Course Title
EN 335 WORKING WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES
Prof Subhalakshmi Gooptu
Semester: Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Course Description
A survey of 150 years of U.S. history and literature through the lens of working women. Students learn the place of women’s struggle—as well as their contributions—in shaping America. Economic perspectives are covered, including class and racial differences, as are political and technological changes.
How it is Used
Every student in the class signs up for a presentation throughout the semester to lead a discussion about a course reading by using popular music as an interpretive tool.
Assignment Instructions
This assignment invites students to introduce a song/video/lyric/performance as an interpretive tool for our weekly readings. Please sign up for the week that you wish to present a song, lyric or music video tied to a specific reading from your chosen week.
Using this song as an interpretive tool, you must present 2 discussion questions that will help your peers understand and engage with the reading of that week. Once the class listens to the song, you will be asked to introduce yourself, tell us about the song (author, release date etc), explain why you chose it for the class and then walk us through your presentation. When you are presenting your song and the discussion questions, it will be your job to explain why you connect the song/video to the week’s reading(s), and point us to quotes and passages from the readings to keep the conversation rolling. You might also be asked to start us off your interpretation before jumping into class-wide discussion. Don’t hesitate to bring examples that feel complicated or messy, this presentation is meant to evoke discussion and questions. You are encouraged to meet me ahead of time (during office hours or by appt) to run your ideas by me.
Examples for Week 2
Student Sample
Donna Summer’s song “Bad Girls” for Heather Berg’s essay “Working for Love, Loving for Work: Discourses of Labor in Feminist Sex-Work Activism.”
In our reading the author Heather Berg points out, “Escorts face pressure to define motivations for their work in altruistic, rather than economic, terms.” and Donna Summer sings, “Now you and me, we are both the same. But you call yourself by different names” It’s important to see sex workers as workers and not as victims. What do you think makes it the hardest to see them as workers and not as victims?