Topics in Latina and Latino Social and Political Issues (392-0-3)
Topic
Feminist Aesthetics of the Erotic
Instructors
Elvia Mendoza
Crowe Hall, Room 1144
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-410: Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
This course examines how the erotic influences acts of refusal and visions of liberation in the context of confronting violence and oppression. Audre Lorde identifies the erotic as a vital source of power for change, describing it as "the creative energy empowered, the knowledge and the use of which we are now reclaiming in our language, our history, our dancing, our loving, our work, our lives. "Using her understanding of the erotic as our starting point, we will engage with a variety of written and visual texts created by feminist scholars, artists, and activists. This exploration will allow us to rigorously investigate how the erotic is embodied, experienced, expressed, and transformed into revolutionary thought and action. We will critically discuss themes such as desire, self-creation, memory, liberation, and home, amongst others, within the historical contexts of racialization, gender and sexual oppression, nation-state formation, displacement, and forced migration.
Class Materials (Required)
Sirena Selena, Mayra Santos-Febres
Reading assignments will be provided via Canvas and library reserves.
Class Attributes
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Interdisciplinary Distro-rules apply
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
Ethics & Values Distro Area
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Registration is reserved for Latina and Latino Majors and Minors during pre-registration. Regular registration will be open to all majors/minors after the pre-registration period.