Gale Kenny

Grading was super fair, we were able to submit first attempts for the essays, get in depth feedback, and then submit a second attempt. There were 3 essays, a commonplace book with the expectation of 20 entries across the semester.

We had readings for each class (which you pretty much need to read) and then you needed to have three quote responses (about a paragraph each) to the reading and post one of those responses on the class Courseworks forum. I believe there were 3 5-page papers (there was also a final paper which was around 8 pages but I can't remember if that just counted as the third one or an additional paper). The final paper is an individual research project on some aspect of religion and marriage that we had to write in a long form blog post style (with pictures, shorter paragraphs, and links) and post on the class blog with everyone else's papers. I sometimes felt like this class was a bit hard to keep up with, but not prohibitively so (plus Professor Kenny is usually pretty understanding). You work hard but if you're interested in the subject it's ultimately rewarding :)

The course is now called Religion in Early America Dr. Kenny 110% deserves the gold nugget, she was a great professor. The class was interesting and so were the assigned readings. Classes were a mix of discussions and lectures but were all engaging. I took the class to expand on the religious history I'd been taught in high school and ended the semester with a significantly more nuanced and complex understanding of religious history in the early Americas.

Oh Professor Kenny. I find myself saying "YAS Gale" on a regular basis (not the most proper way to describe a professor but it's genuinely felt and this is anonymous, right?). Professor Kenny is my adviser as well as being my teacher for Defining Marriage. She is someone who is very approachable (if anything I wished she had lectured more in class instead of just having us talk-she's very knowledgeable) and when you talk to her you come away with good ideas and actual assistance. She challenges you to think in new ways without being unreasonable and is an excellent resource to have as a student of religion and gender, and as a student in general (she one time spent a class going over proper citations with us which was very helpful). The class itself was fun and the readings were amazing but I sometimes felt like she was giving us busywork just to make the class a 4 credit/seminar level course. Overall though, if you are interested in religion and gender (and are aware that this is primarily a religion class) you should take this class to better your understanding of this fascinating legal and social construct. We basically spanned the United States from the colonial era to today (working reverse chronologically) and talked about everything from polygamy to family values. The only criticism I have is that this class was quite Christian/Protestant-centric but that is Professor K…

One page analysis paper due every week. Two 3-4 page papers (no analysis paper due those two weeks) Midterm, 5-7 page paper, and a final.

Workload: YES, you absolutely have to do the readings. It’s a real class discussion and she WILL know if you don’t, but they're worth it! There’s some sort of analyses of course readings do every week, usually two pages; and a blog post due each week. There are also 2 five page papers and a 15 page research paper. The workload was more intense than any of my other courses that year, but it was a 4 point class and everything was graded fairly, so your grade will actually reflect the work you put in. (I’m also pretty sure that my writing in general improved through taking this class!)

This class was frustrating in the beginning. The one-page weekly analysis papers were tedious and the topics covered in the first few weeks of the semester were kind of dry, but as the semester went on the course material got better and better. Overall, the course was interesting and worthwhile, especially because Professor Kenny is such a great professor. She is an amazing lecturer (and often very funny). Also, she almost always reviewed and outlined/diagramed the readings during class, and we usually discussed them extensively. She and the TAs were incredibly helpful at office hours too. I definitely recommend this class!

Professor Kenny’s “Defining Marriage seminar was one of my all-time favorite Barnard classes! The course focuses on how marriage functioned throughout U.S. history (with a lot of attention to religious history), and the readings give a fantastic overview of both. Prof Kenny is extremely nice and great at encouraging dynamic class discussions. She is also that rare balance of someone well-organized and tightly structured in terms of syllabus, assignments, leading class discussions, grading, etc. (which means you’re ACTUALLY learning the material you’re supposed to be learning), who also manages to be a down-to-earth and reasonable teacher. As a bonus, I at least felt that the research paper I wrote for her class (she leads you through the process) totally taught me how to write research papers for the rest of my academic career. If you are at ALL interested in gender studies, marriage, American history, or religious history, I recommend this class and Prof Kenny as a fantastic teacher 100%!