• Semester Credit Hours: Two credits

• Course Description: Women and Leisure offers a social psychologocial analysis of women and their leisure from a feminist perspective. The course provides a philosophical framework for viewing leisure for women, covering the historical perspective, theoretical assumptions of feminism, the realms of women's leisure, lifespan perspectives, research on women's leisure participation, constraints placed on women and their leisure, and a discussion on the future of leisure participation for women. This course may be used to fulfill 2 credits of the General Education requirement in the Global, Historical, and Cultural Perspectives: Topics, Trends, and Themes category. 2 credits; 2 lecture hours per week.

• Course Prerequisites/Co-requisites: Exemption from or successful completion of (RDNG 052 or LVR 2)

The overall course goals are:

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Define general terminology related to feminism, gender, women, and leisure.

2. Explicate the significance of leisure to women;

3. Discuss critical concepts of women's leisure in the context of a multicultural, pluralistic society;

4. Explain the results of evolving social, political, and economic changes in American society on the free time behaviors of women;

5. Evaluate the roles and psychosocial issues that define women's development in America;

6. Debate the equal provision of positive leisure opportunities for women;

7. Analyze women's potential problems and possibilities for achieving leisure;

8. Identify and evaluate constraints on women's leisure;

9. Predict in writing the future of women in various leisure arenas;

10. Conduct research via various print, oral, and electronic methods.

The topics covered in this course include:

• Basic Assumptions about Women
• Social Psychological Perspectives on Leisure
• Historical Perspective on Women's Leisure
• Feminism and Leisure
• Leisure in Women's Everyday Lives
• The Realms of Women's Leisure
• Leisure as a Developmental Issue for Women
• The Impact of Play on Women's Development
• Leisure Participation for Women: Problems and Possibilities
• Constraints on Women's Leisure
• The Future of Women and Leisure
  
• Rationale for the course: The experiences of women in modern society are often combined together with the experiences of men. Recent research has shown that the life experiences of women are significantly different from those of men. Using the phenomenon of leisure to explore one area where women see and experience the world differently is the goal of the course.

Unit One Assignments	Point Value
Interviews	10 points
Discussion	5 points
Discussion Board Exercise	10 points
Mini-Essay	10 points
Discussion	5 points
Discussion Board Posting	15 points
Internet Research and Report	15 points
Group Project	20 points
Total Points	90 points

Women and Leisure	Total Points
Unit One	90
Unit Two	60
Unit Three	165
Unit Four	65
Unit Five	50
Extra Credit Opportunities	5-30
Overall Course Assignment	70
Total Points	500-530

Final Points	Letter Grade
500-450	A
449-400	B
399-350	C
349-300	D
299-000	F

 

Additional Requirements: This class includes field research.

Grading Policy: Grades are determined based on your accumulated point total. Extra credit is available in most units.

Attendance Policy: Daily participation in Internet classes is essential. There is one orientation session. If you have never taken an Internet class with this instructor, this orientation is highly recommended.

Course Materials:

• Required Text: Henderson, Bialeschki, Shaw, & Freysinger (1996). Both Gains and Gaps, Feminist Perspectives on Women's Leisure. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

  Readings provided by Internet link as appropriate to the course topics.

Special procedures: Please click on this link to view course policies!

Tentative list of dated assignments:

• See "Units of Study" on this site for the dates each unit will begin and end. Also on this page is a link to a sample unit.
  

Here are some tips you should follow which will help you to succeed in this course:

• Set aside a specific time each week to work on this course. The estimated amount of time you should spend is 12+/- hours/week.
• Keep in touch with me and your classmates by frequently checking your course e-mail, bulletin board, and calendar. This will help build a sense of community among us. Using the various communications tools provided in this course effectively is the same as "raising your hand" and participating in class discussions.
• Be aware of the time lag that is inherent in most on-line courses. Although the communications tools make it appear that the transfer of information such as assignments is "instantaneous", it does not mean that the reply will be instantaneous. One of the hardest things about an on-line course is becoming comfortable with its asynchronous nature. In general, expect assignments to be returned within three days, excluding weekends and holidays.
• Familiarize yourself with published deadlines.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Remember that there are traditional ways for keeping in touch. Use the telephone, a fax, or make an appointment to meet with me on campus.
• Work off-line and save your assignments on your computer before submitting them electronically. You can use the saved version of your work to copy and paste to an on-line assignment or you can attach the saved file to an e-mail or bulletin board message. This will prevent a lot of frustration should your Internet connection or your system "fail".
• Be sure you check the course syllabus and other course material for instructions on how to submit assignments. In many cases your instructor will specify that you submit your assignments using a specific file format. If your instructor does not specify a particular format for text documents, it is suggested that you save your files in Rich Text Format (.rtf format). This will minimize the potential for inadvertently transmitting computer viruses.
• Be sure to install anti-virus software on your local system and check all downloaded files before opening them.

SMILE! Even if your head is spinning!