Talia,
Like Maureen, I’ve done a similar activities with myths, but I’ve also modeled a consciousness-raising session as one of our first class sessions. There are
a lot of really salient introductory questions that can get at myths and move the discussion toward feminism and particularly theory – and often students will find ways to articulate these points, if not clearly, then at least lay a groundwork. I’ve found
talking about something very mundane can generate these discussions, and topics which lend themselves to the raising of the issue of power are a very good entry point for discussion of feminist philosophy and theory. I get them to think then about what the
phrase “the personal is political” means in the context of this. When theory has that deep connection to everyday life, I think students welcome and rise to the challenge of reading it.
I have usually followed it up with Sandra Bartky’s chapter on Psychological Oppression from
Femininity and Domination.
I’ve also used a video on the first day of class called “My Feminism,” which has a variety of women talking about what feminism means to them. I follow that
with having the students do some free writing about their reactions to those statements and how it fits their picture of feminism.
What I like about both of these approaches I’ve used is that it starts with the students identifying how they have come to feminism. I often find myself seeking
out articles to then meet some of the issues and questions they raise, so tend to leave space on the syllabus for additions now.
Christine
Dr. Christine Metzo
Director of Academic Initiatives
Adjunct Faculty, Women's Studies and Philosophy
St. Cloud State University
720 Fourth Avenue South
St. Cloud MN 56301-4498
320.308.5299
From: Feminist ethics and social theory [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Maureen Linker
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 3:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: introductory essay on feminist theory/philosophy recommendations
Hi Talia,
I teach to a similar range of introductory students. I have actually found that by starting with some myths about feminism (soliciting them from students but making it clear it does not have to be something they actually believe) and listing
them on the board. Then I spend some with them time considering each one (e.g. Feminists are angry and humorless, Feminists hate men, Feminists reject motherhood, etc) and what kind of work each particular myth does in the culture. This always leads to broader
discussions about oppression, silencing, body shaming, divide and conquer tactics which then leads to concepts and conceptual analysis - as you know a central feature of feminist philosophy.
From there if students want a further history/introduction I suggest the Stanford Encyclopedia online 'Feminist Philosophy' or the Introductory chapters of our text. I do find though that a session of this open discussion leading to general
concepts is a good way to get the group thinking and talking. Also the 'Looks Philosophical' tumbler site is another good tool for generating discussion about presumptions and stereotypes versus reality.
I hope this helps and thanks for the opportunity to share ideas!
Maureen
On Tue, Aug 13, 2013 at 12:12 PM, Welsh, Talia <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hello,
I was wondering if any of you have had success providing lower-level feminist theory students with an introductory piece on "what is feminism/feminist theory/philosophy?" and if so, what piece you might recommend.
I teach a wide range of majors in an upper-level Feminist Theory undergraduate course at a state university. My students tend to be motivated but do not necessarily possess any background in philosophy or theory.
Thanks in advance,
Talia
******************************************************
Dr. T.L. Welsh
Associate U.C. Foundation Professor
Department of Philosophy & Religion #2753
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 Mc Callie Ave.
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Tel: 423-425-4318
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
www.utc.edu/Academic/PhilosophyAndReligion/staff/talia-welsh.php
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Maureen Linker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy
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University of Michigan-Dearborn
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