History 127 Syllabus

Course Syllabus:  History 127 Syllabus PDF

Meet Your Instructor:  

My name is Alexa Stanfield and I am so excited to be teaching history here at Santa Ana College. I got my start teaching here 4 years ago and love it! I teach at several colleges in Southern California, but SAC feels like home. I received by B.A. in History from Mills College and my M.A. in History from San Francisco State University with a focus on 21st century Race & Ethnicity and Women's History.

As a kid, I enjoyed spending time with my mom listening to her tell old family stories and sifting through the family cedar chest full of old photos and letters (some of which were written during the American Revolution). In college as a History major, I became more curious about all the ways in which the past impacts us today. The past is alive today in so many ways today. It is not something that can be boxed up and stored on a shelf as if it never happened. We must use the past as a compass to move forward for the future.

Other than my passion for reading, watching, and listening to history-related subjects, I also enjoy cooking, eating new foods, watching some bad TV, and especially spending time with my family. I have a 2 year old son who keeps me on my toes and makes life exciting! Here we are at the Del Mar horse races in San Diego this past summer.

One of the best things about teaching for me is getting to talk and interact with students, so please don't hesitate to email if you have any questions!  stanfield_alexa@sac.edu

Course Description:  

Women of European, African, Native, Hispanic, and Asian backgrounds examined in U.S. 1607-present. Emphasis on individuation, social status, family, reproduction, child care, slavery, jobs, and political activism. Legal impact and theories of patriarchal oppression are raised.

This course will also incorporate some fundamental themes throughout the semester including: race, ethnicity, agency (the concept that women have been historical actors actively constructing their own lives), power, sex, the social construction of gender, and the concept that the group woman is not a homogenous one.  

Textbook Information:  

Sara Evans, Born for Liberty: A History of Women in America (1997) ISBN:  978-0684834986

All additional readings are available posted on our Canvas course page in the “Module 1” section.

Student Learning Objectives:  

1. Students will critically analyze and interpret primary documents and secondary sources, and will be able to interpret qualitative and quantitative data in order to evaluate historical events.
2. Students will develop communication skills through oral and written exercises, and develop analytical skills by critically interpreting historical topics.
3. Students will analyze how local, national, and international policies and practices developed in the past continue to impact their contemporary lives.