The Roots of Feminism
- Alexandra Owen - 847/491-3153 - Harris Hall, Room 340
- Swift Hall 107 - TuTh 11:00AM - 12:20PM
- This course will introduce students to major milestone texts in the development of feminist thought and the women's movement. We will read and discuss the work of major feminist "names" from 1790-1990, and will consider the importance of both Marxist and Freudian analyses for feminist theory. Readings will be contextualized in terms of social, political, and intellectual background. We will explore the emergence of liberal, cultural, socialist-feminist, and radical feminism, and will consider issues of race and sexuality. The course seeks to develop an understanding of why feminism looks the way it does today; in fact, why we must talk about feminisms rather than assume the existence of a single, unified voice or movement. We cannot, however, hope to cover everything, and it is to be emphasized that this is an introductory course. All are welcome, but open minds and a capacity for hard work are pre-requisites. Be ready to do a lot of reading!
- EVALUATION
10% section participation
50% two term papers
40% final examination
REQUIREMENTS
MANDATORY attendance at the first meeting
2 classes per week + one 1 hour discussion section - TEXTS FOR PURCHASE
Mary Daly, Gyn/Ecology
Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex
Josephine Donovan, Feminist Theory
Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique
Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own - Historical Studies Distro Area
Attendance at 1st class mandatory
No P/N option for this section
Instructors
Meeting Info
Overview of class
Evaluation Method
Class Materials (Required)
Class Attributes
Current as of 05/03/13 12:58:35 PM