WGST 402(S) Gender and Global Justice (W)
Is it possible, or indeed desirable, to try to define and defend justice for women on a global scale? Second and third wave feminists warned against generalizing about women's social identities and needs, emphasizing instead the need to recognize women's differences across race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, and social class. But systematic and recurring patterns of gender discrimination against women in societies across the globe have led many feminist thinkers and activists alike to theorize anew about some common sources of women's oppression and remedies for it. Feminist approaches to global justice have emerged in recent years focusing on such factors as the effect of economic globalization (especially structural adjustment) on girls and women; women's subordination in the family and other cultural and religious institutions; women's lack of political voice; the phenomenon of sex trafficking; and the use of rape and gendered violence in war. Among the theories of justice we will explore are liberal feminist approaches which stress the importance of the development of a global human rights framework for protecting women; post-colonial and post-modern feminist approaches, which warn against relying on the state, and the language of liberal rights, as the main instruments for protecting women's interests; and 'capability theory', which emphasize the importance of identifying and supporting women's capabilities in order to secure economic, social, and political justice for women. In addition to texts in social and political theory, we will also incorporate literary fiction and film to explore the questions and prospects surrounding gender justice, especially in non-U.S. settings.
Format: seminar. Requirements: weekly 1- to 2-page paper, one final 15- to 20-page paper.
Prerequisites: Women's and Gender Studies 101 and two electives, or permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 15 (expected: 10). Open to juniors and seniors.
Required course for the Women's and Gender Studies major.
Hour: M. DEVEAUX