ENEMY PROFESSOR: No. 7 - Linda Pershing

NoIndoctrination.org ^ | anonymous

[doug from upland]

#1 - Diane Miller
#2 - Arthur Miller
#3 - Richard Lowy
#4 - Brian Dolinar
#5 - Margaret George-Cramer
#6 - Donald Hodges

CLICK THROUGH TO WEBSITE

Warning: Postings are only opinions. (See Terms of Service)

Record for NoIndoctrination.org entry #157.

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM)

Jan. 29, 2003

http://www.csusm.edu

CA

  Course: WMST 101: Introduction to Womens Studies

  Course Catalog Description: An introduction to the scholarship, both disciplinary and interdisciplinary, on women with an emphasis on critical thinking. Explores works by and about women, gender roles and comtemporary issues around the world, and analyzes arguments surrounding women's status.

  Professor: Linda Pershing

  Required? Met a General Ed./diversity/other requirement with a few course options.

  Lecture Bias: Excessive

  Comments: The class was actually run by two teaching assistants (students majoring in Women's Studies) while the professor sat and observed. It seemed as if these teaching assistants taught the class from a feminist/lesbian perspective. They would only point out things about how women have suffered and how they have been denied access to freely express themselves. There was nothing about how far American women have come and how we stand today. It was as if we are still in the same situation as women in the early nineteen hundreds, when we as women could not vote. It seemed as if American women were seen to be as oppressed as the women of India or other third-world countries. In many essays, we had to write about our observations in advertising and in the media from a woman's standpoint. We were expected to always see the obtrusive side to women's suffering--whether we agreed or not.

  Discussion Bias: Excessive

  Comments: The professor would sit in the back of the class and observe our reactions to the discussions. The teacher assistants (who were benefiting their major by teaching this class) got the chance to take over the discussions and discuss what they thought was important. I didn't think that it helped that they pushed what seemed to be obvious feminist views and geared some things like special appearances by lesbian women who came out of the closet. We also had to watch a Gay Prom video that seemed inappropriate for a Women's Studies course. I would raise my hand and be able to speak in discussion, but the teaching assistants would dispute my thoughts. Apparently it was not correct of me to have my own opinions - even though I am a woman. They would say that I was misinterpreting the item of which we were discussing. I must have misunderstood the fact that we have the right to interpret what we think in life.

  Readings Bias: Excessive

  Comments: The two texts for the class were "Women: Images & Realities" by Kesselman and "Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation" by Findlen. The second essay in Findlen's book is "Chicks Goin' At It" with the subtitle "Was I a wannabe? A baby dyke? A lesbian chic groupie, flashing in the pan?" The feminist/lesbian agenda was obvious in the readings. It is understandable to have some "touch and go" items dealing with these topics, but still I came into the class expecting more of an open minded, history based class -- less of the "fight for your rights" attitude that I ended up receiving.

  General Comments: I took this course to fulfill a general education requirement. Although the course description says the emphasis will be on critical thinking, it seems as if we were allowed only one type of thinking. Women suffer and are oppressed. Men rule, and women must still fight. The negative was emphasized rather than how things have changed, at least here. The class seemed to say that American women are not much better off than those in the third world.

The opinions expressed within NoIndoctrination.org are not necessarily those held by NoIndoctrination.org
Copyright © 2002-03, NoIndoctrination.org

[netmilsmom]

Bump for later read.

[doug from upland]

Enemy professor ping list.

[LiteKeeper]

bump

[Search4Truth]

She takes "Womens Studies" and complains that it is run by feminists. Go figure.

[Hobsonphile]

Leftism on Campus ping!

If you would like to be added to the Leftism on Campus ping list, please
notify me via FReep-mail.

Regards...

[Jim Noble]

Women's Studies=Social Carcinoma