You are on page 1of 6

Rebels and Reformers:

Course Women and Alcohol in America


GST 4360-001
Professor Dr. Tonja Wissinger
Term Fall 2010
Meetings TR 2:30-3:45 GR 2.530

Professor’s Contact Information


Office Phone 972-883-2814
Other Phone n/a
Office Location GR 2.610
Email Address twissin@utdallas.edu
Office Hours TR 3:45-4:45 and by appointment.
Other
n/a
Information
General Course Information
Pre-requisites,
Co-requisites, & n/a
other restrictions
Since the mid-nineteenth century, women’s relationship with
alcohol has been varied and complex. When the Temperance
crusade gained momentum, women were ready to volunteer their
efforts. Women’s activism within the Women’s Christian
Temperance Union gave them a prominent role in the public sphere
decades before women had achieved the right to vote. Women’s
activism against excessive drinking continued with Marty Mann’s
involvement with Alcoholic Anonymous and the founding of the
National Council on Alcoholism. Mothers Against Drunk Driving
continues the work of the early reformers.
While some women fought to end the negative effects of
excessive drinking, other women were more apt to indulge in drink.
Course In the mid- twentieth century scientific literature, drunken women
Description were a psychological puzzle to solve. Psychiatrists and
psychologists examined every facet of the women’s behavior and
described her as frigid, promiscuous, masochistic, and delusional.
In the popular press, literary works, and film, alcoholic women
were depicted as lonely, mentally unstable, and disruptive.
Whether on the silver screen, in a medical journal, or a popular
magazine, the rebelliousness of the drunken woman was depicted as
disrupting the traditional family structure and as a threat to society.
In this course, we will examine women’s historical role as
crusaders against alcohol and as rebellious drinkers. We will
discover how the role of reformer was gendered. Additionally, we
examine gendered ideas about male and female drinking and how it
is represented in popular culture, literature, and film.
1. Students will be able to describe at least two ways women
reformers have affected public policies concerning alcohol.
2. Students will be able to analyze how drinking patterns of women
Learning and men are gendered in the mass media, film, and literary works.
Outcomes 3. Students will be able to analyze how class, marital status, race,
age, and sexual orientation intersect with gender in the cultural
representations of women drinkers.

Domesticating Drink: Women, Men, and Alcohol in America,


1870-1940 by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Love on the Rocks: Men, Women, and Alcohol in Post-World


Required Texts &
War II America by Lori Rotskoff
Materials
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Additional readings on reserve.

Suggested Texts,
Readings, &
Materials

Assignments & Academic Calendar


[Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates]

Introduction
Aug. 19

An Overview of Drinking in America


Aug. 24
The Self-study will be assigned..

Women and the Temperance Crusade


Aug. 26 & 31
Murdock, chapter 1.
Sept. 2 Women and the Temperance Crusade continued.
Drinking at Home in the Victorian Era.
Murdock, chapter 23.

Sept. 7 Your self-study is due. Come prepared to discuss your essay.


Submit to turnitin.com

Emancipated Women: Flappers and Speakeasies.


Sept. 9 Murdock, chapter 3-4.
Writings by Zelda Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby


Sept. 14 & 16 Recommended reading: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Respectable Women Learn to Drink During Prohibition.


Sept. 21 & 23
Murdock, chapter 5 &7. Chapter 6 is optional.
“On Girls Learning to Drink” Eleanor Roosevelt (handout)

Scientists Discover the Drunken Woman.


“Personality Studies in Alcoholic Women” by Frank Curran
Sept. 28 & 30 “A Study of Alcoholism in Women” by James Wall
Rotskoff, Introduction and chapter 1

Duty and Dependence: Drinking during the Great Depression.


“Big Blonde” by Dorothy Parker
Oct. 5 & 7 “Lit Ladies” Banning
“Drinking Mothers” Richardson
**Midterm essay is assigned

Engendering the Alcoholic


Oct. 12 Rotskoff, chapter 2.
*Midterm essay is due.(submit to turnitin)
Oct. 14 Midterm Quiz

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams


Oct. 19 & 21 “Prescriptions for Penelope” Hartmann
Oct. 26 & 28 “Authorizing History: Victimization in ASND” Vlasopolos
**Streetcar essay will be assigned October 21.

Women and Alcoholics Anonymous


Nov. 2 & 4 Rotskoff, chapter 3
*“Streetcar” essay is due on Thursday, Nov. 4th.
Submit to turnitin.com.
**Projects and proposals will be discussed Nov. 4th.

Happily Ever After? The Alcoholic Marriage


Nov. 9 & 11 Rotskoff, chapter 4
Project proposals are due Thursday, Nov. 11th.

The Alcoholic Marriage continued.


Nov. 16 &18 Readings TBA

Drinking on the Patio: Alcohol in the Suburbs.


Nov. 23 Rotskoff, chapter 5

.
Nov. 30 *Final exam essay is due. Come prepared to discuss.
Submit to turnitin.com.

Dec. 2 Final Quiz

Dec. 14 Oral presentations and final projects are due during our scheduled
Tuesday final exam time.
2:00-4:45
Course Policies

Self-Study 10%
Midterm quiz (including take-home essay question) 20%.
Grading (credit) “Streetcar” essay 20%.
Criteria Final quiz (including take-home essay question) 20%.
Research Project (includes a one page proposal and brief oral
presentation) 30%.
.
Extensions for assignments will only be given in unusual
Make-up Exams
circumstances and at my discretion.
Extra Credit There will be no extra credit work. No exceptions.
Late Work Late work will receive a substantially lower grade.
Special
n/a
Assignments
Class participation means arriving on time, contributing to
discussions, and active listening. Bring your textbooks, notebook
paper, and a pen to each class session.
*If you are unable to attend class, you are responsible for
obtaining
Class Attendance
the lecture notes from another class member.
*Attendance is important. It is your responsibility to sign the
attendance sheet. Missing more than three classes
will have an adverse effect on your final grade.

Technology Policy: Cell phones must be silenced during class. I


do not want to see them or hear them (absolutely no texting).
Please no laptops or ear devices. Violation of this policy will affect
your grade.

Classroom Conduct: I expect students to be attentive during class.


Please, no eating or sleeping! Additionally, reading newspapers,
magazines, or studying for another class will not be tolerated.
During discussions, I expect students to be respectful of the views
Classroom of others. No name-calling, swearing, or racist/sexist/homophobic
Citizenship statements. Common courtesy is appreciated. Also, if you are
having a problem with another student, please discuss it with me.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the


discretion of the Professor.

For additional syllabi policies:


http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies

You might also like