Women's Studies 696 Advanced Feminist Theory San Diego State University Spring 1993 Professor Kathleen B. Jones KJones@sciences.sdsu.edu Authority and the Politics of Representation in Feminism This course will make the problematic of authority and the politics of representation central to the investigation of debates in contemporary feminist theory, especially the those debates take in Western Academic Institutions. In political theory, authority has been connected to the question of who has entitlement to speak. In feminist theory, this question emerges through challenges to the hegemony of a particular form of feminist theory, especially as those challenges have been articulated by feminists of color as well as in critiques of the subject-centeredness of feminist theory, especially as those critiques have been stressed by poststructuralist feminist. Thus the question of who is entitled to speak for/about/with whom/what connects with the question of representation implicit therein, and consider the shape of feminist politics constructed by controversies about authority an drepresentation. The critique of the project of liberal humanism is now widespread in feminist theory. Where liberal humanism centers on the rights-bearing individual who becomes equal insofar as she becomes like everyone else, and postulates the possibility of this individual's achievement of "sovereignty, self-knowledge and self-mastery," (Gross, (1990), p. 1) contemporary feminist theory has undermined this ideal of subjectivity and the concepts of equality as differencelessness. From different corners and with different effects, both poststructuralists and Third World feminists have contributed to this undermining. But this critique of modernist liberal humanism has a history that precedes contemporary feminist variants. So, in this class we will explore the tenets of modernist philosophy in order to set the stage for the critique of Enlightenment philosophy associated with both poststructuralism and feminism. This, too, is related to the question of authority and the politics of representation: what texts have authority in feminist circles? What writers represent (or can be made to represent) feminist interests? By the end of the course, we will have explored the paradoxes in feminist theory's simultaneous insistence that women be represented in political discourse and practice, and its claim that "women" cannot be represented within the terms of the dominant discourse because they cannot be defined. We well assess the adequacy of prominent conceptualizations of authority and representation to the construction of a political community that is "friendly to women." (Jones, 1990) Course Texts Anzaldua, Gloria. Making Face/Making Soul: Haciendo Caras. (Aunt Lute Press, 1991). Caraway, Nancie. Segregated Sisterhood. (University of Tennessee Press, 1992). hooks, bell. Yearnings. (South End Press, 1991). Jones, Kathleen B. Compassionate Authority: Democracy and the Representation of Women. (Rout ledge, 1993). Nicholoson, Linda. Feminism/Postmodernism. (Routledge, 1990) Ruddick, Sara. Maternal Thinking: Toward a Politics of Peace. (Ballantine, 1989) Tepper, Sherri. Side Show. (Bantam, 1993) White, Stephen. Political Theory and Postmodernism. (Cambridge University Press, 1992) (recommended) Course Requirements 1. This class meets once a week. Attendance and participation are essential to succesful course completion. The readings and topics are difficult. 2. A Seminar Paper (65%) will be required on central themes/topics discussed in class. An outline (10%) of the paper with supplementary bibliography, is due by the sixth week (March 1). Each student will present a twenty minute synopsis (15%) of the major arguments of the paper to the class as a whole beginning the eleventh week of the semester (April 12) and continuing through week fourteen (May 3). Final papers are due May 18 by 4:00 p.m. You are encourage to think of this as an opportunity to develop one or more chapters of your graduate thesis. 3. Group presentations. These brief presentations of assigned readings (10%), identifying the central themes of the essays assigned and the central questions they raise, will be used as the basis for class discussions for specified class meetings. One spokesperson will be charged with the task of summarizing the group's analysis for the class as a whole. The group will serve as discussion leaders. Dates to be arranged. Office Hours AH 3139, Mon 2:00-3:00, Tues 1:00-2:00 Phone 594-6524 Outline of Course 1. Introductions (1/25) a. "No Lies" and Representations b. Reading "Other" Cultures Film: "No Lies" In-Class Text Reading: "Marlene's Story(ies)" READING (1/25) Chandra Mohanty, "Under Western Eyes," in Mohanty et. al., eds., Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism,(Indiana University Press 1992). 2. Decentering the Sovereign Subject in Feminist Theory: The Trouble with Authority (2/1). READING(2/1) Kathleen B. Jones, "Introduction: Feminist Paradoxes and the Trouble with Authority," Compassionate Authority, pp. 1-25; Gloria Anzaldua "Introduction," Making Face/Making Soul, pp. xv-xxviii; Nancie Caraway, "Introduction," Segregated Sisterhood, 1-41; (Read Stephen White, Political Theory and Postmodernism, introduction and chapter 1, as needed) 3. Feminism and Practices of Exclusion (2/1-2/8) READING (2/1-2/8) Caraway, Segregated Sisterhood, chapters 1, 4-5; Yamato, "Something About the Subject...," Zinn et. al., "Racism and Women's Studies," Utall, "Inclusion Without Influence...," Lugones, "Hablado Cara a Cara...," all in Anzaldua, Making Face/Making Soul. 4. Poststructuralism as a Method of Analysis: (2/15-2/22) a. truth, knowledge, power, self, and language READING (2/15) Fraser and Nicholson, "Social Criticism Without Philosophy...," in Nicholson, pp. 19-38; Di Stefano, "Dilemmas of Difference...," in Nicholson, pp. 63-82; Bordo, "Feminism, Postmodernism, and Gender Skepticism," in Nicholson, pp. 300-323. (Read White, chapter 2) b. localized resistance: the geography and space of postmodern politics READING (2/22) Probyn, "Travels in the Postmodern...," in Nicholson, pp. 176-189; Haraway, "A Manifesto for Cyborgs," in Nicholson, pp. 190-233; hooks, Yearnings, pp. 23-49; 145-153. 5. Languages, Subjectivity, and Story-telling: Speaking for and about Women's Experiences (3/1) a. different stories of different women's lives READING (3/1) Anzaldua, Part 3 b. differences, authenticity and question of loyalty to tradition READING (3/8) Anzaldua, Part 2; hooks, pp. 51-77; 203-214 6. Building Theory From Women's Experiences: The Problem of the Authority of Interpretation (3/15-3/22) a. experience and meaning: which truth? READING (3/15) Ruddick, Parts I and II b. the politics of interpretation READING (3/22) Christian, "The Race for Theory," in Anzaldua, pp. 335-345; Rebolledo, "The Politics of Poetics...," in Anzaldua, pp. 346-355; Alar, "The Theoretical Subject(s)...," in Anzaldua, pp. 356-375; Jones, chapter 5. 7. Political Strategies in the Context of Multiple Identities (3/29-4/12) a. revisiting standpoint theories READING (3/29) Ruddick, Part III b. beyond "woman" as subject for feminist theory? READING (4/12) Butler, "Gender Trouble," in Nicholson, pp. 324-340 Presentation of Research Papers (4/12-5/3) 8. Sanctuary and Solidarity: The Paradox of "Home" (4/19-5/10) a. compassionate authority READING (4/19) Jones, chapters 3-4; (Read White, chapters 5-6) b. alliances and justice READING (4/26-5/10) Tepper, Side Show (to be discussed throughout this section; Anzaldua, "La Conciencia...," in Anzaldua, pp. 377-389; Lugones, "Playfulness, 'World'-Traveling," in Anzaldua, pp. 390-402; (Read White, chapter 7)