Contemporary Feminism

Course Description

Political theory has traditionally associated men with citizenship, public life, and affairs of state, while subordinating or ignoring women's interests, experiences, and voices. Feminist political theory challenges this imbalance, while also expanding the boundaries of what ought to be considered "political." Motivated by a concern for inequality in everyday life, feminist political theory seeks to provide a philosophical framework with which to address injustice, while also inquiring about the existential condition of those who identify as women, trans*, or genderqueer. In so doing, feminist political theory pries open the category of "woman" to reveal its complexities, contradictions, and promise. Students will read influential works from contemporary feminist scholars who come from a variety of intellectual traditions and possess differing political commitments. These texts not only disrupt the historic exclusion of women from political theory but also the exclusionary tendencies in some early feminist writing. Topics may include justice, oppression, solidarity, the state, and neoliberalism.

Code

WS 407

Credits

3

Subject

WS