TOPICS: HISTORIES OF FEMINISMS in Fall 2018 (GS2091C)

Have women been “written out” of history? Why do so few women’s names come to mind when we think about the important figures who shaped “world history”? What do we mean when we talk about “women’s history”, and how/does this intersect with issues of race, class and ethnicity? These standard questions, that inform feminist and gender studies, provide the backdrop to this interdisciplinary examination of the histories of feminism(s). Through the lens of thinkers such as Kumari Jayawardena, Chandra Mohanty, and Joan Scott, among others, this course will explore the question of gender as a system of power relations and social stratification that has constituted the shaping of political and cultural history across the globe. In this light, we will think carefully and critically about the significance of "women’s history" and its relationship to both the perpetuation of and resistance to social inequalities, while interrogating the concept of “women's identity” over culture, ethnicity and historical periods. Tracing the particular historical, political and cultural conditions that led to key moments in women’s movements, we will examine how the histories of feminist 'manifestos', apparently rooted in discreet moments over time, lead to and/or trouble larger movements of social justice and resistance.

This course serves as a critical introduction to the rich, interdisciplinary history of feminist scholarship and activism from various cultural perspectives. It provides the foundations for understanding why a focus on gender is necessary in the analysis of social injustice and foregrounds strategies of resistance employed by women throughout history.