UniversityofVirginiaStudiesinWomenandGenderSWAG381FeministTheoryFall2007Dr.RinaV.WilliamsOfficeHours:MinorHall227cWeds.10:00am—12:00pm(98)2-2961orbyappointmentrvw3k@virginia.eduCourseDescriptionThiscoursewillintroducethehistoricalevolution,majorschoolsofthought,andcurrentdevelopmentsinfeministthinkingoverthelasttwocenturies.Itproceedsfromthefundamentalassumptionthattherearenotonebutmanyfeministtheories.Webeginwithinthewesterntradition,includingthemajorschoolsofliberal,radical,andMarxist/socialistfeminism.Wewillthenconsiderthediversecritiquesoftheseideas.Thesecritiquescamebothfromwithinthewesterntradition—fromwomenofcoloraswellaspostmodernthought—andfromoutsidethewesternworld—fromnon-western,postcolonial,andthirdworldwomen.Thesecriticismsforcedtherecognitionofdifference(s)withinfeminismandamongwomen,andaddressedthecriticalquestionsofhowgenderbothshapedandisshapedbyothercategoriesofidentityincludingrace,class,sexuality,andnationality.Animportantaimistoconsiderwhetherandhow—inlightofdifference(s)amongwomen—itispossibletoformulateandpracticefeministtheorythatcanberelevanttotheconcernsofallwomen,andindeedwhetherthatisalaudableornecessarygoalatall.Throughoutthecourse,studentswillbeencouragedtodrawlinksbetweentheory,everydaylifeanddiverseexperiences,bringingyourownperspectivestobearonthematerial.Thecoursedoesnotpromiseclearanswers,butaimsinsteadatgettingstudentstothinkaboutandaskbetterquestions.Thecoursehasnoprerequisites;however,somepriorexperienceinthinkingaboutgenderandwomen’sissueswillbeadistinctadvantage.SWAG210orsomeotherintroductorywomenstudiescourseisstronglyrecommended.CourseOutcomesUponsuccessfulcompletionofthecourse,studentswillbeableto:Identifythefoundationalthinkersandreadingsoffeministthoughtwithinthewesterntradition;Explainchallengestothewesterntraditionthatoriginatedfrombothwithinandwithoutthattradition;Elaboratethewaysinwhichgenderinteractswithotherformsofsocialidentity;Understandthedifference,andtherelation,betweensexandgender,a