Topics in Culture and Society (492-0-20)

Topic

Beyond “French Feminism”

Instructors

Matthieu Dupas
847/491-2772
1860 S. Campus Drive, Crowe Hall #2-139

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 4-410: Tues 3:00PM - 5:50PM

Overview of class

How were gender and desire theorized in France from Beauvoir's seminal essay Le deuxième Sexe (1949) to Preciado's Testo Junkie (2008)? The goal of the course is to highlight the diversity of approaches to gender and sexuality in France from the late 20th century to the early 21st century by focusing on the productivity of the transatlantic dialogue. We will therefore read so-called "French feminism" without limiting ourselves to it and include phenomenological feminism, materialist feminism, cultural feminism, queer feminism, and pay attention to how gender, class, race and desire intersect in feminist and post-feminist theory. Course will be taught in French.

Class Materials (Required)

Simone de Beauvoir: Le deuxième sexe

Monique Wittig : La Pensée straight

Colette Guillaumin : Sexe, Race et Pratique du Pouvoir

Nicole-Claude Mathieu : L'Anatomie politique : Catégorisations et idéologies du sexe

Paul B Preciado : Testo Junkie