Global Activism and Transnational Feminist Theories

Catalog description

This course examines transnational feminist theories in order to better understand contemporary global feminist campaigns. We will do a transnational feminist reading of Audre Lorde's work and examine key thinkers regarding (post-/neo-/de-) colonialism, militarization, racial and gender violence, queer disabilities, political economy, humanitarianism, peace activism, and development. We will use methods such as role play, performance art, social experiments, and global case studies to examine how transnational feminists theories can articulate the pitfalls and possibilities of global activism. In order to address the politics of how we learn, all course readings are by nonwestern feminists, feminists with marginalized religious identities, or feminists of color and include both "classic" feminist texts and lesser known emerging feminist scholarship. We will challenge ourselves and each other to both learn and practice transnational feminist theory. Counts for WS theory requirement; POL theory requirement; PJS elective.