WGST 336 Sex, Gender, and Political Theory (Same as Political Science 336) (Not offered 2008-2009; to be offered 2009-2010)

PSCI 336 Sex, Gender, and Political Theory (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 336) (Not offered 2008-2009; to be offered 2009-2010)
In this course, we will explore the contemporary contours of what nineteenth-century thinkers called "the woman question". We will take up a range of perspectives on the "gendered" nature of political concepts and categories, on what constitutes women's oppression, and on what would free women from this condition. Some of the questions we address include: How should we explain differences and inequalities between men and women, by invoking biological factors or by pointing to social and historical factors? Is there a unified concept of"woman" which can ground an emancipatory project and secure a common basis for political solidarity? Can we make general claims about women's and men's lives without negating important differences in terms of race, nation, class, and sexuality? What are the contemporary uses and abuses of classical theories of women's emancipation? Our readings will be drawn from such authors as John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Engels, Alexandra Kollantai, Emma Goldman, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Simone de Beauvoir, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Donna Haraway, Gloria Anzaldua, bell hooks, Luce Irigaray, Catherine MacKinnon, Gail Rubin, Judith Butler, Iris Young, Nancy Fraser, Gayatri Spivak, Wendy Brown, and Chandra Mohanty. In addition to tracing the development of different contemporary feminist perspectives-including liberal, Marxist, psychoanalytic, poststructuralist, and postcolonial views-we will examine these arguments in relation to particular issues in theory and practice, including prostitution, pornography, and marriage.
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: class participation and three papers (6- to 8-pages).
Prerequisites: one previous course in political theory or philosophy, or Women's and Gender Studies 101. Enrollment limit: 25 (expected 19). Preference given to majors in Political Science and Women's and Gender Studies.
Political Theory Subfield
MARASCO