This American Life 15: Dawn
In this program a writer goes on a search for a mysterious neighbor from his childhood in Charleston, South Carolina, and stumbles onto an epic story of the Old South, the New South, gender confusion, Chihuahuas, and changing values in American journalism.

This program documents his quest to find out the truth about the man who lived down the street from him 30 years ago in South Carolina: Gordon Langley Hall, a.k.a. Dawn Langley Hall Simmons. Gordon was rumored to have had one of the first sex change operations in America, then to have married a black man, then to have borne the black man's child. It was said he had a full coming-out party for his Chihuahua. It was said he had voodoo powers. The reporter sets out to find what was true and what was rumor about Gordon Langley Hall, and stumbles onto a sprawling story about changing culture morés in America.

Questions to Consider:

1. Was Gordon/Dawn objectified? If so, explain how.
2. Explain this story in terms of institutional sexism.
3. Are there examples of personal sexism in this story? If so, what?

This American Life 204: 81 Words
This story is about how the American Psychiatric Association decided in 1973 that homosexuality was no longer a mental illness. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) declared that homosexuality was not a disease simply by changing the 81-word definition of sexual deviance in its own reference manual. It was a change that attracted a lot of attention at the time, but the story of what led up to that change is one that we hear today, from reporter Alix Spiegel. Part one of Alix's story details the activities of a closeted group of gay psychiatrists within the APA who met in secret and called themselves the GAYPA ... and another, even more secret group of gay psychiatrists among the political echelons of the APA. Alix's own grandfather was among these psychiatrists, and the president-elect of the APA at the time of the change.

Questions to Consider:

1. What role did the APA play in socially redefining homosexuality in 1973?
2. Prior to 1973, how did classifying homosexuality as a mental disorder contribute to prejudice and discrimination against gay and lesbian persons?
3. What does it mean on a social level to no longer define something as deviant that has been defined as such for a long period of time?

Myths That Make It Hard to Stop Campus Rape
In this segment, a researcher, psychologist and legal expert discuss the problem of rape on college campuses.

Questions to Consider:

1. According to those interviewed, what role does alcohol play in sexual assault?
2. How do most schools address incidences of sexual assault? Why might this contribute to rape as a problem on campus?

What is a College Major Really Worth?
In this segment, host Michel Martin discusses a report recently released by the U.S. Census. The report describes the relationship between college major and graduates’ earnings. One of the key findings is that those who have majored in conventionally “masculine” areas (maths, sciences) earn more than those who major in conventionally “feminine” disciplines (education, humanities).

Questions to Consider:

1. Were you surprised by the earnings gaps between different majors? Explain your answer.
2. Why are many concerned about the earnings gaps between different fields of study?
3. How is gender related to college major?
4. What is a “soft” major?
5. Why are men concentrated in some academic disciplines while women are concentrated in others?