DOCSLIB.ORG

Wms205h1x-201009

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Wms205h1x-201009 WMS205: Introduction to Women’s Studies Kimberly L. Dennis, PhD Fall, 2010 TTh 3:30-4:45 e-mail: [email protected] Office: CFAC 121c Classroom: Olin Library, Room 260 Office hours: by appointment web.me.com/kim.dennis/WMS205F10 username: kdennis password: WMS205 What Is Women’s Studies? Women’s Studies, the academic branch of the feminist movement, seeks to redress the exclusion of women’s accomplishments and experiences from the traditional university curriculum. Women’s Studies is an inherently interdisciplinary field which both critiques and draws on the perspectives of the social sciences, the arts and humaniti1es, and the sciences, recognizing that no single subject can adequately address women’s diverse experiences. Women’s Studies scholars recognize that women’s experience has always been and continues to be influenced by a complex matrix of forces, including race, class, sexuality, age, ability, and many others. Course Description This course will explore the history and goals of the academic discipline of Women’s Studies and the social and political movement of feminism. We will begin with an investigation of a fundamental principle that shapes the thinking of both feminists and students of women’s issues: the difference between sex and gender and the social institutions through which male and female children are shaped into adult women and men. We will then complicate our understanding of the category ‘woman’ by exploring some of the ways one’s experience of ‘womanhood’ can be shaped by race and class. Next, we will examine the myths and facts surrounding violence against women and children. After the midterm, we will study the feminist debate over pornography and sex work and then turn to sexuality, considering how we might begin to think of sexualities in terms of a spectrum rather than a binary. Next, we will address women’s bodies, exploring how cultural ideals of beauty affect women’s emotional and physical well-being. These topics will lead us to an exploration of women’s health issues including menstruation, breast cancer, and reproductive health. Toward the end of the semester we will study the wage gap, housework, and the challenges faced by mothers who also work outside the home. In our final week, we will address the cultural “backlash” against the feminist movement and ways we can become involved in “third wave” feminism. Grading Attendance and Participation 20% Midterm 15% Blog Participation 5% Service Site Hours/Journals 15% Service Group Project 15% Service Group Presentation 10% Final Exam 20% Make up quizzes, final exam, and/or extensions on assignment due dates will be given ONLY in cases of documented dire emergencies. Instructor Availability I encourage you to come see me in person to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about this course, your grades, or the material we’re covering. I am also easy to reach via email and happy to communicate with you that way. Please don’t hesitate to contact me early and often! Attendance and Preparation It is essential that you come to class prepared and ready to participate. Please note that class participation counts for 20% of your final grade, and you cannot participate unless you are present and prepared. Please also keep in mind that I am interested in the quality of your contributions to our discussions rather than the quantity. Quality contributions include thoughtful responses to the reading and to my questions as well as coming to class prepared to ask your own questions about the material. Participation grades will be calculated based on the following system: • students who come to class on time and are alert, attentive, and not disruptive during the class period will earn a 1 for that day’s participation ‘grade;’ a 1 is approximately equivalent to a C • students who come to class on time, are alert and attentive, and contribute thoughtfully to class discussion (by responding to questions about the readings, bringing in questions that have come up as they reflected on the material outside of class, or otherwise contributing substantively to the discussion) will earn a 2 for that day’s participation ‘grade;’ a 2 is approximately equivalent to a B • students who come to class on time and clearly demonstrate that they have done the reading, reflected on the content of the reading as well as how it relates to previous readings for this course (and/or other courses), and who stand out as discussion leaders will earn a 3 for that day’s participation ‘grade;’ a 3 is approximately equivalent to an A • absences will be recorded as a participation ‘grade’ of 0 • students who come to class late will receive a .5 for that day’s participation ‘grade’ At the end of the semester, each student’s participation grade for the term will be calculated based on the average number of points s/he accumulated over the course of the semester. Thus, a student who comes to class on time and quietly takes notes will earn a C for the term, as s/he has neither detracted from nor enhanced the dynamic of our class meetings, and a C represents an average effort. A student who consistently contributes to our class discussions of the material in a way that demonstrates a thoughtful engagement with the readings and the visual evidence will earn a B or an A for the participation component of her/his grade, depending on the extent to which s/he contributed to our exploration of the material as a group. Discussion and Etiquette This course will address a number of controversial and personal issues and is likely to challenge many aspects of your current system of beliefs. Thus, courtesy and open-mindedness are necessities. You should be prepared to respect others’ opinions, positions, and experiences, even when they are different from your own. You should be willing to consider adjusting your opinion from time to time to accommodate new information. You are encouraged to think of this course as an opportunity to ‘try on’ new perspectives—some you’ll discard and others you may carry into your life beyond this class. You don’t have to agree with your instructor or your classmates, but you are expected to conduct yourself with civility and respect for your peers at all times. Interruptions, derogatory remarks, and private conversations will not be tolerated. If you are uncomfortable speaking in class for some reason, please talk with me about it. One of my primary goals for this course is to help foster an environment in which all students feel comfortable exploring new ideas and expressing their perspectives on the issues. Blog A portion of each student’s class participation grade will come from her/his contributions to our blog--see class website url on page 1 of syllabus. This forum will allow you to continue our class discussions throughout the week and between our class meetings. Building on the feminist principle that “the personal is political,” the blog will also allow you to discuss how the course material relates to your own everyday experiences outside of class. Service-Learning Projects A major component of this course will be the service projects we will conduct throughout the semester with local non-profit organizations that serve women and/or girls. Each student will work with a single agency, learning about the organization’s mission and practices and, in most cases, working closely with the individuals served by the agency. Each student will keep a journal in which s/he reflects on connections they identify between their service experiences and our course material. At the end of the semester, the students working at each site will work together to prepare a presentation for the class based on their service experiences. Group members will also work together during the second half of the semester to develop a final project designed to benefit the agency in some way or to raise awareness of the issues addressed by the organization. Readings We will use the following books in this course: • Amy Kesselman, Lily D. McNair, Nancy Schniedewind, eds. Women: Images and Realities, A Multicultural Anthology. 4th ed. (Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2007). *referred to below as KMS • Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins, eds. Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology. 7th ed. (Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2010). *referred to below as AHC • Susan M. Shaw and Janet Lee, eds. Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. 4th ed. (Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009). *referred to below as SL • Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues. (New York: Villard, 2001). Additional readings from other sources will be posted on e-reserve and are indicated accordingly on the schedule below. Please bring the textbooks and/or copies of all readings to each class meeting, as we will frequently refer to particular passages in our discussions. Since there are a number of readings assigned for each class meeting, we will not have time to discuss all of them in detail. However, you will be responsible for understanding all of the material they cover for the exams. Thus, I encourage you to take responsibility for your own learning process by bringing any questions you have about the readings to class so we can be sure to cover them in our discussions. If we are unable to get to your question or comment during our class meeting, please post your thought(s) on the blog so your classmates can discuss them there. To help ensure that you understand and retain the information presented in the readings, I also strongly encourage you to take notes on them—either as you read them, or as a review after you finish each one.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sovereign Invulnerability: Sexual Politics and the Ontology of Rape
    SSStttooonnnyyy BBBrrrooooookkk UUUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy The official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. ©©© AAAllllll RRRiiiggghhhtttsss RRReeessseeerrrvvveeeddd bbbyyy AAAuuuttthhhooorrr... Sovereign Invulnerability: Sexual Politics and the Ontology of Rape A Dissertation Presented by Jane Clare Jones to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy Stony Brook University December 2016 Copyright by Jane Clare Jones 2016 ii Stony Brook University The Graduate School Jane Clare Jones We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. Dissertation Advisor – Dr. Edward S Casey Distinguished Professor, Department of Philosophy Chairperson of Defense – Dr. Megan Craig Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy Internal Reader – Dr. Eva Kittay Distinguished Professor, Department of Philosophy External Reader – Dr. Fiona Vera-Gray Durham Law School, Durham University, UK This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School Charles Taber Dean of the Graduate School iii Abstract of the Dissertation Sovereign Invulnerability: Sexual Politics and the Ontology of Rape by Jane Clare Jones Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy Stony Brook University 2016 As Rebecca Whisnant has noted, notions of “national…and…bodily (especially sexual) sovereignty are routinely merged in
    [Show full text]
  • Confronting Pornography: Some Conceptual Basics Rebecca Whisnant University of Dayton, [email protected]
    University of Dayton eCommons Philosophy Faculty Publications Department of Philosophy 2004 Confronting Pornography: Some Conceptual Basics Rebecca Whisnant University of Dayton, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub Part of the Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Philosophy Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons eCommons Citation Whisnant, Rebecca, "Confronting Pornography: Some Conceptual Basics" (2004). Philosophy Faculty Publications. 167. http://ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub/167 This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Philosophy at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Philosophy Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Rebecca Whisnant Confronting pornography: Some conceptual basics Porn takes over There can be no doubt, at this moment in history, that pornography is a truly massive industry saturating the human community. According to one set of numbers, the US porn industry's revenue went from $7 million in 1972 to $8 billion in 1996 ... and then to $12 billion in 2000.1 Now I'm no economist, and I understand about inflation, but even so, it seems to me that a thousand­ fold increase in a particular industry's revenue within 25 years is something that any thinking person has to come to grips with. Something is happening in this culture, and no person's understanding of sexuality or experience of relationships can be unaffected. The technologies of pornography are ever more dynamic. Obviously, video porn was a huge step up from magazines and even from film.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reproductive Rights of Women in Prisons
    Wright State University CORE Scholar Browse all Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2014 A Feminist Oversight: The Reproductive Rights of Women in Prisons Rebecca Burgan Wright State University Follow this and additional works at: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Repository Citation Burgan, Rebecca, "A Feminist Oversight: The Reproductive Rights of Women in Prisons" (2014). Browse all Theses and Dissertations. 1192. https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all/1192 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Browse all Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A FEMINIST OVERSIGHT: THE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF INCARCERATED WOMEN A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Humanities By REBECCA MARIE BURGAN B.A., University of Florida, 2011 2014 Wright State University WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL April 17, 2014 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY Rebecca Marie Burgan ENTITLED A Feminist Oversight: The Reproductive Rights of Incarcerated Women BE ACCEPTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Humanities. ________________________ Hope Jennings, Ph.D. Thesis Director _______________________ Valerie Stoker, Ph.D. Director, Master of Humanities Program Committee on Final Examination _______________________ Hope Jennings, Ph. D. _______________________ Karen Lahm, Ph. D. ________________________ Marie Thompson, Ph.D. ________________________ Robert E. W. Fyffe, Ph.D. Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School ABSTRACT Burgan, Rebecca Marie.
    [Show full text]
  • The Seduction of Feminist Theory
    Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2011 The Seduction of Feminist Theory Erin Amann Holliday-Karre Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons Recommended Citation Holliday-Karre, Erin Amann, "The Seduction of Feminist Theory" (2011). Dissertations. 168. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/168 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 2011 Erin Amann Holliday-Karre LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO THE SEDUCTION OF FEMINIST THEORY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN ENGLISH LITERATURE BY ERIN HOLLIDAY-KARRE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MAY 2011 Copyright by Erin Holliday-Karre, 2011 All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am eternally indebted to Pamela L. Caughie not only for her tireless work on and enthusiastic support of this project but also for her friendship, which ultimately pushed me to persist with an “ambitious” dissertation. To Anne Callahan for spending so many hours in her writing studio helping me search for just the right word to capture what I was trying to say. To Holly Laird for graciously acknowledging in my work a previous aspiration of her own and for her masterful editorial skills.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects and Limitations of Rape Law and Policy Reforms in Ethiopia
    Effects and Limitations of Rape Law and Policy Reforms in Ethiopia Mesay Hagos Asfaw A Dissertation Submitted to the Center for Human Rights, College of Law and Governance Studies, Addis Ababa University, in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Philosophy Doctor (PhD) in Human Rights Supervisors: Dr. Meron Zeleke Eresso Dr. Emezat Hailu Mengesha Center for Human Rights, College of Law and Governance Studies, Addis Ababa University March 2020 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby declare that this dissertation is my original work and, to the best of my knowledge, contains no material which has been previously submitted as part of the requirements of any other academic degree or non-degree program and that all sources of information used in this dissertation have been duly acknowledged. _________________________ _________________________ Mesay Hagos Asfaw Date I SUPERVISORS’ APPROVAL This dissertation has been submitted for examination with my approval as a supervisor. Name: Dr. Meron Zeleke Eresso Signature: _______________________ Date: _______________________ Name: Dr. Emezat Hailu Mengesha Signature: _______________________ Date: _______________________ HEAD OF THE CENTER OR PHD PROGRAM COORDINATOR Name: _______________________________________________ Signature: _______________________ Date: _______________ II TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... VI NOTES ON ETHIOPIAN NAMING SYSTEM AND
    [Show full text]
  • [Not] Buying It: Prostitution As Unwanted Sex Rebecca Whisnant University of Dayton, [email protected]
    Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence Volume 2 | Issue 2 Article 9 June 2017 [Not] Buying It: Prostitution as Unwanted Sex Rebecca Whisnant University of Dayton, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity Part of the Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, and the Feminist Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Whisnant, Rebecca (2017) "[Not] Buying It: Prostitution as Unwanted Sex," Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence: Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 9. DOI: 10.23860/dignity.2017.02.02.09 Available at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol2/iss2/9https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol2/iss2/9 This Research and Scholarly Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. [Not] Buying It: Prostitution as Unwanted Sex Abstract Noting the relative invisibility of prostitution buyers, or Johns, in discussions of the morality of prostitution, this article criticizes Johns’ behavior on the grounds that they are culpably involved in causing the typical harms of prostitution in the lives of the women whom they pay for sex. Those harms are, at bottom, the result of being habitually subjected to unwanted sex, and they are exacerbated rather than mitigated by such sex being bought and paid for. Efforts to normalize and legalize sex-buying should therefore be resisted. Keywords prostitution, trauma, sex, harm, dissociation, money, violence, silencing, men, johns Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
    [Show full text]
  • His Feminist Facade: the Neoliberal Co-Option of the Feminist Movement Follow This and Additional Works At
    Seattle Journal for Social Justice Volume 14 Issue 2 Fall 2015 Article 9 4-27-2016 His Feminist Facade: The Neoliberal Co-option of the Feminist Movement Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sjsj Anjilee Part Dodgeof the Administr ative Law Commons, Agriculture Law Commons, Arts and Humanities Commons, MyBankingani Gilber and Financet Law Commons, Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Commercial Law Commons, Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, Consumer Protection Law Commons, Criminal Law Commons, Criminal Procedure Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Disability Law Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Energy and Utilities Law Commons, Family Law Commons, Fourteenth Amendment Commons, Health Law and Policy Commons, Housing Law Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, Immigration Law Commons, Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons, Insurance Law Commons, Intellectual Property Law Commons, International Trade Law Commons, Juvenile Law Commons, Labor and Employment Law Commons, Land Use Law Commons, Law and Gender Commons, Law and Psychology Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, Legal History Commons, Legal Remedies Commons, Legislation Commons, Marketing Law Commons, National Security Law Commons, Natural Resources Law Commons, Other Education Commons, Other Law Commons, Privacy Law Commons, Property Law and Real Estate Commons, Secured Transactions Commons, Securities Law Commons, Sexuality and the Law Commons, Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Social Welfare Law Commons, Transnational Law Commons, and the Water Law Commons Recommended Citation Dodge, Anjilee and Gilbert, Myani (2016) "His Feminist Facade: The Neoliberal Co-option of the Feminist Movement," Seattle Journal for Social Justice: Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Vita, Caputi, June 2018
    1 Jane Caputi Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Communication & Multimedia Studies Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida 33431-0991 561 297-3865 June 2018 [email protected] Educational History: Ph.D., Aug. 1982, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, American Culture. MA, Aug. 1977, Simmons College, Boston, MA, 02115, Library Science. BA, May 1974, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02167, cum laude, in History. Employment History: (principal): Visiting Scholar of Interdisciplinary Studies, Merrimack College, Andover, MA, September 2017-June 2018. Professor, August 1997 - present, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Communication & Multimedia, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, 33431-0991 Acting Co-Director, Women’s Studies, Florida Atlantic University, Jan. 2005-May 2005. Professor, 1995 - 1997, American Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131 Associate Professor, 1989 - 1995, American Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. Assistant Professor, 1982 - 1989, American Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. Professional Recognition and Awards: SCAF (Scholarly and Creative Activities for Faculty) award, Spring 2017, Florida Atlantic University. This award grants a semester free from teaching to enable research. Eminent Scholar, 2016. Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association. This award recognizes one scholar in the field for a calendar year. Susan B. Anthony Feminist of the Year Award, Palm Beach County NOW (National Organization of Women), February 2013 Researcher of the Year for Scholarly and Creative Activities (Professor), Florida Atlantic University, 2012-2013 President's Award, 2010, given in recognition of outstanding scholarship in the field of popular culture and American culture studies and service to the Popular Culture/American Culture Association SCAF (Scholarly and Creative Activities for Faculty) award, Spring 2010, Florida Atlantic University.
    [Show full text]
  • Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography Christine Stark Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition
    University of Dayton eCommons Philosophy Faculty Publications Department of Philosophy 2004 Not For Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography Christine Stark Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition Rebecca Whisnant University of Dayton, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub Part of the Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Philosophy Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons eCommons Citation Stark, Christine and Whisnant, Rebecca, "Not For Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography" (2004). Philosophy Faculty Publications. 162. http://ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub/162 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Philosophy at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Philosophy Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Rebecca Whisnant Confronting pornography: Some conceptual basics Porn takes over There can be no doubt, at this moment in history, that pornography is a truly massive industry saturating the human community. According to one set of numbers, the US porn industry's revenue went from $7 million in 1972 to $8 billion in 1996 ... and then to $12 billion in 2000.1 Now I'm no economist, and I understand about inflation, but even so, it seems to me that a thousand­ fold increase in a particular industry's revenue within 25 years is something that any thinking person has to come to grips with. Something is happening in this culture, and no person's understanding of sexuality or experience of relationships can be unaffected.
    [Show full text]
  • Repair Versus Rejuvenation: the Condition of Vaginas As a Proxy for the Societal Status of Women
    Seattle Journal for Social Justice Volume 9 Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2011 Article 12 May 2011 Repair Versus Rejuvenation: The Condition of Vaginas as a Proxy for the Societal Status of Women Patricia A. Broussard Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sjsj Recommended Citation Broussard, Patricia A. (2011) "Repair Versus Rejuvenation: The Condition of Vaginas as a Proxy for the Societal Status of Women," Seattle Journal for Social Justice: Vol. 9 : Iss. 2 , Article 12. Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sjsj/vol9/iss2/12 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications and Programs at Seattle University School of Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Seattle Journal for Social Justice by an authorized editor of Seattle University School of Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 935 Repair Versus Rejuvenation: The Condition of Vaginas as a Proxy for the Societal Status of Women Patricia A. Broussard* I have just returned from hell. I am trying for the life of me to figure out how to communicate what I have seen and heard in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. How do I convey these stories of atrocities without your shutting down, quickly turning the page or feeling too disturbed? Eve Ensler1 I. INTRODUCTION The harsh reality of life is that, in some parts of the world, there are “wars against women”2 that provide the hellish environments of which Eve Ensler speaks. More precisely, these wars are actually wars within wars, or as 60 Minutes refers to them, “hidden wars.”3 Recent conflicts in Darfur (Sudan), Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been deemed civil wars, and the world appears to view them as just that.
    [Show full text]
  • The Harms of Pornography: a Feminist Framework AGENDA October 24-25, 2017
    The Harms of Pornography: A Feminist Framework AGENDA October 24-25, 2017 The Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault proudly brings you this two-day training featuring three national experts, two documentary screenings, a panel discussion featuring feminist scholars and experts from Indiana, and small group discussions designed for service providers working in the fields of sexual violence prevention and response. DAY 1 – OCTOBER 24, 2017 9:00am – 9:05am Opening Remarks 9:05am – 12:05pm Dr. Rebecca Whisnant Rebecca Whisnant is professor and chair of the philosophy department at the University of Dayton. She is the editor (with Christine Stark) of Not for Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography and (with Peggy DesAutels) Global Feminist Ethics. Her most recent journal publications include “Pornography, Humiliation, and Consent,” “Our Blood: Andrea Dworkin on Race, Privilege, and Women’s Common Condition,” and “But What About Feminist Porn?” Examining the Work of Tristan Taormino.” She is a founder and board member of Culture Reframed, a national nonprofit addressing pornography as the public health crisis of the digital age. 12:05pm – 1:35pm Lunch on Your Own 1:35pm – 3:05pm Dr. Robert Jensen Robert Jensen is a professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas, a founding board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center, and a member of the board of Culture Reframed. Jensen’s new book, The End of Patriarchy: Radical Feminism for Men, is out from Spinifex Press. It offers a critique of the pathology of patriarchy that is at the core of today’s crises.
    [Show full text]
  • Interventions in Woman As Spectacle: the Political Economy Of
    INTERVENTIONS IN WOMAN AS SPECTACLE: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF DESIRE IN LATE CAPITALIST SOCIETIES by SCARLETT CUNNINGHAM A THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Gender and Race in the Graduate School of The University of Alabama TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA 2010 Copyright Scarlett Cunningham 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT How do we discuss female sexual empowerment as feminists in this third wave political moment given the multiplicity of female sexual desires and the multiplicity of women‘s identities? To what degree can women make spectacles out of themselves and such a project be read as transgressive? This thesis examines debates surrounding feminist visions of female sexualities. The project questions the concept of desire as a self producing entity resistant to social critique in late capitalist contexts and examines how desire has replaced labor as commodity in late capitalist societies. It shifts the discussion on desire away from conceptions of it as autonomous performance and towards materialist feminist understandings of desire as materially produced. Must desire be historicized in the third wave political moment? Besides addressing these questions, this thesis attempts to radically divorce desire, lust, and pleasure from biological, ahistorical, free-standing conceptualizations and view them as historically and culturally constructed rather than as natural, trans-cultural phenomena. This thesis is a nexus of conversations between materialist feminists and poststructuralist feminists to better understand critiques of western sex radical movements as well as the tension regarding where the economic and the discursive belong in politics of revolt. This thesis attempts to reclaim a radical sense of sexual ethics in feminism.
    [Show full text]