Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/College of Wooster/Global Politics of Reproduction (Spring 2017)
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- Course name
- Global Politics of Reproduction
- Institution
- College of Wooster
- Instructor
- Christa Craven
- Wikipedia Expert
- Shalor (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Anthropology & Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies
- Course dates
- 2017-01-17 00:00:00 UTC – 2017-05-22 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 30
Anthropologists have a long history of conducting cross-cultural research on childbirth and reproduction, as well as applying that work to public debates over reproductive health and rights. For instance, Margaret Mead became known (and widely critiqued) for being a “popularizer” of anthropology in the mid-1900s when she worked closely with noted childbirth expert Dr. Spock and wrote a regular column discussing cross-cultural perspectives on childbirth and attitudes toward sex in the popular women’s magazine Redbook. The Anthropology of Reproduction as a field became recognized in the 1980s, when many (mostly female) anthropologists sought to expand clinical explanations of fertility and childbirth to address the cultural, emotional, and cosmological dimensions of women’s experience with reproduction throughout the world. The 1990s brought enhanced attention to inequities surrounding reproduction, both transnationally, as well as in anthropologists’ home countries. Studies of race and reproduction in the U.S., for instance—such as activist and lawyer Dorothy Roberts’ 1998 classic Killing the Black Body—became essential to activists at the turn of the 21st century, but have only recently become incorporated into anthropological discussions of reproduction. Recently, anthropologists have also engaged in studies of the effects of globalization on reproductive practices and access throughout the world, as well as a (renewed) commitment to making scholarship on reproduction relevant and accessible to the public.
This course will begin by engaging with this disciplinary history. Then we will explore contemporary scholarship on how reproductive politics are intricately linked with the politics of nations. We will consider how approaches to contraception, fertility, childbirth, and childcare differ across cultures, and often vary within cultures as a result of inequities based on race, nation, class, age, gender, and sexuality. For instance: How has the medicalization of childbirth affected traditional birthways and why are we seeing a resurgence of interest in midwifery and holistic healthcare (particularly among white, middle-class and affluent women) in North America and Europe? How has the advent of new reproductive technologies (such as medicalized abortion and contraception, in vitro fertilization, and amniocentesis) affected expectations and experiences of reproduction in different areas of the world? How has uneven access to—and application of—reproductive technologies throughout the world affected reproductive options and “choices”? How do approaches to sex, childbirth, and childcare vary throughout the world—and who determines the “right” way to conceive, give birth, or raise a child?
With the renewed commitment to creating “public scholarship” articulated by the Council on Anthropology and Reproduction (CAR) in mind, the assignments for this course will offer you the opportunity to try your hand at different styles of writing, including: • creative writing prompts • an optional op-ed (opinion piece typically published in a newspaper or magazine) • a Wikipedia article on a topic related to the course This final assignment will serve as the “backbone” of the course as a semester-long project that will contribute to the National Women’s Studies Association’s (NWSA) Wikipedia Initiative to make information available about women and feminist topics on Wikipedia as complete and accurate as possible.
Since the writing assignments for this course will all be relatively short (but frequent), a major portion of your grade will come from reading and engaging with the course materials, as well as participating in in-class exercises and activities (such as writing prompts, critical film discussions, and a reflection on your fieldtrip to the Dittrick Museum of Medical History in Cleveland).
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 17 January 2017 | Thursday, 19 January 2017
Week 2
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 24 January 2017 | Thursday, 26 January 2017
- In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia project
Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.
This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.
Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page.
To get started, please review the following handouts:
- Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Practicing the basics
- Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
- It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
- When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 3
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 31 January 2017 | Thursday, 2 February 2017
- Assignment - Critique an article
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate a Wikipedia article, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.
- Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
- Choose an article, and consider some questions (but don't feel limited to these):
- Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?
- Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
- Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
- Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
- Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
- Check a few citations. Do the links work? Is there any close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article?
- Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
- Choose at least 2 questions relevant to the article you're evaluating. Leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Helaine (Wiki Ed) (talk) 17:01, 15 May 2017 (UTC).
- In class - Discussion
- What's a content gap?
Now that you're thinking about what makes a "good" Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions.
- Wikipedians often talk about "content gaps." What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them?
- What are some reasons a content gap might arise? What are some ways to remedy them?
- Does it matter who writes Wikipedia?
- What does it mean to be "unbiased" on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of "bias"?
Week 4
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 7 February 2017 | Thursday, 9 February 2017
- Assignment - Add to an article
Familiarize yourself with editing Wikipedia by adding a sentence or citation to an article: our class will work on the articles Brigitte Jordan and Birth in Four Cultures.
- Add 1-2 sentences to a course-related article, and cite that statement to a reliable source, as you learned in the online training.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Christacraven/Brigitte_Jordan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Christacraven/Birth_in_four_cultures
You may wish to consider online sources (such as awards or obituaries), book reviews (accessible through our library), or other print sources, such as Childbirth and Authoritative Knowledge (which discusses Jordan's work extensively).
- In class - Discussion
- Notability on Wikipedia
Familiarize yourself with the following articles on Notability:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notability_in_the_English_Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability_(books)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability_(people)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability_(academics)
Week 5
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 14 February 2017 | Thursday, 16 February 2017
- In class - Discussion
- Thinking about sources and plagiarism
- Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
- What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
- What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
- What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?
- Assignment - Review the rules for medical topics
Review Wikipedia's rules for topics related to medicine, human health, and psychology.
- Assignment - Choose your topic / Find your sources
It's time to choose an article and assign it to yourself.
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
- Find an article from the list of "Available Articles" on the Articles tab on this course page. When you find the one you want to work on, click Select to assign it to yourself.
- In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.
- Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page.
- Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
Week 6
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 21 February 2017 | Thursday, 23 February 2017
- In class - Discussion
- Thinking about Wikipedia
- What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
- What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
- On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? Can you think of any problems that might create?
- If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago, how might its content (and contributors) be different? What about 100 years from now?
- Assignment - Draft your article
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.
Creating a new article?
- Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's "lead section." Write it in your sandbox.
- A "lead" section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.
Improving an existing article?
- Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.
Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.
Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9
Your grade will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Clear writing and logical organization
- Neutral writing that is clear to a non-expert
- Incorporation of 2-5 reliable sources
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 7
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 28 February 2017 | Thursday, 2 March 2017
- Assignment - Expand your draft
- Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
- If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review, and then assign them to yourself in the Review column.
- Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
- As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 7 March 2017
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!
- Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
- Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions.
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 28 March 2017 | Thursday, 30 March 2017
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace."
Editing an existing article?
- NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
- Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
Creating a new article?
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
- You can also review the [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace]] online training.
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 4 April 2017 | Thursday, 6 April 2017
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
- Assignment - Add images, if appropriate (everyone should learn how)
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 11 April 2017
- Assignment - Polish your work
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help!
- Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
- Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.
For an example, see: Dr. Holt's Wikipedia Project for Latin American Revolutions 
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vsqs56FsiOCDXzaHp2cmwc8UHdXDgbjzA27f91wXOdU/edit#slide=id.g15faaa094a_0_77
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 18 April 2017 | Thursday, 20 April 2017
- Assignment - Final article
It's the final week to develop your article.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
- Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Content Expert at any time!
Your grade will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Clear writing and logical organization
- Neutral writing that is clear to a non-expert
- Professional Presentation: free of spelling and grammatical mistakes
- Incorporation of related photo(s)
- All claims cited by reliable source(s)
- Includes 3+ links between related Wikipedia articles
Week 13
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 25 April 2017 | Thursday, 27 April 2017
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.
Week 14
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 2 May 2017 | Thursday, 4 May 2017
- In class - In-class presentation
Upload your presentation to our shared GoogleDocs Presentation File. It should include (with text in bullet-point style):
- a photo to illustrate your topic (it doesn't have to be on Wikipedia)
- 1-3 of the most interesting things you learned about your topic
- Why did you chose the particular topic you did?
- What Gap(s) in knowledge did it seek to fill on Wikipedia?
- How does your article connect with others -- in the class and/or more broadly?
- and a link to your Wikipedia article
Give a 3-5 minute presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience (not just reading off the slide).
The audience will write questions for each presenter during the presentations. If we have time, we can pose some of those questions at the end of the class period. In addition, we will provide them to each presenter so that they may reflect on them as they write their final paper on the experience.
Your grade will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Creative & effective oral presentation
- Succinct & engaging Presentation slide
- Reflective discussion of your experience
- Professionalism
- Adheres to time limit: 3-5 minutes
Week 15
- Course meetings
-
- Tuesday, 9 May 2017 | Thursday, 11 May 2017 | Monday, 8 May 2017
- Assignment - Reflective essay
- Write a reflective essay (~5 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions. Consider (as relevant): Why did you initially choose your topic? Were there things you learned along the way that surprised you? What was the most interesting thing you learned about the person, book, or topic you chose? What was the most interesting/difficult/shocking thing that happened in the process of contributing to Wikipedia? What interactions did you have with other Wikipedia editors? How did the article you wrote build on our course material? How did it contribute to public scholarship on work in the Anthropology of Reproduction? Given that this was the main assignment for this course, if you could go back, would you prefer this assignment or something more traditional (like take-home exams or a research paper)?
Your grade will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Clear writing and logical organization of paper
- Reflective discussion of your experience editing Wikipedia
- Engagement with relevant course readings (including quotations & citations)—consider both related topics and discussions of public scholarship
- Professional Presentation: free of spelling and grammatical mistakes, includes title, appropriate use of citations & bibliography