Alex Deschamps

Women's Studies, 208 Bartlett, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. 01003
Office: Bartlett 7B • Office Hours: Mo 1:00-4:00pm & By Appointment
Telephone: (413) 545-1958 • Fax: (413) 545-1500 • Email: afd@wost.umass.edu

Womensst 201	Critical Perspectives in Women's Studies [Section 2]	Spring 2003
	Tu & Th: 2:30-3:45pm at Bartlett 205

Description

This course explores various ways of analyzing and reflecting on current issues and controversies in feminist thought within a context inclusive of gender, class, race, age, and sexual power concerns. This course will also involve an examination of the multifaceted dimensions of women's lived experiences (Euro-American women, women of color, Third World women); of the production of knowledge and critical thought; crucial debates of feminist scholarship and activities; women's agency a nd their pragmatic activism which addresses those issues deemed injurious to the well-being of all women. We will address the need to reconcile the contradictions between subjectivity and objectivity, between experiences within the academy and outside; be tween the individual and the group; between theory and practice. Debates and discussions will address a wide range of contexts including:

• Gendered relationships. We trace ways that individuals become gendered through interacting with others, and we consider how our gendered identities influence the patterns and dynamics of our own relationships.
• To what extent are there conflicts between preserving indigenous cultural traditions and achieving women's rights?
• Consideration of the intersections of gender, race, and class oppression, and how these structure sexuality, reproduction, and sexual violence.
• And who but women, uniquely located at the intersection of the home and the world, can better grasp the imperative to democratize the spheres of the family, and of social and economic production?

Readings will include a range of women thinkers explicitly grounding the analysis in multiple voices to highlight the diversity, richness and power of women's ideas but also reflecting diverse theoretical interdisciplinary scholarship which should help you to recognize and comment on transnational contemporary issues and debates which affect.

   To wrestle with such difficult and highly politicized questions, students first need to develop an enhanced sense of their own identities and life situations and an understanding of the experiences and values of the many different groups of women in contemporary American and Transnational societies.

• IDENTITY asks students to look at their lives as well as the lives of other people and see how race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality shape personal experiences.
• POWER reveals connections among social forces, institutions, and the individual. It also examines the challenges and structural obstacles created and maintained by prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes. It includes the use of "positive&quo t; power to create social, cultural and economic change. It includes understanding what is Leadership, and how we learn participatory democracy.
• CHANGE involves students in the process of education and overcoming inequality. Learning strategies for personal, professional, and community social and political change; understanding resistance to change; and individuals who have succeeded in maki ng real change in themselves and society.

Requirements and Written Assignments

• Regular attendance is necessary for successful completion of this course. Three unexcused absences will affect your final grade by at least one letter grade. There will be many graded in-class assignments and activities which cannot be made up if yo ur are absent. Be sure to inform me of Religious Observances and keep it mind that excused absences do not relieve you of due assignments. (20%).
• It is your responsibility to adhere to the due dates of written assignments as outlined in the syllabus. Late assignments are not an option. All written assignments must be typed, double spaced.
• Reading assignments must be completed by the class period for which they were assigned. In-class activities and assignments will be based on the readings. The format for discussion and analysis of the readings will be varied and you will be expected to participate in group discussions, lead a discussion, and make short presentations. You must be prepared to participate in an intellectual discussion. Respect and thoughtfulness are vital in this classroom and will be observed at all times. Our differi ng perspectives and analyses must be productive and valuable contributions to the discourse and to increasing our world views.
• Two critical analysis papers, (3-5 pages). These papers are suggested as a way to promote critical thinking and to monitor comprehension of the readings. Choose two or three key points to help focus your response and critique, take risks and incorpo rate your ideas about the subject but you must include content from the readings. Comment on the contributions of the author(s), critically examine the soundness of the arguments, discuss insights gained or limitations to the analysis. I want to know that you have read, understood, and analyzed the readings. Grades will be based on quality and clarity of your arguments as well as the organization of your ideas. (20%).
• Reflection Paper on Annie John in the context of "Different Similarities". Guidelines will be discussed in class. (10%).
• Group Project. This will be a collaborative effort in which you (in small groups) will create and execute a final project that relates to activism and social change. We will discuss the specific guidelines in class and we will work on this as a clas s throughout the semester. Each group will present its project at the end of the semester. Because it is a collaborative effort, you should expect to meet with your group outside of class on a regular basis but I will provide some in-class consult time to work on your projects. I will also be available to meet with groups as needed. Topics for these projects will be discussed in the second week of the class and will include a range of activities such as collective art work (paintings, sculptures, videos); a project for change of a contemporary political or social policy; a series of poetry, short stories or other creative writings; an organization and execution of an activist event on campus and/or in the community; or even women's philanthropy project. Each of you will write an individual 4-5 page paper on your experience in and of this final project that will be due at the end of the semester. (20%).
• Critical Autobiography. In the Third week of the semester, you will submit an autobiography (5 pages) that details how race, gender, class, and sexuality impact and shape your life and your perception of the social and cultural world. In particular, you should discuss your conceptions of the intersections of race, gender, class, and sexuality on the decisions that you make, would like to make, may or may not make regarding your personal and professional goals. The purpose of this paper is to get you thinking about who you are, what you believe, and why these things are seemingly "normal" or "natural". These papers will be graded on how well they evidence critical thinking about these issues and how well you articulate this thinki ng. (10%).
• There will be one short examination in this course. You will be given two questions to answer in which you will be expected to demonstrate your understanding and application of the course materials. The goal is for you to create your own ideas and to do something with them in relation to other theoretical facts. (20%).

Grading

• Attendance, participation, and in-class assignments - 20%
• Critical Autobiography (due 02/11/2003) - 10%
• Two critical analysis papers (due 02/27 & 03/27/2003) - 20%
• Reflection paper on Annie John (due 04/17/2003) - 10%
• Take home examination (due 04/29/2003) - 20%
• Collaborative group project (see syllabus calendar) - 20%

Academic Honesty and Other Undergraduate Policies

My assumption is that students are generally honest. You are responsible for knowing and following the University of Massachusetts Academic Guidelines. Please read and familiarize yourselves with the University Policy Statement on Aca demic Honesty, Course Requirements, Attendance, Religious Observances, and other relevant policies, in the Undergraduate Rights and Responsibilities Booklet or at website www.umass.edu/umhome/pol icies/honesty.html. Necessary action, in compliance with official guidelines, will be taken against students who commit academic dishonesty. Caucus with me about resources for learning needs.

Required Books

Inderpal Grewal & Caren Kaplan Eds.:

An Introduction To Women's Studies : Gender in a Transnational World. McGraw Hill Publishers, 2002.

Jamaica Kincaid:

Annie John. Penguin Books, 1986.

Nancy Naples:

Community Activism and Feminist Politics: Organizing Across Race, Class, and Gender. Routledge, 1998.

Xeroxed Readings Collection

Books are available at Food For Thought Bookshop, North Pleasant Street, Amherst and also on reserve in the library.

Tue January 28 Introduction to Course Syllabus Introductory Exercises and Questions

Thu January 30 Oral reports-The Seque Readings: Current and contemporary critical women's issues.

Tue February 04 Why Theory? Contemporary Feminist Theories Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, pp. xvii-xxii. [Xeroxed Reading]-Stevi Jackson & Jacki Jones, "Thinking For Ourselves: An Introduction to Feminist Theorizing".

Women's Bodies in Science and Culture

Thu February 06 Sex Differences Across Cultures Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part One, Section One, A, B, C, D, E and Section Two, A, B, C, D, E.

Tue February 11 The Making of Race, Sex, and Empire Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part One, Section Three, A, B, C, D, E and Section Four, B, C, D, E. **Critical Autobiography Paper Due**

Thu February 13 Health, Population Control and Reproductive Rights: Technology and Power Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part One, Section Five, A, B, C, D, E, F and Section Six, A, B, C, D, E, F.

Tue February 18 No Class-Monday's Schedule

Gendered Identities: Individuals, Communities, States, Nations

Thu February 20 Women: Intersections of the Public and the Private Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Two, Section One, A, B, C, D and Section Two, A, B, C, D.

Tue February 25 Identity Politics and Social Movements. Video Screening: The Way Home Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Two, Section Three, A, B, C, D, E and Section Four, A, B, C, D.

Thu February 27 Feminist Organizing Across Borders Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Two, Section Five, A, B, C, D, E, F. **Critical Analysis Paper 1 Due**

Gendering Globalization

Tue March 04 Travel, Tourism, Relocations, Removals Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Four, Section One, A, B, C, D and Section Two, A, B, C, D, E.

Thu March 06 Diasporas Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Four, Section Three, A, B, C, D.

Tue March 11 The Gender Politics of Economic Globalization Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Four, Grouped Selections from Sections Four, Five and Six.

Thu March 13 Transnational Perspectives: Invited Panel Presentaion Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Four, Conclusion.

March 15-23 Spring Break Recess

Representations, Cultures, Media, Markets

Tue March 25 Representational Practices Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Three, Section One, A, B, C, D and Section Two, A, B, C, D.

Thu March 27 Gender, Literacy and Representation Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Three, Section Three, A, B, C, D, E and Section Four, A, B, C, D. **Critical Analysis Paper 2 Due**

Tue April 01 Consumer Culture and the Business of Advertising. Video Screening Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Three, Section Five, A, B, C, D.

Thu April 03 Consumer Beauty Culture: Commodifying the Body Readings: [Text]-Grewal & Kaplan, Part Three, Section Six, A, B, C, D, E, F, G.

Tue April 08 Representation: The Personal and the Political: Student Roundtable Discussion Readings: [Xeroxed Reading]

Feminist Literary Theory: Theorizing the Personal

Thu April 10 Mothers and Daughters Readings: [Text]-Jamaica Kincaid, (Read up to page 84).

Tue April 15 Rites of Passage Readings: [Text]-Jamaica Kincaid, (Finish book).

Community Activism and Feminist Politics - The Praxis

Thu April 17 Challenging Categories and Frameworks Readings: [Text]-Nancy Naples, Part One, Chapters 1, 2, 3. Paper on Annie John due

Tue April 22 Transforming Politics Readings: [Text]-Nancy Naples, Part Two, Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7.

Thu April 24 Networking for Change Readings: [Text]-Nancy Naples, Part Three, Chapters 8, 9, 10.

Tue April 29 Constructing Community Readings: [Text]-Nancy Naples, Part Four, Chapters, 11, 12, 13, 14. **Take Home Examination Due**

Taking Action - Student Presentations and Analysis

Thu May 01 Class Presentations

Tue May 06 Class Presentations

Thu May 08 Class Presentations

Tue May 13 Closing Exercises: New Lenses. **Individual Project Assignment Due in Class**