WMNST 601 FOUNDATIONS OF FEMINIST SCHOLARSHIP
FALL 2015
Tuesdays 4:00-6:40pm, Arts & Letters 318
Dr. Kimala Price
Associate Professor, Women’s Studies
Office: Arts and Letters Building, Room #344
Office Phone: 594-8442
Email: kprice@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30am-10:30am, and Wednesdays 10:30am11:30am.
**The Dept. of Women’s Studies is located in Arts and Letters, Room 346.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
This is a seminar designed for first-year Women’s Studies graduate students. In this course, we will
explore: 1) the development of feminist thought, including the theories, issues and major paradigms
that underlie feminist scholarship; 2) the development of women’s studies as an academic discipline;
3) the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality and nation; and 4) how feminism is
simultaneously an intellectual enterprise and a vehicle for social, economic and political
transformation. Additionally, the course is designed to help students further develop their critical
thinking and analytical skills. Through class discussion and written assignments, students will
develop strategies for analyzing and critiquing arguments.
Some of the key concepts covered in this course are: feminist genealogy, epistemology and
methodology; interdisciplinarity; intersectionality; and transnationalism. Note that this course is
designed as a seminar in which graduate students are expected to take an active role. As the
instructor, my main role is to serve as a guide, facilitator and resource.
In this course, students will:
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Develop knowledge of the history and development of women’s studies as a field of
scholarly inquiry as well as knowledge of the history and contributions of feminist
movements.
Identify and apply several feminist theories and concepts.
Demonstrate an understanding of the intersectionality of different dimensions of social
organization (gender, race, class, culture, sexual orientation, etc.) as concepts and as lived
experience.
Recognize feminist methods and approaches to scholarship and research.
Make connections between abstract knowledge and the practice of social activism.
Synthesize, summarize and critique the arguments of others.
Use supporting evidence effectively and appropriately.
Hone research skills.
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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
Carole R. McCann and Seung-Kyung Kim (ed.). 2013. Feminist Theory Reader: Local and Global
Perspectives (3rd edition). New York and London: Routledge. (McCann and Kim)
Michele Tracy Berger and Kathleen Guidroz (ed.). 2009. The Intersectional Approach: Transforming the
Academy through Race, Class & Gender. (Berger and Guidroz)
Catherine M. Orr, Ann Braithwaite and Diane Lichenstein (ed.). 2012. Rethinking Women’s and
Gender Studies. New York: Taylor & Francis. (Orr et al)
Additional Readings are available electronically on Blackboard. (There are approximately 8
documents on Blackboard.)
All of the textbooks are available for sale at the SDSU Bookstore.
GRADING AND ASSIGNMENTS
Class Participation
(Includes leading class discussion)
20%
Ongoing
Short Paper #1: What Has Influenced
Your Feminist Perspective?
10%
September 8
Argument Analysis Papers
(3 Total @ 10% each)
30%
Sept. 29, Oct. 20, and Nov. 3
Short Paper #2: Reflection on Beltrán Talk
10%
November 17
Final Paper
30%
December 8
Class Attendance and Participation
Given that this is a graduate seminar, active participation in class discussion is critical to the success
of this course. Your participation grade will be determined by your contributions to class discussions
as well as your active listening of and response to other students’ opinions, not just the verbal
articulations on one’s individual opinions and analyses.
Participation will be judged according to quality (i.e. substance, thoughtfulness, etc.), not necessarily
just to quantity. Additionally, students are expected to be mindful and respectful of the differences of
opinion and perspectives that will emerge in class discussions. Part of the academic process is
learning how to articulate arguments and to disagree (as well as agree) with other perspectives in an
open, non-confrontational manner.
Students are expected and required to attend all class sessions on time and complete the assigned
readings prior to each class. In case of a foreseeable absence, please let me know in advance.
Students are allowed only two unexcused absences before it affects their grade.
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Remember to turn off and stow away cell phones, iPods, iPads, other tablets, etc., at the
beginning of class, and please refrain from checking email and social media accounts, and
surfing the web on laptops, iPads/tablets, and other electronic device. Additionally, do not
do homework for other courses during class time. These can be very disruptive to class flow,
and the use of them in class can be construed as rude and disrespectful to others. All of
these actions are not only rude toward me, but also toward your fellow classmates.
BLACKBOARD
I use Blackboard to post assignments, announcements, some of the course readings and other
course-related materials. Students should check Blackboard regularly (at least once a week) for class
announcements. I will announce any new Blackboard postings in class.
Leading Class Discussion
As part of the class participation grade, students are required to lead one class discussion this
semester. Students will be leading discussions in groups of 2-3 people. At the beginning of the
semester, students will sign up for the topic/week they are interested in leading discussion.
A list of the discussion questions should be provided to the professor and the other students at the
beginning of the class period in which they will lead discussion. The discussion should analyze the
readings; connect the readings to one another and other sources; and contemplate how the readings
would translate in practice.
As part of leading the discussion, you should make some opening remarks or observations, such as
listing the key insights of the author(s), and then pose questions based on the reading for the class to
discuss. Discussion leaders should keep in mind that everyone has read the assigned materials; they
should, therefore, not simply recap the contents of the material.
The discussion leaders may also bring in insights/ideas from outside readings, show films, do
PowerPoint presentations, etc. if they are relevant to that week’s discussion topic. These
presentations should only be 30-40 minutes in length and are only meant to frame class
discussion; they should not replace class discussion.
Short Papers (10% each)
Students will be required to write two short papers; each paper is worth 10% of the final grade.
For the first short paper, students will write a short essay (2-3 pages double-spaced) that discusses
the development of their own feminist thinking: What has influenced your feminist perspective?
You should not simply list the names of influential scholars, writers, activists or other persons, or
merely cite theoretical frameworks, concepts or articles in these essays. Nor should you simply
recount personal events and experiences or write about your entire life history; this is not a personal
confessional. Instead, you must show how these elements have influenced your thinking. This should
be a narrative about your intellectual development. This paper will be due IN CLASS on September
8, 2015.
For the second short paper, students will write a 2-3 paged double-spaced reflective paper on the
talk by Dr. Cristina Beltrán of New York University scheduled for November 10, 2015. Your
reflection of the event should go beyond simply stating that: “It was great/interesting/eyeopening/a waste of time.” You should discuss some of the main points or arguments of her lecture
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and how they relate to what we have been discussing in this course. This paper will be due IN
CLASS on November 17, 2015.
Argument Analysis Papers (10% each)
Students will be required to turn in three 2-4-page (doubled-spaced) writing responses in which you
will analyze the argument(s) of one or more assigned readings from a specific week. The full
guidelines for these papers will be posted on Blackboard about a week before the assigned papers
are due. These papers will be due in class on September 29, October 20, and November 3, 2015.
Final Paper (30%)
Students will be required to write a final research paper that discusses the current state and future
direction of Women’s Studies an (interdisciplinary) discipline. For this paper, you should:
1. Provide a brief history of the development of Women’s Studies as a discipline;
2. Discuss the current state of graduate studies in Women’s Studies, particularly PhD programs;
and
3. Summarize and discuss the direction of current research in Women’s Studies.
For this paper, you should:
1. Research 5 Women’s Studies PhD programs (including their course offerings, degree
requirements, mission statements, faculty specializations and other relevant information);
and
2. Research the table of contents and browse articles of the 2014-2015 issues of the following
three women’s studies/feminist journals:
a. Signs: A Journal of Women in Culture and Society
b. Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism
c. Feminist Formations
You may use additional references not assigned in this course for this project. I suggest that you visit
the website of the National Women’s Studies Association.
The paper should 8-10 double-spaced pages, have one-inch margins and use a font that is no smaller
than 11pt.
This paper is due IN CLASS on December 8, 2015 (the last day of class).
CLASS AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
August 25
Introduction
September 1
Evaluating Arguments
Beauvoir, The Second Sex, “Introduction,” pp. 40-48. (McCann and Kim)
Hartmann, “The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism: Towards a
More Progressive Union,” pp. 187-201. (McCann and Kim)
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Karen Rosenberg, “Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly
Sources,” from Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 2 (2011).
(Blackboard)
Patrick Rael, “’Predatory’ Reading,” from Reading, Writing, and Researching for
History (2004). (Blackboard)
September 8
Disciplining Women’s Studies: Feminism in the Academy
Chapter 2 “Interdisciplinarity” (Lichtenstein), Chapter 12 “Discipline”
(Braithwaite), Chapter 13 “History” (Kolmar). (Orr et al)
Fitts, “Institutionalizing Intersectionality: Reflections on the Structure of
Women’s Studies Departments and Programs,” pp. 249-257. (Berger and
Guidroz)
Dawn Rae Davis, “A New Shift, Shifting Ground: Women’s Studies PhDs
and the Feminist Academy, from the Perspective of 1998,” pp. 270-289.
From Feminist Waves, Feminist Generations: Life Stories from the Academy (2007)
edited by Hokulani K. Aikau, Karla A. Erickson, and Jennifer L. Pierce.
(Blackboard)
Short Paper #1 Due: What Has Influenced Your Feminist Perspective?
September 15
Women’s Movements and Feminist Genealogies
Nicholson, “Feminism in ‘Waves’: Useful Metaphor or Not?” pp. 49-55.
(McCann and Kim)
Thompson, “Multiracial Feminism: Recasting the Chronology of Second
Wave Feminism,” pp. 56-67. (McCann and Kim)
Basu, “Globalization of the Local/Localization of the Global: Mapping
Transnational Women’s Movements,” pp. 68-76. (McCann and Kim)
Rowley, “The Idea of Ancestry: Of Feminist Genealogies and Many Other
Things,” pp. 77-82. (McCann and Kim)
September 22
Theorizing Difference
The Combahee River Collective, “A Black Feminist Statement,” pp. 116-122.
(McCann and Kim)
Anzaldúa, “The New Mestiza Nation: A Multicultural Movement,” pp. 277284. (McCann and Kim)
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Smith, “Native American Feminism, Sovereignty, and Social Change,” pp.
321-331. (McCann and Kim)
Bunch, “Lesbians in Revolt,” pp. 129-133. (McCann and Kim)
Lorde, “I am Your Sister: Black Women Organizing across Sexualities,” pp.
292-295. (McCann and Kim)
September 29
Blurring the Boundaries: Transgender, Gender-Nonconformity and
Intersexuality
Feinberg, “Transgender Liberation: A Movement Whose Time Has Come,”
pp. 148-160. (McCann and Kim)
Koyama, “A Transfeminist Manifesto.” (Blackboard)
Chase, “Hermaphrodites with Attitude: Mapping the Emergence of Intersex
Political Activism.” (Blackboard)
Chapter 11 “Queer” (Purvis). (Orr et al)
Argument Analysis Paper #1 Due
October 6
Post-colonialism, Transnationalism and Globalization
Mohanty, “‘Under Western Eyes’ Revisited: Feminist Solidarity through
Anticapitalist Struggles,” pp. 536-552. (McCann and Kim)
Ahmed, “The Veil Debate—Again,” pp. 306-316. (McCann and Kim)
Correa and Petchesky, “Reproductive and Sexual Rights: A Feminist
Perspective,” pp. 134-147. (McCann and Kim)
October 13
Intersectionality
Dill, “Race, Class, and Gender: Prospects for an All-Inclusive Sisterhood,”
pp. 25-43. (Berger and Guidroz)
Yuval-Davis, “Intersectionality and Feminist Politics,” pp. 44-60. (Berger and
Guidroz)
Guidroz and Berger, “A Conversation with Founding Scholars of
Intersectionality: Kimberlé Crenshaw, Nira-Yuval-Davis, and Michelle Fine,”
pp. 61-80. (Berger and Guidroz)
Keating, “From Intersections to Interconnections: Lessons for
Transformation from This Bridge Called My Back: Radical Writings of Women of
Color,” pp. 81-99. (Berger and Guidroz)
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October 20
Feminist Epistemologies: Standpoint Theory
Hartsock, “The Feminist Standpoint: Toward a Specifically Feminist
Historical Materialism,” pp.354-369. (McCann and Kim)
Narayan, “The Project of Feminist Epistemology: Perspectives from a
Nonwestern Feminist,” pp. 370-378. (McCann and Kim)
Collins, “Defining Black Feminist Thought,” pp. 379-394. (McCann and
Kim)
Calhoun, “Separating Lesbian Theory from Feminist Theory,” pp. 395-411.
(McCann and Kim)
Argument Analysis Paper #2 Due
October 27
Feminist Epistemologies: Post-structuralism/Post-modernism
Guest Speaker: Anne Donadey, SDSU Women’s Studies and European Studies
Butler,” Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in
Phenomenology and Feminist Theory,” pp. 462-476. (McCann and Kim)
Walters, “From Here to Queer: Radical Feminism, Postmodernism, and the
Lesbian Menace (Or, Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Fag?),” pp. 553570. (McCann and Kim)
Moya, “Chicana Feminism and Postmodernist Theory,” pp.571-588.
(McCann and Kim)
November 3
Feminist Methodology
Haraway, “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the
Privilege of Partial Perspective,” pp. 412-423. (McCann and Kim)
Cole and Sabik, “Repairing a Broken Mirror: Intersectional Approaches to
Diverse Perceptions of Beauty and Bodies,” pp. 173-192. (Berger and
Guidroz)
Taylor, “Interesting Intersections? Researching Class, Gender, and
Sexuality,” pp. 193-209. (Berger and Guidroz)
Chapter 3 “Methods” (Side). (Orr et al)
Argument Analysis Paper #3 Due
November 10
Women and Politics Working Group Event: Race, Gender, Ideology
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and Politics
Speaker: Cristina Beltrán, New York University
Templo Mayor, SDSU Student Union, 5:00-7:00pm
Suggested Readings
Beltrán, “Crossings and Correspondences: Rethinking Intersectionality and the
Category ‘Latino.’” Politics & Gender. Vol. 9, no. 4 (2013): 479-483. (Blackboard)
Beltrán, “Patrolling Borders: Hybrids, Hierarchies and the Challenge of Mestizaje,”
Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 57, no. 4 (December 2004): 595-607. (Blackboard)
November 17
Feminist Activism
Chapter 5 “Activism” (Orr) (Orr et al)
Fish and Rothchild, “Intersections of Scholar-Activism in Feminist
Fieldwork: Reflections on Nepal and South Africa,” pp. 267-277. (Berger and
Guidroz)
Kimala Price, “Hip Hop Feminists at the Political Crossroads: Organizing
for Reproductive Justice and Beyond.” From Home Girls Make Some Noise: A
Hip Hop Feminist Anthology (2007), edited by Gwendolyn Pough, Elaine
Richardson, Rachel Raimist and Aisha S. Durham. (Blackboard)
Short Paper #2 Due: Reflective Paper on Beltrán Talk
November 24
NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING
December 1
End of Semester Reflection
What is Women’s Studies? What is Feminist Scholarship? Where do we go from here?
Chapter 1 “Feminism” (Maparyan), Chapter 8“Community” (MaCaughney).
(Orr et al)
December 8
Last Day of Class
Final Paper Due
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