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Professor Debra Blake |
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Professor Sarah Buchanan
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[Return to Buchanan's home page]
[Blake's
home page]
Course description:
Feminist theories are vital to understanding the major issues in Women’s
Studies and provide the keys to unlocking the ways in which society creates
spaces for women, defines who they are and has oppressed them. Theories also
provide alternative ways of thinking and acting, thereby supplying models
for resisting oppressive structures and for redefining society. This class
will engage students in a critical examination of diverse feminist theories.
Readings and discussions will focus on a series of themes and issues - gender,
sexuality, race, class, language, bodies, etc. and how these issues bear upon
identity formation and society.
Required Texts:
Warhol, Robyn and Diane Price Herndl. Feminisms: An Anthology of Literary
Theory and Criticism.
Freud, Sigmund. An Outline of Psychoanalysis.
de Duras, Claire. Ourika
articles from books on reserve in the library
Recommended text: Kolmar and Bartkowski. Feminist Theory: A Reader
Assignments:
Theory journal: You will keep a notebook in which you write down
key information concerning each of the different theories we will study. Information
that must be noted include: WHO are the important theorists in this section
of theories? WHAT does this theory attempt to do? What questions does it try
to answer? What DIFFERENCES are there between the theorists in this section?
WHOM does this theory challenge? WHY is this theory important? What PROBLEMS
are there with this theory?
Analytical papers: You will write four 6-8 page papers analyzing various theories we will have discussed in class. For each paper your analysis will focus on the theme that we are currently studying, and you will elucidate how the theories in that theme help us to further our understanding of Ourika. These papers will be graded on the depth and originality of your analysis (How much textual evidence do you give, and how well do you you integrate that evidence into your argument?) and on the organization of your argument (Does your paper have a clear thesis? Does it flow logically?)
Participation: You will be graded on how well you participate
in class discussions. We expect you to come to class having finished the assigned
readings and ready with a list of questions or ideas that the readings provoked.
Your participation should be active and engaged. We will read many difficult
ideas that will stretch your mind. We do not expect you to come to class having
understood everything you’ve read. We do expect you to come to class
with questions about material you may not have understood. More than 2 absences
over the course of the semester will lower your grade
Grade determination:
| 4 Analytical papers | 60% (each paper worth 15% of your grade) |
| Participation | 20% |
| Theory Journal | 20% |
Course Calendar
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Week 1: Tuesday, Jan. 18 |
Introduction to the course. What is feminism? What is theory? |
| Thursday, Jan. 20 | Read Part I, “What is Feminist Theory? What is Feminism?” of Feminist Theory: A Reader by Kolmar and Bartkowski, pp. 7-41 |
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Week 2: Tuesday, Jan. 25 |
Continue Part I, “Lexicon of the Debates” of Feminist Theory: A Reader by Kolmar and Bartkowski, pp. 42-60 “Theory and Pedagogy,” Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory, pp. 218-222. |
| Thursday, Jan. 27 | Kristeva, Julia. “Women’s Time,” Feminisms, pp. 860-879. |
Week 3: Tuesday, Feb. 1 |
Ourika |
| Thursday, Feb. 3 | “Institutions, introduction to” Feminisms, pp.
3-6 Felman, pp. 7-20 Gilbert and Gubar, pp. 21-32 |
Week 4: Monday, Feb. 7 |
“Institutions” cont’d Paper #1 due today before 4:00pm. (What is feminism? What is theory? Do feminists need theory? Why or why not?) |
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Tuesday, Feb. 8 |
Christian, pp. 51-56 |
| Thursday, Feb. 10 | “Practice, introduction to” Feminisms, pp. 167-170 Kolodny, pp. 171-190 Showalter, pp. 213-233 |
| Week 5: Tuesday, Feb. 15 |
“Practice” cont’d McDowell, pp. 234-247 |
| Thursday, Feb. 17 | Ourika |
| Week 6: Tuesday, Feb. 22 |
Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud, An Outline of Psychoanalysis |
| Thursday, Feb. 24 | Freud, cont’d |
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Week 7: |
Paper #2 due—turn it in anytime before Friday, Mar 4 at noon Poststructuralism/Postmodernism Read Eagleton, Terry. “Chapter 5: Psychoanalysis” from Literary Theory: An Introduction. 131-168. (On e-reserve under Blake). Also read: sections on “Essentialism”, “Différence/Différance”, “Imaginary/Symbolic/Real”, “Name of the Father”, “Mirror Stage”, and “Self/Other” from the Enclyclopedia of Modern Literary Theory. (On e-reserve under Blake). |
| Thursday, Mar. 3 | Ourika |
Week 8: Tuesday, Mar. 8 |
“Body” “Body, , introduction to” Feminisms, pp. 341-346 |
| Thursday, Mar. 10 | “Body” cont’d Spillers, pp. 384-405 Homans, pp. 406-424 Anzaldúa, “The Coatlicue State,” on reserve |
| March 14-18 | Spring Break!!! |
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Week 9: Tuesday, Mar. 22 |
catch-up, Ourika |
| Thursday, Mar. 24 | “Gaze, introduction to” Feminisms, pp. 425-429 Irigarary, pp. 430-437 Mulvey, pp. 438-448 Meese, pp. 467-481 |
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Week 10: Tuesday, Mar. 29 |
“Gaze,” cont’d Analysis of the gaze in media representations |
| Thursday, Mar. 31 | “Desire, introduction to” Feminisms, pp. 483-485. Gallop, pp. 489-506 hooks, pp. 555-563 |
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Week 11: Tuesday, Apr. 5 |
“Desire” cont’d Sedgwick, pp. 507-531 |
| Thursday, Apr. 7 | Catch-up, Ourika Read sections on “Praxis” and “Margin” from the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory on e-reserve in the library under Blake. |
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Week 12: Tuesday, Apr. 12 |
“Intersectionality” Crenshaw, Kimberly. “Intersectionality and Identity Politics”
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| Thursday, Apr. 14 | “Intersectionality” cont’d Gunn Allen pp. 746-764 |
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Week 13: |
Paper #3 due—turn it in anytime before Friday
at noon Spivak, pp. 896-912 |
| Thursday, Apr. 21 | “Intersectionality” cont’d Narayan, Uma. “Contesting Cultures” Feminist Theory:
A Reader, pp. 542-549 |
| Week 14: Tuesday, Apr. 26 |
catch-up |
| Thursday, Apr. 28 | Ourika |
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Week 15: Tuesday, May 3 |
“Third Wave” Baumgardner and Richards, “Third Wave Manifesta,” pp. 568-569 |
| Thursday, May 5 | Course evaluations Martin and Talpade Mohanty, pp. 293-310 Ourika |
Final paper due by 3:30 on Wednesday, May 11th