California State University, Chico

HUMAN SEXUALITY

HCSV 265-04 Spring 2007

Professor: Dr. Lyndall Ellingson Office: Butte 637

E-Mail: lellingson@csuchico.edu Telephone: 898-6310

Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursdays 11-1 am & Wednesdays 4-5 pm

*About e-mail and telephone messages: If you have an emergency that requires you to miss a class without prior notification, it is a good idea to leave me a message before you leave town. However, leaving a message does not negate your responsibilities for attendance and timely submission of papers. You are welcome to ask me questions about the class, your group, or personal health issues over e-mail or during my office hours.

COURSE SPECIFICS

Time & Location: Tuesdays, 6 – 8:50 pm Plumas 201

Required texts:

· Strong, Yarber, Sayad, Devault, Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America

· Reading Packet on WebCT

Required Access: WebCT to submit papers and access grades

COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

Overview of human sexuality, including psychosexual development, gender roles, reproductive systems, pregnancy and childbirth, contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, relationships, sexual orientation, sex and the law, sexually explicit materials and sexual difficulties. This is an approved General education course and includes a 2500 word writing requirement.

The objectives of this course are:

1) To facilitate an atmosphere of learning, communication, and development of knowledge for life-long learning and understanding of human sexuality.

2) To present a forum for discussion of current sexuality issues including controversial topics such as abortion, rape, sexual orientation, pornography, contraception and conception.

3) To present the anatomy and physiology of human sexuality and reproduction and to dispel misinformation and/or myths regarding these areas.

4) To present, explore, and discuss issues pertinent to sexuality regarding the college student.

The course utilizes both lecture and small group discussion techniques. Lectures will emphasize the cognitive aspects of the subject, the discussion sessions will provide an opportunity to explore attitudes, feelings, and communication. It is hoped that as a result of your experience in this class, you will

Be more aware and accepting of your own individual sexuality and value systems;

develop an intelligent and responsible sexual lifestyle;

and

be more aware and accepting of the sexual value systems of others.

General Education & Life-long learning

HCSV 111 satisfies Area E – Life learning designed to equip human beings for life-long learning understanding and development of themselves as integrated physiological, psychological, and sociological entities. Part of General Education should provide instruction that fosters understanding of the self as a complex, integrated being. Each course, therefore must:

1) address issues that are likely to be important to most of our students throughout most of their lifetime;

2) significantly incorporate and integrate theory, data, and perspectives from each of the three broad areas of human life: physiological, psychologically and social;

3) have substantial written projects that ask the student to: a) integrate the ideas and materials of the course and apply these ideas and materials of the course to themselves and their own projected life course.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

1) Attendance will be taken randomly throughout the semester. You may miss 1 class period without penalty. For each absence over 1, your final grade will be reduced 1/3 letter grade. You must be in class for the entire class to receive credit. I frequently take attendance twice in one class session.

2) Respect: Respect the diversity of experience, values, and thoughts presented and explored in class.

3) Professionalism:

a) Arrive on time, prepared and ready to discuss readings and issues.

b) Submit high quality assignments on time via WebCT. Assignments must be submitted before 6 pm on the day noted in the syllabus. If you are unsure that your WebCT submission was successful, you must print out your response and bring it to class on the due date. NO EXCEPTIONS. No papers will be accepted outside of class. You are allowed one WebCT submission failure (on paper or WebCT email) after that you must expend all efforts to correct or access a usable WebCT interface, software, etc.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Discussion Group Participation (10 @ 10 pts each)

Each student will be assigned to a discussion of 12-15 people that will regularly during the semester. Focus is on developing skills of verbal ease of communication about sexual matters, responsible listening to other persons, and openness in exploring and accepting divergent views. Attendance will be taken at each session, 10 points for each session. You must be present for the entire session to receive credit. While a quantifiable level of participation is not part of the credit received, inhibiting group functioning will be considered grounds for lost credit.

Article Response (6 @ 20 pts)

Prepare for discussion by reading, answering questions and reflecting on article assignments in the course reading packet. Submit your answers via WebCT by 6 pm on the date assigned. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. The questions are available on the WebCt course homepage: “Article Questions”. Use the “Assignment” tool to submit your answers. Your submissions should include:

· article # & title

· The review questions (abbreviated). Please answer using the numbered question format

· Your answers to the questions in the course packet

· Any opinions, disagreements or comments regarding the reading

Your answers will be graded on:

1) Use of sources (it should be clear that you have read and understand the readings). Unless only your opinion is requested, there are right and wrong answer to the questions. Read carefully and respond thoughtfully.

2) When your opinion is requested be thoughtful and thorough.

3) Clarity of response – organizationally, grammatically, and expressively,

4) General effort – format, typography, and grammatically accurate. ANSWER using the structure provided. I.e., a), b), c), etc.

5) Thorough assignments are usually 2 – 2 ½ full pages

You MUST be able to successfully submit assignments via WebCT. You are allowed only ONE “problem” submission (wrong software, etc.) that results in you having to submit either a paper copy or WebCT email.

Exams: 3 @ 150 pts each

Exams will cover material from the text and reserved readings, lectures, guest speakers, and videos. Exams will be multiple choice, true-false, and short answer. The exams will NOT be cumulative. Make up exams will only be given under dire emergencies with documentation and are administered during finals week.

Ø See Text study guide on WebCT

Extra Credit (15 pts)

You may submit 1 extra credit paper anytime during the semester before the final date noted on the schedule via WebCT email. Please put “Extra Credit” in the title. These will be two page reviews and personal reactions to events, speakers, performances, activities related to sexuality. I will be announcing opportunities and welcome your contributions. You MUST GET APPROVAL from me in advance! Below is a list of movie possibilities for extra credit.

Ø Use the “Critical Movie Review” on WebCT to guide your movie review.

On gender: The Crying Game, Boys Don’t Cry, Transamerica (2005), Normal (2003)

On sexual orientation: But I’m a Cheerleader, Beautiful Thing, Breakback Mountain, The Birdcage

On attraction & desire: Fatal Attraction, American Beauty

On relationships: Harold and Maude; American Beauty

On pornography: Boogie Nights

On Sexual Variance: Quills (Marquis de Sade)

Grading Scale:

Article Responses (6 @ 20 points each) 120

Exams (3 @ 150 pts) 450

Discussion group points (10 @ 10 pts) 100

Total 690

.

B+ = 88 - 89% C+ = 78 - 79% D+ = 67 - 69%

A = 94 - 100% B = 84 - 87% C = 74 - 77% D = 64 - 66%

A- = 90 - 93% B- = 80 - 83% C - = 70 - 73% F = 63% or less

Remember: lecture attendance will be taken randomly. You can be absent 1 time without penalty, for each additional absence, your final letter grade will be reduced 1/3 letter grade.

IMPORTANT: All grading and attendance discrepancies must be resolved on or before the last week of classes to be considered. Scores are posted on WebCT throughout the semester.

Letter grades in this course are in accordance with CSU academic policy:

A: Superior Work - A level of achievement so outstanding that it is normally attained by relatively few students.

B: Very Good Work - A high level of achievement clearly better than adequate competence in the subject matter, but not as good as the unusual, superior achievement of students earning an A.

C: Adequate Work - A level of achievement indicating adequate competence in the subject matter. This level will usually be met by a majority of students in the course.

D: Minimally Acceptable Work - A level of achievement which meets the minimum requirements of the course.

F: Unacceptable Work - A level of achievement that fails to meet the minimum requirements of the course.

COURSE SCHEDULE

DAY	TOPIC	READINGS/ ASSIGNMENTS	Group Meetings
1/23	Introductions & Healthy Sexuality
1/30	Sexual Attitudes & Values	Ch. 1 & 2 Article #1
2/6	Psychosexual Development	Ch 6	1
2/13	Gender and Sexuality	Ch 5 Article #2	2
2/20	Sexual Orientations	Ch 11	3
2/27	Exam 1	6-7:15 pm
3/6	Anatomy & Response	Ch 3 & 4	4
3/13	HIV & other STIs	Ch 15 & 16 Article #3	5
3/20	SPRING BREAK
3/27	Conception & Pregnancy	Ch 12	6
4/3	Birth Control	Ch 11 Article #4
4/10	Exam 2	6-7:15 pm
4/17	Sexual Attraction, Relationships & Communication	Ch 7 & 8 Article #5	7
4/24	Power and Sexual Coercion	Ch 17	8
5/1	Commercial Sex	Ch 18 All extra credit due (6 pm)	9
5/8	Sexual Expression	Ch 9, 10 Article #6	10
5/15	Exam 3 8-9:50 pm

Articles & assigned questions are posted on WebCT:

Article #1: Moral Sexuality Education and Democratic Values

Article #2: Transgressing sex and gender: Deconstruction zone ahead?

Article #3: Comparison of men’s and women’s attempts to dissuade sexual partners from the

couple using condoms

Article #4: The limits of conscientious objection – May Pharmacists refuse to fill prescriptions for

Emergency Contraception?

Article #5: Extradyadic involvement during dating

Article #6: The Pleasure of the Pain: Why some people need S & M