Jeanne O'Kon (okonj@tcc.fl.edu)
Tallahassee Community College

Rachel Sutz (profsutz@yahoo.com)
Florida State University

(Published in E-xcellence in Teaching, August 2004, Vol. 6, through PsychTeacher,
a moderated discussion list for teachers of psychology
owned by the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and hosted by
Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw GA.)

In today's society, gender roles are in a state of transition. Gone are
the days when male and female "spheres" were separate and clearly
defined. The current philosophy in our society encourages young males and
females to set their aspirations high and to "shoot for the stars." Young
people growing up in the present era have seen females in powerful social
roles and positions that previous generations had not (e.g., National
Security Advisor, U.S. Attorney General, Supreme Court Justice). The
expression "you can have it all" describes the seemingly endless
opportunities available to today's generation.

However, a closer look at modern society from the social science
perspective yields a different outlook. When students enroll in a college
course such as Psychology of Women or Sociology of Sex and Gender, they
have an opportunity to learn how social forces act upon their lives on a
daily basis. Students face challenges to their own personal beliefs and
often question their socialization. They learn that achieving their
highest aspirations and "having it all" may not be as easy as it sounds.
Students learn that, in reality, there continue to be gender inequities
and other subtle forms of discrimination in our society and in other
societies around the world.

One of the challenges faced by college instructors who teach about gender
is dealing with different student attitudes. Despite great social change
in male and female roles, many young people cling to traditional attitudes
and role expectations, while others have adopted a more liberal outlook.
It is this diversity in perspective that sets the stage for a lively
exchange of ideas in the classroom.

Instructors should approach a course on gender by acknowledging that we
live in an extremely complex world, and gender roles are now defined in
numerous ways. Such a course should not be used as a personal soapbox,
because students may feel alienated and become less receptive to the
course material if it is continuously presented only from the instructor's
perspective. For this reason and others, the use of the In-Class Debate
in courses on gender is an effective teaching tool that allows exploration
of both sides of relatively controversial issues (Elliot, 1993).

This essay presents two formats for using the In-Class Debate as a
strategy to foster critical thinking in courses on gender. Both
strategies require students to research and defend a stance they may or
may not support.

Debate Method #1

To initiate preparations for the debate, students are randomly assigned to
a 3- or 4-person debate team. Each team member then prepares to defend
either a "pro" or "con" view on a specific debate question that is chosen
by the instructor. Students must develop arguments that support the view
they are assigned, whether or not they actually support that view. The
assignment is announced at least a week in advance, so that students have
ample time to research the topic and prepare a set of notes they can use
during the debate. Any reference materials used while preparing must be
attached to the back of the notes, which students submit to the instructor
for grading after the debate.

On the day of the debate, the two teams sit facing each other in front of
the class. The debate begins with each team member making an opening
statement of no longer than 2 minutes, during which initial arguments for
the pro and con sides are presented.

All other students become the "audience" and can actively participate by
asking questions and making comments. These students are held accountable
for the material because questions about the debate topic are always
included on the next test.

After opening statements, team members can ask questions of the other team
and make arguments for their side. They can also use their notes to
refute arguments made by the opposing side. Team members are encouraged
to present information based on research rather than simply expressing
personal opinions. Grades are assigned based on the quality of the
prepared notes and how effectively each team member used this
information. At the conclusion of the debate, team members are given an
opportunity to communicate to the class which side of the debate topic
they actually support and to express their real feelings.
This "debriefing" is an important last step, serving a "cathartic"
function for team members and permitting others to state their views more
openly.

Choosing the debate topics is usually not a difficult task for the
instructor. Newspapers and magazines are good sources, and many
contemporary issues easily lend themselves to a debate format. Certain
topics generate greater interest than others, and these can be tested over
time. The following debate questions have been used successfully by the
authors in college courses on gender:

1. Is feminism obsolete?
2. Should men still do such things as open doors for women, stand until a
woman is seated, and walk on the outside of the sidewalk?
3. Should women and girls (of any age) be encouraged to participate in
beauty pageants?
4. Should research on male pregnancy be encouraged and financially
supported by federal funds?
5. Should American females own and use guns to protect themselves from
violence?
6. Should women retain their birth names upon marriage?
7. Should use of the RU-486 abortion pill be encouraged for females in
the U.S.?
8. Are women in the U.S. given higher status and better treatment than
women in other countries around the world?
9. Does outlawing the practice of female circumcision (FGM) in our
country contradict our current emphasis on multiculturalism?
10. Do increasing opportunities for women in the military weaken our
armed forces?
11. Do First Amendment rights protect songs, movies, art, and literature
that encourage violence against women?
12. Should society encourage acceptance of homosexuality and legalize gay
marriage?
13. Can a feminist justify sending a child or adolescent to a school that
is sex segregated (i.e., all male or all female)?
14. Should Women's Studies courses like Psychology of Women be included
in the college curriculum?

Debate Method #2

Using this method, the instructor first divides the class into groups of 4
to 6 students. Each group is assigned a chapter from the textbook and
must choose three possible debate topics related to the subject matter.
For each topic, the group also lists three possible argument points and
then states whether each point would be a pro or con of the topic of
interest. The instructor uses this part of the assignment to determine
the debate topics, argument points, and which groups will represent the
pro and con sides.

Next, each student prepares an annotated bibliography including summaries
of at least five scholarly journal articles related to the assigned debate
topic. This part of the assignment holds each student accountable for
doing research to prepare for the debate.

The debates are conducted in classic Lincoln-Douglas style with opening
statements, argument points, rebuttals, and closing arguments. Each
student is responsible for one part of the debate. After closing
arguments, the floor is opened to the entire class. Up to this point,
students in the audience have been taking notes that they will later turn
in for course credit. Once the forum is opened for discussion, the entire
class can ask questions and make observations.

The final part of the debate requires each group member to write a post-
debate analysis covering the following:

1. Discussion of the topic in general and how thinking may have changed
or developed during the assignment.
2. Discussion of the group process.
3. Discussion on one other debate topic (e.g., What was learned? Did
anything surprise you during your research of the topic?).
4. Handwritten debate notes.

Adapting the Debate Method for Classroom Needs

The two methods described here can be modified to suit the individual
needs of the specific class and instructor. For example, Richard Light of
Harvard University described a simple debate format he utilizes with
smaller classes, in which the entire class is divided into two teams
(Light, 2001). He assigns a reading for the next class, and students must
be prepared to defend one of two views on a "carefully defined
controversy" (p. 49). This activity is then followed by a homework
assignment in which students are asked to write a paper supporting the
view they did not defend in class.

Course Evaluation

Instructors may wish to make use of an additional course requirement:
completion of an anonymous course evaluation at the end of the semester.
With an anonymous evaluation, students often feel more free to discuss
their likes and dislikes about the course. In the Psychology of Women
course taught by one of the authors, this evaluation assignment is
required, and students receive points for completing it. On the due date,
a student in the class collects typewritten evaluations from the other
students. He or she then checks off the students' names on a class
roster, so that points can be awarded to those who completed the
evaluation.

These course evaluations are a rich source of information for instructors,
and students appreciate the opportunity to express themselves in this
way. The benefits to students enrolled in courses on gender become clear
to the instructor through this type of evaluation. Students often say
that discussing gender issues had a great impact on their lives and
personal decisions. Many students mention the value of the In-Class
Debate and how it assisted them in learning about both sides of important
social issues. They comment that the course provided them with greater
social awareness, and that it helped them become more assertive in their
own social relationships. As Macalister (1999) pointed out, students
enrolled in courses on gender often find and express their own "voices."

In Summary

College courses on gender provide especially fertile ground for the
exploration of timely and controversial topics. The use of the In-Class
Debate provides a format in which such topics can be explored utilizing
research findings and sound intellectual arguments. Students learn the
value of a global, interdisciplinary approach to gender, and they learn
how information from different academic disciplines can enhance their
understanding of course material. Moreover, students are truly challenged
when they must develop research-based, intellectual arguments for a view
they do not personally support. They are exposed to competing viewpoints
on controversial issues and can then make their own decisions about which
view makes the most sense to them. Regardless of the specific format, the
In-Class Debate as a pedagogical method encourages critical thinking and
intellectual development in both students and instructors.

References

Elliot, L. (1993) Using debates to teach the Psychology of Women. Teaching
of Psychology, 20, 35-38.

Light, R. L. (2001). Making the most of college: Students speak their
minds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Macalister, H. E. (1999). Women's studies classes and their influence on
student development. Adolescence, 34, 283-292.

About the Authors

Jeanne L. O'Kon is the Program Chair of Behavioral Sciences at Tallahassee
Community College, and an Adjunct Professor in the Psychology Department
at Florida State University. She earned a B.S. degree in Psychology in
1973, a M.S. degree in Psychology in 1975, and a Ph.D. degree in
Educational Psychology, all at Florida State University. She regularly
teaches Psychology of Women, General Psychology, and History and Systems
of Psychology. She also instructs courses in Classroom Discipline and
Tests and Measurements for students majoring in Teacher Education. She
has served as a member of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women,
and was selected in 2003 as a "Woman of Distinction" by the Girl Scout
Council of the Apalachee Bend.

Rachel Sutz received her B.A. from the University of Florida in 1994 and
her M.S. and Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1997 and 2004,
respectively. Since earning her Master's degree in Curriculum and
Instruction, Rachel has held adjunct appointments at Florida A & M
University, Florida State University, Keiser College, and Tallahassee
Community College. She has taught numerous courses including:
Introduction to Education, Schooling in American Society, Teaching Diverse
Populations, Gender and Popular Culture, Social Gerontology, Global
Women's Issues, Sociology of Sex and Gender, Family Problems and Social
Change, Gender and Work, Social Problems, Introduction to Sociology,
Introduction to Composition, Argument and Persuasion, Literary Magazine
Production, and Creative Writing. This year she will add two new courses
to her teaching vitae: The Modern Woman Warrior and Social Psychology.