Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2018 - POL 416W E100

Feminist Social and Political Thought (4)

Class Number: 7112

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Mon, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Prerequisites:

    Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

This course will examine the works of major feminist thinkers and the problems of developing feminist theory. Students with credit for POL 416 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course examines how feminist writings question the assumptions of traditional political theory in key related areas: citizenship and ethics. Redefining the roles of citizens, such as mothers, wives and caregivers, develops an alternative ethics. Could an ethic of care be useful for others, such as health care practitioners?  How should one distinguish feminist ethics from feminine ethics?  Has the interaction between gender and ethics changed with the emergence of new reproductive technologies?  The course will also critically assess major epistemological approaches within feminist theory.  Postmoderns and women of color feminists consider the problems of difference and essentialism.  Feminist ethics strives to break away from binary opposites, such as masculine/feminine, in order to uncover the fractured identities of women in all of their multiplicity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948 by the United Nations, faces important challenges in its application to women in Asia, the Islamic world, and the West.  

There will be a four hour seminar each week.

Grading

  • Participation and leading a class discussion 20%
  • Five response papers 50%
  • Essay proposal 10%
  • Essay 20%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Rosemarie Tong, Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction, Fifth edition (Boulder: Westview Press, 2018)

Jacquetta Newman and Linda A. White, Women, Politics, and Public Policy: The Political Struggles of Canadian Women, Oxford University Press Canada 2012

ISBN: 978-0-19-543249-7

Selected readings, available on reserve in the library. 

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The Department of Political Science strictly enforces a policy on plagiarism.
For details, see http://www.sfu.ca/politics/undergraduate/program/related_links.html and click on “Plagiarism and Intellectual Dishonesty” .

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