Discussion: pgs. 67-87

Reading response: What does John Mills think women ought to be? What do you think about John's ideas?

Reading response: Whom is Harriet Taylor admiring in her essay? For what actions? For what strategies?

Reading response: The first essays by John were written in 1832. The Subjection of Women was written almost 40 years later. In this time did John change his position on women in the workplace? If not, why not, do you think? If he did, what is his position on the subject in 1869?

Reading response: on page 179, Mill speculates that is allowed by society to chose, like men who chose a profession, women will marry and chose to manage a household and bring up a family. Taylor Mill argued 20 years earlier that women will chose to take up a profession and not to have children. How does Mill justify/explain his speculation? What is your response?

Discussion: pgs. 1-29

Reading response: Gilman opines that humans are the only species for which sex relations are also economic relations. What does she mean by this? What are the implications of this phenomenon?

Mills paper due

Reading Response: On page 30, Gilman states 2 "facts." Why does she think the "relationship" has reached its peak in human civilization? What do you think of her argument?

Discussion: pgs. 73-122

Reading response: What is Gilman's response to the claim that women's economic dependency on men is advantageous to women because of the role in maternity.? What so you think about this?

Reading response: What does the socialization of motherhood and housework involve? If these strategies were actually realized, do you think Gilman is right in supposing this would benefit women and society?

Discussion: Introductory material

Gilman paper due

Reading response: Choose one: How is hooks defining feminism? How is hooks defining oppression or domination?

Reading response: hooks considers the effect of feminism on men, issues about power, work and education. Pick one of these topics and consider how hooks echoes or refutes either the Mills or Gilman.

Reading response: hooks concludes her text by stating: "The formation of an oppositional world view is necessary for feminist struggle."  What does she mean by "oppositional world view"? Describe some of the strategies she proposes will enable us to create that world view? Comment.

Discussion: pgs. 1-22

Reading response: Why does Trihn begin her text about Postcoloniality and Feminism with a discussion of writing?

hooks paper due

Reading response: Choose one--1.What do you think of Trihn's admonition that "Women must write through their bodies." How is this advice feminist? or 2. How is Trihn challenge of anthropology a postcolonial action? a feminist action?

Reading response: n Section III, Trihn includes 10 pages of images. Choose 2 of those pages and comment on how their inclusion is related to her written text; how do they help you understand what she is saying/proposing/ analyzing?

Reading response: What is the Grandmother's Story? How is Trihn using this metaphor/image to conclude her text?

Paper topics: Choose one.
1) Trinh writes: “difference undermines the very idea of identity.” Should this be the starting point for feminist theory? Why or why not?

2) Compose a Trinh-ian critique of either of our first three authors.

3) Do you agree with Trinh that feminist thought may need to be written “differently”?
 

Discussion: pgs. 1-16

Reading response: What does Butler mean by the title of her book, Undoing Gender?

Trihn paper due

Reading response: What is Butler's critique of Catherine MacKinnon's definition of sexual harrassment?

Reading response: What is Butler's reason for relating the story of David Reimer?

Reading response: What problems does Butler see might potentially come out of the effort to make legal same-sex marriage?

Reading response: What is the state of feminist theory today? Where does feminism need to go? Is feminism dead? What questions about all this is Butler raising?

Reading response: What is Butler's view of social transformation? How is her version the same or difference from any of the previous theorists?

Paper topic: Select one of the following question and compose an answer of at least 5 type-written, double-spaced pages:

1) Is Butler’s theory “post-feminist”? In answering this question, you will (obviously) need to operate with a clearly articulated sense of what feminism is. You will also have to draw upon other feminist theorists from the course to help you make your case for why Butler’s theory either is, or is not “post-feminist.”

2) “To make a theory feminist, it is not enough that it be authored by a biological female. Nor that it describe female sexuality as different from (if equal to) male sexuality, or as if sexuality in women ineluctably exists in some realm beyond, beneath, above, behind ... an unequal social order. A theory of sexuality becomes feminist to the extent it treats sexuality as a social construct of male power: defined by men, forced on women, and constitutive in the meaning of gender. Such an approach centers feminism on the perspective of the subordination of women to men as it identifies sex - that is, the sexuality of dominance and submission - as crucial, as a fundamental, as on some level definitive, in that process. Feminist theory becomes a project of analyzing that situation in order to face it for what it is, in order to change it.” - MacKinnon
How would Butler analyze and criticize the above passage from MacKinnon? And do you agree with the analysis and critique that Butler would put forth?

3) Assuming that you are a feminist, what kind of feminist are you? Are you a Millian (John or Harriet), a Gilminite, a hooksian, a Trinhian, or a Butlerian feminist? If you consider yourself to be a Butlerian feminist, you must also make a case for why you are not a feminist of one of the other four types. If you don’t consider yourself to be a Butlerian feminist, you must make your case for both why you are one of the other four feminists and why you are not a Butlerian feminist.
 

Participation statement due -- make a case for points earned inside and outside of class.