Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2017 - GSWS 822 G100

Graduate Seminar in Feminist Theory (5)

Class Number: 7886

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 5 – Dec 4, 2017: Mon, 10:30 a.m.–3:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

This course will analyze and compare major feminist social and political theories, including those that have emerged from liberal, socialist and radical feminist traditions. The relationship among theories of sexism and political goals and practices will be discussed.

COURSE DETAILS:

Often referred to as ‘second wave feminism’ in North America, the period between the 1960s and the early 1980s produced rich theoretical scholarship on the relationship amongst gender, race, and sexuality; the meaning of oppression and liberation; and how to achieve social justice. In this class we will identify and examine core ideas and debates within feminist theory, especially the intersection of race, gender, ethnicity, and class; discuss the emergence of black feminist thought and its relationship to the women’s movement, the black power movement, and the New Left; examine the relationship of feminism to multiple social movements; and analyze the relationship between theory and activism. We will then apply these core concepts to Judy Tzu-Chun Wu’s book Radicals on the Road: Internationalism, Orientalism, and Feminism During the Vietnam Era, which will introduce us to the global politics of race and racism, revolution, feminism, and sexuality. We will end the course with a discussion of Indigenous Feminism and Transgender Studies, looking at how scholars in the early 21st century are criticizing, challenging, and expanding feminist theory. This course has a many complex readings but we will work together to help each other analyze the texts to the best of our abilities. Some weeks we will read an entire book; other weeks we will read selections from larger works, manifestos, or briefs. This will vary the style of reading but it is also a reflection of the differing styles of feminist theorizing popular in the 20th century.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

I Demonstrate Advanced knowledge of core concepts and theories.
II Develop transferable professional skills.
For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: http://www.sfu.ca/gsws/courses/Educational_Goals.html

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

GSWS 822 Canvas site, accessed after registration
Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique; Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex; Shulamith Firestone, Dialectic of Sex; Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches; Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, Radicals on the Road: Internationalism, Orientalism, and Feminism During the Vietnam Era; Gloria Anzaldua, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza.

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS