WINTER 2001
This information effective for Winter 2001.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.
Instructor: Emily Honig
TTh 12:00-1:45pm
321Kresge
Core course for women's studies. Introduces feminisms by focusing on the Third World instead of beginning with the development of feminism in North America and "looking out" to the Third World. The meanings of feminism are created in very specific historical and local contexts. By centering women's experience, feminism forces society to reconceptualize basic concepts of power, politics, and work. (G.E. Codes: IH,E.) Call #60584
Instructor: S. Papo
MW 5:00-6:45pm
137 Soc Sci 2
A student-directed seminar. Gives students the opportunity to study feminist theory and then move the theory into action through a class activist project. The class will spend Mondays focused on theory, and Wednesdays focused on organizing skills. Enrollment limited to 15. Call #60882
Winter 2001
Instructor: Carla Freccero
TTh 10:00-11:45AM, 321 Kresge
Films: K 321, Tuesday evenings (time TBA)
Call #60586
Office: K 236, 459-2781, e-mail: freccero@cats.ucsc.edu
TAs: Victoria Bañales, Julie Cox, Ulrika Dahl, Margaret DeRosia, Kirsten Markson
This course consists of a survey of many of the threads that inform U.S. feminist theories, beginning in each case with theorists that might be said to stand in for a "school" or a "tradition" of critique: Mill, Marx, Freud, Truth, Fanon, Levi-Strauss, Derrida. The course then goes on to explore these threads in their relation to feminism and to the object of their analysis: rights or equality, class, the psyche and sexual difference/sexuality, racial identity, colonial domination, kinship relations and symbolic social structures, and philosophical systems of western thought. In addition, we will focus on particular texts as case studies for understanding feminist theory's possible applications. These include fictional texts, popular song, and films.
Required (Baytree Bookstore):
Recommended:
Week 1. Introduction
Week 2. Liberalism and Marxism
Week 3. Marxist Feminism, Class, Psychoanalysis
Week 4. Psychoanalytic Feminism, Sexuality
Week 5. Psychoanalysis, Race, Identity
Week 6. Identity Politics Feminism
Week 7. The Postcolonial Critique
Week 8. Structuralism, Post-Structuralism
Week 9. Deconstruction, Postmodernism
Week 10. Performing Race, Gender, Class, and Sexuality
Week 11. Conclusions?
Instructor: Radhika Mongia
TTh 8:00-9:45am
249 Porter
Working from the perspective that race is a cultural invention and racism is a political, economic, and social relation, investigates how "race" is produced as a meaningful and powerful social category. Examines the effects of racism as a social relation, and argues for the necessity of combining feminist and critical race studies. Considers different historical periods and places. Aims to equip students with the tools necessary to critically examine the production and reproduction of race and racism in the U.S. Prerequisite: one course in Women's Studies. Enrollment restricted to 20 juniors and seniors. (General Education Code: E.) Call #60920
Instructor: Dion Farquhar
TTh 6:00-7:45pm
223 Cowell
Examines current debates about reproductive technologies with attention to gender, class, and race inequality through reading and discussion of both liberal (hortatory) and fundamentalist (condemnatory) texts. Investigates how antithetically opposed reproductive politics, policy recommendations, and identity formations share unacknowledged assumptions about reproductive privacy, maternity, paternity, nature, the family, and kinship. Prerequisites: course 100 or one of the following: HISC 80C, Lit 101, LTMO 102A, PHIL 11, POL 101, 104A or B, or SOCI 105B. Enrollment limited to 20 juniors and seniors. Call #60588
Instructor: Bettina Aptheker
TTh 2:00-3:45pm
250 College Eight
Considers African American women as central to understanding of U.S. history, focusing on everyday survival, resistance, and movements for social change. Discussion of critical theories of historical research and race. Emphasis on biography, cultural history, documentary and archival research. (General Education Code: E) Enrollment restricted to 40 juniors and seniors. Call #60590
Instructor: Peggy Downes-Baskin
Class: TTh 4:00 - 5:45PM, 194 Kresge
Call #60592
Office hours: TTh 2:30 - 3:45PM & by appt.
Examines how public women make decisions/create images which define our private lives. Compares the ways that women of the 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s balanced professional ambitions/personal priorities. Using film/oral histories/case studies/role-playing, the course analyzes how goals/strategies/expectations have changed over three generations. Stress: the professional vs. the personal: case studies of women leaders of Silicon Valley. Based on our readings/oral histories/interviews in progress with these women, how do we choose to juggle our own balancing act?
From Bookstore:
From Reader (available at Copy Center, selected chapters only):
In class we will be viewing selections from the following documentaries (as time permits):
Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Hillary Clinton
Active participation is expected at each meeting. Students are encouraged to become involved in small group discussions/role-playing sessions. Students will be asked to present three 5-10 minute oral histories and to write a 10-12 page research paper.
Thursday: 1950-2000 - how did we get from there to here? Rough
delineation of pendulum swings between career-centered and
family-focused decades. How have women attempted to find a sense of
balance? Overview of course: a look at the structure / authors / role
of oral histories as they relate to role modeling and mentoring.
Assignment: Jamieson 1,3,4.
Tuesday: A look at the role models adopted in the '50s / '70s /
'90s. How did these mentors in public positions attempt to shift
language, symbols, and the law to empower women? How did they impact:
how we live and work / how women weave support systems / how we
create balance between the professional and the personal?
Assignment: Jamieson 5, 6. The Second Sex, XXI & XXV
Thursday: Look back on effect of War Years, epitomized by the
movie, "Rosie the Riveter" and the Eleanor Roosevelt documentary.
Pinpoint triggers which determined women's role in '50s. Close look
at role models, movies, novels which framed our perspective of women
in the postwar era - years in which rigid stereotypes confined
creativity / education / equity. Discussion of goals / methodology of
oral histories. Analysis of Jamieson / Second Sex.
Assignment: Friedan, The Feminine Mystique, preface,
intro., chapters 1, 2
Tuesday: Discussion of Friedan's core concept. Roundtable -
tentative selection of 1st oral history--a woman representative of
the '50s. Framing of questions to serve as a common core for
interviews. Small group role-playing - "getting inside the skin of
our grandparents' generation" - an age cohort restricted to three
categories - wife, mother, "the other."
Assignment: Friedan 3,4. Set up oral history / secure interview /
outline questions.
Thursday: Discussion and critique of Friedan's conceptual
framework / factual findings / imagery of the strengths, weaknesses
of the typical '50s woman. Does the picture she draws square with the
image in films, books, students' own experiences? Who were the role
models? (TV, "Ozzie and Harriet"; documentary, Jackie O.)
Assignment: Friedan - 5, 6, epilogue
Tuesday: Frustrations build, perceptions of self change, women
learn how to communicate / challenge stereotypes. How did this
evolve? A new definition of womanhood - style, image, power - begins
to surface. Sense of strategy, organizational links, sisterhood,
self-worth. Begin oral histories #1. Compiling an overview of women's
stories, linkages, and commonalities.
Assignment: Sheehy, Passages, chapters 11,13,16
Thursday: Another feminist wave surfaces in the '60s - fully
emerges in the '70s. Sense of professional identity / personal
confidence reflected in media, literature. Examination of new
language - verbal and body. Analysis of Sheehy's sense of predictable
life passages. Oral histories #1.
Assignment: Friedan, The Second Stage, 1&2; Greer, The
Female Eunuch, intro, chapters on Womanpower, Revolution
Tuesday: Organizational structure of the '70s' feminist movement.
Leadership: style, strategy, goals. Points of agreement /
differentiation. Literature that transforms expectations. Juggling
between personal and professional priorities / sacrifices required.
Oral histories #1.
Assignment: Steinem, Intro., Safety, New York.
Thursday: Critique of Friedan's Second Stage, Greer and
Steinem. The movement's shifting perspectives - what did it
accomplish effectively? What decision led to fragmentation and
vulnerability? Analysis of key legislation passed. Supreme Court
decisions, media stereotypes. Run through methodology, core
questions, approach to 2nd oral history: a woman of the '70s.
Assignment: Steinem - 1968, Awakening, Ms; Prepare oral
histories.
Tuesday: In-depth analysis of the '70s - focusing on the
splintering of feminism. Comparison of priorities / goals and actual
accomplishments. Critique of Steinem. Start oral histories #2.
Assignment: Steinem - Trashing, Imperatives for Change,
Epilogue; Research topics due on Tuesday
Thursday: Finish analysis of Steinem's role: contrast with theory,
role, character of Friedan / Greer / Sheehy. Legislation, court
decisions, stereotypes of early and late '70s compared. Begin oral
histories #2.
Assignment: Friedan, Beyond Gender, Chapter 1; Tentative
outline of reseach topic.
Tuesday: Definition of the term "feminism" as used during '70s.
Analyze organizational structure of movement / examine relationship
with media. Small groups - characterize the personalities which
emanated from the '70s and their image as perceived by the public.
Oral histories #2.
Assignment: individual appointments to OK research approach,
bibliography, and scope of research paper. Estrich, chapters 1, 2, 5,
10.
Thursday: The Reagan years; the backlash generated by economy,
legislation, media bias. Divisiveness over Reagan's appointments,
attitude, agenda. Small groups - impact of specific role models, TV,
movies on public perception. Run through questions, techniques for
3rd oral history. Finish oral histories #2.
Assignment: Woods, pages 179-229.
Tuesday: Evaluation of overall impact of Reagan policies on both
professional and personal lives of women. How strong was the movement
as Clinton took office? Had cleavages deepened, priorities shifted,
strategies solidified? Had the backlash of the '80s forced a
reevaluation / reimaging?
Assignment: Prepare 3rd oral history. Review of Silicon Valley case
studies. Finalize all elements of research paper.
Thursday: Crucial events / personalities / stereotypes which
emerged in Clinton years. Describe any shift in balance between
priorities related to professional vs. personal life. The '90s style
as defined by role models / mentors / movies. How has this new image
been translated by media / accepted by the public? Is there a new
male role model? Start oral histories #3.
Assignment: Review and critique of Silicon Valley case studies.
Research paper.
Tuesday: Legislation, Supreme Court decisions, images of the
Clinton years which you feel will impact your life. Your evaluation
of President Clinton's impact on feminism. Define: Hillary's role -
past, present, future / the qualities you most identify with in her
character and image. The Clintons as a team - goals and outcomes.
Oral histories #3.
Assignment: Research paper.
Thursday: Three generational comparisons of women's agenda,
strategy, style. Has a distinctive women's style evolved in 50 years?
How different is it from the male model, and can its effectiveness be
measured? What charismatic, high-profile women best exemplify this
style in the political and corporate spheres? Role-playing the male /
female leadership styles. Finish oral histories #3.
Assignment: Research paper.
Tuesday: Making the "fit" between Jamieson's dualities and the
dominant pairing in each decade studied. How would you evaluate the
balance in each of Jamieson's dichotomies, ex. Womb / brain, for the
'50s, '70s, '90s? How important a role did backlash play in
determining women's self-image / self-determination?
Assignment: Research paper.
Thursday: Your personal evaluation of the progress women have
made. Your level of satisfaction with: 1) impact in politics / media
/ corporate world; 2) their roles as wives and mothers; 3) current
balance between the professional and the personal. Where would you
place yourself on the continuum? Roundtable discussion / appraisal of
Hillary Clinton. Is she a reflection of the times? What kind of
mentorship would you like to see from her? Compare her with other
First Ladies - Eleanor Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan, Bush.
Assignment: Research paper. Short report (3 minutes) on paper next
Tuesday.
Tuesday: What specific changes in attitude, policy, shift in
balance do you see as most meaningful to your own lives? What
elements are most important in changing the status quo? Roundtable:
research reports / intergenerational links - how do we "pass on"
progress?
All papers due.
Instructor: Susan Basow
MW 12:30-2:15pm
J Baskin Engineering 156
Critical evaluation of the political nature of body ideals and the significance of the body in feminist politics. Examines how science, law, and social norms shape our perceptions of sexual and racial differences, and how such perceptions affect discriminatory or exclusionary practices. Explores how change can be fostered to facilitate feminist goals. Topics include sexual, gender, and racial identity; the beauty myth, eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and reproductive choices. Prereq.: course 100 or permission of instructor. Enrollment: 35. Call #60964
Instructor: Radhika Mongia
Wed. 12:30-3:30pm
319 Kresge
Focuses on a particular problem in feminist theory. Problems will vary each year but might include theorizing the gendered subject, racializing gender, the meeting points of psychoanalysis and social-political analysis in theorizing gender, the relationship between queer theory and feminist theory, postcolonial feminist theory. Prerequisite: course 100. Enrollment restricted to 20 sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Call #60594