Theses
Thesis statement and annotated bibliography due
Feb 25
Media Stereotypes: Gone With The Wind
Mar 2
Gone With The Wind
Mar 4
Gone With The Wind
SPRING BREAK
Mar 16 Student
Presentations of Topical Outlines;
Topical outlines due (bring two copies to class)
Mar 18 Student
Presentations of Topical Outlines
Sign-up sheet for individual chapters of Hagood
Mar 23 Discuss: Hagood, Mothers of the South, iii-127
Mar 25 Discuss: Hagood, Mothers of the South, 128-246
Mar 30 Media
Stereotypes: The Color Purple
First draft of papers due (bring two copies to class);
Student assignments of paper critiques
Apr 1
The Color Purple
Work on critique of classmate's paper
Apr 6
Discussions of paper critiques
Critiques of classmate's paper due; first drafts returned
Apr 8 Media Stereotypes: Steel Magnolias
Apr 13 Steel Magnolias
Apr 15
Women and Gender in the Contemporary South
Second draft of papers due
Apr 20
Write reflective essays
Bring student portfolio to class; second drafts returned
Apr 22 Student Presentations of Papers
Apr 27 Student Presentations of Papers
May 4
Final Papers Due
Turn in final paper along with annotated bibliography, outline, first
and second
drafts, student and professor critiques by 4 p.m.