PHILOSOPHY 332: FEMINIST ISSUES IN POLITICAL AND SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY [taught with W ST 332, A1]

A1 First Term TR 09:30-10:50 C. Heyes
This course is an introduction to feminist theory for students of both Philosophy and Women's Studies. Starting from students' experiences, the course will aim to teach the theoretical languages of feminism in order to offer diverse answers to questions such as: How are experiences of gender transformed into feminist theory? What is oppression, and how are women oppressed in contemporary North America? What does it mean to say that gender is socially constructed? How does sexism interconnect with racism, class discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and masculinity? How are sexuality and body image political issues? What are the possibilities for solidarity among women in different social locations, or for a global feminist movement? The course aims to debunk the myths and stereotypes surrounding feminist thinking, and offer students an accessible and topical introduction to (primarily anglophone) feminist political thought using methods and texts from within the discipline of philosophy. A willingness to do careful theoretical thinking, reading, and writing will be very important for success in the course, which will be conducted through a mixture of lecture, groupwork, and class discussion.
Prerequisites: None. (WST/PHIL 332 is a sufficient prerequisite for PHIL 433.)
Text: Custom course material available from the University Bookstore