DPLS 748 - LEADERSHIP & FEMINIST ETHICS
Spring 2007                                                2 Credits
Fridays 6:0010:00 PM
Jan. 19, Feb. 2, Feb. 16, Mar. 2, Mar. 9

INSTRUCTOR: Mimi Marinucci, Ph.D.
TELEPHONE: (509) 359-6026 or (509) 359-2844
EMAIL ADDRESS: mmarinucci@mail.ewu.edu
CONTACT INFORMATION: You are welcome to contact me privately with questions or concerns that cannot be addressed in class.  Please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Do not ask me to estimate your course grade.
• Do not ask questions that are answered in the course syllabus.
• If you have questions about the material, raise them in class for the benefit of all students.
• Please include the course title in the subject line of all email correspondence.
• Please sign all email messages with your first and last name.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course will begin with a brief examination of the treatment of women within traditional ethics, followed by a close analysis of contemporary feminist approaches to ethics including the ethics of care and ecofeminism.

COURSE GOALS: You should develop an appreciation for the kinds of questions that underlie both mainstream and feminist ethics.  In addition, you should become sufficiently familiar with particular feminist ethical theories to articulate their content and apply them in an analysis of mainstream ethical theories.  Ideally, you will also begin to perform your own analysis by synthesizing compatible elements of different theories, entertaining original ideas, and adopting a theoretically viable and personally satisfying perspective on moral issues for yourself. 

REQUIRED TEXTS: Information and reading material for the first class meeting will be distributed in class.  There is no assignment for our first meeting.  Instead, we will cover introductory and background material on ethical theory and feminism.  We will then spend two class meetings on each of the two required texts, including Justice and Care: Essential Readings in Feminist Ethics, ed. Virginia Held (Westview Press, ISBN 081332162X) and Ecofeminism: Women, Culture, Nature, ed. Karen Warren (Indiana University Press, ISBN 0253210577).  Specific reading assignments will be announced in class.  Additional reading material may be assigned and made available throughout the term.

ASSIGNMENTS & GRADES: 80% of your final grade will be determined by your grades for two 7-8 page (with standard fonts and margins) discussion papers.  In your discussion papers, you will be expected to compare, contrast, and comment on material from the assigned reading.  Additional information about discussion papers will be announced in class.  Discussion papers on Justice and Care are due as electronic attachments (MS Word) via email (mmarinucci@mail.ewu.edu) by noon February 23.  Discussion papers on Ecofeminism are due as electronic attachments via email by noon March 16.  The remaining 20% of your grade will be determined by your attendance and participation.

ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION: Attendance and participation are required.  Your attendance grade will be calculated as a straightforward percentage of the classes you attend.  Your participation grade will reflect the degree to which you enhance the quality of the course by asking appropriate questions, offering relevant insights, and supporting your classmates in their efforts to learn the material.  Your participation grade may also include occasional, unannounced quizzes and classwork.  Under most circumstances, you will not have the opportunity to make up missed quizzes or classwork.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS: I accept late assignments only under very special circumstances and with an appropriate reduction in grade.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: While collaboration and cooperation are encouraged, cheating is legally and morally wrong.  If you do not know the difference, please see me immediately.  Should the need arise, I will determine the appropriate response to academic dishonesty, or suspicion thereof, on a casebycase basis.  I may elect to take action at the university level, and I may impose consequences up to or including a failing course grade.

UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES: Please see me immediately if you believe that your personal situation warrants adjustments in the course requirements.   I may require documentation.