Women’s Studies 3900: Feminist Ethics
MWF 1:00- 1:50 p.m. C620
Instructor: Jane Barter Moulaison
Phone number: 380 1897 (o)
Office: PE 211
E-mail: jane.barter@uleth.ca
Office Hours: T: 4-6 p.m.; MW: 2-3 p.m.
A. Introduction
According to feminist philosopher, Rosemary Tong, feminist ethics are "...an
attempt to revise, reformulate, or rethink those aspects of traditional western
ethics that depreciate or devalue women’s moral experience."
This course will begin by situating feminist ethics within the context of western
moral philosophy, and will consider the challenges that have been posed to this
tradition from careful consideration of the category of women’s experience. This
course will also consider the nature of cultural and experiential diversity and
difference as essential to articulating and advancing an ethics where justice and the
good life are commensurate with feminist principles. From theoretical
considerations, this course will move to areas of applied ethics, and will concern
itself with issues which are of prominent concern to feminist ethicists such as
procreative choice, new reproductive technologies, sexual harassment, and
ecology.
B. Required Readings
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Barter Moulaison. CLR Coursepack: Feminist Ethics. (CLR)
Two photocopies on religious ethics, which will be distributed at a later date.
C. Course Goals
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To understand the chief paradigms that are evoked and utilized in the consideration of moral
problem
To consider feminist response to universalist categories for ethical decision making
To consider alternate versions of moral development in feminist, feminine and androcentric
theories
To consider the manner in which contending moral claims are constantly being negotiated, both
privately and publicly
To consider the diversity of ethical norms and sources for the deliberation of moral problems
To learn how to apply feminist ethical theory to discrete moral problems
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D. Schedule of Classes
SECTION I: FEMINIST ETHICAL THEORY
January 7:
Introduction to Feminist Ethics
Lecture: “What are Ethics?” “What are Feminist Ethics?”
January 9:
Feminist Ethics
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January 12:
Read CP, Reading # 1
Feminist Ethics
January 14:
Read CP, Reading # 1
Introduction to Feminist Bioethics
January 16:
Read CP, Reading # 2
Feminist Bioethics
January 19:
Read CP, Reading # 2
Justice and Care
January 21:
Read CP, Reading # 3
Autonomy
January 23:
Read CP # 4
Power
January 26:
CP # 5
Personhood
-
Read CP, Readings # 6
Film: “Last Rights”
SECTION II: ISSUES IN FEMINIST ETHICS
January 28:
Sexual Harassment
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January 30:
Read CP # 7
Film: “Back Alley Detroit”
Abortion
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Read CP # 8
February 2:
Mid-Term Examination
February 4:
Abortion
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February 6:
1 HOUR
Read CP # 9, 10
New Reproductive Technologies
February 9:
Read CP # 11, 12
Film: “Making Babies”
Cloning
February 11:
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Read CP #13
Sexuality *
Read CP # 14
Film: “Tokyo Girls”
(PAPER # 1 ON SEXUALITY OR ABORTION DUE TODAY: CP 7, 8, 9)
February 13:
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Female Genital Mutilation
Read CP # 15
February 16 – 21:
February 23:
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Reading Week –No classes
Family I *
Read CP # 16
(PAPER # 2 ON NEW REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES OR CLONING DUE TODAY: CP 11,
12 , OR 13)
February 25:
February 27
Read CP # 17
Disability I
March 1
Read CP # 18
Disability II
March 3:
Family II
Read CP # 19
War and Peace *
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Read CP # 20
Film: “Aftermath: The Remnant”
(PAPER # 3 ON SEXUALITY, FAMILY, OR DISABILITY DUE TODAY: CP 14, 15, 16, OR 17)
March 5:
The Environment
Read CP # 21
March 8:
The Environment
Read CP # 21
Film: “Asking Different Questions: Women and Science”
SECTION III: DIVERSITY IN ETHICS
March 10:
Diversity: Postfeminism
Read CP # 22
March 12
Diversity: Postfeminism # 2
Read CP # 22
Film: “The Iroquois Speak Out”
March 15
Diversity: Protestant Moral Thought *
Read
“Christianity”
Photocopy
PAPER # 4 ON WAR, ENVIRONMENT OR POSTFEMINISM DUE TODAY (CP 20, 21, OR 22)
March 17
Diversity: Judaism
Read “Judaism,” Photocopy
March 22
Diversity: Sikhism and Hinduism
Read CP # 23
Film: Some Kind of Arrangement
March 24
Diversity: Islam
Read CP # 24
Film: “Under One Sky”
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SECTION IV: CASE STUDIES
March 26
Case Study # 1
March 29
Case Study # 2 *
PAPER # 5 ON RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY DUE TODAY (CP 23, 24, OR PHOTOCOPY ON
CHRISTIANITY OR JUDAISM)
March 31
Case Study # 3
April 2
Case Study # 4
April 5
Case Study # 5
April 7
Case Study # 6
April 9
Case Study # 7
April 12
Case Study # 8
April 14
Review
C. Evaluation:
Grading Scale
A + 90-100%
A
85-89
A-
80-84
B+ 77-79
Excellent
B
74-76
C+ 67-69
Good
B- 70-73
C 64-66
C- 60-63
D+ 56-59 Poor
Fair
D 50-55
F 0-49
1. Attendance and Participation (10%)
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Because this class is integrative
and interdisciplinary, it is strongly recommended that students participate regularly in
informed class discussion.
2. Summaries of the Readings
(35% -- 7 points each)
Students must prepare a one page (250 - 300 words) of one reading of the students’
choosing for various classes in the section two or three of the class; issues in feminist
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ethics, or diversity. See the class schedule for due dates and articles to be covered in
each section. These papers will be evaluated for grammatical form as well as content.
The brief summary papers should consist of two parts:
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Summary: What is the author arguing in this article?
Analysis: Do you find her argument compelling or sound ? Why or why
not?
3. Mid-term Examination (Take-Home) (25%)
The mid-term examination will evaluate students’ mastery of key ethical concepts from
the theoretical portion of the class. The examination will consist of 12 short answer, of
which the student must identify nine, as well as ten multiple choice questions.
4. Individual Project : Case Studies (30%)
The Oral Presentation will be done by each student in the class on specific ethical case
studies. These cases will be distributed at the beginning of the semester so that students
may sign up for one as early as possible. Topics are on a first come, first serve basis.
1. Sign up for a specific class for your oral presentation during Section IV Women
and Applied Ethics.
2. You will be invited at this time to prepare an oral presentation (approximately 1015 minutes) on one of the readings for the class that you choose. You will also be
responsible for facilitating class discussion on the case for approximately ten
minutes after the presentation.
3. Your oral presentation should consist of the following elements:
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A brief summary of the case that you have chosen.
An indication that you undertaken any necessary background research in order to
understand the particular case.
An ethical argument and judgment on the case, explaining why you have made this
specific decision, and what moral principles you base this decision on. This must include
the theoretical framework that you are working with.
Your decision should also answer the question as to why your decision is more ethically
sound than the alternatives.
A specific consideration of feminist ethics must be evident in your presentation. Even if
you choose to reject a feminist analysis of the case, you must demonstrate that you have
considered one.
A one-page hand-out (maximum) of your presentation
You should also finish your presentation with one leading question for discussion
Students may elect to do a power point presentation, but it is not necessary, and will not
necessarily contribute to the evaluation of the assignment.
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There are three elements that I will be looking for in the evaluation of the oral
presentation:
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Delivery: Including ease with public presentation, preparedness, etc
Content: Especially the ability to present the ideas put forth by the author in a way
that situates them within a distinct religious community.
Critical analysis: Ability to engage the text critically, offering insights into the social,
religious and structural dimensions of an individual authors’ perspective.
D. Useful Resources
Alison M. Jaggar, "Feminist Ethics," Encyclopedia of Ethics, edited by Lawrence
C. Becker and Charlotte B. Becker (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1992), Vol. I,
pp. 361-370;
Jane Grimshaw, "The Idea of a Female Ethic," A Companion to Ethics, edited by
Peter Singer (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991), pp. 491-499.
Rosemarie Tong, Feminine and Feminist Ethics (Belmont: Wadsworth, 1993) and
Feminist Frameworks, edited by Alison M Jaggar and Paula S. Rothenberg, 2nd edition
(New York: McGraw Hill, 1984).
Eva Feder Kittay and Diana Meyer's Women and Moral Theory (Savage, MD:
Rowman & Littlefield, 1987);
Feminism and Political Theory, edited by Cass R. Sunstein (Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1990)
Claudia Card, Feminist Ethics (Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press,
1991).
Explorations in Feminist Ethics, edited by Eva Browning Cole and Susan
Coultrap-McQuin (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992).
Ethics: A Feminist Reader, edited by Elizabeth Frazer, Jennifer Hornsby, and
Sabina Lovibond (Oxford: Blackwell, 1992).
Women and Values. Readings in Recent Feminist Philosophy, Second Edition,
edited by Marilyn Pearsall (Belmont: Wadsworth, 1993).
Feminism: Opposing Viewpoints, edited by Carol Wekesser (San Diego, CA :
Greenhaven Press, 1995).
Rita C. Manning, Speaking from the Heart. A Feminist Perspective on Ethics
(Lantham: Rowman and Littlefield, 1992).
Katie Roiphe, The Morning After. Sex, Fear, and Feminism (Boston: Little,
Brown, 1993).
Christina Hoff Sommers, Who Stole Feminism? (New York: Simon & Schuster,
1994).
Carol Gilligan's In a Different Voice (Cambridge: Harvard University Press,
1982).
Janie Victoria Ward and Jill McLean Taylor, Mapping the Moral Domain
(Cambridge: Center for the Study of Gender, Education and Human Development, 1988).
Nel Noddings, Caring (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984).
Nel Noddings, Women and Evil (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989).
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6. Late Papers, Missed Exams
Students are required to write the mid-term examination on the designated date.
There will be no exceptions, save emergencies.
All brief papers are due at the beginning of the class on the date designated in the
schedule of classes listed above. . Late assignments will be penalized at a rate of 3%
a day, including weekends. Students with extenuating medical or domestic
circumstances may arrange for an extension prior to the due date.
7. Terms of this syllabus
The specifications of this syllabus are binding for students and instructor, but may be
modified by instructor due to extenuating circumstances.
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