Gender, Sexuality, and Public Policy (351-0-20)

Topic

Gender, Sexuality, and The Carceral State

Instructors

Abby Barefoot
847/467-0259

Meeting Info

Technological Institute L160: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This course explores the rise of the carceral state in the United with particular attention to ethnographic, sociolegal, feminist, queer, and transgender theoretical approaches to the study of prisons. The course centers on girls, women, and LGBT people's experiences with systems of punishment, surveillance, and control. In addition, students will learn how feminist and queer activists have responded to institutions of policing and mass incarceration; investigate how they have understood prison reform, prison abolition, and transformative justice; and consider the political, ethical, and methodological concerns that policing, and mass incarceration raise.

Learning Objectives

• Engage with scholarship describing the historical and contemporary structures, processes, and practices that shape power and resistance; justice and injustice; agency and subjection as it relates to study the U.S carceral state.
• Analyze how social and political forces intersect with gender, race, class, and sexuality to shape experiences with the carceral state.
• Define and apply key analytical concepts as they relate to gender, sexuality, race and social status.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of social science theories related to the study of prisons with particular attention to ethnographic, sociolegal, feminist, queer, and transgender theoretical approaches.
• Develop the ability to critique theories, claims, and policies in the social and behavioral sciences through careful evaluation of an argument's major assertions, assumptions, evidential basis, and explanatory utility.
• Reflect upon the way in which theories and research from the social and behavioral sciences help elucidate the factors that led to the development and sustaining of the carceral state as well as potential solutions.

Teaching Method

- Lecture
- Discussion

Evaluation Method

- short writing assignments
- presentation
- final will be a group project

Class Materials (Required)

All course materials will be provided in Canvas.

Class Attributes

SoC Individual and Social Behavior Distro