A note on civility: This course will bring up challenging topics requiring critical thinking and openness to diverse points of view. Within reasonable limits, each of us, including your professor, have a right to learn and grow through mistakes, including making statements that may at times cause offense. The willingness to accept that we make mistakes, even offensive ones, is particularly important in the classroom, as is the ability to apologize, and to accept apologies for the puproses of moving on in a constructive way. The alternative is that we silence the discussion, and limit our growth. What will not be tolerated, however is behavior that unavoidably creates a hostile learning environment: is, repeated, willfully ignorant or hateful statements targeting any category of persons in a dehumanizing way.
Content warning: This course includes topics to which many of us (including myself) are sensitive, such as racism, sexism, and sexual violence. If you do not feel you can safely and civilly discuss such topics. While I will follow the course schedule, I cannot predict when sensitive subjects will be brought up in open discussion. I will only halt a discussion of sensitive topics if it is irrelevant to course material or being discussed in an uncivil manner.
TEXTBOOK: There is no required textbook. Course readings will be made available to students.
Selected readings will be taken from these and other sources:
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Michael Kimmel and Amy Aronson (2017). The Gendered Society Reader, 6th Edition, Oxford University Press.
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Fixmer-Oraiz, N., & Wood, J. T. (2019). Gendered Lives (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
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Kang, Miliann (2012). Introduction to Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies. University of Massachusetts - Amherst
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Eckert, Penelope and McConnell-Ginet, Sally. (2013). Language and Gender. Second Edition. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.
GENDER-INCLUSIVE/NON-SEXIST LANGUAGE STATEMENT:
In order to create an inclusive learning environment, language in the class strives to be gender-inclusive and non-sexist and acknowledging of people of any gender, recognizing the difference between biological sex and gender expression. Students, faculty, and staff may share their preferred pronouns and names, and these gender identities and gender expressions should be honored.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
(final version will be made available in class)
SECTION I: FEMINIST AND WOMEN’S STUDIES
Week 1: Introduction
What is Gender Studies?
History and Key Concepts
Week 2: Waves of Feminism
First and Second waves theory and movements in the United States and Europe
Week 3: No Class.
(We will make up for the missed lessons on Friday 4/11. We will visit the Women International House and meet the editors of the Italian feminist journal DWF)
Week 4: The third wave and beyond
Gender, race, class and the limits of “white suburban feminism”. Intersectionality
Week 5: Post-colonial and Decolonial feminism
Traditional and modern ideas of gender through a postcolonial and decolonial lens.
Week 6: Gay Liberation and Transfeminism
Week 7: Review and Midterm Exam
Monday: Review & Catch up day
Wednesday: Midterm Examination
SECTION II: BEYOND BYNARISM. THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER AND QUEER STUDIES
Week 8: Biology, Language, and the Construction of Gender and Sexuality
Week 9: Traditional third gender and modern trans culture & identity Performativity
Week 10: Queer Theory
Week 11: Gender and the Post-Human
Natureculture, Cyborgs and Companion Species
Week 12: Gendered Power and Violence
***Content Warning - this session discusses sexual violence
Week 13: Gendered Self-Defense
Week 14: Catch up, conclusions, review for final exam.