History Feminism

A History of feminism in fundamental texts University of the West, Timisoara Faculty of Letters- Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies Tutor: Dr Reghina Dascal Duration/ Terms: two terms Teaching Programme: there will be lectures alternating with seminars: one per week over fourteen weeks. Target students: 1st year post-graduate studies: MA

Course Description The course is designed to give students an opportunity to pursue their interest in the development of feminist ideas by focusing on the impact of fundamental texts. The course is organized around various competing interpretations of the merits of feminist texts in the development of a distinct feminist epistemology and methodology. The course provides a brief historical perspective, outlining historical, social, political and cultural contexts and focusing on a number of crucial issues which shaped the discipline. Particular attention will be given to the development of female authorship, agency, subjectivity, autonomy. Throughout the course parallels, comparisons will be invited with EE and CE societies, in particular with the Romanian situation. There is no provision for an undergraduate course in Gender Studies in the Romanian academic curriculum with the exception of an elective course: Introduction to Gender Studies offered to terminal year students.

Objectives 1. To develop students' ability to relate theoretical interpretations to a number of empirical issues and problems. Particular questions which lie at the heart of the course, include: the relationship between agents, ideas/ideology and broader structural forces, public/private. 2. To sharpen students' critical and analytical skills, as well as the ability to present clear and cogent arguments, both orally and in writing.

3. Sensitizing Ss to the non-foundational anti-monodisciplinary character of GS, to the permanent challenge they pose as to received wisdom calling for questioning and critical reading of socio-political reality. 4. Pursuing the diachronic evolution of fundamental concepts such as sex/ gender, equality/ difference, equality/ liberation, separation/ integration of Women’s Studies as an academic subject in its own right; it aims at making Ss aware of the full scientific validity and epistemic authority status of the discipline of Gender Studies, underscoring the epistemological and methodological value of feminist research. 5. To develop skills of extracting relevant information and analysis from diverse sources and the ability to synthesise them. Students are expected to develop the capacity to detect and develop implications and distinctions, to discriminate between different lines of interpretation, to show powers of analysis, argument and judgment.

Teaching Methods A variety of teaching methods will be used: lectures, seminars, debates and workshops, sessions of presentations, case-studies

Course Content Weeks 1-2. A discussion of fundamental concepts: sex, gender, sexual vs. gender identity. Female, feminine, feminist experiences. Patriarchal families vs. partnership-based ones. Feminism - still demonized in our society? Debate Ws 3-4. The historical cycles of feminism. First wave in the context of evangelical movement, temperance, anti-slavery, abolitionist militancy. The influence of the Quakers’ ideals of social reform and emancipation, utilitarian and radical philosophies and their role in developing feminist consciousness. W 5. A History of Women in Europe. From Hildegard von Bingen to Alexandra Kolontai, stages in the development of ‘women issues’ in Europe. Ws 6-7. The decisive role plaid by European women from the Middle Ages to modern times in vindicating political and civic rights, in demanding authorship status for women: the European history stands witness: Christine de Pizan, Mary Wollstonecraft, Olympe de Gouges. Ws 8-9. Christine de Pizan and the Middle Ages. The first great feminist of Europe. An interesting case of translating as subversion: fashioning female subjectivity and authorship. The beginnings of female genealogy. The woman who started the first literary querrele, fray

in European literature around Le Roman de la Rose. The difficulty of translating Christine de Pizan into Romanian. Ws 10-11. Looking beyond the Book of the City of Ladies. The emergence of a feminist discourse and feminine subjectivity through refashioning (Greenblatt) the masculine generative subject. Ws 12-13. Mary Wollstonecraft J. Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor Mill for a more inclusive Enlightenment, transgressing the fake universalism of the 18th century. Ws.14-15 Education and emancipation: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and Essays on Sex Equality. Wollstonecraft vs. Rousseau. The Enfranchisement of Women the most radical and progressive of 18th century liberal feminist writings. Ws 16-17. Demystifying the Victorian stereotype of the mad woman in the attic: hysteria a female malady? Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Mona Caird. Weir Mitchell and the rest cure: medicalizing and pathologizing the woman’s body. Elaine Showalter on madness as female malady. Ws 18-19. “A Literature of their own” - Virginia Woolf and her two major feminist essays: A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas. Thinking back through one’s mothers and the feminine anxiety of influence. Ws 20-21-22. the Second Wave from the perspective of the British ‘new feminism’. Debating Natasha Walter’s New Feminism. Texts from Dworkin, Steinem, Millett, Brownmiller and Rich are also highlighted. Ws 23-24. Poised between equality and liberation: G. Greer and Betty Friedan: the female Eunuch and Feminine Mystique Ws 25. The Second wave and the feminist metaethics: Mary Daly and the war against women. Reinventing language, feminizing culture. Ws 26. Contemporary feminisms: Post-feminism, The Third wave, feminism is dead vs. reradicalization: “It’s time to be angry again (Greer; The Whole Woman). Ws 27-28. Gender Discourse and translation conundrums: “cultural embeddedness” and mediaeval feminists; Romanian protofeminism, translating excerpts from Stefania Mihailescu’s – Emanciparea femeii române.

Assessment One seminar presentation (every other week four students will be responsible for presenting a brief paper based on their study group findings but other students will be expected to

contribute. For that reason, the reading list specifies required reading for all students and detailed reading for those students preparing the topic). One essay of 4000-5000 words to be submitted in week 12 of the first term. One 3-hour examination at the end of the second term.

Selective bibliography: Bella Mirabella, M. 1999. “Feminist Self-Fashioning. Christine de Pisan and the Treasure of the City of Ladies” in European Journal for Women’s Studies . vol.6, no.1. pp.9-17 Bock, Gisela, Femeia în istoria Europei, Iasi: Polirom, 2002 Mary Daly, Gyn/Ecology, The Women’s Press, 1991 Dragomir, O si M. Miroiu (coord.). 2002. Lexicon feminist, Iasi: Polirom Andrea Dworkin, 1993. Letters from the War Zone, Lawrence Hill Books Andrea Dworkin, 1978. Pornography: Men Possessing Women, Virago Friedan, B. 1992. The Feminine Mystique. Harmondsworth: Penguin Betty Friedan, 1986. The Second Stage, Dell Publishing Carol Gilligan, 1982. In a Different Voice, Cambridge: Harvard University Press Greenblatt, S. 1980. Renaissance Self-Fashioning. Chicago:UCP Germaine Greer, 1967. The Female Eunuch, London: Virago Germaine Greer,1999. The Whole Woman, Harvestsheaf Irigaray, L. 1993. Je, tu, nous. Toward a Culture of Difference. London: Routledge Joan Kennedy Taylor, 1992. Reclaiming the Mainstream, Prometheus Books John Stuart Mill & Harriet taylor Mill.. 1970 Essays on Sex Equality, Chicago: CUP, 1970 Mills, J. 1992. Womanwords. A Vocabulary of Culture and Patriarchal Society. London: Virago Press De Pizan, Christine. 1998. The Book of the City of Ladies. Translated by Earl Jeffrey Richards. New York: Persea Books Rich, A. 1977. Of Woman Born. Motherhood as experience andinstitution. London: Virago Press Richardson, A (ed.). 2002. Women Who Did. Harmondsworth: Penguin Segal, L. 1998. Why Feminism? Cambridge: Polity Press Showalter, E. 1987. The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture 1830-1980. London: Virago Press Simon, S. 1996. Gender in Translation. London: Routledge Woolf, V. 1992. A Room of One’s Own. Three Guineas. Oxford: OUP