Fall 2010

Introduction to Feminist Thought (Disc. Sec Reqd) - ULEC 2510 A

Professor(s):  Ann Snitow 
Day(s):  T
Time(s):  12:00 pm - 1:20 pm 
CRN:  5380
Credits:  0
Prerequisite(s): 

Course Description
Feminism is not a single-voiced, coherent body of doctrine but rather a proliferation of thinking and actions in response to what seems to be the near-universal fact of women’s subordination, past and present, in societies which arrange gender relations in a wide variety of ways. Feminism’s lack of unity as a movement has been a strength and a weakness, and organized resistance to sexism has come and gone. Right now, in both the United States and internationally, we are living in a time of renewed critical self-consciousness about gender. This course is a sampler of key debates and actions to give a sense of the variety of feminisms that have evolved in the last 40 years. It will track both the growth of feminist movements and their confrontations with backlash. We will discuss readings on reproduction, the gendering of work, theoretical takes on “the death of feminism,” controversies about the relevance of feminism in different parts of the world, the meaning (and strengths and weaknesses) of the “identity politics” of race and gender, recent discussions of “the body,” the different "waves" of feminism from the 19th century until now, etc. Visiting speakers and films.