Women and Identity / Ann Coleman and Others.

An interdisciplinary course on women and identity for college-level women's studies instructors is presented. Materials for the course are taken from myth, psychology, sociology, feminism, art, and other disciplines. It is divided into seven units: sexuality, fertility, work and family, fear and envy, women's networks, individuality, and social change. Students explore the mythical origins of negative sexual stereotypes, lesbianism, bisexuality, heterosexuality, virginity, the cult of the Mother Goddess, new methods and philosophies of birth control, child rearing, and parenting. Work and family topics include the family in the United States, single-headed families, childlessness, and women in the contemporary labor force. Women's networks are discussed from historical, anthropological, and sociological perspectives. The chapter entitled "Women and Social Change" covers participation in social movements throughout history, matriarchy, matrilineality, and new awareness and self. Each unit contains an introduction, lecture outline, discussion topics, reading list, questions, and a bibliography. Appendices include questions on Simone de Beauvoir's theory of reciprocal need oppression, processes in sex role learning, useful statistics, and a course evaluation form. (KC)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.