Syllabus

A list of topics covered in the course is available in the calendar.

Course Description

This course is designed as a focused survey of feminist political thought and theory, exploring the various and often competing ways feminists have framed discussions about sex, gender, and oppression. Beginning with a consideration of key terms (sex, gender, oppression) and the meaning of social construction, we will move on to study three central feminist approaches to political thought (humanism, gynocentrism, and dominance). The primary goal of this course is to familiarize students with key issues, questions and debates in feminist theory, both historical and contemporary. This semester you will become acquainted with many of the critical questions and concepts feminist scholars have developed as tools for thinking about gendered experience.

In addition to the presentation of theoretical ideas, we will consider examples of practical political application of those concepts. The concluding weeks of the course address the many tensions between generalized theoretical approaches and localized political efforts, particularly as they relate to identity politics and issues of diversity within feminist groups and movements. Finally, we will consider the connections, commonalities, and differences between feminist political thought and other theoretical approaches to political movements, such as queer theory, postcolonial theory, and global and human rights organizing.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to do the following:

• Recognize and understand the basic concepts of sex, gender, and oppression.
• Identify and explain how the concept of social construction informed (and continues to inform) feminist theory.
• Categorize feminist political thought in relationship to the three approaches we have studied (humanist, gynocentric, and dominance approaches).
• Assess the trajectory feminist theory has taken, and begin to consider new directions for feminist political thought.

Required Text

Hackett, Elizabeth, and Sally A. Haslanger, eds. Theorizing Feminisms: A Reader. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0195150090.

Course Requirements

Feminist Political Thought counts for CI-M credit, which is subject to the following criteria:

• The course must require at least 5000 words of writing including one mandatory revision, an equivalent amount of oral presentations, or an equivalent combination of the two;
• The course must include substantial instruction and feedback on student work;
• The course must integrate writing and speaking assignments that relate to the professional discourse in the major field;
• The course must count communication-intensive activities as a substantial portion of the final grade (>25%).

Evaluation

Attendance and Participation

Attendance and participation are critical to your success in this course. Each class session will focus on one or more topics and be accompanied by appropriate readings. Please be sure to read all assignments in advance, come to class on time and be prepared to discuss your reactions and ideas. Failure to attend will adversely affect your grade. Missing more than two weeks of class will cause you to fail the course. Active participation in large and small group discussion is necessary to receive full credit for the attendance and participation component of your grade. Short homework exercises count for part of this grade; you will have the opportunity to submit these 1-2 page exercises on five occasions. Four are required.

Text Analysis Presentation

Each student must present an analysis of an assigned paragraph from one of our class readings once during the term. Students will work in pairs to research and present an interpretation of the passage and lead discussion of the article in question. This assignment requires close reading of the given selection, presenting your analysis in a coherent way to the rest of the class, along with several follow-up discussion questions. Sign-up for these presentations will begin in the first week of class. Students are also required to submit a 2-3 page write-up of their text analysis presentation, due one week following the presentation.

Papers - 2 Essays (7-8 pages each)

Each student will be responsible for submitting two papers during the semester. A choice of topics will be given 1-2 weeks in advance of the due date for each essay. These papers should demonstrate understanding of key concepts in the course by framing an argument in response to the essay question and supporting that argument with examples and quotation from relevant articles we have read. The first essay must be revised and resubmitted, in accordance with the CI-M subject requirements.

Additional Requirements

Please be sure that all assignments are word-processed, double-spaced documents in 12 point type of a conventional font. Make sure to include page numbers when quoting from source texts. This course assumes abilities in spelling, sentence construction, punctuation and other basic writing mechanics. For additional practice with these writing skills please visit the Writing Center. If English is your second (or third, fourth) language and you need or would like additional help with English composition, please speak to me right away.

Grading Policies

In order to receive a passing grade for this course, all assignments must be completed. Please talk to me in advance if you know you will have to miss class and/or need an extension on an assignment. It is preferable to negotiate an extension rather than be absent on a day a paper is due, as I will not accept late papers without prior notice .

Grading is according to the following guidelines:

A - denotes work that is of exceptional quality. Exceptional quality is represented by evidence of engagement with information and ideas in course materials and lectures, and from other sources, thoroughness, careful thinking, integration of material across topics, logical reasoning, precise and artful writing.

B - denotes work that is above average vis-a-vis your peers' work and the expectations of the assignment.

C - denotes work that fulfills the course requirements in every way, but only adequately.

D - denotes work that does not adequately fulfill requirements, but still deserves credit.

F - denotes work that does not deserve credit. This includes plagiarism, or copying others' work and submitting it as your own. Do not plagiarize! You must always cite your sources; even borrowing someone else's ideas can count as plagiarism if you don't cite the original source. For more information, see Avoiding Plagiarism.

If you ever disagree with or have a question about a grade that you receive on a piece of work, first please read my comments carefully, weigh them against the assignment requirements, and if you are still unsure, make an appointment to discuss it with me. If you would like me to reread and reconsider the paper, or you think an error was made in grading, you may request a re-evaluation in writing within one week after the assignment is returned to you. Your reasons should be specific and supported by references to the grading criteria (above), to the expectations of the assignment, and to specific details from your paper.

Course Calendar