DPLS 773sp09 Portraits of Women and Leadership
DPLS 773 Portraits of Women and Leadership
Spring 2009 3 Credits
Instructor: Dr. Jerri Shepard
Office: Room 227, Fuller/Tilford, 111 E. Desmet, Spokane, WA
Contact phone: (509) 313-3630
Fax: (509) 313-3463
E-mail: shepard@gonzaga.edu
Location: Fuller/Tilford
Times & Dates: Thursdays, 6-10 PM, 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, 3/5, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16
The Doctoral Program in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University is premised on the belief that leadership is based on a deep understanding of the self and of the core values that drive one’s actions. Thus effective leadership requires the development of a compelling personal vision that engages others by offering meaning, dignity, and purpose. The ultimate aim of leadership is the building of more humane relationships, organizations, and societies. Effective leaders need to develop the critical imagination required to embrace individual, organizational, and global change from a stance of hope and courage. In the Jesuit tradition, the Doctoral Program attempts to provide a learning community in which students can develop the personal qualities of self-knowledge, self-acceptance, a restless curiosity, a desire for truth, a mature concern for others, respect for human individuality, and a thirst for justice. The Program promotes academic excellence and facilitates the strengthening of conceptual, scholarly, and professional competencies for use in leadership roles that serve others.
Accommodation Statement
If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. Disability Support Services (AD 324, ext. 4134) will help to verify the need for accommodations and develop accommodation strategies. If you have not previously contacted Disabilities Support Services, I encourage you to do so.
I. Overview
Participants will explore women in leadership from personal, organizational, and global systems perspectives by discovering/uncovering examples of remarkable, and not so remarkable, women leaders throughout time. These leaders will be considered in terms of how they have lived their lives, not only by the positions they have held.
Candidates will view how women have been and are portrayed in legends and fairytales, books, movies, music, art, and all forms of media; and how those portrayals shape the images of women in leadership. Students will critically analyze preconceived beliefs about women in leadership, in order to develop new and revised understandings of these concepts and hopeful conclusions for the future. This will occur by linking course content to real life through the stories of individual women, organizations of women, and global systems of connected women that promote the health and welfare of all peoples of the earth.
II. Essential Questions for this course
1. Describe how women from various cultures have been valued historically?
2. Describe how women from various cultures are valued today?
3. How does the portrayal of women in literature, film, and the media shape one’s understanding of women?
4. How can the stories of the lived experiences of individual women, organizations of women, and global systemic networks of women help develop one’s understanding of the contributions of women leaders throughout the world?
III. Learning Activities
Class discussions will weave together reading assignments, case studies, out-of-class experiences, DVDs/videos, and guest speaker presentations. You will have the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge through a variety of assignments.
Professional Expectations
All assignments are due at the date specified, and will be presented in a professional manner (assigned number of pages, APA style, spelling- and grammar-checked, 12 point font, double-spaced, etc.) Students are expected to attend all classes, arrive on time for class, and be willing to participate fully. This includes willingness to verbally participate in class and be respectful of others who are teaching and/or presenting. There will be many opportunities for meaningful discussion. This also means listening to and encouraging the voices of every member of the class.
Readings– Aim
To gather and explore the literature in order to critically analyze preconceived beliefs about women and leadership, in order to develop new and revised understandings of these concepts. The readings will serve as a scaffold for understanding women as individuals and in organizations and global systems, enabling the reader to compare and contrast theoretical concepts with the lived experiences of real women in historical and contemporary contexts.
Date Due Reading
1/15 Berger, Ways of seeing
1/29 Bateson, Composing a life
2/12 Fletcher, Disappearing acts: Gender, power, & relational practice at work
2/26 Rhode, The difference “difference” makes: Women and leadership
3/5 Von Franz, The feminine in fairytales
Visual Image Display – Aim
To demonstrate understanding of how women have been and are seen though visual images and dialogue.
Women as Seen Objects
Bring to the first class images that depict how women have been and are portrayed in historical and popular culture throughout the world. These can include various kinds of images, film clips, or other forms of presentation. Relate these to John Berger’s Ways of seeing, in a brief presentation to the class (5 minutes or less).
Scholarly Papers – Aim
To articulate the concept of women and leadership from the personal, organizational, and global perspectives.
Paper 1: Collage/Portrait of an Individual Woman
Research the lived experience of a woman leader (historical or contemporary); she may be remarkable, or not so remarkable. Consider how this woman has lived her life, not just by virtue of position or title; so in other words, you get to identify her as a leader even if she is relatively unknown. Create a collage representing her life and leadership. Prepare a paper that addresses this collage and includes: brief history, personal demographics, meaningful relationships/connections, how she is identified and self-identified, cultural considerations, experiences in school/work, challenges/obstacles, role as a leader, how received, or not received, by her culture, contributions to society.
(5 pages) Class presentation through collage and paper due 3/19.
Paper 2: Collage/Composite Portrait of Women on an Organizational Level
Research the lived experience of an organization, institution, business, or identified group of women (historical or contemporary) that demonstrates leadership. Create a collage representing this organization and its leadership. Prepare a paper that addresses this collage and includes: brief history, demographics, purpose, how the organization is identified and self-identified, cultural considerations, challenges and obstacles, leadership role in the community, how received, reputation, contributions to society (paper 5 pages). Class presentation through collage
and paper due 4/2.
Paper 3: Collage/Composite Portrait of Women on a Global Level
Research a global women’s organization (historical or contemporary) that demonstrates leadership. Create a collage representing this organization and its leadership. Prepare a paper that addresses this collage and includes: brief history, demographics, purpose, reputation, cultural considerations, challenges/obstacles, leadership role in the world, how received, or not received, by the culture, contributions to our world. (paper 5 pages) Class presentation through collage and paper due 4-16.
Paper 4: Position Paper
Articulate the concept of Women and Leadership from the personal, organizational, and global systems perspectives. Prepare a position paper that weaves together the readings, class discussions, and lived experiences of the woman, women’s organization, and women’s global system that you researched, wrote, and presented on. This will be a scholarly paper with references, following APA style (12-15 pages) Paper due on or before 4/16.
Presentations – Aim
To present individual, organizational, and global systems content visually
Presentations will be seen through the lens of a collage that highlights the life and leadership of the chosen individual woman, women’s organization, and women’s global system addressed in the above papers (dates of presentation are consistent with due dates for the papers).
IV. Texts Required
- Bateson, M.C. (1989) Composing a life. New York: NY: Grove/Atlantic.
- Berger, J. 1972) Ways of seeing. London: British Broadcasting/Penguin-London
- Fletcher, J.K. (2001) Disappearing acts: Gender, power, and relational practice at work. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Rhode, D.R. (2003) The difference “difference” makes: Women and leadership. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
- Von Franz, M.L. (1993) The feminine in fairytales. Boston, MA: Shambhala.
- A selected biography of your choice
- Handouts
V. Assessment and Grading
Coursework will be assessed on a point basis and weighted as follows:
Attendance, participation, in-class work,
readings, and ensuing dialogue 25 points
Paper/Presentation - Individual Woman 15 points
Paper/Presentation – Women’s Organization 15 points
Paper/Presentation - Women’s Global System 15 points
Position Paper 30 points
Doctoral level work should be of high quality in both content and presentation.
Final course grades will be based on the following percentile scores:
100-95 points A
94-92 points A-
91-89 points B+
88-85 points B
84-81 points B-
80-78 points C+
Less than 78 points is unacceptable for doctoral study.
Please note that your presence in this class is critical. Your grade will depend on attending at least 6 of the 8 scheduled classes; less than that will result in an incomplete and you surely do not want that!!! Let me know if you will be missing class.
VI. Bibliography Reflecting Knowledge Base
Angelou, M. (1995) A Brave and startling truth New York, NY: Random House.
Angelou, M. (1969) I know why the caged bird sings. New York, NY: Bantam.
Banner, L. W. (1983) American beauty. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Benard, B. (2004) Resiliency: What we have learned. San Francisco, CA: WestEd.
Belenky, M. & McVicker Clinchy, B. (1997) Women’s ways of knowing: The development of self, voice & mind. New York: Basic Books.
Chapkis, W. (1986) Beauty secrets: Women and the politics of appearance. Boston: South End Press.
Chesler, P. (1972) Women and madness. New York, NY: Avon Books.
Diamant, A. (1997) The red tent. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Dworkin, A. (1974) Woman hating. New York, NY: E. P. Dutton.
Ehrenreich, B. & English, D. (1979) For her own good: 150 years of the experts’ advice to women. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books.
Estes, C.P. (1992) Women who run with the wolves: Myths and stories of the wild woman archetype. New York: Ballantine Books.
Follett, M.P. (1918) The new state: Group organization the solution of popular government. New York: Longmans, Green, & Co.
Freire, P. (1998) Education for critical consciousness. New York: Continuum.
Fried, H. (1990) The road to Auschwitz: Fragments of a life. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
Fulton, R. (1995) Common sense leadership. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Garbarino, J. (1995) Raising children in a socially toxic environment. San Francisco, CA.: Jossey-Bass.
Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1997) Extraordinary minds: Portraits of four exceptional individuals and an examination of our own extraordinariness. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Gendler, J. R. (1984) The book of qualities. New York: Harper and Row.
Geve, T. (1987) Guns & barbed wire: A child survives the Holocaust. Chicago, IL: Academy Chicago Publishers.
Gilligan, C. (1982) In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Goffman, E. (1963) Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Greenleaf, R.K. (1991) Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist Press.
Griffin, S. (1981) Pornography and silence: Culture’s revenge against nature. New York City: Harper Colophon.
Harless, N.L. (2007) Womankind: Connection and wisdom around the world. Mustang, OK: Tate Publishing & Enterprises.
Helgesen, S. (1990) The female advantage. New York, NY: Currency/Doubleday.
Higgins, G. (1994) Resilient adults: Overcoming a cruel past. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
hooks, b. (2001) All about love: Now vision. New York: Perennial.
Huston, J. (1996) A Mythic Life. San Francisco, CA: Harper.
Jung, C.G. (1968) Man and his symbols. New York, NY: Dell Publishing.
King, M.L., Jr. (1986) A testament of hope: The essential writings and speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. James M. Washington (Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Harper San Francisco.
Lakoff, R. R. & Scherr, R. L. (1984). Face value: The politics of beauty. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Lippa, R. (2005) Gender, nature and nurture. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaul Associates.
Masten, A. (1999) Cultural processes in child development: The Minnesota symposia on child psychology (29), Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Miller, A. (1983) For your own good: Hidden cruelty in child-rearing and the roots of violence. New York; Farrar.Straus.Giroux.
Miller, A. (1990) The untouched key: Tracing childhood trauma in creativity and destructiveness. New York: Anchor Books.
McNiff, S. (1992) Art as medicine: Creating a therapy of the imagination. Boston, MA: Shambhala Press.
Morrison, A.M. (1992) The new leaders: Leadership diversity in America. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Morrison, Toni (2008) A mercy. New York: Knopf.
Shepard, J.S. (1998) The story of Elizabeth: An artistic representation of recovery from childhood sexual abuse. Resiliency in Action: Bouncing back from risk and adversity: Ideas for youth, families and communities 3, 24-27.
Simmons, R. (2002) Odd girl out: The hidden culture of aggression in girls. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Siniter, M., (1998) The mentor spirit. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin.
Stone, M. (1976) When God was a woman. San Diego; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Tedeschi, R.G., Park, C.L., Calhoun, L.G. (1998) Posttraumatic growth: Positive changes in the aftermath of crisis. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.
Terr, L. (1990) Too scared to cry. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Terr, L. (1994) Unchained memories: True stories of traumatic memories lost and found. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Toll, N.S. (1993) Behind the secret window: A memoir of a hidden childhood during World War II. New York: Dial Books.
Walker, A. (2004) Absolute trust in the goodness of the earth. New York, NY: Random House
Walker, A. & Parmar, P. (1993) Warrior marks: Female genital mutilation and the sexual blinding of women. New York: Harcourt Brace.
Wall, S. (1993) Wisdom’s daughters: Conversations with women elders of native America. New York: Harper Collins.
Walls, J. (2005) The glass castle. New York: Scribner.
Weick, K.E. (2001) Making sense of the organization. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Werner, E.E. (1982) Vulnerable but invincible: A longitudinal study of resilient children and youth. New York, NY: Adams, Bannister, & Cox.
Werner, E.E. & Smith, R.S. (1992) Overcoming the odds: High risk children from birth to adulthood. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Werner, E. E. (1990) Protective factors and individual resiliency: Handbook of early childhood intervention. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Werner, E.E. (2000) Through the eyes of innocents: Children witness World War II. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Wolin, S.J. and Wolin, S. (1993) The resilient self: How survivors of troubled families rise above adversity. New York, NY: Villard Books.
Woodman, M. (1982) Addiction to perfection: The still unravished bride. Toronto, Canada: Innercity book.
VII. Schedule of Courses
| Date | Content | Due Today |
| Jan. 15 | Theme: Images of Women Introduction Class Expectations, Syllabus Discus Ways of Seeing Personalizing the readings | Have read: Berger, Ways of seeing Create an aesthetic representation of how women have been and are seen. |
| Jan. 29 | Theme: Composing women’s lives Small group dialogue & large group-led discussion on Ellen, Johnetta, Alice, Joan, & Mary | Have read: Bateson, Composing a life Be able to discuss at length one of the five women highlighted by Bateson |
| Feb. 12 | Theme: Gender, Power & Relational Practices at Work Practical Applications | Have read: Fletcher, Disappearing acts reflection
|
| Feb. 26 | Theme: Culture and Difference Relate Course content to reading | Have read: Rhode, The difference “difference” makes |
| Mar. 5 | Theme: The stories we were told! Relate class content to reading | Have Read: Von Franz: The feminine in fairytales |
| Mar. 19 | Theme: Individual women leaders | The Portrait of a Woman Leader: Collage, Case Study, & Presentation |
| April 2 | Theme: Organizations: Women Helping Women Global systems Case Study presentations | The Portrait of a Women’s Organization: Collage, Case Study, & presentation |
| April 16 | Theme: Global Systems: Women Helping Women Weaving it all together Course evaluations | The Portrait of a Global System Connecting Women: Collage, Case Study, and Paper Position paper |
DRAFT 12-8-08
