Gend1103/AR11C: INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN’S STUDIES:
THEORETICAL CONCEPTS AND SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE
This Level 1, Semester II Course is worth 3 credits
No prerequisites required
CGDS, St. Augustine Course Lecturer:
Ms. Camille Samuel
camsam2k@yahoo.com Class Time: Mon. & Wed. 4-6pm
CGDS, St. Augustine Course Tutors:
Ms. Derrian Charles
derriannc@gmail.com
Ms. Nicole Hosein
nymphet1977@gmail.com
CGDS St. Augustine- Information
Head, Dr. Grace Sirju-Charran
Telephone: 662-2002 ext. 3573 , 2533
Administration-Ms. Avril Patterson-Pierre
Email- Main Office: gender@cgds.uwi.tt
Tutorials: Mon. 6-7pm
Tutorials: Wed. 6-7pm
GEND1103/AR11C: INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN’S STUDIES
THEORETICAL CONCEPTS AND SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE
“The Personal is Political”
Course Description and Rationale:
Women’s Studies emerged as an interdisciplinary academic field in the 1960s. Building on
cross-cutting women’s movements, it brought to tertiary level educational institutions a much
needed spotlight on women, feminism, gender and politics. Women’s Studies intended to
redress the systematic exclusion of women, their lives and their varied contributions to society
and culture, both within and outside of the academy. This focus provided much of the
foundation for the complex and interesting ways we now seek to understand not only women
and femininity, but also men and masculinity, and the ways in which different and hierarchical
gender relations are made real.
With four decades of hindsight, this course examines some of the insights, debates, concerns
and visions that began to be articulated with the introduction of Women’s Studies. Drawing on
feminist approaches, we will examine how the categories “woman” and “man” are socially and
culturally created, and how they vary
historically across culture, ethnicity and class.
Linking
theory,
personal
experience,
collective action and perspectives from around
the globe, we examine the social, political,
economic and legal discourses that perpetuate
both ideas and practices which amount to
sexism and intersecting oppressions. We
explore contemporary attitudes, values and
perceptions about women as portrayed, in
particular, in our media and popular art forms.
Finally, we will look at the methods by which
both women and men have struggled and
organized against sexist and other forms of
gender discrimination, and the impact that
feminist resistance has had on institutions.
Throughout the course, we incorporate
participatory methods, video, music, literature,
popular culture, guest lectures and public
action. This course is an excellent introduction
to the Minor in Gender and Development
Studies and provides a thematic foundation for
more theoretical, interdisciplinary courses.
Photo by Prof. Patricia Mohammed
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Course Goals
1. To highlight the connections among women’s organizing, Women’s Studies and feminist
theory and action.
2. To introduce feminism which may be defined as a conscious opposition to gender
hierarchies that structurally oppress some groups in society, particularly women, while
privileging others.
3. To examine the many dimensions of institutionalized subordination of women and the
efforts made to challenge this.
4. To untangle the complex web of oppression and privileges based on race, class, gender and
sexual orientation in order to understand their connections and impact on society.
5. To commemorate women’s struggles for autonomy and empowerment.
6. To examine the ways in which women’s subordination negatively affects men and men’s
responses to the women’s movement.
7. To assess the progress achieved regarding the status of women (and girls) in society.
8. To use all the skills available to us - observation, speaking, reading and listening
critically in an effort to work together in an environment of active learning.
Course Assessment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Family History Essay (see pg. 4)
15% DUE: Session 8 in class
Tutorial Attendance and Participation
5%
Media Watch - 2 Submissions (see pg. 4) 10%
Popular Action (see pg. 4)
10% DUE: Session 14 in class
Final Examination
60%
Dates to Note:
DATE
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Monday 25 May 2009
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Monday 1 June 2009
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Monday 8 June 2009
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Monday 15 June 2009
SESSION
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6
Session 7
Session 8
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Monday 22 June 2009
Wednesday 24 June 2009
Monday 29 June 2009
Wednesday 1 July 2009
Monday 6 July 2009
Session 9
Session 10
Session 11
Session 12
Session 13
Session 14
NOTES
First Class
Tutorials Begin
FAMILY HISTORY
ESSAY DUE
POPULAR ACTION
PRESENTATIONS DUE
Assignments
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Family History Essay-
We are movers and makers of history – 15 %
For this assignment, you must carry out an interview with female members of your family,
preferably grandmothers, mothers, aunts, etc., and others considered family members. You
should then present an analysis of the interview data and themes, relevant readings and the
experience of doing the interview in a typed essay of not more than five pages. You may
include the interview transcript in written format or audio/video taped along with your
submission. The essay should incorporate reflection on your own life in relation to the women
you have interviewed. In linking the two, you should examine aspects of how being female,
and cultural and social notions of femininity specific to your ethnic group/class/family, have
shaped your life.
Media Watch-
Our own gaze in every glance – 10%
You are to bring to class a photo and a few lines about the photo and how it connects to what is
being discussed in that session. You should have your photo and commentary on a sheet of
paper to be handed in. Clip photos from anywhere: newspapers, on-line newspapers like the
Guardian-Observer or New York Post or Al Jazeera, on-line magazines, websites from the UN,
World Bank, women’s NGOs, the Association for Women’s Rights in Development, Open
Democracy etc. Alternately, of course, you can take your own photographs and bring them
instead. This exercise asks you to practice connecting classroom knowledge with daily life, to
engage with, produce and share your reflections, and to think about how you can make change
happen.
You should note: 1. The key message. 2. How ideas about women are reproduced,
challenged, overt, subliminal or otherwise implicated. 3. A quotation from text that may have
accompanied the photo. 4. The questions it raised in your mind. 5. How the messages
confirmed or contradicted your own experience. 6. If not Caribbean, how the article is
relevant to the Caribbean. 8. How the photo relates to the relevant session.
Popular Action-
One small step is one giant leap – 10%
For this assignment, you must take an action to raise awareness on an issue of your choice.
This must be a direct action in a popular space such as the campus, a street corner, a mall etc.
You will be able to use actions talked about in class as a guide for your own. Your action may
consist of a group or individual direct action that uses the body to interrupt or make a statement
in a particular space, a poster campaign, street theatre, chalk grafitti, the internet or any other
form of public expression you are interested in. It should not be too time-consuming and must
be public.
You must then present an analysis of your action in a typed essay of not more than five
pages. Your analysis should highlight why you chose this issue, key readings you referred
to understand the issue and relevant themes, why you chose to do your particular action,
how it was received and whether you thought it ‘worked’, your reflections and feelings
about the action and the process including what you learned to make it more effective
and whether you would do it again.
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Main Course Texts
The following are some key texts. It is advisable to purchase a few. The outline also contains
other equally valuable references. All should be available in the bookshop, Main Library or on
the net. Copies of additional readings are also available in the reading room of the CGDS.
1. Senior, Olive. 1991 Working Miracles: Women's Lives in the English-Speaking
Caribbean. London: James Currey/ISER-EC.
2. Reddock, Rhoda. 1994 Women, Labour and Politics in Trinidad and Tobago.
Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers.
3. Barrow Christine (ed). 1998 Caribbean Portraits: Essays on Gender Ideologies and
Identities. Kingston: Ian Randle Publications.
4. Mohammed Patricia (ed). Rethinking Caribbean Difference in Feminist Review
(special issue), No. 59, Summer 1998.
5. Clatterbaugh, Kenneth. 1997 Contemporary Perspectives on Masculinity: Men, Women
and Politics in Modern Society. Colorado: Westview Press.
6. Momsen, Janet. 1993. Women and Change in the Caribbean. Kingston: Ian Randle
Pub.
7. Elsa Leo Rhynie, Barbara Bailey and Christine Barrow (eds). 1997 Gender: A
Caribbean Multidisciplinary Perspective, Kingston: Ian Randle Publications.
8. Kempadoo, Kamala. 1999 Sun, Sex and Gold: Tourism and Sex Work in the Caribbean.
Boulder and New York: Rowman and Littlefield.
9. Mohammed, Patricia (ed). 2002 Gendered Realities: Essays in Caribbean Feminist
Thought. Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press.
10. Humm, Maggie. 1995 Dictionary of Feminist Theory. Ohio: Ohio State University
Press.
11. Kanhai, Roseanne. 2000 Matikor: the Politics of Identity for Indo-Caribbean Women.
Trinidad: UWI School of Continuing Studies.
12. Ruth, Sheila (ed). 1990 Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s Studies.
Colorado: Mayfield Publishers Co.
13. Seaforth, Sybil. 1999 In Silence The Strands Unravel. Ontario: Capricornus Enterprises.
14. Reddock, Rhoda. 2003 Interrogating Caribbean Masculinities: Theoretical and
Empirical Analyses, Jamaica: UWI Press.
Note on Readings:
Copies of all the main texts are available for purchase in the UWI Bookshop or for reference or
loan in the main library. Additional readings per topic are available through the Reserve
Collection in the Library under the Course and Lecturers names (look under REDDOCK or
MOHAMMED). A parallel copy of all readings are also available at the CGDS Reading Room.
How to Read:
1. Look for a Central Quotation that expresses the author’s implicit or explicit
arguments.
2. Ask about the Key Argument in terms of what the author is arguing both for and
against.
3. Note what Questions about interpretation, argument and relevance come to mind.
4. Note Experiential Connections based on how key arguments relate to your experience.
5. Explore the Textual Connection with arguments or views raised by others kinds of
texts.
6. Suggest Implications for understanding or improving social relations and realities.
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Expectations
Welcome Students! Learning is made far easier and richer if there is active participation in the
classroom. There will be two hours face to face each week in the classroom and one hour for
tutorials. Students are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials, to actively participate when
there, to read the relevant texts in time for class, and to hand in assignments on time. Students
are expected to hand in original assignments. Plagiarism will result in assignments being
failed. You are expected to take the initiative and talk to your lecturer about concerns,
questions or problems you might be experiencing so that these can be addressed in good time.
COURSE CONTENT
Course Outline
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Section 1 – What is Women’s Studies?
Section 2 – Welcome to the Women’s Movement and to Feminism
Section 3 – Voicing Womyn’s Herstories: Re-writing and Writing in…
Section 4 – Penetrating Patriarchy: Connections and Critiques
Section 5 – Making Gendered Realities Visible
Section 6 – Action In…
Section 7 – De-colonizing Feminism: Our Own Songs of Freedom
Section 8 – Responses to Twentieth Century Women’s Movements
Session 1 – Introduction
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) express their expectations (including fears)
B) explain the purpose of the assignments in relation to the course content
C) state ten themes and issues targeted by women’s movements and Women’s Studies
 Expectations of Students and Lecturer: Student group activity to define expectations
 Collection of Students’ contact info and tutorial group lists
 Review and explanation of Course Outline, Tutorials and Assignments: Student group
activity to explain value of the assignments
 Steppin’ Up: A Feminist Movement-Building Game: Review of Game using Key
Questions
Key Questions:
♀ What are some of the issues that you think are concerns in Women’s Studies?
♀ What are some issues with which you are concerned?
♀ What are your beliefs, questions and concerns about feminism as you enter this course?
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Section 1 – What is Women’s Studies?
Session 2 - What is Women’s Studies?
“Freedom has come, not as a gift, but as a triumph"
- Alice Paul, Suffragist, 1919
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) explain the emergence of Women’s Studies in historical perspective
B) give examples of some of the key debates that also emerged
Key Questions:
♀ Why did Women’s Studies emerge?
♀ How was it connected to and disconnected from different kinds of women’s movements?
♀ What were some key goals, areas of focus, debates and methodologies?
Expected Readings:
1. Poem – “Women of All Nations” by Inez Talamantez in Diane Bell and Renate Klein (eds).
1996 Radically Speaking: Feminism Reclaimed. London: Zed Books.
2. Poem – “My Momma” by Lillian Allen from Women Do this Everyday: Selected Poems
from Lillian Allen. Toronto: Women’s Press.
3. Ruth, Sheila (ed). Chapter 1 in 1990 Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s
Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing Co.
4. Leo Rhynie, Elsa. “Women and Development Studies: Moving from the Periphery” in
Christine Barrow and Elsa Leo Rhynie (eds). 1997 Gender: A Caribbean Multidisciplinary
Perspective. Kingston: Ian Randle Publications.
5. Evans, Mary. “In Praise of Theory: the Case for Women’s Studies” in Gloria Bowles and
Renate Duelli Klein (eds). 1983 Theories of Women’s Studies. London: Routledge.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: Why would we begin a Women’s Studies class with these two
poems? What themes do these poems raise and what other themes may have been similarly
relevant? How do the readings inform your answer?
2. Reading: Woman which Includes Man – of course in Ruth, pp 141-142. What did this
article make you feel? Written individually and/or discussed in groups and reported
individually or from small groups to class.
3. MEDIA WATCH DUE: What key theme or issue did you examine in your media watch
and why?
4. Questions/ Comments
Section 2 – Welcome to the Women’s Movement and to Feminism
Session 3 – Welcome to the Women’s Movement and Feminism
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Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) explain key changes to the women’s movement over the twentieth century
B) describe the difference between ‘women’s’ and feminist organising
C) give examples of our own Caribbean history of women’s activism
Key Questions:
♀ Are all women’s movements feminist?
♀ What have been some of the key issues targeted by Caribbean women’s movements? Why?
♀ What is feminist praxis?
Expected Readings:
1. Poem – “Bans O’ Ooman!” By Louise Benett in Espinet, Ramabai (ed). 1990 Creation
Fire: An Anthology of Caribbean Women Poets. Toronto: Sister Vision Press.
2. Antrobus, Peggy. Chapter 2 in 2004 Global Women’s Movements: Origins, Issues and
Strategies. London: Zed Books, pp 9-26.
3. Antrobus, Peggy. “Feminist Activism: The CARICOM Experience” in Barbara Bailey and
Elsa Leo-Rhynie (eds). 2004 Gender in the 21st Century: Caribbean Perspectives, Visions
and Possibilities. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers, pp 34-57.
4. Reddock, Rhoda. “Feminism and Feminist Thought” in 1988 Gender in Caribbean
Development. Trinidad: UWI Press,
5. Reddock, Rhoda. “The Early Women’s Movement” in 1994 Women, Labour and Politics
in Trinidad and Tobago. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers, pp 162-178.
Extra Readings:
8. Maggie Humm. “First Wave Feminism” in Feminisms and Reader, Part 1.
7. Maggie Humm. “Second Wave Feminism” in Feminisms and Reader, Part 2.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: What other movements have women’s movements internationally
and in the Caribbean been connected with? What are some differences between first and
second wave feminisms?
2. Reading: Fill in a visual time-line for significant social movements and women’s
organizing internationally and in the Caribbean using the decades from the 1890s through
to the 1970s. Written individually and/or discussed in groups and reported individually or
from small groups to class. Refer to the readings for key dates.
3. MEDIA WATCH DUE: What key theme or issue did you examine in your media watch
and why?
4. Questions/ Comments
Section 3 – Voicing Womyn’s Herstories: Re-writing and Writing in…
Session 4 – Voicing Womyn’s Herstories: Re-writing and Writing
in…
STUDENTS HAVE STARTED FAMILY HISTORY ESSAYS BY THIS SESSION
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NO MEDIA WATCH DUE FOR THIS WEEK
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) explain the fundamental connection between Caribbean women’s life experiences and
realities, consciousness-raising, producing our own histories and standpoints, and taking
action
B) list some of the issues that are part of producing women’s narratives
Art from the International Museum of Women: http://www.imow.org/
Key Questions:
♀ What is consciousness-raising and why was and is it such an important starting point?
♀ How can writing women’s stories be transformative and political?
♀ What are some of the key reflexive issues when writing women’s stories?
Expected Readings:
1. Poem - Opal Palmer, Adisa. “My Work Speaks of Those Other Women”.
2. Mackinnon, Catherine. “Consciousness-raising ” in Ruth, Sheila (ed). 1990 Issues in
Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing Co, pp
143-150.
3. Brereton, Bridget. “Text, Testimony, Gender” in 1995 Engendering History: Caribbean
Women in Historical Perspective. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
4. Pharr, Susan. “Gendered Language” in Ruth, Sheila (ed). 1990 Issues in Feminism: An
Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing Co.
5. Lorde, Audre. “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” in Ruth, Sheila
(ed). 1990 Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield
Publishing Co.
Extra Readings:
THESE READINGS ARE USEFUL REFERENCES FOR FAMILY HISTORY ESSAYS
9. Hill Collins, Patricia. “The Power of Self Definition” in 1991 Black Feminist Thought:
Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment. New York: Routledge.
10. Patai, Daphne. “Constructing a Self: A Brazilian Life Story” in Feminist Studies, Volume
14, No. 1, Spring 1988, pp 143-166.
11.Borland, Katherine. “That’s not what I said”: Interpretive Conflicts in Oral Narrative
Research. "That's not What I Said: Interpretive Conflict in Oral Narrative Research" in
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Sharlene Hessey-Biber and Patricia Leavy (eds). 2004 Approaches to Qualitative
Research: A Reader on Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press.
12. Stivers, Camilla. “Reflections on the Role of the Personal Narrative in Social Science” in
Signs: Vol. 18, No. 2, Winter 1993, pp 408-425.
13. Ceballo, Rosario. “Negotiating the Life Narrative: A Dialogue with an African-American
Social Worker” in Psychology of Women Quarterly, No. 23, 1999, pp 309-321.
14. Brereton, Bridget. Gendered Testimony: Autobiographies, Diaries and Letters by Women
as Sources for Caribbean History. Kingston: UWI Press.
15. Johnson, Kim. “Saga of a Flagwoman”, in Mohammed, Patricia (ed). 2002 Gendered
Realities: Essays in Caribbean Feminist Thought. Kingston: UWI Press, pp 409-415.
16. Ali, Shameen. 2004 Daughters in the Diaspora.: A Social History of East Indian Women in
Trinidad Since 1870. Trinidad: Benco, pp.45 – 79.
17. Waterman, Kathy Ann. “Women of the Shadows” in Mohammed, Patricia (ed). 2002
Gendered Realities: Essays in Caribbean Feminist Thought. Kingston: UWI Press, pp 416435.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: Why was rewriting history and ‘writing women in’ important? What
perspectives do we gain? Why did sharing women’s stories lead to consciousness raising
and then to action?
2. Reading: How would you rewrite A Brighter Sun by Samuel Selvon (Longman: UK) from
Urmilla’s perspective? (Written, shared and reported individually or from small groups to
class).
3. Assignment Preparation: Review of essay and bibliographic style, and possibilities for
creative writing, review of assessment criteria, review of questions for interview and
analysis, penalties for plagiarism, and tips for using readings for analysis.
4. Questions/ Comments
Section 4 – Penetrating Patriarchy: Connections and Critiques
Session 5 – Penetrating Patriarchy: Connections and Critiques
STUDENTS SHOULD BE WRITING FAMILY HISTORY ESSAYS BY THIS SESSION
NO MEDIA WATCH DUE FOR THIS WEEK
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) outline the main aspects of the concept of patriarchy
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B) give examples of the ways that patriarchal structures work through ‘difference’ at personal,
societal and global levels and across private and public spheres
C) identify stereotypes
D) relate how patriarchal relations shift and change over time
Key Questions:
♀ What is patriarchy?
♀ What are some of the key concepts to know when ‘mapping’ patriarchy?
♀ Do women experience patriarchy in different ways? Why?
♀ How do men experience patriarchy?
Expected Readings:
1. Slocum, Sally. “Woman the Gatherer: Male Bias in Anthropology” in Ruth, Sheila (ed).
1990 Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield
Publishing Co, pp195-201.
2. “Machismo: Bad is Good” in Sheila Ruth (ed). 1990 Issues in Feminism: An Introduction
to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing Co, pp57-58
3. “Sexism, Masculism and Patriarchy” in Sheila Ruth (ed). 1990 Issues in Feminism: An
Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing Co, pp 61-62.
4. Young, Kate. “Notes on the Social Relations of Gender” in Patricia Mohammed and
Catherine Shepherd (eds). 1988 Gender in Caribbean Development. Trinidad: UWI Press.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: How does patriarchy present us with what seems like no pure place
for resistance? How would you explain the significance of ‘difference’ within patriarchy?
Why is awareness that patriarchy also affects men (not just women) important? Why is it
important to acknowledge that women may be affected in diverse ways? How do the
readings inform your answer?
2. Assignment Preparation: Review of essay and bibliographic style, and possibilities for
creative writing, review of assessment criteria, review of questions for interview and
analysis, penalties for plagiarism, and tips for using readings for analysis and compiling
proper bibliographies.
3. Questions/ Comments
Section 5 – Making Gendered Realities Visible
Session 6 – “Power Over” But Not Overpowered
FAMILY HISTORY ESSAYS DUE IN CLASS
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From the International Action Network on Small Arms
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) analyse violence and expressions of ‘power over’ within the context of patriarchal gender
ideals
B) explain how these take many forms that are linked though this may not seem so at first
C) identify the connections among domestic violence, pornography, homophobia and
politics
Key Questions:
♀ What is violence?
♀ How is it expressed across spheres in society, in different forms and through a variety of
notions of ‘difference’?
♀ What are the connections among expressions of violence?
Expected Readings:
1. Clarke, Roberta. “Combating Violence against Women in the Caribbean” in Brasiliero, Ana
Maria (ed). Women Against Violence: Breaking the Silence. UNIFEM, pp 51-62.
2. Easlea, Brian. “Patriarchy, Scientists and Nuclear Warriors” in Sheila Ruth (ed). 1990
Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing
Co, pp70-82.
3. Hosein, Gabrielle. 2005. Excerpts from Dreams and Destinations.
4. Pharr, Suzanne. "Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism" in Sheila Ruth (ed). 1990 Issues in
Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing Co, pp
253-263.
5. Hughes, Donna. “The Use of New Communications and Information technologies for
Sexual Exploitation of Women” in 2004 Not for Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and
Pornography. Melbourne: Spinifex Press.
Extra Readings:
6. Mohammed, Patricia. “Reflections on the Women’s Movement in Trinidad: Calypsos,
Changes and Sexual Violence” in Feminist Review, No 38, Summer 1991, Routledge,
London, pp 33-47.
7. Jackson, Stevi. “Heterosexuality and Feminist Theory” in Richardson, Diane (ed). 1996
Theorising Heterosexuality: Telling it Straight. Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp 2138.
8. Susan Griffin, “Rape: The Power of Consciousness” in Politics: 1971 Griffin, Susan.
“Rape: The Power of Consciousness” in Ruth, Sheila (ed). 1990 Issues in Feminism: An
Introduction to Women’s Studies. California: Mayfield Publishing Co, pp 285-295.
9. Roberta Clarke and Gaietry Pargass. “Violence Against Women: A Human Rights Issue
Post Beijing Five Year Review” in Gemma Tang Nain and Barbara Bailey (eds). 2003
Gender Equality in the Caribbean: Reality or Illusion. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers.
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Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: What are some ways that violence in relationships, pornography and
homophobia are connected? How are they fed by patriarchal ideals? What is the
significance of women and men seeing them as different or unconnected issues? How do
the readings inform your answer?
2. Reading:
a. Chin Douglas, Lesley. Horace's Marriage Proposal.
b. WINAD news clippings and statements on the Small Arms Campaign
c. Newspaper articles on pornography in Trinidad and Tobago; poems.
d. “Rape Poem” by Marge Piercy, “With No Immediate Cause” by Ntozake Shange, “I’ve
Got Something to Say About This” by Kate Rushin and “The Battle Cry of an ExBattered Ex-Wife” by Huma Dar.
Kofi Annan (UN Secretary-General, on International Day for the Elimination of Violence
Against Women, 1999) says: Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human
rights violation and it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography,
culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress
towards equality, development and peace”. What themes emerge from these readings?
Written individually and/or discussed in groups and reported individually or from small
groups to class.
3. MEDIA WATCH DUE: What key theme or issue did you examine in your media watch
and why?
4. Questions/ Comments
Session 7 – Bodies
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) summarise some of the issues raised by a focus on women’s experiences of their bodies
B) explain how “prostitution” or sex work, mothering and abortion, female genital
cutting, and even the naming and acceptability of women’s vaginas are diverse, but
connected, issues of power and sexuality.
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Art above, from left to right: Nathalie Ndolo, Democratic Republic of Congo; Yasbel Maria Pérez
Domínguez, Cuba; Christine Matuschek, Grenada. From the International Museum of Women
http://www.imow.org/exhibits/wow/index.php
Key Questions:
♀ Why is it important to research, talk openly about and take action on ways sexuality is
linked to “female” power and women’s disempowerment?
♀ How are women’s experiences of their bodies, which appear to be only personal, in fact,
social, political, economic, global and questions of human rights?
♀ What are some connections among these different kinds of experiences of the female body?
Expected Readings:
1. Julia Connel Davidson and Jacqueline Sanchez Taylor. "Fantasy Islands: Exploring the
Demand for Sex Tourism" in 1999 Kamala Kempadoo (ed). Sun, Sex and Gold: Tourism
and Sex Work in the Caribbean. Madison: Rowman and Littlefield.
2. Rowley, Michelle. “Reconceptualising Voice: The Role of Matrifocality in Shaping
Theories and Caribbean Voices” in Mohammed, Patricia (ed). 2004 Gendered Realities:
Essays in Caribbean Feminist Thought. Kingston: UWI Press, pp 416-438.
3. www.ttaspire.org
4. http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm
5. Caputi, Jane. “Cuntspeak: Words from the Heart of Darkness” Diane Bell and Renate Klein
(eds). 1996 Radically Speaking: Feminism Reclaimed. London: Zed Books.
6. Susan Bell and Susan Reverby. “Vaginal Politics: Tensions and Possibilities in The Vagina
Monolgues” in Women’s Studies International Forum, 28, 2005, pp 430-444.
7. Moffett, Helen. “In Conversation: A Space in which “vagina” is not a Dirty Word: The
Vagina Monologues on the GWSA listserve” in Feminist Africa 5: Sexual Cultures, Issue
5, November/December 2005.
Extra Readings:
6. Koedt, Anne. "The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm" in Gunew, Sneja (ed). 1991 A Reader in
Feminist Knowledge. London: Routledge, pp 326-334.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: What is the range of ways that social processes, associated with
sexuality, organise women’s lives? What are some of the connections among very different
experiences of sexuality? How do the readings inform your answer?
2. Reading: Excerpts from the Vagina Monologues. How can women reclaim a sense of their
bodies outside the patriarchal script? Do you feel that you have been doing that in your own
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life? Students write their own vagina stories. Written individually and/or discussed in
groups and reported individually or from small groups to class.
3. MEDIA WATCH DUE: What key theme or issue did you examine in your media watch
and why?
4. Questions/ Comments
Session 8 – Women, Men, Gender and the State
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) explain how, in women’s lives, gender operates in relation to men, other women, prevailing
gender ideologies, social institutions and the state
Key Questions:
♀ What was significant about the shift from women to gender?
♀ In what ways has the idea of “men as gendered beings” had an impact on discussions of
gender relations?
♀ How is the state part of gender relations?
Expected Readings:
1. Eudine Barriteau, “Theorizing the Shift from “Women” to “Gender” in Caribbean Feminist
Discourse” in E. Barriteau (ed). 2003 Confronting Power: Theorizing Gender:
Interdisciplinary: Perspectives in the Caribbean. UWI Press, Kingston, pp27-45.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: How does a shift to ‘gender’ introduce additional debates and
concerns to those first emphasised by Women’s Studies? In what ways is the state
‘gendered’? Why are men’s and women’s relations with the state also considered gender
relations? How do the readings inform your answer?
2. Reading: Newspaper articles on the Draft National Gender Policy. Discuss these articles in
terms of the issues raised by the readings and the questions for this tutorial. Written
individually and/or discussed in groups and reported individually or from small groups to
class.
3. MEDIA WATCH DUE: What key theme or issue did you examine in your media watch
and why?
4. Questions/ Comments
Section 6 – Action In…
Session 9 – Activism and Academia
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) describe some of the debates regarding ‘difference’ (e.g. class, sexuality and ethnicity)
among feminist academics and scholarship
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B) appraise the issues behind continuing pulls for academic feminism to be relevant to
feminist social movements
Key Questions:
♀ Why are some asking, “Is academic feminism dead?”
♀ To what extent do contemporary debates in academic feminism continue those started with
the establishment of Women’s Studies?
♀ What are some ways forward for academic feminism?
Expected Readings:
1. Marian Lowe and Margaret Lowe Benston, "The Uneasy Alliance of Feminism and the
Academia" in Gunew, Sneja (ed). 1991 A Reader in Feminist Knowledge. London:
Routledge, pp 48-60.
2. “Feminist Approaches to Social Justice: Activism and Resistance in the Women’s Studies
Classroom” in Sara Weir and Constance Faulkner (eds). 2004 Voices of a New Generation:
A Feminist Anthology. Massachusetts: Pearson.
3. Vassell, Linette. “Feminisms, Gender Studies, Activism” in Barbara Bailey and Elsa LeoRhynie (eds). 2004 Gender in the 21st Century: Caribbean Perspectives, Visions and
Possibilities. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: Do you think that the issues first raised about Women’s Studies in
relation to the women’s movement are still relevant? How have they been addressed or how
can they be addressed? What are the future directions for feminism and activism within
academia? How do the readings inform your answer?
2. Reading: Write a 10 POINTS FOR POWER guideline that starts: “Feminist Studies
should….” and lists what the goals of this academic interdiscipline should be. Read them to
each other. Written individually and/or discussed in groups and reported individually or
from small groups to class.
3. MEDIA WATCH DUE: What key theme or issue did you examine in your media watch
and why?
4. Questions/ Comments
Session 10 – Activism, Art and Media
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Lubaina Himid
Between the Two my Heart is Balanced
1991
Right and left photos by Barbara Kruger
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/f/feminism.html
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) give examples of ways that feminists use media to advocate, raise awareness and create
change
B) list some ideas that they can use for their own activist statements
Key Questions:
♀ In what ways can issues linked to women, gender and feminism be presented?
♀ What are the benefits of raising feminist issues through popular and visual actions?
♀ In First Wave feminist art, women artists revelled in feminine experience, exploring vaginal
imagery and menstrual blood, posing naked as goddess figures and defiantly using media
such as embroidery that had been considered 'women's work'. Later feminist artists
rejected this approach and attempted to reveal the origins of our ideas of femininity and
womanhood. They pursued the idea of femininity as a masquerade - a set of poses adopted
by women to conform to social expectations of womanhood. What do you think makes art
on other issues feminist art?
Presentation:
1. Elspeth Duncan on Art and Activism – I DO Project
2. “Access Denied” Video by Gabrielle Hosein
3. Clips from Dancehall Queen
4. Clips from “The Contested Wetland”
Expected Readings:
1. “Caribbean Masculinities and Femininities” in Barbara Bailey and Elsa Leo-Rhynie (eds).
2004 Gender in the 21st Century: Caribbean Perspectives, Visions and Possibilities.
Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers.
Extra Readings:
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2. “Mama is that you? Erotic Disguise in the Films Dancehall Queen and Babymother” in
Barbara Bailey and Elsa Leo-Rhynie (eds). 2004 Gender in the 21st Century: Caribbean
Perspectives, Visions and Possibilities. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers.
3. www.geekgirl.com.au
4. www.guerillagirls.com
5. “Hip Hop Feminism: From Bitches to Queens and the Varied Experiences in Between” in
Sara Weir and Constance Faulkner (eds). 2004 Voices of a New Generation: A Feminist
Anthology. Massachusetts: Pearson.
6. http://www.grrrlzines.net/about.htm
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: What did you learn this week about feminism, art and activism? What
ideas did it give you for your own use of media to make statements and raise issues?
Written individually and/or discussed in groups and reported individually or from small
groups to class.
2. Assignment Preparation: 2 Pictures of Protests by Women from Violence is Not Sexy.
Review of assessment and process of:
1. Conceptualizing an issue or problem
2. Understanding key considerations and related issues using background literature
3. Strategizing an action that directly deals with the problem
4. Setting goals for your action
5. Taking action
6. Assessing the ‘success’ of your action by reviewing the process leading to your action,
your goals, the action’s effect on others, its effectiveness in meeting your goals, your
experience of the action, and lessons learnt
7. Documenting the entire thought, action and feeling process using a well-written essay
or other creative writing style, pictures and any other relevant documents, and proper
bibliographic referencing.
3. MEDIA WATCH DUE: What key theme or issue did you examine in your media watch
and why?
4. Questions/ Comments
Section 7 – Decolonising Feminism: Our Own Songs of Freedom
Session 11 – Decolonising Feminism: Our Own Songs of Freedom
STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE STARTED POPULAR ACTION PLANNING BY THIS
WEEK
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STUDENTS MUST CONSULT THEIR LECTURER OR TUTOR ABOUT THEIR ACTION
BEFORE IT HAPPENS
NO MEDIA WATCH DUE FOR THIS WEEK
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) explain the significance of ‘positionality’ - speaking from where you stand in the midst of
global power inequities
B) differentiate the views raised by a variety of feminisms about ‘difference’, knowledge and
the need for relevant, indigenous theorising and action (praxis)
C) compare and contrast ‘Third World’, ‘Anti-racist’, ‘Postcolonial’, ‘Global and
Multicultural’, and Caribbean feminisms using three points about each.
Key Questions:
♀ How can feminist theory participate in colonizing others?
♀ What are the key issues raised by different feminisms about knowledge, theory and power?
♀ What do the theoretical concerns of ‘Third World’ and Caribbean feminists contribute to
feminist movement organizing?
Presentation:
1. Pat Mohammed video: A Different Imagination
Expected Readings:
1. Johnson-Odim, Cheryl. “Common Themes: Different Contexts” in C. Mohanty, A. Russo
and L. Torres (eds.) 1991 Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism, pp 315-327.
2. Mohanty, Chandra. “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses”
in C. Mohanty, A. Russo and L. Torres (eds.) 1991 Third World Women and the Politics of
Feminism, pp 51-80.
3. Baksh-Soodeen, Rawwidda. “Issues of Difference in Caribbean Feminist Theory” in
Feminist Review, 59, Summer 1998.
4. Mohammed, Patricia. “Towards Indigenous Feminist Theorizing in the Caribbean” in
Feminist Review, No. 59 Summer, 1998.
Extra Readings:
5. Minh-ha, Trinh. “Not You Like You: Postcolonial Women and the Interlocking Question of
Identity and Difference” in A. McClintok, A. Mufti and E. Shohat (eds). Dangerous
Liaisons: Gender, Nation and Postcolonial Perspectives, pp 415-419.
6. “Transnational Feminism Revisited” in Feminist Africa 5: Sexual Cultures, Issue 5,
November/December 2005.
7. Smith, Barbara. “Myths to Divert Black Women From Freedom” in Ruth, Sheila (ed). 1995
Issues in Feminism: An Introduction to Women’s Studies. Colorado: Mayfield Publishing
Co.
8. Afkhami, Mahnaz. “Towards a Global Feminism: A Muslim Perspective” in Diane Bell
and Renate Klein (eds). 1996 Radically Speaking: Feminism Reclaimed. London: Zed
Books.
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: What are some questions, concerns and perspectives that define
Caribbean feminism, both in theory and within the women’s movement? How does
Caribbean feminism connect to ‘Third World’ and ‘postcolonial’ feminist perspectives?
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What is your definition of ‘positionality’? Written individually and/or discussed in groups
and reported individually or from small groups to class.
2. Assignment Preparation: 3 Pictures of Protests by Women from Violence is Not Sexy.
Review of assessment and process of:
1. Conceptualizing an issue or problem
2. Understanding key considerations and related issues using background literature
3. Strategizing an action that directly deals with the problem
4. Setting goals for your action
5. Taking action
6. Assessing the ‘success’ of your action by reviewing the process leading to your action,
your goals, the action’s effect on others, its effectiveness in meeting your goals, your
experience of the action, and lessons learnt
7. Documenting the entire thought, action and feeling process using a well-written essay
or other creative writing style, pictures and any other relevant documents, and proper
bibliographic referencing.
3. Questions/ Comments
Section 8 – Responses to Twentieth Century Women’s Movements
Session 12 – Responses to Twentieth Century Women’s Movements
STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE STARTED POPULAR ACTION BY THIS WEEK
STUDENTS MUST CONSULT THEIR LECTURER OR TUTOR ABOUT THEIR ACTION
BEFORE IT HAPPENS
NO MEDIA WATCH DUE FOR THIS WEEK
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, students should be able to:
A) describe some of the twenty-first century perspectives on feminism
B) analyse what some call the “Third Wave” of feminism with its reflections about
multiplicity, femininity and masculinity, activism, the past and the future
Key Questions:
♀ What directions are being suggested for feminism in the future?
♀ What are some of the defining features of the ‘Third Wave’?
♀ Does ‘Third Wave’ describe contemporary Caribbean women’s approaches? Why or why
not?
Expected Readings:
1. Poem - You Wonder Why I Say I’m Feminist – G Hosein.
2. Mohammed, Patricia. “Stories in Caribbean Feminism: Reflections on the Twentieth
Century - Fifth Anniversary Lecture”. Centre for Gender and Development Studies, St.
Augustine, 1998.
3. Mohammed, Patricia. “Like Sugar in Coffee: Third Wave Feminism and the Caribbean”.
Social and Economic Studies 52:3, 2003;5-30.
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4. Wilson, Shamillah. “Feminist Leadership for Feminist Futures” in Wilson, Sengupta and
Evans (eds). 2005 Defending Our Dreams: Global feminist voices for a new generation.
London: Zed Books.
5. “Withdrawing Her Energy” – Poem in Diane Bell and Renate Klein (eds). 1996 Radically
Speaking: Feminism Reclaimed. London: Zed Books.
6. http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org.
7. http://www.3rdwwwave.com
8. http://www.feminist.com/resources/links/links_yw.html.
9. “The End of Feminism’s Third Wave” in Ms. Magazine. Winter 2004.
http://www.msmagazine.com.
10. “A Manifesto for Third Wave Feminism” in AlterNet. October 2004.
http://www.alternet.org.
Extra Readings:
11. “The Last Post for Feminism” in Diane Bell and Renate Klein (eds). Radically Speaking:
Feminism Reclaimed. London: Zed Books.
12. “Unmasking Male Privilege” in Russell, Diana (ed). 1993 Making Violence Sexy: Feminist
Views on Pornography . Buckingham: Open University Press.
13. Mohammed, Patricia. “Engendering Masculinity: Cross Cultural Caribbean Research
Initiatives”. Paper prepared for LASA 2000-XXII International Congress of the Latin
American Studies Association, Miami, Florida.
14. Hosein, Gabrielle. 2002. What Does Feminism Mean to Young Women. CAFRA
Newsletter. http://www.cafra.org/article.php3?id_article=353
Tutorial:
1. In Your Own Words: What do the readings suggest YOU should be doing in relation to
gender and feminism in the Caribbean? How can you make the personal political without
making personal stuff all that counts? What do you see as key twenty-first century issues?
Do you think that you will be one of those who participate in movements? Why or why
not?
2. Reading: Excerpts from Manifesta. Written individually and/or discussed in groups and
reported individually or from small groups to class.
3. Questions/ Comments
Session 13 – Choosing Paths, Charting Futures: What will You Do?
POPULAR ACTION TO BE HANDED IN AND PRESENTED IN CLASS
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From www.alternet.org
In Taiwan, demonstrators pretended to be Iraqi women on the ground under US bombs. From
www.bbc.co.uk
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU ARE NOW
MORE THAN EVER
PART OF A WORLD
WORKING TOWARDS
GENDER JUSTICE
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