PSCI 306(S) Practicing Feminism: A Study of Political Activism (Same as ArtS 306 and Women's and Gender Studies 306)
This course explores the issues and problems of putting feminism into practice. What constraints and opportunities confront feminists as they struggle for social change? What are the sources of and limits on their power? How and when do they choose to compromise and negotiate, or object and fight? How are these issues represented in the culture through the press, through other media, through art? We will examine issues such as organizational dynamics, budgetary and administrative constraints, client-staff interactions, power and dependency, and mother-child-family relationships. We will also look at artwork about social issues; activist in nature, and critique imagery from ads to websites that portray women in a range of manners. Students do fieldwork at community agencies involved in health care, social services, and work. A variety of interactions with these organizations are encouraged, ranging from administrative and service work to public art projects that might raise awareness of feminist issues in the community. Format: discussion. Requirements: 1) Students intern at community agencies. These internships require a minimum of 4 hours per week. The internships are to begin the first week of class-OR total at least 48 hours during the semester. 2) Weekly response papers of 1-2 pages are expected; these will relate the worksite to the issues and readings of each week; the questions to be addressed will be posed week by week. 3) There are three projects required through the semester that center on the work sites; these may be public art projects or written papers. 4) Class participation is expected as the principal format of the class is discussion. Prerequisites: Women's and Gender Studies 101; any 200-level courses in Political Science, Studio Art, Sociology. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 12). Preference given to Women's and Gender Studies concentrators.