WMNST 536 WOMEN, RACE AND CLASS San Diego State University Oliva M. Espin, Ph.D. Fall 1991 Office: AH 3143 Phone: 594-3739 Hours: T 2:00-4:00 OEspin@scieneces.sdsu.edu TH 8:30-9:30 COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will survey the interplay of race, class, ethnicity and gender in the lives of women, with particular emphasis on the experience of women of color in the United States. Major issues and themes in the history, culture, and contemporary lives of women of color will be discussed. The course analyzes the particularities and intersections of multiple forms of oppression, specifically gender, race, ethnicity, class and sexual orientation, and assesses the various theoretical frameworks which have been advanced in understanding the oppression of women of color. The focus of the course will be on discovering the voices and the life experiences of women from a variety of cultural backgrounds in order to understand the diversity and the commonality of the social histories that have produced their voices. COURSE GOALS: 1. To examine commonalities and differences in the psychological development of all women and to develop appreciation for and sensitivity to diversity. 2. To extend the understanding of the impact of oppression on all women by analyzing the special problems created by oppression for women from diverse backgrounds. 3. To incorporate an analysis of economic, social, political, historical, cultural, racial and psychological forces into the understanding of the lives of all women. 4. To develop skills in taking multiple cultural perspectives on women's lives and experiences. 5. To learn to use life histories as a tool for understanding the experiences/voices of women, particularly those who have traditionally been silent. 6. To promote empowerment through the development of critical independent thinking skills. TEXTS: - hooks, b. (1984) Feminist theory from margin to center. Boston: South End Press. - Lorde, A. (1984) Sister outsider. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press. - Mohanty, C.T., Russo A. & Torres, L. (Eds.) (1991) Third world women and the politics of feminism. Bloomington, Indiana: University Press. - Ferguson, A. (1991) Sexual democracy. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. - Women's Studies 536 Reader (Available at K B Bookstore) WmnSt 536 - page 2 COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 1. Attendance and full participation in class. (10% of grade) 2. Evidence of having read assigned materials by being able to discuss them in class. You will be expected to do a lot of reading for this class. You are not required to write long papers, but you are expected to think critically and to present your understandings as part of the class discussion. (Discussion will be based on readings, so you are expected to come to class having read the assigned material in order to participate fully.) During the semester, teams of two students will serve at least once (and probably twice) as discussion facilitators, in charge of presenting and leading in-depth discussion of the readings for the day. You should get together with your co-facilitator to plan your approach. You might want to develop a series of questions to present to the class to promote the discussion. You may also want to ask the class members to "read for certain things" the week before you are responsible for the discussion. (Please read note #5 before undertaking this assignment.) (25% of grade) 3. Analyze and describe the impact of socio-cultural influences in your life (i.e., gender, race, class, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and sexual orientation) on the basis of the readings and class discussion. (length: 3-5 pages. Due date: November 26) (20% of grade) 4. Submit a typed, double-spaced, one page reaction note on the following dates: September 10, September 24, October 15, October 29, November 19, and December 3.. These papers should focus on your reaction to and reflections on the readings, the class discussion, and their relationship to your life. You will be graded on submitting these reflection papers, not on their content. (Maximum length: one page.) (10% of grade) 5. Read one of the following books (or any other that may be appropriate, but please make sure you check with me before deciding): - Tan, A., The joy luck club - Hong-Kingston, M., The woman warrior - Schaefer, S., Anya - De Monteflores, C., Singing softly/(Cantando bajito) - Angelou, M., I know why the caged bird sings - Walker, A., The color purple - Lorde, A., Zami: A new spelling for my name - Morrison, T. Beloved - Hoffman, L. Lost in translation - Crow Dog, N. Lakota Woman - Kay/Kantrowitz, M. & Klepfiz, I. The tribe of Dina - Dangarembga, T. Nervous conditions Analyze the book read using a theoretical frame based on readings and class discussions. Submit a one page report on your analysis and reaction to the book on November 12. (15% of grade) 6. Interview a woman from a socio-cultural background different from yours (i.e. race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion, sexual orientation) and discuss the interview using a theoretical frame. Include a brief discussion on how what you have learned about yourself and others through your reading, our class discussion, and the writing of assignment #3 has affected your understanding of the woman interviewed. This paper will constitute your final project. You will be asked to present a brief (5 minute) summary to the class on December 10. Please make sure that you protect your interviewee's confidentiality in both your written and oral presentation of her life. (Maximum length: 5 pages. Due date: December 17) (20% of grade) (Important: see note #4) IMPORTANT NOTES: 1. Course assignments will only be accepted during class time on the designated dates. 2. Students who fail to complete assignments on time will have their grades lowered. 3. All assignments should be typed. 4. Before undertaking Requirement #6, read: - Riessman, C.K. (1987) When gender is not enough: Women interviewing women. Gender and Society, 1 (2), 172- 207. (Included in your packet.) 5. The following questions may facilitate your work of providing a critical summary and leading the class discussion on the readings. (It is not necessary for you to answer these questions in your presentation, they are provided as suggestions only.) a) What is the author(s) central thesis? What is she (he, they) trying to do in the piece? What are the most important/new ideas presented in this piece? b) What is the theoretical framework being employed? How is it manifested? c) What does this piece contribute to our understanding of issues of gender, race, class, ethnicity, religion, nationality, or other factors on the lives of women? d) What assumptions about women (or about race, class, etc.) are implicit? Why do you think the author holds these views? Do you agree or disagree with the author(s) views? e) Do you find any particular bias in the reading? What (if anything) is missing in this piece? Are there glaring defects? Are these trivial or fundamental? f) How does this piece compare to what we have read so far? Use any dimension that seems useful to you for your comparison (e.g., topic, tone, ideas, thesis, approach, method, etc). COURSE CALENDAR: Sept. 3 Introduction Sept. 10 The reality of oppression Sept. 17 Readings: - Young, I.M. (1988) Five faces of oppression. The Philosophical Forum, 19(4), 270-290. - Brittan, A. & Maynard, M. (1984) Sexism, racism and oppression. Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell (Ch 1 "Primary and secondary oppression"; Ch 3 "Socialization and resistance; Ch 4 "The Family as the site of oppression) - Rubin, G. (1976) The traffic in women: Notes on the political economy of sex. In R.R. Reiter (Ed.) Toward an Anthropology of women. NY: Monthly Review Press . (pp. 157-210) - Bartky, S.L. (1990) Femininity and domination. NY: Routledge, Chapman & Hall. Ch. 2 "On psychological Oppression" (pp. 22-32) Sept. 24 Privilege and oppression Readings: - McIntosh, P. (1988) White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondence through work in women's Studies. (Working Paper No. 189) Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, Wellesley, MA. - Hurtado, A. (1989) Relating to privilege: Seduction and rejection in the subordination of white women and women of color. Signs: Journal of women in Culture and society, 14(41), 833-855. - Lorde, (text) "An open letter to Mary Daly" (p. 66); "Sexism: An American disease in Blackface" (p. 60) - Yamada, M. (1983) Asian Pacific American Women and Feminism. In C. Moraga & G. Anzaldua (Eds.) This bridge called my back. Latham, NY: Kitchen Table Women of Color Press (pp. 71-75) Oct. 1 Feminist ideology and the politics of feminism Readings: - Mohanty, Russo & Torres (text); pp 1-47, pp. 51- 80. - hooks (text); Chs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Oct. 8 Class Readings: - Ostrander, S.A. (1984) Women of the upper class. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Ch. 2 "The meaning of upper class" and Ch. 7 "Tensions and contradictions." Oct. 8 Class (readings continued) - Brittan and Maynard (see above) Ch. 2 "The class problem." - Amott, T.L. & Matthaei, J.A. (1991) Race, gender and work: A multicultural economic history of women in the United States. Boston: South End Press. Ch. 2 "Race, class, gender and women's works: A conceptual framework." pp. 11-28. - Brenner, J. (1990) Feminist political discourses: Radical vs. liberal approaches to the feminization of poverty and comparable worth. In K.V. Hansen & I.J. Philipson (Eds.) Women, class and the feminist imagination. Philadelphia: Temple University Press (pp. 491-507) Oct. 15 Race Readings: - Lorde (text) "The uses of anger: Women responding to racism" (p. 124); "Eye to eye: Black women, hatred and anger" (p. 145). - Williams, P.J. On being the object of property. In M. Malson. O'Barr, J.F., Westphal-Wihl, S. & Wyer, M. (Eds.) Feminist theory in practice and process. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press. (pp. 275-294) - Mohanty, Russo & Torres (text) pp. 297-313. - Wong, N. (1983) When I was growing up. In C. Moraga & G. Anzaldua (Eds.) This bridge called my back. NY: Kitchen Table Women of Color Press. (pp. 7-8) - Cameron, B. (1983) Gee, you don't seem like an Indian from the reservation. In C. Moraga & G. Anzaldua (Eds.) This bridge called by back. NY: Kitchen Table Women of Color Press. (pp. 46-52) - Harris, V. and Ordona, T.A. (1990) Developing unity among women of color: Crossing the barriers of internalized racism and cross-racial hostility. In G. Anzaldua (Ed.) Making face, making soul/Haciendo caras. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Foundation Books. (pp. 304-315) - Woo, M. (1983) Letter to Ma. In C. Moraga & G. Anzaldua (Eds.) This bridge called my back. Latham, NY: Kitchen Table Women of color Press. (pp. 140-147) Oct. 22 Religion/ethnicity Readings: - Arditti, R. (1989) To be a "Hanu." In M. Kaye/Kantrowitz & I. Klepfisz, (Eds.) The tribe of Dina: A Jewish women's anthology (pp. 16-26) - Klepfisz, I. (1989) Secular Jewish identity: Yidishkayt in America. In M. Kaye etc. (see above). (pp. 32-50) Oct. 22 Religion/ethnicity (readings continued) - Kaye/Kantrowitz, M. (1990) The issue is power: Some notes on Jewish women and therapy. Women & Therapy. 10 (4), 7-18. - Frydrych Shatzkin, E. (1989) Przemysl-December 1942. In M. Kaye etc. (see above). (pp. 165-167) - Root, M.P.P. (1990) Resolving "other" status: Identity development of biracial individuals. In. L.S. Brown & M.P.P. Root (Eds.) Diversity and complexity in feminist therapy. NY: Harrington Park Press. (pp. 185-205) Oct. 29 1) The immigrant/refugee experience 2) Language Readings: - Espin, O.M. (1987) Psychological impact of migration on Latinas: Implications for psychotherapeutic practice. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 11 (4), 489-503. - Rozee, P. and Van Boemel, G. (1989) The psychological effects of war trauma and abuse on older Cambodian refugee women. Women and Therapy, 8 (4), 23-49. - Ho, C.K. (1990) An analysis of domestic violence in Asian American communities: A multicultural approach to counseling. In L.S. Brown & M.P.P. Root (Eds.) Diversity and complexity in feminist therapy. NY: Harrington Park Press. (pp. 129-151) - Lorde (text) "The transformation of silence into language and action." (p. 40) Nov. 5 The development and expression of sexuality Nov. 12 Readings: - Espin, O.M. (1986) Cultural and historical influences on sexuality in Hispanic/Latin women. In J.B. Cole (Ed) All American women. NY: Macmillan. (pp. 272-284) (Originally published in C. Vance, (Ed.) Pleasure and danger: Exploring female sexuality) - Lorde (text) "Scratching the surface: Some notes on barriers to women and loving" (p. 45); "Uses of the erotic: The erotic as power" (p. 53). - hooks (text) Ch. 11. - Espin, P.M. (1987) Issues of identity in the psychology of Latina lesbians. In Lesbian psychologies: Explorations and challenges. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. (pp. 35-51) - Davis, A. (1983) Women, race & class. NY: Vintage Books. (Ch. 12 "Racism, birth control and reproductive rights.") - Ferguson (text) Sexual democracy. - Mohanty, Russo & Torres (text) pp.133-152; 153-172; 237-250. Nov.5/12 The development and expression of sexuality (readings continued) - Blackwood, E. (1984) Sexuality and gender in certain Native American tribes: The case of cross- gender females. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 10 (11), 27-42. Nov. 19 1) Women as healers and sources of strength in their communities 2) Health issues Readings: - LaFramboise, T.D., Heyle, A.M. & Ozer, E.J. (1990) Changing and diverse roles of women in American Indian cultures. Sex roles. 22 (7/8), 455-476. - Espin, O.M. (1988) Spiritual power and the mundane world: Hispanic female healers in urban U.S. communities. Women's Studies Quarterly, 17, 33-47. - McClain, C.S. (Ed.) Women as healers:Cross- cultural perspectives. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. (Ch. 1 "Reinterpreting women in healing roles," pp. 1-19.) - Edemikpong, N.B. (1990) Women and AIDS. Women and therapy, 10 (3), 25-34. - Kisekka, M.N. (1990) AIDS in Uganda as a gender issue. Women and therapy, 10 (3), 35-53. Nov. 26 Feminist approaches to women's diversity/Diverse approaches Dec. 3 to feminism Readings: - Espin, O.M. and Gawelek, M.A. (in press) Women's diversity: Ethnicity, race, class and gender in theories of feminist psychology. In M. Ballon and L.S. Brown (Eds.) Theories of personality and psychopathology: Feminist reappraisals, NY: Guilford Press. - Lorde (text) "Age, race, class, and sex: Women redefining difference" (p. 114); "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house" (p. 110). - Anzaldua, G. (1990) La conciencia de la mestiza: Towards a new consciousness. In G. Anzaldua (Ed.) Making face, making soul/Haciendo caras. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Foundation Books. (pp. 377-389) - Lugones, M. (1990) Playfulness, "world" -travelling, and loving perception. In G. Anzaldua (see above). (pp. 390-402) - Minh-ha, T.T. (1990) Not you/like you: Post colonial women and the interlocking question of identity and difference. In G. Anzaldua (above). (pp. 371-375) Nov. 26 Feminist approaches to women's diversity/Diverse approaches Dec. 3 to feminism (readings continued) - hooks (text) Chs. 9, 10 and 12. - Mohanty, Russo & Torres (text) pp. 314-327; 271- 287. - Hohri, S. (1986) Are you a liberated woman? Feminism, revolution and Asian American women. In J. Coles (Ed.) All American women. NY: Free Press. (pp. 420-425) Dec. 10 Summary and evaluation Dec. 17 Final Examination