SPRING 2000
Syllabus
Dr. Lynne Kelly
HJG Center E216
Office Hours: M 3-4, T 2-3, W 11-12, R 10-11:30 & by appt.
768-4647 or 4633
Email: kelly@mail.hartford.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Most of us think of our work lives as quite separate from
our personal lives. For those who work a typical Monday through Friday
schedule, when Friday rolls around, we shout TGIF! But how separate
are these two worlds? At work, people have formal relationships with
others (e.g., supervisor-employee, co-worker) but they also develop informal
relationships such as friendships or romantic relationships. Our
relationships at work and other issues we face on the job influence our
personal lives and our communication with those outside of work.
Most people, for instance, have to figure out how to balance the demands
of work and family life. Recently, there have been cases of employees
being fired because they or their spouses posted nude pictures on their
web sites!
In this course we'll look at ways in which these two supposedly
distinct aspects of life, personal and work, are intimately connected.
Topics include superior-subordinate relationships and communication; informal
relationships in the workplace, especially friendships and romantic relationships;
areas of organizational policy such as sexual harassment and parental/maternity
leave policies; dual career families and their decision-making processes;
work-family conflict; child care and division of household labor.
Class will be conducted through discussion, activity, and a minimum
of lecture. You are expected to complete all assigned readings
and contribute to class discussion.
TEXTS: Bailyn, L. (1993). Breaking the mold.
New York: The Free Press.
Gilbert, L. (1993).
Two careers/One family. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Working Women: Opposing
Viewpoints (1998). San Diego, CA:
Greenhaven Press.
In addition you will purchase a packet of readings. Details will be presented in class.
REQUIREMENTS
1. Reading. There will be reading for each class period.
In fact, reading is one of the major activities of the course. You
are expected to do all of the reading and incorporate the reading
into papers and class discussion.
2. Leading Class Discussion. You and one other student will be
assigned to lead
the class discussion once during the semester. The two
of you will produce a
one page (typed) set of discussion questions (4-5 questions)
that you will distribute to the class during the class period prior to
the one you will lead so students can use the questions to guide them through
the reading and which will serve as the basis of discussion that day.
3. Research Project. Working with one other person, you
will select a topic from a list I distribute in class and will complete
a research project. Your task will be to conduct research on that topic
using library sources, the internet, and materials
from organizations. More specifically, you will be trying
to locate current information on organizational policies and practices
related to your topic. For example, for the topic of parental leave
policies, you would do research to find out how companies are handling
that policy, who gets to take leaves, for how long, who covers the work
while the employee is on leave, etc. There will be a written report and
an oral report. This is a small-scale research project in which your written
report should be about 6-7 pages and your oral report should be about 10-15
minutes. Details will be presented in class.
4. Analysis Papers. You will write two papers, each about 4-5 typed, double-spaced pages. The papers are designed to encourage you to explore key issues in the course, integrating course material and reading with practical examples and issues. Details will be presented in class.
5. Quizzes. There will be regular short quizzes on the reading.
These will be
unannounced. Quizzes can only be taken in class, so you
need to attend class
regularly so you do not miss the quizzes. I will, however,
drop the two lowest
grades.
6. Debate. Given that there are many controversial topics covered
in the course,
you will have the chance to debate one of those topics.
Each of you will be
assigned to work with one other person, and the two of you will
work together
to prepare your case. The two of you will debate with two
other people, who
will take the other side of the issue. The work involved
is preparation of your
case and a post-debate reflection paper based on the debate in
which you are not
involved. On the day of the debate, you will turn in a
typed outline of your case
and your list of sources (minimum of 4). Following the
debate for which you
are simply an audience member, you will write an individual paper,
about 3
typed pages, in which you discuss both sides of the issue you
saw debated and
indicate what your current opinion is on the issue and what information
you
heard during the debate that influenced your opinion.
GRADING
Quizzes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 20%
Project written report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%
Project oral report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Analysis papers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%
Leading class discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5%
Debate preparation & presentation . . . . . . . 15%
Debate reflection paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Class participation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
CLASS POLICIES
1. All assignments must be completed to receive a passing
grade in the course.
2. Papers must be turned in on the day they are due. Late
papers will be docked a letter grade for each day they are late.
3. Quizzes must be taken at the time they are given in class.
4. I start and end class on time. If you cannot get to
class on time, please do not come to class. If there is a snowstorm,
do your best to be on time but I will understand if you are late (unless
you live on campus!).
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
W 1/19 Introductions; orientation to the course and explanation of the
syllabus;
Distribution of reading packet.
M 1/24 The work-personal life context.
Reading Due: RP: Schor, "The Overworked American" Ch.
1-3
W 1/26 Inside the organization: background issues;
Reading Due: Bailyn pp. 1-39
M 1/31 Inside the organization continued; assign analysis paper #1.
Reading Due: Bailyn pp. 40-63 & RP: Hochschild, "The
Time Bind"
Ch. 1-2
W 2/2 Relationships at work: friendships; assignment of
research
project and formation of teams.
Reading Due: RP: Bridge & Baxter "Blended Relationships"
&
ě. . . Employee Lifestylesî
M 2/7 Relationships at work: romantic relationships
Reading Due: RP: ěCupidís Cubicles,î ěWanna Date.
. . ě
and Loftus "Frisky Business"
W 2/9 Guest speaker
M 2/14 Sexual harassment, view videotape.
Reading Due: RP: ěSex and the Lawî
DUE: Analysis paper #1.
W 2/16 Sexual harassment.
Reading Due: Working Women Ch. 3
M 2/21 Organizational policies and practices.
Reading Due: RP: ěThe Family & Medical Leave Act,î
ěPregnancy,
Family . . . ě ěThe Maternal Wall,î Working Women pp. 79-88
W 2/23 Organizational policies and practices continued.
Reading Due: Bailyn pp. 55-96, Gilbert Ch. 6, &
RP: ěThe Impact of
Human Resource Policies. . .î
M 2/28 How effective are organizational policies and practices?
Reading Due: Bailyn pp. 97-138, & RP: Pleck "Are Family-
Supportive Policies Relevant to Men?"& ěThe Time Bind Ch.
3 & 4î
W 3/1 Debate #1
DUE: Debate preparation for those in debate #
M 3/6 Inside the family: background issues.
Reading Due: RP:"Nostalgia Clouds View. . ." and Gilbert Ch.
1 & 2
DUE: Debate reflection paper for those NOT in debate #1
W 3/8 Inside the family: background issues and expectations continued.
Reading Due: Gilbert Ch. 3&4 and RP: Rubin "Intimate
Strangers:
Love, Work and Identity.î
SPRING BREAK!!!
M 3/20 Inside the family continued.
Reading Due: Gilbert Ch. 5
W 3/22 Household labor issues.
Reading Due: RP: Schor, "Overwork in the Household"
M 3/27 Guest speaker
W 3/29 Child care issues.
Reading Due: RP: Rubin "Raising the Children," ěDo Children
Lose. . .î
and Working Women Ch. 1 #1-2 and 5-6.
M 4/3 Child care issues continued; assign analysis paper
#2.
Reading Due: RP: Cohen "What Do Fathers Provide?", Silverman
"Where are the Daddies?" and Goodman "Mothers Blamed. . ."
W 4/5 Debate #2.
DUE: Debate prepartion for those in debate #2
M 4/10 A look at other cultures.
Reading Due: RP: Haas "Nurturing Fathers. . . in Sweden"
&
RP: ěWorking Women: 4 Country Comparisonî
DUE: Debate reflection paper for those NOT in debate #2
W 4/12 Envisioning the future: What will your life be like?
Reading Due: Bailyn pp. 139-150, Gilbert Ch. 7
M 4/17 Envisioning the future continued.
Reading Due: RP: Hochschild "The Time Bind" Ch 14-16
DUE: Analysis paper #2
W 4/19 Preparation for oral presentations.
M 4/24 Oral presentations.
W 4/26 Oral presentations.
M 5/1 Summary and course evaluation.
Final project written report is due on Wednesday, May 3.