Central European University (Vienna) Department of Gender Studies
FOUNDATIONS IN GENDER STUDIES 1
MA Level Mandatory Course, 4 credits Fall 2021–2022
Course Syllabus
Group 1 INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr Hannah Loney Contact: loneyh@ceu.edu COURSE INFORMATION
Course Description:
This is an introductory course that is designed to familiarize students with some of the key concepts, theories, and debates in the broad interdisciplinary field of gender studies. The first part of the course will engage key concepts and debates in gender studies and feminist theory.
The second part of the course will trace the development of different theories on women, gender, and social transformation from the 18th century through to the early 1990s. The third part of the course will provide an opportunity to reflect upon the past and future(s) of gender studies and feminist theory. By the end of the course, students will have read and be able to use key concepts and theories in gender studies in a nuanced way, informed by their contexts and critique.
Learning Outcomes:
In this course, students will read and engage with scholars whose work is considered foundational in the field and develop an appreciation for historicizing and contextualizing these works. In terms of skills, students will learn and practice how to formulate arguments; how to read, understand, and critically analyze texts; how to reflect upon and make sense of new material; and how to express their ideas with clarity and precision in written and oral form.
Overall, this course is intended to prepare students for Foundations in Gender Studies II, which will explore feminist critiques the universality of the category “woman,” as well as the desirability and possibility of theory that aims to produce broad generalizations and comprehensive social analyses.
Note: There are two groups of the mandatory course, Foundations in Gender Studies 1. Group 1 will be taught by Dr Hannah Loney; Group 2 will be taught by Professor Éva Fodor. The courses have similar descriptions, learning outcomes, and readings. The courses are distinguished primarily by the disciplinary expertise of the instructor and their associated approach: Dr Loney’s class will adopt a more historical approach, in which students are encouraged to historicize and contextualize texts as primary sources; and consider how we re- read “classic” feminist texts in the contemporary context. Professor Fodor’s class will adopt a more sociological approach to understanding key theories and concepts in gender studies.
REQUIREMENTS & EXPECTATIONS
This course will be taught onsite in Vienna, unless mandated differently by national emergency regulations. At the same time, the instructor will accommodate students who cannot secure visas or arrange their travel to Austria in time for the beginning of the Academic Year. Such students will be able to participate in the course online (synchronously) until they arrive and can safely join class on campus. All materials will be made available via the course e-learning site (Moodle).
Each week, students are required to complete the readings and participate in 2 x class discussions (1 hour 40 mins each). The class discussions will be held on Tuesday from 8:50 to 10:30 and on Wednesday from 15:40 to 17:20. If you are concerned that you may not be able to attend the class in any given week – due to illness, serious unavoidable matters, religious observances, or emergency care obligations – please contact the instructor in advance, so that alternate arrangements can be made. In these circumstances, and conditional upon the approval of the instructor, you may write a 1-page (approx. 250-word) response to the readings and discussion prompts. This response must be submitted via email to the instructor within one week of the missed class.
Where appropriate, students with a disability, medical condition(s), or carer responsibilities should contact the instructor prior to the start of term to discuss suitable adjustments to their participation or assessment.
ASSESSMENT
Your final grade for this course will be based on the following elements:
• Class attendance and participation: 25%
• Reflective journal: 25%
• Class presentation: 25%
• Take-home exam: 25%
Class Attendance and Participation (25%)
Students are expected to attend, prepare for, and participate actively in biweekly class discussions. Students may have one excused absence; beyond that, each unexcused absence will negatively affect your final course grade. In order to prepare for the class discussions, students should complete the weekly readings and make some notes in response to the discussion prompts. Please note that the quality, depth, thoughtfulness, and regularity of your contributions to class discussions is more important than sheer quantity.
Note: Students should complete all weekly readings before the first class of the week (Tuesday).
Class attendance and participation will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Regular attendance
• Evidence of preparation and engagement with the material
• Quality and thoughtfulness of comments
• Responding to others in a meaningful and constructive way
Note: Students will receive interim feedback on their class attendance and participation via email in Week 6.
Reflective Journal (25%)
Students are required to write a short reflection of approx. 200 words (or equivalent) in response to the topic and readings introduced each week. The aim of this task is to encourage you to engage in an ongoing process of critical reflection; to make sense of the material discussed within the course in relation to your own knowledge and experiences. Some weeks, you will be provided with a specific prompt; in general, though, you should consider: what was the most striking point that emerged from the readings and class discussions? How did it add to or enrich your understanding of gender studies and feminist theory? How did it relate to your own knowledge, experiences, and research interests? The majority of the reflections should take the form of written text, but students may present three of their reflections in a creative form (such as an artwork, poem, or mind map with a short accompanying explanation).
Journal entries should be submitted via email to the instructor within one week of the relevant class discussion. At the end of the term, students are required to compile five of their strongest (or favourite) journal entries and submit the compilation for assessment. Compilations should be submitted in hard copy to the instructor during the final class in Week 12 (Tuesday).
Reflective journals will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Understanding of the topic and readings
• Quality of analysis and critical reflection
• Use of relevant evidence and examples
• Creativity and originality of thought Class Presentation (25%)
Students are required to select one course reading, then write a short paper and present to the class (during the first class of the relevant week) on the topic of “revisiting” this text today.
The presentation schedule will be compiled in the second class of Week 1 (Wednesday). In the presentation, students are required to provide a short summary of the author, text, and contribution to feminist theory; and consider how this text might be read in the contemporary context. A short PowerPoint may accompany the presentation, but this is not mandatory. The presentations should be no longer than 10 minutes.
Within one week of giving the presentation, students are required to submit a 3–4-page (approx.
1,200 words) to the instructor via email.
Class presentations will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Understanding of the text, author, and contribution to feminist theory
• Informed reflections on contemporary reading(s) of the text
• Presentation structure and delivery
• Quality of written expression
• Correct referencing and formatting
Take-Home Exam (25%)
Students are required to complete a take-home exam of 8 pages (approx. 2,500 words) that requires you to demonstrate your understanding of key concepts, theories, and debates in gender studies and feminist theory. The exam will be made available on the course Moodle site after the final class in Week 12 (Tuesday). No further research outside of the course syllabus is required, but students need to be conversant with the topics and readings that we have discussed throughout the course.
The exam is due on Monday, December 13, at 23:59, and should be submitted to instructor via email.
Take-home exams will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Understanding of key concepts, theories, and debates in gender studies and feminist theory
• Quality of analysis and argument
• Use of relevant evidence and examples
• Quality of written expression and structure
• Correct referencing and formatting
Note: Students must submit and pass all pieces of assessment in order to pass this course.
Writing and Submission Guidelines:
All written work must be uploaded to the relevant submission link on Moodle as a Word document, 1.5 spaced, 12-point font, with standard 2.5cm margins and page numbers in the bottom right-hand corner. Hard copy submission is not required. Applications for extensions should be submitted to the instructor in writing, attaching supporting documentation where relevant. Assignments submitted late without permission from the instructor will be penalized a third of a grade (one “notch”) for every day after the due date (A to A-; B+ to B;
etc.) to a maximum of five days. Papers should be fully referenced and include a bibliography (formatted correctly and consistently in accordance with the academic style guidelines of your choosing).
Student papers will be returned to students in a timely manner (two weeks during term). Final papers with grades and comments will be returned within two weeks after the deadline for final grades.
POLICIES, REGULATIONS, AND PROCEDURES
For policies, regulations, and procedures, please refer to the MA Handbook; the Code of Ethics of the Central European University; Student Rights, Rules and Academic Regulations; Equal Opportunities Policy; the Central European University Policy on Harassment; and the Student Disability Policy.
Academic Misconduct:
Academic misconduct involves acts which may subvert or compromise the integrity of the educational process at CEU. Any form of plagiarism, i.e., representing the ideas or words of
another scholar without proper attribution to the source of those ideas of words, whether intentional or not, is considered a serious form of academic misconduct. Students should consult the instructor or the Centre for Academic Writing if they are unclear about the difference between appropriate citation and plagiarism. Acts of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, will result in serious consequences, such as a failing grade for the assignment or course. Students are assumed to be fully aware of plagiarism and its consequences. For more information, please refer to CEU’s Policy on Student Plagiarism, CEU Code of Ethics, or the Centre for Academic Writing.
Student Evaluations:
Student feedback is welcome at any time during the term. Informal midterm evaluations will be conducted in Week 5 or 6, and formal evaluations of courses and instructors are collected by CEU at the end of term. These evaluations are anonymous. Students are encouraged to complete these evaluations as they are important for the continuous improvement of the course, as well as for faculty assessments.
Support during the COVID-19 Pandemic:
In situations that are uncertain and evolving such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is normal to experience stress, anxiety, or sadness. Please reach out to your classmates, the instructor should you require any additional support or assistance. CEU also offers a range of support services that you may find useful:
• Student Counselling Services offers confidential student psychological counselling services.
• Emergency financial support is available to students whose studies have been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic via the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund.
• The Centre for Academic Writing provides students with guidance and support, including courses in academic writing and individual consultations.
• The CEU Library offers online support.
Please ensure that you regularly check your CEU email, the course Moodle site, as well as the CEU Covid-19 Advice and Updates site, for any relevant updates.
Trigger Warning and Student Wellbeing:
This course deals with topics – including gender, sex, sexuality, race, class – that may cause discomfort to some students in challenging them to explore their attitudes to such topics. Other topics addressed – violence, discrimination, repression – may have very personal and traumatic connotations for some students. While discussion of such topics is important in an academic setting, it is essential that these discussions take place with the utmost respect for other students’ views and experiences.
Students are expected to take responsibility for:
• checking the topics for discussion each week in the syllabus and on Moodle, and raising any concerns with the instructor in advance;
• informing the class when they will be presenting explicit or confronting material in class presentations, with a brief description of its nature;
• discussing how to manage the presentation of such material with the instructor ahead of time (if necessary);
• seeking assistance if material encountered causes distress. Students may choose to leave a class if they find the material presented personally distressing; but should be aware that this may not always be possible without compromising the academic integrity of the course.
Students for whom the above causes difficulties should consult with the instructor.
Background Knowledge:
Students come with different levels of background knowledge to our MA programs. Some will have read several (or even many) of the texts discussed within this course; others may not have seen any of them before. Some are native speakers of English; for others, English is a first, second, or even third language. That is all okay. Some of the readings are quite challenging and require engagement with complex concepts, long-standing debates, or remote contexts and unfamiliar language(s). The instructor will help you understand the key terms, concepts, and arguments; but if you require additional support, there are several options:
• Read (or listen to) the recommended background material.
• Undertake further research: search online; or consult the reference works and handbooks available for many important fields in gender studies in the CEU Library.
• Help each other: form study groups and discuss the readings, ask your classmates if something is unclear, ask your friends if they need help if you see them struggling.
• Contact the instructor to arrange a consultation.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Week: Date Starting: Topic:
1 September 20 Part I: Key Concepts and Debates Introduction
2 September 27 Sex, Gender, and Society 3 October 4 Feminist Theory
4 October 11 Part II: Historical Perspectives
Women’s Emancipation: Rights and Revolution
5 October 18 Marxist / Socialist Feminism: Gender and Class Politics 6 October 25 Conference: “Forging New Solidarities: Networks of
(Academic) Activism and Precarity”
Tuesday, October 26: National Holiday [no class]
7 November 1 The “Second Wave”: Women’s Oppression and Programmes of Liberation
8 November 8 Radical Feminism: Sex, Power, Patriarchy, and the State 9 November 15 Lesbian Feminism: Sex, Sexuality, and Activism
10 November 22 Intersectionality: Identity, Politics, Difference
11 November 29 Part III: Reflections and Future Directions Feminist Standpoints and Situational Knowledges 12 December 6 On the History and Future of Feminist Thought
Wednesday, December 8: Immaculate Conception Day [no class]
Part I: Key Concepts and Debates Week 1: Introduction
This week will provide an introduction to gender studies and feminist theory. Your readings are intended as sources of provocation and inspiration: what was your experience in reading these pieces? Please come to class prepared to tell us a little bit about yourself and your interest in gender studies.
• Adrienne Rich, “Claiming an Education” Speech delivered at the Convocation of Douglass College (1977), On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose 1966–1978 (New York: WW Norton & Company, 1979), 330–337.
• Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas (England, 1938), in The Essential Feminist Reader, ed. Estelle B. Freedman (New York: The Modern Library, 2007), 220–230.
• Audre Lorde, “Who Said It Was Simple,” From A Land Where Other People Live (Detroit: Broadside Press, 1973), 39.
• Eli Clare, “A Note on Reading This Book: Thinking About Trigger Warnings,”
Brilliant Imperfections: Grappling with Cure (Durham: Duke University Press, 2017), x–xxi.
Week 2: Sex, Gender, and Society
This week, we will begin to unpack key concepts in gender studies and feminist theory, including “woman”, sexuality, sex, gender, identity, and difference. How has thinking about these concepts, and the relationships between them, changed over time and space?
• Simone de Beauvoir, “Introduction,” The Second Sex (New York: Vintage Books, 2011 [1949]), 23–39.
• Thomas Laqueur, “Of Language and the Flesh,” Making Sex: Body and Gender from the Greeks to Freud (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003 [1990]), 1–24.
• Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí, “Conceptualizing Gender: The Eurocentric Foundations of Feminist Concepts and the Challenge of African Epistemologies,” in African Gender Scholarship: Concepts, Methodologies and Paradigms, ed. Signe Arnfred et. al (Dakar:
Council for the Development of Social Sciences in Africa; Oxford: African Books Collective, 2004).
Week 3: Feminist Theory
This is a course on feminist theory. But first: what is feminism (and what can it be)? What is theory? What is feminist theory? What does feminist theory aim to do? What kinds of questions does it ask? What is the relationship between theory and feminist praxis?
• bell hooks, “Theory as Liberatory Practice,” Yale Journal of Law and Feminism 4, no.
1 (1991): 1–12.
• Sara Ahmed, “Whose Counting,” Feminist Theory 1, no. 1 (2000): 97–103.
• Clare Hemmings, “Telling Feminist Stories,” Feminist Theory 6, no. 2 (2005): 115–
139.
• Raewyn Connell, “Rethinking Gender from the South,” Feminist Studies 40, no. 3 (2014): 518–539.
Part II: Historical Perspectives
Week 4: Women’s Emancipation: Rights and Revolution
This week, we will examine ideas about “women’s emancipation”. What did this concept mean for feminist writers and philosophers in the long eighteenth century? To what extent did this concept translate to different times and places? What did it mean to these thinkers to
“emancipate” women? What role did education play? How important was the right to vote?
• Mary Wollstonecraft, introduction and an excerpt from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), in Transatlantic Feminisms in the Age of Revolutions, ed. Lisa L.
Moore, Joanna Brooks, and Caroline Wigginton (New York: Oxford University Press 2012).
• Kishida Toshiko, “Daughters in Boxes” (Japan, 1883), in The Essential Feminism Reader, ed. Estelle B. Freedman (New York: The Modern Library, 2007), 99–103.
• Francisca Diniz, “Equality of Rights” (Brazil, 1890), in The Essential Feminism Reader, ed. Estelle B. Freedman (New York: The Modern Library, 2007), 112–115.
• John Stuart Mill, “Chapter I,” The Subjection of Women (1869 [1861]):
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27083/27083-h/27083-h.htm.
Background Reading:
• David Runciman, “Wollstonecraft on Sexual Politics | Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792,” Talking Politics: History of Ideas (47.46 mins):
https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/history-of-ideas-1.
Week 5: Marxist / Socialist Feminism: Gender and Class Politics
This week will focus on Marxist / Socialist interpretations of gender and class. What are the key elements of Marxist / Socialist feminist theorizing? How did these ideas change over time, and in accordance with different historical circumstances and events?
• Friedrich Engels, The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State (Germany, 1884), in The Essential Feminist Reader, ed. Estelle B. Freedman (New York: The Modern Library, 1007), 104–111.
• Emma Goldman, “The Tragedy of Woman’s Emancipation” (1906), Marxists Internet Archive:
https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1906/tragedy- women.htm.
• Alexandra Kollontai, “Sexual Relations and the Class Struggle” (1921), Marxists Internet Archive: https://www.marxists.org/archive/kollonta/1921/sex-class- struggle.htm.
• Ding Ling, “Thoughts on March 8” [1942], I Myself Am a Woman. Selected Writings of Ding Ling, ed. Tani E. Barlow with Gary J. Bjorge (Boston: Beacon Press, 1989), 316–321.
Background Reading:
• Heidi Hartmann, “The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism. Towards a More Progressive Union,” in The Second Wave. A Reader in Feminist Theory, ed. Linda Nicholson (New York and London: Routledge, 1982), 97–122.
Week 6: Conference: “Forging New Solidarities: Networks of (Academic) Activism and Precarity”
There will be no classes held this week; instead, you are invited to attend the International Research Association of Institutions of Advanced Gender Studies (RINGS) conference on
“Forging New Solidarities: Networks of (Academic) Activism and Precarity” (online).
Background Reading:
[to help you contextualize our focus in the next few weeks on the 1960s and 1970s]:
• Susan Watkins, “Which Feminisms?,” New Left Review 109 (Jan–Feb 2018), 5–76.
Week 7: The “Second Wave”: Women’s Oppression and Programmes of Liberation
This week, we will look at “second wave” feminism. On what grounds did women come together in the 1960s and 1970s to demand change? What would be the basis of women’s agency? What did “women’s liberation” mean for these thinkers? Why did this era come to hold such a significant place in the history of feminism?
• Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (United States, 1963), in The Essential Feminism Reader, ed. Estelle B. Freedman (New York: The Modern Library, 2007), 269–282.
• Catherine Dwyer, Brazen Hussies (2020). 90 mins.
Week 8: Radical Feminism: Sex, Power, Patriarchy, and the State
This week, we will look at radical feminism of the 1960s and 1970s. How did these theorists think about and frame sexual politics? How important were terms such as “female sexuality,”
“power,” and “patriarchy”? Why did radical feminists advocate the overthrow of existing structures? How did they strategize getting there, what did they envisage being constructed in their place?
• Shulamith Firestone [1970], excerpt from The Dialectic of Sex, in Feminist Philosophies: Problems, Theories, and Applications, 2nd ed., ed. Janet Kourany, James P. Sterba, and Rosemary Tong (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1999), 353–359.
• Andrea Dworkin, “Power,” Pornography: Men Possessing Women (Harmondsworth:
Penguin Books Ltd., [1979] 1989), 13–30.
• Catharine A. MacKinnon, “Sexuality,” Towards a Feminist Theory of the State (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989), 126–154.
• Amia Srinivasan, “Talking to My Students About Porn,” in The Right to Sex (London:
Bloomsbury, 2021), 33–72.
Background Reading:
• David Runciman, “MacKinnon on Patriarchy | Towards a Feminist Theory of the State, 1989,” Talking Politics: History of Ideas (44.52 mins):
https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/history-of-ideas-1.
Week 9: Lesbian Feminism: Sex, Sexuality, and Activism
This week, we will look at lesbian feminism. How do these thinkers approach the question of
“women’s oppression”? What is the relationship between lesbian theory, feminism, and activism? What is meant by the phrase “compulsory heterosexuality,” and what are its implications?
• Adrienne Rich, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence,” Signs 5, no. 4 (Summer 1980): 631–660.
• Monique Wittig, “One is Not Born a Woman” [1981], in Feminist Frameworks:
Alternative Theoretical Accounts of the Relations between Women and Men, 3rd ed., ed. Alison M. Jaggar, and Paula S. Rothenberg (Boston: McGraw Hill, 1993), 178–181.
• Cheryl Clarke, “Lesbianism: An Act of Resistance” [1981], in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, 4th ed., ed. Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015), 126–135.
• Cheshire Calhoun, “Separating Lesbian Theory from Feminist Theory,” Ethics 104, no.
3 (April 1994): 558–581.
Week 10: Intersectionality: Identity, Politics, Difference
This week, we will consider a central concept in late nineteenth / early twentieth century feminist theorizing: intersectionality. What does this concept mean? What does it do? How has it been mobilized by feminist theorists and practitioners? How has it been critiqued?
• Claudia Jones, An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman! Reprinted
from Political Affairs, June 1949:
https://ucf.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/ucf%3A4865/datastream/OBJ/view/An_en d_to_the_neglect_of_the_problems_of_the_Negro_woman_.pdf.
• The Combahee River Collective, “The Combahee River Collective Statement”
[1977]: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/combahee-river- collective-statement-1977/.
• Audre Lorde, “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” [1979], in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, 4th ed., ed.
Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015), 94–101.
• Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Policy,” The University of Chicago Legal Forum (1989): 139–167.
Background Reading:
• Jennifer C. Nash, “Re-Thinking Intersectionality,” Feminist Review 89 (2008): 1–15.
Part III: Reflections and Future Directions
Week 11: Feminist Standpoints and Situated Knowledges
This week, we will move to methodological questions: is there a specific feminist standpoint from which to construct knowledge? What solutions have feminist theorists offered for constructing grounds for feminist politics?
• Nancy C. M. Hartsock, “The Feminist Standpoint: Developing the Ground for a Specifically Feminist Historical Materialism,” in Discovering Reality: Feminist Perspectives on Epistemology, Metaphysics, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, ed. Sandra Harding and Merrill B. Hintikka (New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004 [1983]), 283–310.
• Donna Haraway, “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective,” Feminist Studies 14, no. 3 (Autumn 1988): 575–599.
• Adrienne Rich, “Notes Towards a Politics of Location” [1984], in Blood, Bread, and Poetry: Selected Prose, 1979–1985 (New York: Norton, 1986), 210–231.
• Chandra Talpade Mohanty, “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses,” boundary 2 12/13, no. 3 (Spring-Autumn 1984): 333–358.
Week 12: On the History and Future of Feminist Thought
This week, we will reflect upon the past and future of feminist thought. How might we rethink feminist times and spaces (for example, by challenging the prevailing representation of feminist movements as “waves”)? What do the readings tell us about some of the new directions of feminist theory that emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s (and lead us into Foundations II)?
• Becky Thompson, “Multiracial Feminism: Recasting the Chronology of Second Wave Feminism,” Feminist Studies 28, no. 2 (2000): 336–360.
• Vandana Shiva, “Development, Ecology and Women,” Staying Alive: Women, Ecology, and Survival (London: Zed Books, 1988), 1–13.
• Inderpal Grewal and Caren Kaplan, “Introduction: Transnational Feminist Practices and Questions of Postmodernity,” Scattered Hegemonies: Postmodernity and Transnational Feminist Practices, 4th ed., ed. Inderpal Grewal and Caren Kaplan (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2002 [1994]), 1–33.
