WOMEN OF COLOR: GENDERS AND SEXUALITIES

History of Consciousness 80F

Fall 1996

Instructors: Professor Angela Davis, Catriona Rueda Esquibel

Course Description:

Introduction to critical thinking about race, class, gender, and sexuality. Exploring questions of identity and belonging in relation to topics such as the politics of reproduction, butch/femme, the family and the state, colonialism, bisexuality, s/m, interracial relationships, and safe sex, this interdisciplinary course focuses on collaboration and conflict between women of color with group presentations and professor-graduate student co-teaching.

(General Education Codes: T5-Humanities and Arts or Social Sciences,E.)

Required Texts:

Student Responsibilities

Students will keep journals throughout the class, writing 2-3 pages per week and submitting their journals at least three times during the quarter. Writing for the class will consist of student journals, a take-home midterm examination, and occasional in-class writing assignments. In lieu of a final exam, students will develop a final project, either individually or collectively.

The class will be organized into working clusters of 4 students. Students will participate in weekly discussions within their cluster, as well as larger class discussions. Each cluster will give one presentation focusing on one week's reading or topic area. [Presentations to start on October 10] The cluster will prepare collective evaluations of the student's participation in the presentations. In addition, students will share their writings within their cluster and evaluate one another's mid-term examination (which will also be evaluated by the instructors).

Class Schedule

Introduction

Thursday, 9/26

To Read In Class:
Guest Speakers: Members of the Women of Color Research Cluster

The WoC Curriculum Development Project

Identity

Tuesday 10/1

Film: Brincando El Charco [Frances Negron-Mutaner]
From Course Reader:
From Piece of My Heart:
From Haciendo Caras:

Thursday 10/4

Film: Spirit Murder: Stopping the Violent Deaths of Black Women [Kim M. Vaz, Mary Filippo, Deborah G. Plant and Toni Thomas]
From Course Reader:
From Haciendo Caras:
Advanced Readings [required of upper division students/clusters]

Politics of Reproduction

Tuesday 10/8

From Course Reader:

Thursday 10/10

[Cluster Presentations Begin]
From Course Reader:
Advanced Readings [required of upper division students/clusters]

Family, Commitment and the State

Tuesday 10/15

From Course Reader:

Thursday 10/17

To be distributed
Guest lecture:

Coloniality and Sexuality

Tuesday 10/22

Film: La Operacion
Guest lecture:
From the Course Reader:

Thursday 10/24

Film: The Women Outside [J. T. Tagaki and Hye Jung Park]
From the Course Reader:
Advanced Readings [required of upper division students/clusters]
Mid-term exams to be distributed

Bisexuality, Identity and Community

Tuesday 10/29

From the Course Reader:
From Piece of My Heart
Mid Course Evaluation of Course & Expectations
Turn in Mid-Term Examination

Thursday 10/31

From the Course Reader:

Butch and Femme Identities in Lesbian of Color Communities

Tuesday 11/5

Film: BD Woman [Inge Blackman, UK] (for Butch/Femme topic, next week)
From the Course Reader:
From Haciendo Caras
From Piece of My Heart:

Thursday 11/7

From the Course Reader:

Politics of Unity in Difference

Tuesday 11/12

Film: A litany for survival : the life and work of Audre Lorde [Ada Gay Griffin & Michelle Parkerson]
From Course Reader:
From Haciendo Caras:
Advanced Readings [required of upper division students/clusters]

Thursday 11/14

From Course Reader:
From Haciendo Caras
From Inscriptions
From Piece of My Heart
Advanced Readings [required of upper division students/clusters]
From Haciendo Caras:

S/M

Tuesday 11/19

Film: Black Nations/Queer Nations? [Shari Frilot] (for S/M topic next week)
From Course Reader:
From Piece of My Heart:

Thursday 11/21

From Course Reader:

Interracial Relationships

Tuesday 11/26

From Course Reader:
From Piece of My Heart:
From Haciendo Caras:

Thursday 11/28 - No Class

Tuesday 12/3

Presentations of Final Projects
Course Evaluations

Safe Sex

Thursday 12/5

Guest Lecture:
From Piece of My Heart:
Copyright 1996 Research Cluster for the Study of Women of Color in Conflict and Collaboration
For more information contact the cluster Syllabus revised 09/25/96, webpage published 12/4/97

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