B1679 - Gender and Cultures

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

At the end of the course, students will have developed an appropriate knowledge base of theories of gender in relation to cultural processes and an understanding of the relevance of gender as a lens to analyse operations of power. In addition, they will have developed a good awareness of methodological issues in the study of gender and space/place and their mutually constitutive nature. The course will equip students with the analytical skills for digesting complex theories and will enable them to put theories to use in engaging with contemporary debates inside and outside of academia. Finally, students will develop appropriate and diverse research and communication skills where theory can be applied in projects outside of the classroom.

Contenuti

This course explores the construction and lived realities of gender in its intersection with race, space and place. Exploring “gender” as a fluid, socially and spatially constructed category, the course guides students through the ways that gender, race and space intertwine in theory and in lived experience, both historically and in present times. Taught through interdisciplinary contributions ranging from social, feminist, queer and affect theories – across disciplines such as anthropology, political geography, cultural studies, architecture- the course examines the diverse and interconnected understandings, experiences, and effects of “gender” as a system of meaning-making and power across spaces, places and historical times.

During the first two weeks, we will focus on gender and feminist theories, to introduce students to the main debates and issues, starting from the nature/culture divide through to the contestation and dissolution of gender binaries. Following on that we will further examine the interface between gender theory and a variety of other theoretical perspectives applied to the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, including postcolonialism, postmodernism and poststructuralism. The course will also investigate central questions of epistemology and methodology in relation to the application of gender theories in the field of cross-cultural studies

The main focus running through the course will be the body, and body politics. The class will pay particular attention to introducing students to diverse feminist trajectories and embodied politics, including Black feminism, Islamic feminism, feminist liberation movements in the Global south and others.

 

Testi/Bibliografia

Essential companion/readings to the course (sections of)

Kim, Seung-Kyung, and Carole R. McCann. Feminist Theory Reader Local and Global Perspectives. New York and London: Routledge, 2003. Print.

Beasley, C. (2005). Gender & sexuality: Critical theories, critical thinkers. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446220498

The weekly syllabus will draw from this list of further readings:

Puar, Jasbir. 2017. Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times. Duke University Press (sections of)

Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses.” Boundary 2, vol. 12/13, 1984, pp. 333–58. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/302821. Accessed 18 July 2023.

Puwar, Nirwal. 2004. Space Invaders: Race, Gender and Bodies out of Place. London: Bloomsbury (sections of)

[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Invaders-Gender-Bodies-Place/dp/1859736599]

Wehelyie, Alexander Ghedi. A. (2014) Habeas Viscus: Racializing Assemblages, Biopolitics, and Black Feminist Theories of the Human

Najmabadi, Afsaneh. 2013. Professing Selves. Transsexuality and Same-Sex Desire in Contemporary Iran. Duke University Press

Ahmed, Sara. 2014. The cultural politics of emotions (Second edition) Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, Introduction. Feel your way.

Mahmood, Saba(2011) The Politics of piety. The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject. Princeton University Press.

Abu Lughod, Lila. (1998) Remaking Women. Feminism and modernity in the Middle East. Princeton University Press.

Moore, Henrietta (1994) ‘The Cultural Constitution of Gender’, inThe Polity Reader in Gender Studies. Cambridge: Polity Press, pp. 14-21.

Ortner, Sherry (1974) ‘Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture?’, in Michelle Rosaldo & Louise Lamphere (eds.) Woman, Culture & Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press, pp. 67-87.

Connell, R. W. (2002) ‘The Question of Gender’, in Gender. Oxford: Polity, pp. 1-11.

Minsky, Rosalind (1996) ‘Lacan: The meaning of the Phallus’, in Psychoanalysis and Gender: An Introductory Reader. London & New York: Routledge, pp. 137-176.

Flax, Jane (1990) ‘Signifying the father’s desire: Lacan in a feminist gaze’, in Criticism and Lacan: Essays and Dialogue on Language, Structure, and the Unconscious, ed. by Hogan, Patrick Colm and Lalita Pandit. Atlanta & London: University of Georgia Press, pp. 109-119. Perhaps could be replaced by the simpler and classic:

Mitchell, J. (2000) Introduction, in “Psychoanalysis and Feminism: A Radical Reassessment of Freudian Psycoanalysis”

Cixous, Helen (1989) ‘Sorties: Out and Out: Attacks/ways Out/Forays’, in The Feminist Reader, ed. by C. Belsey & J. Moore. London: Macmillan Press, pp. 102-116.

Mohanty, Chandra Talpade et al (2008) ‘Introduction: Feminism and US wars – mapping the ground’, in Feminism and War: Confronting U.S. Imperialism, ed. by. Robon Riley et al. London & New York: Zed Books, pp. 1-18.

Davis, Angela (2008) ‘A vocabulary for feminist praxis: on war and radical critique’, in Feminism and War: Confronting U.S. Imperialism, ed. by. Robon Riley et al. London & New York: Zed Books, pp. 19-26.

Puar, Jasbir (2008) ‘Feminists and queers in the service of empire’ in Feminism and War: Confronting U.S. Imperialism, ed. by. Robon Riley et al. London & New York: Zed Books, pp. 47-55.

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty (1994) ‘Can the Subaltern Speak?’, in Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Theory: A Reader ed. by Patrick Williams & Laura Chrisman. New York & London: Harvester/Wheatsheaf, pp. 66-111.

Braidotti, R. (2003) Becoming Woman: Or Sexual Difference Revisited, in Theory, Culture & Society 20: 43-64

hooks, bell (2001) ‘Black Women Shaping Feminist Theory’, in Feminism & Race, ed. by Kum-Kum Bhavnani. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 33-39.

Hill Collins, Patricia (2001) ‘The Social Construction of Black Feminist Thought’, in Feminism & Race, ed. by Kum-Kum Bhavnani. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 184-202.

Brah, Avtar and Ann Phoenix (2004) Ain't I A Woman? Revisiting Intersectionality. Journal of International Women’s Studies, Vol 5 #3 May 2004, pp. 75-86.

Maynard, Mary (2001) ‘ “Race”, Gender and the Concept of “Difference” in feminist Thought’, in Feminism & Race, ed. by Kum-Kum Bhavnani. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 121-133.

Metodi didattici

The course will be organised around weekly topics. Attending students will receive a syllabus with all weekly lectures and activities at the beginning of the course.

Attending students will be expected to be involved in the class activities, with presentations, discussions and group group.

These activities will be in addition to the frontal lectures delivered by the lecturer. 

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Attending students: (those who attend at least 75% of the class in person)

will submit a final short essay on a topic to be agreed with the lecturer, to be presented also to the class. The essay can be in the form of a blog, an op-ed or a self-reflexive account.

 

Non attending students: The exam will be based on in depth knowledge of :

Beasley, C. (2005). Gender & sexuality: Critical theories, critical thinkers. SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446220498

Kim, Seung-Kyung, and Carole R. McCann. Feminist Theory Reader Local and Global Perspectives. New York and London: Routledge, 2003. Print. (SECTIONS OF)

In addition students will choose a thematic issue and prepare on two journal articles of their choice (from the main list)

 

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Audiovisuals, blogs, social media content will be used to support the  teaching. Visits involving participant observation and walking methods might be utilised. On occasions, there might be some guest lecturers, who might be activists, writers, artists, as well as academics.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Ruba Salih