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| WEEK # | TOPICS | READINGS | KEY DATES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to course | ||
| 2 | "First Wave" feminism Not for Ourselves Alone (in-class video) |
Wollstoncraft, Mary. "Of the Pernicious Effect Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society." In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792. Davis, Angela. [Women, Race, and Class.] pp. 1-86. | |
| 3 | Suffrage: Seneca Falls and beyond |
Stanton, Elizabeth Cady. "The Declaration of Sentiments." 1848. Douglass, Frederick. "An Appeal to Congress for Impartial Suffrage." January 1867. | |
| 4 |
Suffrage, continued 21st century politics Current events topic suggestions: elections, voting |
Givhan, Robin. "Hillary Clinton's Tentative Dip into New Neckline Territory." Washington Post. July 20, 2007. Primary election 2008 coverage | Short assignment 1 due |
| 5 |
Pathologizing women: hysteria, neurasthenia, and other female maladies Current event topic suggestions: prescription drugs, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hormone replacement therapy |
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. [Yellow Wall-Paper] ———. "The 'Nervous Breakdown' of Women." In [Yellow Wall-paper] Smith-Rosenberg, Carroll. "The Hysterical Woman: Sex Roles and Role Conflict in Nineteenth-Century America." Social Research 39, no. 4 (1972): 652-678.
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| 6 |
Resisting pathology: art & literature Guest Artist: Zanele Muholi, South African activist and photographer |
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "Hormonal Hurricanes: Menstruation, Menopause, and Female Behavior." In [Feminist Frontiers] Ngcobo, Gabi. "Introduction." In [Only Half the Picture] Gqola Pumla Dineo. "Through Zanele Muholi's Eyes: Re/imagining Ways of Seeing Black Lesbians." In [Only Half the Picture] Smith, Gail and Nonkulueko. "Is Anybody Comfortable?" In [Only Half the Picture] Neidhardt, Sabine. "Biography of Zanele Muholi." In [Only Half the Picture] Smith, Charlene. "Anti-gay Venom Becomes Part of the Art." In [Only Half the Picture] Smith, Gail. "Outlaw Culture." In [Only Half the Picture] | First paper due |
| 7 |
Oppression Guest Artists: Zanele Muholi & Gabi Ngcobo, a South African curator and artist |
Frye, Marilyn. "Oppression." In [Feminist Frontiers.] pp. 6-8. Lorde, Audre. "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 22-24. | |
| 8 | Socialization and gender roles |
Thornton Dill, Bonnie. "The Means to Put My Children Through: Child-Rearing Goals and Strategies among Black Female Domestic Servants." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 144-154. Thorne, Barrie. "Girls and Boys Together... But Mostly Apart: Gender Arrangements in Elementary Schools." In [Feminist Frontiers] Edited by Taylor pp. 154-165. Taylor, Verta and Leila Rupp. "Learning from Drag Queens." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 223-228. | |
| 9 |
Socialization of children (cont.) Current event topic suggestions: Masculinity and violence, war. |
Kimmel, Michael. "What Are Little Boys Made Of?" In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 166-169. Nelson, Kristen. "The Making of a Soldier." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 190. Risman, Barbara. "Ideology, Experience, Identity: The Complex World of Children in Fair Families." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 169-179. | Revision of first paper due |
| 10 | Theoretical debates: social construction vs. biological essentialism. |
Lorber, Judith. "'Night to His Day': The Social Construction of Gender." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 33-51. Kessler, Suzanne. "The Medical Construction of Gender." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 51-66. Mateik, Tara and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. Toilet Training. 2003. | |
| 11 |
Challenging the binary: intersex Current event topic suggestions: sex selection, genetic testing, intersex surgery |
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "Five Sexes Revisited: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough." The Sciences (March-April 1993): 20-25. "Bruce/Brenda." Excerpt by Stone Phillips. Dateline, NBC, February 8, 2000. Story of David Reimer and the John Money twins case. | Short assignment 2 due |
| 12 |
Transgenderism LaRosa, Melanie. Sir: Just a Normal Guy. 2001-2002. |
Stryker, Susan. "Transgender Feminism: Queering the Woman Question." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp.83-88. Wilchins, Riki Anne. "17 Things You Don't Say to a Transexual" and "What Does It Cost to Tell the Truth?" In Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender. Ithaca, NY: Firebrand Books, 1997.
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| 13 |
Embodiment Discussion of Sir: Just a Normal Guy Current event topic suggestions: disability, cosmetic surgery, beauty |
Gimlin, Debra. "Cosmetic Surgery: Paying for Your Beauty." In [Feminist Frontiers.] pp. 88-93. Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. "Feminism and Disability." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 95. Clare, Eli. "Stolen Bodies, Reclaimed Bodies: Disability and Queerness." In [Feminist Frontiers] p. 467. | Second paper due |
| 14 |
Embodiment (cont.) Current even topic suggestions: Women's Health, anorexia, reproductive rights |
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "The Bare Bones of Sex." In [Feminist Frontiers.] pp. 407-420. Wangsgaard Thompson, Becky. "'A Way Outa No Way': Eating Problems Among African-American, Latina, and White Women." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 421-429. Smith, Andrea. "Beyond Pro-Choice Versus Pro-life: Women of Color and Reproductive Justice." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 446-457. Ehrenreich, Barbara. "Welcome to Cancerland." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 458-468. | |
| 15 |
Body image and representation of women Current even topics: body image, advertising |
Richardson, Laurel. "Gender Stereotyping in the English Language." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 89-93. Taylor, Judy. "Feminist Consumerism and Fat Activists: Grassroots Activism and the Dove 'Real Beauty' Campaign." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 127-139. Banks, Ingrid. "Hair Still Matters." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 110-118. | |
| 16 | Sexualities-Adolescence Current event topic suggestions: sex-ed, teen pregnancy, parental warnings |
Le Espiritu, Yen. "'We Don't Sleep Around Like White Girls Do': Family, Culture and Gender in Filipina American Lives." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 193-206. Tolman, Deborah. "Doing Desire: Adolescent Girls' Struggles for/with Sexuality." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 312-323. Hamilton, Laura. "Trading Heterosexuality: College Women's Gender Strategies and Homophobia." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 359-374. | Short assignment 3 due |
| 17 | Sexualities, (cont.) |
Hill Collins, Patricia. "Black Sexual Politics." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 375-389. Rupp, Leila. "Loving Women in the Modern World." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 389-399. Messner, Michael. "Becoming 100% Straight." In [Feminist Frontiers]. pp. 400-404. | |
| 18 |
Women, work, and the wage Current event topic suggestions: affirmative action, discrimination in the workplace |
Kessler-Harris, Alice. "The Wage Conceived: Value and Need as Measures of a Woman's Worth." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 185-199. Bose, Christine, and Rachel Bridges Whaley. "Sex Segregation in the U.S. Work Force." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 200-209. Whittier, Nancy. "Median Annual Earnings of Full-Time, Year-Round Workers." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 233-242. Reskin, Barbara. "The Realities of Affirmative Action in Employment." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 225-227. Boris, Eileen. "The Living Wage as a Woman's Issue." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 287. | |
| 19 |
Women and work (cont.) Current event topic suggestions: discrimination in the workplace, sex segregation, hiring, promotion, domestic work |
"Moving Up and Taking Charge." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 209-225. Boris, Eileen. "Desirable Dress: Rosies, Sky Girls, and the Politics of Appearance." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 243-252. Kang, Miliann. "The Managed Hand." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 253-268. Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette. "Maid in L.A." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 269-287. | Short assignment 4 due |
| 20 |
Families Current event topic suggestions: marriage, sexuality, and marriage issues |
Morrison, Melissa. "Bridal Wave." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 291-293. Herbst Lewis, Carolyn. "Waking Sleeping Beauty." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 294-307. Thai, Hung Cam. "For Better or Worse: Gender Allures in the Vietnamese Global Marriage Market." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 331-345. | |
| 21 |
Families (cont.) Current event topic suggestions: work, motherhood and marriage, queer families |
Segura, Denise. "Working at Motherhood: Chicana and Mexicana Immigrant Mothers and Employment." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 261-275. Gerson, Kathleen. "Moral Dilemmas, Moral Strategies, and the Transformation of Gender." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 322-330. Naples, Nancy. "Queer Parenting in the New Millennium." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 342-345. | Short assignment 5 due |
| 22 |
Violence against women Current event topic suggestions: sexual harassment, rape laws, war crimes, criminal cases |
Martin, Patricia Yancey, and Robert Hummer. "Fraternities and Rape on Campus." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 471-481. Steinhem, Gloria. "Supremacy Crimes." In [Feminist Frontiers] p. 480. Naguib, Silvana. "Understanding Sexual Harassment." In [Feminist Frontiers] p. 482. Nagel, Joane. "Sex and War: Fighting Men, Comfort Women, and the Military-Sexual Complex." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 172-201. | |
| 23 |
Intersectionality, cultural relativism, and global politics
|
Crenshaw, Kimberlé. "Mapping the Margins." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 484-493. Enloe, Cynthia. "The Globetrotting Sneaker." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 453-457. Doezema, Jo. "Forced to Choose." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 517-526. Abu-Lughod, Lila. "Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?" In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 527-537. Riverbend. "Baghdad Burning." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 536. | Third paper due |
| 24 | Global politics/Third wave |
Mink, Gwendolyn. "The Lady and the Tramp (II)." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 538-553. Heath, Melanie. "The Marriage Promotion Movement." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 543-553. Cohen, Cathy. "Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 596-614. | |
| 25 | Contemporary feminism & third wave |
Taylor, Verta, Nancy Whittier, and Cynthia Fabrizio Pelak. "The Women's Movement: Persistence Through Transformation." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 515-531. Aronson, Pamela. "Feminists or 'Postfeminists'? Young Women's Attitudes Toward Feminism and Gender Relations." In [Feminist Frontiers] pp. 572-584. Stewart, Nikki Ayanna. "Transform the World." In [Feminist Frontiers] | Final paper due at the end of the semester |
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