Room: Ross South Rm 104

Course Objectives:

1. to become familiar with different theoretical approaches to women and aging
2. to critically assess fundamental concepts in the life course perspective
3. to apply basic concepts to everyday life
4. to practice critical reading and writing skills through assignments

Books:

1. Mandell, Nancy, Susannah Wilson and Ann Duffy. 2008. Connection, Compromise and Control: Canadian Women at Midlife, Toronto: Oxford.
2. Wallis, Velma. 1993. Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival, Fairbanks/Seattle: Epicenter Press.
3. Course Kit to be purchased in the bookstore.
4. PDF files to be downloaded from the course web site (see url below).

Winter Assignments:

Critical Discussion Papers:
Choices and Topics:
There are a number of critical questions listed under each week in the syllabus. Students are required to choose one question and answer it.

Students must answer three papers from among the following four sections:
First Paper: one question from Week 1, 2 or 3 (Due Week 4, Oct 4/10)
Second Paper: one question from Week 4, 6 or 7 (Due Week 8, Nov 1/10)
Third Paper: one question from Week  8, 9 or 10 (Due Week 12, Nov 22/10)
Fourth Paper: one question from Week 11, 12 or 13 (Due Week 14, Dec 13/10)

Instructions on how to write an essay: will be handed out in class

Instructions on how to present a seminar: will be handed out in class

Grading Scheme: will be handed out in class

Penalty for Late Work
The penalty for late work is one percent for day out of 100% for each day late, including weekends and holidays. Exceptions to the lateness penalty may be submitted to the course director with receipt of official and explicit documentation such as a physician’s note, a police report, a death certificate or note from a funeral director. Problems such as computer problems, scheduling conflicts or workload do not constitute valid reasons.

Web Site and Listserv for the Course:
There is a web site for this course that can be accessed at: http://www.yorku.ca/mandell/
On the course site, students will find the syllabus, dates for assignments, PDF files of articles and pertinent messages.

A list serve has been established for this course. It is called soci4680@yorku.ca
Sign up immediately for the list serv as all messages will be sent to you in this way.

How do I SUBSCRIBE to this listserv?
Address your email message to listserv@yorku.ca.
In the body of your email message, issue the command:
SUBSCRIBE listname LastName FirstName

For Example:
where SUBSCRIBE is the command you issue to subscribe to a list.
listname is the name of the list to which you want to subscribe = soci4680
LastName FirstName is your last and first name = Mandell Nancy

Example of an Email:

To: listserv@yorku.ca
Subject: subscribe
Message in Body of Text: Subscribe soci4680 Mandell Nancy

Problems Signing Up?
If there are any other questions like how to unsubscribe students can go to http://www.cns.yorku.ca/computing/internet/listservuser.html and find the information.

Academic  Dishonesty:
Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are serious offenses which carry severe penalties. Students are responsible for understanding the nature and consequences of these offenses as contained in the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty (see http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/acadhone). The policy is published in the Calendar of Undergraduate Programmes. Copies may also be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Arts. Also, please see attached sheet on Academic Dishonesty at the end of this Syllabus.

Writing Help
The Centre for Academic Writing on the third floor of the Ross Building provides individual assistance for undergraduates to help with their written work.  By enrolling with the Centre you will be assigned a specific instructor to work with.  In particular there are two excellent graduate students with academic expertise in Sociology, Jennifer Johnson and Elisabeth Rondinelli, who you might request.  However please remember that the Centre deals with over 2000 students each year so you might be assigned to another instructor depending on scheduling.  Try to enroll in September before the Centre gets terribly busy.  This is a friendly and extremely helpful resource that all undergraduates can use to help them improve their work.

Centre for Academic Writing, Faculty of Arts
Campus Building: Ross Building, S329
Telephone: (416) 736-5134

PDF version