Anth 316: Anthropology of Sex and Gender - CSUF Anthropology

Anth 316: Anthropology of Sex and Gender
Section 50 & 51
Spring 2012
WEB Class - TITANium
Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Pillsworth
Office Hours: T 4:00-6:00 PM; TH 12:00 AM-2:00 PM; or by appointment
Office: MH-426H Phone: 657-278-5603
Email: epillsworth@fullerton.edu Fax: 657-278-5001
** IMPORTANT ** Email is my preferred method of communication and the best way to
reach me. **EVEN MORE IMPORTANT** The subject line of your email MUST BE
“Anth 316.” Any emails without this subject line will likely be lost as I have an AUTOMATIC
FILTER set to highlight ONLY those emails with “Anth 316” in the subject line.
Please use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation in your emails, and ALWAYS sign your
name. Emails sent in “text” speak or without appropriate salutation (my title is Dr. or Prof.
Pillsworth, not “hey,” “Miss,” or “Mrs.”) will incur my wrath and may be ignored.
Course Description:
This course examines questions of sex and gender from an evolutionary perspective. Why are women
and men so different? In what ways are they similar? How do ecology and resources relate to sexuality,
gender differences, and jealousy? Can a Darwinian perspective help us understand sexual orientation,
mate preferences, and love? We will begin with a brief introduction to evolutionary theory and
behavioral ecology to help us put the concepts of “male” and “female” into a broader context. We will
then examine the reproductive systems of humans and our closest living relatives, the great apes. From
there will explore women’s and men’s sexual psychologies: mate preferences, reproductive strategies, and
sexual desire. We will look at how an understanding of sex and gender can help us understand patterns of
behavior as variant as patriarchy, politics, cooperation, and warfare.
Required Texts (available in the Titan Bookstore):
(1) Low, Bobbi S. 2000. Why Sex Matters: A Darwinian Look at Human Behavior. Princeton University
Press.
(2) Quirk, Joe. 2006. It’s Not You, It’s Biology: The Science of Love, Sex, and Relationships.
Philadelphia, Running Press.
(3) Additional required readings may be posted on Blackboard throughout the semester.
Course Prerequisites:
Students must have completed General Education Category III.C.1 – Introduction to Social Sciences.
General Education Requirements:
• Anth 316 fulfills General Education Category IV: Lifelong Learning
• Anth 316 fulfills General Education Category V: Cultural Diversity
Anthropology of Sex and Gender as a General Education Requirement:
UPS 411.201 requires all GE classes to include a writing assignment.
• “Writing assignments in General Education courses should involve the organization and expression of
complex data or ideas and careful and timely evaluations of writing so that deficiencies are identified and
suggestions for improvement and/or for means of remediation are offered. Assessments of the student’s

writing competence shall be used in determining the final course grade.” Your reading questions and papers
fulfill this requirement because you will organize and express complex data and ideas related to your growing
understanding of the foundations of human behavioral ecology. You will receive timely feedback and you will
have the opportunity to edit your response paper and resubmit it.
According to our university, General Education courses fulfilling category IV (Lifelong Learning) should
address the issues listed below.
• “Further students’ own critical self-understanding and acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary
to engage and reflect in learning and self-development practices.” Students will be required to critically
evaluate popular media representations of sex and gender, and reflect how these relate to their own selfunderstanding.
• “Develop strategies to be integrated physiological, socio-cultural, and psychological beings to promote a
holistic awareness of lifelong learning throughout their lives.” Students will learn about sex and gender from
the perspectives of biological evolution, cultural norms, and psychology, allowing them to integrate these
perspectives in their understanding of self, and apply a similar holistic approach to other areas of their lives.
• “Actively apply and participate in developing lifelong commitment to health for both personal well-being and
societal responsibility.” Topics will include sexual behavior, risk-taking, aggression, cooperation, and
reproduction and require students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world, every-day situations
• “Develop themselves as responsible citizens, employees and employers, family members, and members of the
global society.” Students will learn about human diversity, gender stereotypes, and sexual behavior, and will
be asked to reflect on notions of equity, tolerance, and understanding.
According to our university, General Education courses fulfilling category V (Cultural Diversity) should address
the issues listed below.
• “Demonstrate understanding that culture is socially constructed and fundamental to social interaction.”
Students will learn about the human capacity for culture and the importance of cultural learning, and how these
apply to cultural variations in gender stereotypes, gender roles, and sexual behavior.
• “Demonstrate appreciation of the complex relationships that various factors such as gender, ethnicity, race,
sexual orientation, religion, and class bring to a discussion of society and culture.” The course will draw
upon many cross-cultural, cross-temporal, and cross-species examples to understand how ecology, evolution,
history, and culture impact sex and gender.
• “Demonstrate understanding that because we live in an inter-connected world, we need to understand the
diversity and relationships within and among cultures.” Students will learn about human diversity, gender
stereotypes, and sexual behavior both within and between cultures, and will be asked to apply these ideas to
questions of equity and tolerance.
• “Recognize and evaluate how one’s cultural history affects one’s sense of self and relationship to others.” In
exploring sexual and romantic behavior, as well as sex roles and gendered-divisions of labor, in a crosscultural
perspective, students will be required to reflect on their own cultural background and how it relates to
their own practices and ideas.
(Quotes from UPS 411.201).
Course Objectives:
Our objectives are to develop a deeper understanding of:
• Sexual and reproductive behavior in humans
• Variation in gender roles, sexual behavior, and gender identity
• Evolutionary theory
• The evolution of sex roles
• How sex and gender relate to broader domains of human social behavior
Grading:
Participation (6% of total grade): As an online course, I will occasionally post a participation activity,
such as the “Introduce Yourself Forum” from Week 1. These will be worth one point each, or

one point for each part of a multi-part activity (either done or not-done). Your Participation
“score” will be the percentage of points earned (that is, the number of activities you completed
divided by the number assigned). This grade will be weighted to make up 6% of your final
course grade.
Discussion Boards (15% of total grade): The Discussion Board is the primary vehicle we have for class
participation in an online forum. This is where I expect you to engage with the material and ideas
from the course and with your fellow students. There will be a Discussion Board for each week
of the semester. Participation is mandatory, and is graded based on the quality of your posts (e.g.
relevance, insight, demonstration of thought, and clarity). Each post will be graded on a 0-3 scale
(missing, unacceptable, acceptable, and excellent). Details regarding posts are provided on
TITANium. Your Discussion Board grade will make up 15% of your final course grade.
Discussion Leader (4% of total grade): One week out of the semester, you will be randomly assigned
the role of “Discussion Leader.” Discussion Leaders are responsible for posting Topics on the
Discussion Board for that week. Discussion Topics will be grade on a 0-5 scale (details posted on
TITANium), and your Discussion Leader grade will be weighted to make up 4% of your total
class grade.
Tests (30% of total grade): There will be approximately four short (25 questions) tests for this course.
Each test will be equal in length and scope and will primarily cover the most recent course
content only. Tests will be multiple choice and short answer format, and will be timed. They are
closed-book tests.
Paper (45% of total grade): There is one research paper in this class, but the task will be broken up
into three separate assignments. You will submit an annotated bibliography (30 points) in about
Week 6; a first draft of the paper (70 points) in about Week 9; and a final paper (100 points)
during Finals Week. Students must work independently on their papers. Student writing
competence will be assessed based on the ability to successfully integrate course material and
apply that integrated knowledge to critical thinking and reasoning skills. You will be required to
research and cite articles from peer-reviewed scholarly journals in your papers. Your paper grade
will be the total number of points earned out of 200 (30 + 70 + 100). This grade will be weighted
to make up 45% of your final class grade.
Extra Credit: Extra credit opportunities may be provided at professor discretion.
Grading Scale:
A+ 98% or greater C+ 78 – 79%
A 92 – 97% C 71 – 77%
A- 90 – 91% C- 69 – 70%
B+ 88 – 89% D+ 67 – 68%
B 82 – 87% D 60 – 66%
B- 80 – 81% F 59% or less
Special Needs: The learning community at CSUF respects all forms of diversity. Please see me if you
need accommodations for a registered disability, or to fulfill cultural or religious obligations. Students
with special needs should contact Disabled Student Services to register and learn about the services
available to support their learning. You may learn more from their website
http://www.fullerton.edu/disabledservices/index.htm

Academic Integrity: Students are expected to maintain a high standard of academic integrity. Students
who violate university standards of academic integrity are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including a
grade of “0” on the assignment, failure in the course, and suspension from the university. Since
dishonesty in any form harms the individual, other students, and the university, policies on academic
integrity are strictly enforced. Familiarize yourself with the academic dishonesty policy, which can be
found in the current student handbook or on the web at
http://www.fullerton.edu/senate/PDF/300/UPS300-021.pdf
Cheating is not fair to students who earn their grades fairly (good or bad!). Dishonesty includes, but is
not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of academic
dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person
or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other
students. All students are expected to follow the ethical principles of academic integrity. Minimally, if a
student violates these principles in my class, he or she will be required to meet with me outside of class
and redo any work involved, or I may assign a “0” grade on the assignment. Maximally, I will give the
student a failing grade in the class and refer the matter to the Associate Dean of Judicial Affairs in the
Office of Student Affairs.
Emergency Procedures Notice to Students
The safety of all students attending California State University Fullerton is of paramount importance. During an emergency it is
necessary for students to have a basic understanding of their personal responsibilities and the University’s emergency response
procedures. In the event of an emergency, please adhere to the following guidelines.
Before an emergency occurs:
• Know the safe evacuation routes for your specific building and floor.
• Know the evacuation assembly areas for your building.
When an emergency occurs:
• Keep calm and do not run or panic. Your best chance of emerging from an emergency is with a clear head.
• Evacuation is not always the safest course of action. If directed to evacuate, take all of your belongings and proceed safely
to the nearest evacuation route.
• Do not leave the area. Remember that faculty and other staff members need to be able to account for your whereabouts.
• Do not re-enter building until informed it is safe by a building marshal or other campus authority.
• If directed to evacuate the campus, please follow the evacuation routes established by either parking or police officers.
After an emergency occurs:
• If an emergency disrupts normal campus operations or causes the University to close for a prolonged period of time (more
than three days), students are expected to complete the course assignments listed on the syllabus as soon as it is reasonably
possible to do so.
• Students can determine the University's operational status by checking the University's web site at
http://www.fullerton.edu, calling the University's hotline number at 657-278-4444, or tuning into area radio and television
stations. Students should assume that classes will be held unless they hear or read an official closure announcement.

Anth 316: Anthropology of Sex and Gender
Spring 2012
Class Schedule (subject to change)
LOW = Low, Bobbi S. 2000. Why Sex Matters: A Darwinian Look at Human Behavior. Princeton
University Press.
QRK = Quirk, Joe. 2006. It’s Not You, It’s Biology: The Science of Love, Sex, and Relationships.
Philadelphia, Running Press.
Week 1
January 23
Week 2
January 30
Week 3
February 6
Topics
• Course introduction
• Understanding data
PART I: Theory of evolution and reproduction
• Evolutionary theory
• Behavioral ecology method
• Evolution of sexes
• Behavioral strategies
• Reproductive ecology
• Mating and parenting effort
• Reproductive variance
• Life history theory
• Mating systems of apes and humans
• Parent-offspring conflict
• Trivers-Willard hypothesis
Readings/Assignments
To be completed BEFORE class
on the day they are assigned
LOW, Chpt 1-2 (pp. 3-34)
Begin reading QUIRK
LOW, Chpt 3-4 (pp 35-76)
Continue reading QUIRK
Continue reading QUIRK
TEST 1
Week 4
February 13
Part II: Sexual desire and behavior
• Sexual strategies theory
• Mate preferences
LOW, Chpt 5-6 (pp 77-112)
Continue reading QUIRK
Week 5
February 20
• Contextual preferences and desires
• Ovulatory studies
Pillsworth & Haselton, 2007
(posted on TITANium)
Finish reading QUIRK
Week 6
February 27
• Cultural variation in mating patterns and
preferences
• Polygyny threshold
LOW, Chpt 7 (pp 113-128)
TEST 2

Week 7
March 5
Week 8
March 12
Week 9
March 19
March 26
Week 10
April 2
Week 11
April 9
Week 12
April 16
Week 13
April 23
Writing a Research Paper – Part I
• Defining your research topic
• Research using online databases
• Writing an annotated bibliography
Part III: Sex differences and social behavior
• Sex and resources (economics)
• Risk-taking and showing off
• Cooperation and conflict
• Sex and coalitions
• Politics and reproductive competition
NO CLASS – SPRING RECESS
• Warfare
• Sex, resources, and early warfare
• Societal complexity and war
Writing a Research Paper – Part II
• Defining your research question
• Writing a strong thesis statement
• Supporting your argument
Part IV: Sexual orientation and identity
• Cultural constructions and definitions of
gender
• Sexual orientation
• Genetics and sexual orientation
• Sexual orientation and sexual strategies
ASSIGNMENT: Annotated
Bibliography
LOW, Chpts 8-10 (pp 127-180)
LOW, Chpts 11-12 (pp 181-212)
LOW Chpt 13-14 (pp 213-244)
TEST 3
ASSIGNMENT: Draft 1 of
Paper
Readings TBA
Johnson, et al., 2007
Mustanski & Bailey, 2003
Zietsh, et al., 2008
Week 14
April 30
Week 15
May 7
• Transgender identity
• Reconciling biological and cultural
explanations of gender experience
Writing a Research Paper – Part III
• Interpreting professor feedback
• How to expand your argument
Bailey & Triea, 2007
Additional Reading TBA
TEST 4
Exam Week
May 14
No Final Exam scheduled
FINAL PAPER due
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16