Sociology 5006 FEMINIST THEORY Spring, 1995
Professor: Martha E. Gimenez
Office: Hunter 206
Office Hours: T 10:00 - 12:OO and by appointment
Telephone: 492-7080
E-mail address: Gimenez@spot.colorado.edu
Course Description
Examines the main schools of feminist thought and their impact upon sociological theories. It also examines current feminist theoretical debates (e.g., on the relationship between class, gender and race/ethnicity, on identity politics and subjectivity) and their relevance for feminist sociology.
I have developed this course with two main purposes in mind:
First, to explore the main schools of feminist thought (e.g., liberal, radical, marxist, socialist-feminist, materialist) and their impact upon sociological theories. Feminist theory illuminates blind spots in sociological theories and it is important to learn how sociological theorizing has been affected and what new directions have been opened in the process of doing what one might call feminist sociological theory.
The second goal is to examine current debates in feminist theory originating from new theoretical developments (postmodernism), politics (identity politics) and existing divisions among women engaged in developing feminist theory (class, race/ethnicity, sexual preference, national origin, professional training, etc).
Course Requirements
This is not a lecture course, but a seminar. The success of any seminar depends on the cooperation of all its participants. Participation, structured and structured, is expected from every student. Good participation, the kind that enhances the quality of the learning experience for everyone, requires ADEQUATE PREPARATION: the thoughtful and critical reading of the assigned texts at the assigned time. Everyone is expected to come to class have read ALL of the scheduled readings.
Grades will be based on the following:
REQUIRED READINGS
Afshar, Haleh and Mary Maynard, eds. The Dynamics of "Race" and Gender. Some Feminist Interventions. Briston, PA.: Taylor & Francis, 1994.
England, Paula, ed. Theory on Gender/Feminism on Theory. New York: Aldine De Gruyter, 1993.
Fraad, Harriet, S. Resnick and Richard Wolff, Bringing it All Back Home. Class, Gender, & Power in the Modern Household. London: Pluto Press, 1994.
Grant, Judy. Fundamental Feminism. Contesting the Core Concepts of Feminist Theory. New York: Routledge, 1993.
Ramanazoglu, Caroline. Feminism and the Contradictions of Oppression. New York: Routledge, 1990.
OPTIONAL READINGS
Ferguson, Kathy E. The Man Question. Visions of Subjectivity in Feminist Theory. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.
Hennessy, Rosemary. Materialist Feminism and the Politics of Discourse. New York: Routledge, 1993.
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED READINGS
Barrett, Michele. Women's Oppression Today. London: Verso, 1988 (revised edition).
Chafetz, Janet Saltzman, Feminist Sociology. An Overview of Contemporary Theories. Itasca, Ill.: F. E. Peacock Publishers, 1988.
Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment. Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1990.
Hamilton, Roberta and Michele Barrett, eds. The Politics of Diversity. London: Verso, 1987.
Hess, Beth R. and Myra Marx Ferree. Analyzing Gender. A Handbook of Social Science Research. Newbury Park, CA.: Sage, 1987.
Landry, Donna and Gerald MacLean. Materialist Feminisms. Cambridge, MA.: Blackwell Publishers, 1993.
Mohanty, Chandra Talpade, Ann Russo and Lourdes Torres (eds.). Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1992.
Phillips, Anne. Divided Loyalties. Dilemmas of Sex and Class. London: Virago Press, 1987.
Riley, Denise. Am I that Name? Feminism and the Category of "Women" in History. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1988.
Smith, Dorothy. The Everyday World as Problematic: A Feminist Sociology. University of Toronto Press, 1987.
Wallace, Ruth A. Feminism and Sociological Theory. Newbury Park, CA.: Sage, 1989.
RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND READINGS
Jaggar, Alison. Feminist Politics and Human Nature. Totowa,NJ: Rowman & Allanheld, 1983.
Kandal, Terry R. The Woman Question in Classical Sociological Theory. Miami: Florida International University Press, 1988.
Keohane, Nannerl O., Michelle Z. Rosaldo, and Barbara C. Gelpi, eds. Feminist Theory. A Critique of Ideology. Brighton, GB: The Harvester Press Limited, 1982.
Moi, Toril, ed. French Feminist Thought. London: Basil Blackwell, 1987.
Tong, Rosemarie. Feminist Thought: A Comprehensive Introduction. Boulder & San Francisco: Westview press, 1989.
Weedon, Chris. Feminist Practice and Poststructuralist Theory. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1987.
Journals
American Journal of Sociology
American Sociological Review
Feminist Studies
Feminist Review
Frontiers. A Journal of Women's Studies
Gender & Society
International Journal of Women's Studies
Rethinking Marxism
Signs
VIRTUAL SOURCES
Feminist Electronic Lists and Archives
FEMECON-L
For feminist economists. Send subscription requests to
LISTSERV@BUCKNELL.EDU
FEMINISM-DIGEST
This is a collation of articles that appear on usenet's
soc.feminism. It is not a mailing list in its own right, although
subscribers are told how to send their articles via email to the
newsgroup. To subscribe send email to
FEMINISM-DIGEST@NCAR.UCAR.EDU
FEMISA
Femisa is conceived as a list where those who work on or think
about feminism, gender, women, and international relations, world
politics, international political economy, or global politics, can
communicate. To subscribe: send email to
MAJORDOMO@CSF.COLORADO.EDU and in the message write
sub femisa firstname lastname
MATFEM
Matfem is a discussion list centered on Materialist Feminism.
To subscribe send email to
MAJORDOMO@CSF.COLORADO.EDU and in the message write
sub matfem firstname lastname
THE VIRTUAL SEMINAR
An electronic discussion list can be created to facilitate our collective learning through the frequent exchange of ideas about theoretical issues, puzzles, etc. that might emerge in the course of the semester. Participation in "the virtual seminar" counts for your final grade.
Scheduled Readings
Jan. 11 Sociological Theory and the Feminist Challenge
sociological and feminist theoretical assumptions about
gender; levels of analysis; dynamics of social change.
Jan. 18-25; Feb. 1 Macrostructural Perspectives on Gender
effects of feminist theory on Marxist Theory, World System
Theory, and Macrostructural Sociology.
Shelton and Agger, "Shotgun Wedding; Unhappy Marriage, No-Fault Divorce? Rethinking the Feminism-Marxism Relationship "
Ward, Kathryn B., "Reconceptualizing World System Theory to Include Women."
Dunn, Almquist, and Chafetz, "Macrostructural perspectives on Gender Inequality."
All of the above in England, pp. 25- 90.
Gimenez, Martha E. "Marxism and Feminism." Frontiers. A Journal of Women Studies. Vol. 1 No. 1 (Fall, 1975): 61-80.
Gimenez, Martha E. " Marxist and non-Marxist Elements in Engels' Views on the Oppression of Women," pp. 37-56 in J. Sayers et al, eds, Engels Revisited. New Feminist Essays. London: Tavistoc, 1987.
Optional Readings:
"Marx and Engels," pp. 6-12; "Marxist Feminist Explanations," pp.
28-37; 68-70; 115-117; 128-131.
"Eclectic Structural Theories," pp.51-57; 70-88; 117-120; 134-144;
all of the above in Janet S. Chafetz, Feminist Sociology. An
Overview of Contemporary Theories. Peacock Publishers, 1988.
Feb. 8 Fraad, Resnick and Wolff, Bringing it all Back Home.
Class, Gender & Power in the Modern Household.
Feb. 15 -22 Micro-level Perspectives on Gender Effects of
feminist theories of the self, identity, and of gender
inequality on Rational Choice Theory, Ethnomethodology,
Social Psychology, and Interactionist/Poststructural
Perspectives.
Friedman and Diem, "Feminism and the Pro-(Rational-) Choice Movements: Rational-Choice Theory, Feminist Critiques, and Gender Inequality."
West and Fenstermaker, "Power, Inequality and the Accomplishment of Gender: An Ethnomethodological View."
Ridgeway, "Gender, Status, and the Social Psychology of Expectations."
Denzin, "Sexuality and Gender: An Interactionist/Poststructural Reading."
All of the above in England, pp. 91-114; and 151-222.
March 1-15 Towards Theoretical Integration: Micro and Macro;
Structure and Agency; Choice and Constraint; Altruism and
Self-Interest.
Sections 14 , 15, and 16 in England, Theory on Gender.
March 22- April 5 Contesting the Core Concepts of Feminist
Theory: Woman; Experience; Personal Politics.
Judy Grant, Fundamental Feminism.
April 12-26 Diversity and its Theoretical Effects: Class,
Power, Wealth; Status, Life Chances; Ethnicity and Race;
Nationality, Culture; Identities, Politics, Theories.
Haleh Afshar and M. Maynard, The Dynamics of "Race" and Gender.
C. Ramanazoglu, Feminism and the Contradictions of Oppression.
May 3 Theorizing about the Future: The globalization of the
economy as a challenge to feminism, feminist theory,
and feminist sociology.
May 8 FINAL PAPERS DUE