|
Women have a long and remarkable history of organizing to
resist oppression, expand their rights as women and citizens,
protect their families and communities, defend traditional
values, and change their societies. They have organized in,
through and against revolutionary, nationalist and transnational
movements, trade unions, autonomous women's movements and
mainstream political institutions; states, schools, workplaces,
communities, and religious institutions; public and private
spaces; and issues and identities.
This course documents women's organizing in historical and
contemporary contexts, and analyzes and assesses strategies.
Specifically, it considers second and third wave feminist
organizing; maternalist organizing; organizing for economic
justice; women's engagement with the state and government
around representation and public policy; organizational strategies,
such as separate structures, democratization and cyber-feminism;
women's involvement in international and transnational movements;
and anti-feminist organizing. The impact on organizing of
diversities based on gender, class, racialization, ability
and sexuality and the potential of coalition politics as a
strategic response are major themes.
Professor Linda Briskin
Office: S728 Ross Phone: 736-5054 x 77824
Office Hours: Mon from 10:30-11:15 or by appointment
email lbriskin@yorku.ca
Course listserv: ws3509@yorku.ca
Class Hours: Wed 11:30-2:30 Room: S701 Ross
NOTE THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS DESIGNATED DEC 3 (a Tues)
AS A MONDAY IN ORDER TO MAKE UP FOR THE MONDAYS LOST TO HOLIDAYS.
THIS MEANS THAT WE WILL BE MEETING ON DEC 2 (Mon) AND DEC
3 (Tues). PLEASE PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE ACCORDINGLY.
Pre-requisites: Students should have taken at least
one women's studies course (at any level and in any department)
before taking this course. If students do not have this pre-requisite,
then they need permission of instructor to enrol. First year
courses such as 'Women and Society' and 'Women and the Law'
fulfil this requirement.
Reading Kits: A fall and a winter kit of articles
will be available at the York University bookstore. A * in
the course outline indicates an article in the kit. Note that
the books and one copy of the kit are on reserve in the library.
Film and Video: This course relies on the extensive
use of documentary film/video. If you miss the videos in class,
you should watch them in The Sound and Moving Images Library
(in Scott Library).
Required Texts:
Briskin, Linda. Feminist Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning
Liberation. Ottawa: Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement
of Women, 1994.
Cockburn, Cynthia. The Space Between Us: Negotiating
Gender and National Identities in Conflict. London: Zed, 1998.
Special Issue on "Post-Beijing" of Canadian
Woman Studies, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Summer 1996).*
Special Issue on "Women 2000" of Canadian Woman
Studies Vol. 20, No. 3 (Fall 2000)*
*We will be using a selection of articles from each of these
two journals. For your information, a copy of each journal
will be on reserve in the library.
Email and the Internet:
As part of your assignment on cyber-feminism and in order
to participate in the course listserv, you will need an email
address and access to the internet. If you do not have access
at home, you can get an email address from York (free) which
you can use from home (access from the internet at mymail.yorku.ca)
as long as you have a modem. If you use York computers in
the labs around campus or outside the library, you will also
need an acadlab account. To activate these accounts, go to
the Help Desk in Steacie.
For the assignment on cyber-feminism, you will need to sign
up for a feminist news service delivered by email and join
an internet discussion group. You should do this immediately.
See the assignment handout for more information.
****
WITHDRAWAL DATE: FEB 7, 2003
FALL SEMESTER
UNIT ONE: INTRODUCTION
Sept 9 INTRODUCTION TO COURSE
Sept 16 NO CLASS: YOM KIPPUR
Sept 23 INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN ORGANIZING #1
*"It's Time for Change"
*Kirk and Okazawa-Rey, "Creating Change.."
*Adamson, Briskin and McPhail, "The Politics of Making
Change"
***Hand in GroundRules Exercise
***Read and bring questions on "Critical Reading Exercises"
Pick your six topics: two for Fall and four for Winter semester.
For The Space between Us, pick the country you would
like to read about.
***If you did not give me an email address on your information
form, please bring it today.
Sept 30 INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN ORGANIZING #2 [RE]
*Einwohner, Hollander and Olson, "Engendering Social
Movements.."
*Christiansen-Ruffman, "Women's Conceptions of the Political"
"Indian Women.." and "Work Stoppage"
(handouts)
**Read and bring questions on "Cyberfeminism"
Oct 7 THE CURRENT CONJUNCTURE [RE]
*Hamilton, "The Canadian State: Feminist Perspectives"
*Hamilton, "Challenging The State: Self-Determination,
Nationalism, Regionalism and Anti-Racism"
*Gabriel, "Restructuring at the Margins"
***Internet Workshop (Library: CS129)
Oct 14 NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING
OCT 18 is PERSON'S DAY
Oct 21 CLASSROOM AS A SITE OF POLITICAL PRACTICE [RRE]
Briskin, Feminist Pedagogy
*Fleming et al, "Gender, Power and Silence in the Classroom."
*Trosset, "Obstacles to Open Discussion and Critical
Thinking"
***Discuss groundrules
UNIT TWO: FEMINIST ORGANIZING
Oct 28 FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD WAVE FEMINISMS [RE]
*Adamson, Briskin and McPhail, "Our History/Histories"
*Hamilton, "The Women's Movement(s)"
*Harris, "Riding My Own Tidal Wave"
*Millenium of Achievements
Film: Keepers of the Fire (55 mins)
**Read and bring questions on "Action Project"
Nov 4 THEORY AND PRACTICE [RRE]
*Elliot and Mandell, "Feminist Theories"
*Briskin. "Socialist Feminism: from the standpoint of
practice."
Film: Bread and Roses: The Struggle of Canadian Working
Women (30 mins)
Nov 11 ORGANIZING DIVERSITY INSIDE THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT
[RE]
*Gershbain, "The Struggle Beneath the Struggle.."
*Drediger, "Discovering Disabled Women's History"
*Hildebrant, Savage and Stevenson. "Getting to the Core
of Troubled Eating."
*Feinberg, "Transgender Liberation: A Movement Whose
Time Has Come."
*Gayle-Deutsch. "Challenging Fragmentation: White Privilege,
Jewish Oppression and Lesbian Identity."
*Pheterson, "Alliances between Women"
*Thompson and White Women Challenging Racism. "Home/Work:
Antiracism Activism and the Meaning of Whiteness."
Film: Sisters in the Struggle (50 mins)
Nov 18 WOMEN'S ORGANIZING AND PUBLIC POLICY [RRE]
*Rankin and Vickers, "Women's Movements and State Femininsm:
Integrating Diversity into Public Policy"
***Check in on Action Project
Nov 25 ADVOCACY LETTERS
Read "Advocacy Letters" (handout)
Dec 2 CYBERFEMINISM
*Youngs, "Virtual Voices: Real Lives"
*Ollivier and Robbins, "Electronic Communications and
Feminist Activism.."
*Scott-Dixon, "The All-Girl On-Line Revolution"
****Presentations on cyberfeminism.
****Last day to hand in written report on Cyberfeminism
Dec 3 ELECTORAL STRATEGIES AND REPRESENTATION [RE]
*Vickers, "Towards a Feminist Understanding of Representation"
*Young, "The Canadian Women's Movement and Political
Parties, 1970-1993".
Pauktuutit Inuit Women's Association, "Letter..."
in Women 2000
"Democracy it ain't.." (handout)
Film: For Our Sisters, For Our Daughters (16 mins)
**Check in on Action Project
OVER THE DECEMBER BREAK, PLEASE READ AHEAD. STEP ONE OF YOUR
ACTION PROJECT AND A LARGE READING EXERCISE [RRE] (COCKBURN)
ARE BOTH DUE IN JAN.
WINTER SEMESTER
Jan 6 GRASSROOTS FEMINIST ORGANIZING [RE]
*Luxton, "Feminism as a Class Act.."
*Egan et al, "The Politics of Transformation"
*Denis, "Multiple Identities..."
Hewitt-White "Direct Action Against Poverty" in
Women 2000
"For Bread and Roses.." (handouts)
Film: Women's March Against Poverty (51 minutes)
UNIT THREE: WOMEN ORGANIZING
Jan 13 MATERNALIST ORGANIZING [RE]
*Werbner. "Political Motherhood and the Feminisation
of Citizenship.."
*Swerdlow, "Pure Milk, Not Poison"
*Krauss. "Challenging Power: Toxic Waste Protests and
the Politicization of White, Working Class Women."
"The Mother's Hour" (handout)
Film: The Voice of Women (52 min)
***LAST DAY TO HAND IN STEP ONE OF ACTION PROJECT
Jan 20 ORGANIZING FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE [RE]
*Tirado, "Weaving Dreams, Constructing Realities: The
Nineteenth of September National Union of Garment Workers
in Mexico."
*Jhabvala, "Self-Employed Women's Association..."
*McDermott, "The Eaton's Strike..."
*de Angelis, "Wake up Little Suzy"
Film: Union Maids (45 minutes)
Jan 27 PEACE ORGANIZING THROUGH COALITIONS [RRE]
Cockburn, Cynthia. The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender
and National identities in Conflict.
"Bat Shalom Address to UN" (handout)
Film: The Million Mom March (40 mins)
Feb 3 ANTI-FEMINISM [RE]
*Faludi, selections from Backlash (Chap 1/3)
*Messner, "Essentialist Retreats: The Mythopoetic Men's
Movement and the Christian Promise Keeprs"
*Kathleen Blee. "Mothers in Race-Hate Movements"
Selection from REALWOMEN documents (handouts)
"Bible Belles" (handouts)
Film: Ballot Measure 9 (72 mins)
UNIT FOUR: ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS
Feb 10 SEPARATE ORGANIZING [RE]
*Briskin. "Autonomy, Diversity and Integration..."
*Freedman, "Separatism as Strategy..."
*Selections from Herizons.. "Why Transgendered.."
Feb 17 READING WEEK
Feb 24 PRESENTATIONS ON PROTEST ASSIGNMENT
Mar 3 DEMOCRATIZATION AND WAYS OF WORKING [RE]
*Freeman, "The Tyranny of Structurelessness.."
*Kirk, "Our Greenham Common"
*Arnott, "Re-emerging Indigenous Structures... "
*Miles, "Lessons from a Young Feminist Collective.
"Greenham Common Protest.." (handout)
GUEST SPEAKER: Allyson Mitchell, co-editor of Turbo Chicks:
Talking Young Feminisms will be speaking to my first year
class on March 5 from 1:15-2:30 in Curtis Lecture G. Please
join us.
MARCH 8 is INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Mar 10 PRESENTATIONS ON PROTEST ASSIGNMENT
Film: Threads of Hope (51 mins)
UNIT FIVE: INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZING
Mar 17 BEIJING [RE]
Selections from Post-Beijing: Bunch et al, Roberts,
Ruffman including Beijing Platform for Action, Villiers, Tohidi,
and Day (pp. 7-12, 18-20, 25-28, 30-34, 35-43, and 46-54)
REALWOMEN of Canada. "The Struggle for the Family."
Reality, Vol 14, No. 5 (Sept/Oct 1995), p. 1-6 (handouts)
Film: Beyond Beijing (42 mins)
***STEP THREE (and 3a) OF ACTION PROJECT DUE
Mar 24 POST BEIJING [RE]
Selections from Women 2000: Miles (pp. 6-10), Day
(pp. 11-14) "It's Time for Change" (pp. 21-23),
Bazilla (pp. 64-71), Philipose (pp. 142-147), Ababio (pp.
167-171); Ralston
(pp. 176-180)
Film: A Score for Women's Voices (86 mins)
GUEST SPEAKERS: Kyle Scanlon and Alaina will be speaking
about "trans" experiences to my first year class
on March 26 from 1:30-2:20 in Curtis Lecture G. Please join
us.
Mar 31 CONCLUSION: THE WAY FORWARD
SOME NOTES:
*FINAL GRADES ARE NOT ROUNDED UP EXCEPT FOR .9 GRADES SUCH
AS 79.9 OR 69.9. EACH ASSIGNMENT IS GRADED CAREFULLY. FEEL
FREE TO COME AND TALK TO ME IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU
HAVE RECEIVED A PARTICULAR GRADE ON AN ASSIGNMENT.
*HAVE A COURSE BUDDY--SOMEONE WHO WILL PICK UP HANDOUTS AND
SHARE NOTES WITH YOU IF YOU ARE ABSENT.
*PLEASE USE MY OFFICE HOUR.
EVALUATION
None of these assignments requires any additional reading
or library research. As a result, I expect everyone to do
all the weekly readings. On some weeks, we will divide the
readings amongst the class.
40% Reading Exercises
*Must be handed in on the day of the readings-NO LATES.
*Weeks for Reading Exercises marked [RE] on course outline;
weeks with required reading exercises are marked [RRE]
20% Cyber-feminism
*Must be handed in by Dec 2
30% Action Project
Step One 10%
Step Two 5%
Step Three (and 3a) 15%
10% Attendance
A substantial portion of your grade is allocated to attendance.
Much learning occurs in class time; in fact, a class develops
continuity, a sense of community and a collective consciousness
through the experience of meeting together. Regular attendance
is critical then, to the success of this class as well as
to your own individual success.
Attendance will be calculated using a scale. For example,
since 10 points are assigned for attendance, then missing
no classes will give you a grade of 10; missing 1 class a
grade of 9, 2 classes a grade of 8 etc. A good attendance
record can make a significant difference to your final grade.
I assume that, on occasion, students have good reasons for
missing class. However, if a student is absent, she has missed
the content of that class. I do not negotiate around absences,
that is, I do not police them or try to decide which ones
are legitimate. If you have a crisis which means you will
miss several classes in a row, please let me know.
Arriving late to class (which can be very disruptive) or
leaving at the midbreak will be marked as an half absence.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is a critical skill for university success.
In order to plan your time effectively, do a time management
plan before you begin each assignment. Start by reading the
assignment carefully. Break down the project into its different
parts, list each step and estimate how much time it will take
to complete. Identify the time you have available to work
on this assignment. Develop a plan which indicates by what
date you will complete each step. Leave a few days after your
assignment is finished before doing the final editing and
proofing.
Given that all the assignments and requirements for this
course will be available at the start of the year, you should
also do a time management plan for the whole year to ensure
that you are not overwhelmed.
For more information, see "Time Management for University
Students: Tips to help you make the grade!" and "Time
Management for University Students" on the website of
The Counselling and Development Centre [CDC]. Link available
on the course website.
PENALTIES FOR LATE ASSIGNMENTS
In most cases, assignments will not be accepted late. This
includes the Reading Exercises and the assignment on Cyberfeminism.
For the steps of the Action Project
within a week late- 1% per day up to 5% for the week
within two weeks late-up to 10% points
If an assignment is going to be more than two weeks late,
you must make special arrangements with me or I may not accept
it.
Penalties may be waived if arrangements are made with me
at least a week BEFORE the assignment is due.
*Once in the year an assignment can be up to one week late
without penalty.
You will have instructions for all your assignments within
the first month of class. Please plan your time carefully.
Do not leave your work for the last few days. Inevitably some
crisis will occur. Avoid coming to me with excuses.
DO NOT HAND IN ASSIGNMENTS UNDER MY DOOR WITHOUT PERMISSION.
CAMPUS SERVICES:
The Centre for Academic Writing [CAW] provides one-on-one
tutoring You must sign up well in advance in order to be assigned
a tutor. They also offer mini-workshops on writing (developing
a thesis, outlining, referencing etc). These workshops happen
regularly over the year and fill up quickly. Stop by the CAW
to sign up. CAW is located in S329 Ross, tel 416 736-5134.
Use E-TUTOR. You can send draft assignments to e-tutor (etutor@yorku.ca).
You will receive comments within three days. The etutor service
has the instructions for the first assignment and the essay
assignment.
The Counselling and Development Centre [CDC] offers personal
counselling and workshops on important university skills like
time management, stress management, test preparation etc.
They also have a psychiatric disabilities program. They advertise
their courses in Excalibur or stop by their offices
at 145 BSB, tel 416-736-5297.
There is also an Office for Persons with Disabilities (109
Central Square x55140) and a Learning Disabilities Programme
(112 BSB x33409).
|
