This course will introduce various theories of patriarchy. It will discuss theories of sex/gender debate and the concept of biological determinism which is the ideological foundation of patriarchy. This course will explore various strands of feminism namely Liberal, Marxist, Socialist, Radical and other new feminist schools like post modern feminism and ecofeminism. The course provides a detail analysis of feminism in western countries like France, Britian and USA. The course will also explore Feminism in the Socialist Countries: China, Cuba and erstwhile USSR. Feminist issues and women’s participation in anti-colonial and national liberation movements with special focus on India will also be discussed elaborately.The third section of the course deals with feminism in Indian experience. It deals with Traditional Historiography and Feminist critiques. The course will have an in-depth analysis of Social Reforms Movement and position of women in India tracing History of Women’s struggle in India. The course will also deal with Family in contemporary India in terms of patrilineal and matrilineal practices. Other topics covered are Gender Relations in the Family, Patterns of Consumption: Intra Household Divisions, entitlements and bargaining and Property Rights. The course will help in Understanding Woman’s Work and Labour – Sexual Division of Labour, Productive and Reproductive labour, Visible - invisible work – Unpaid (reproductive and care), Underpaid and Paid work and Methods of Computing women’s work. The course will also discuss the nature of female-headed households.Students will gain a vast knowledge of the concept of feminism and its method of study. This is essential in building a sexually egalitarian society. The aim of the course is to explain contemporary debates on feminism and the history of feminist struggles. It outlines the basic theoretical and conceptual tools students will need in order to view social structures and relations as producers and repositories of gender inequality. The course will sensitise the student on gender issues, feminist theorisation of polity and society and the history of feminist movement in west and India. In this course, students will gain advanced understanding of theoretical debates about gender and feminism. You will learn to identify strengths and weaknesses within these theories to recognise and classify arguments used to support gender equality. You will acquire knowledge about how theories established within specific disciplines and situations develop and change in an interdisciplinary and political context. You will also learn how to critically analyse the structures and practice of feminist theories. This course will also support the development of more general academic skills, such as critically examining theories from different scholarly fields, analyse and discuss explicit and implicit theoretical assumptions, and to identify problems and possibilities within feminist theories.
Overview
Syllabus
WEEK 1
1
1 Patriarchy
2 Origin and concept of Patriarchy
3 Patriarchy and its ideological foundation: Biological Determinism
2
1 Feminist critique of Patriarchy
2 The social construction of gender
3 Gender as performative
4 Sex and gender Discrimination: Biologism versus Social Constructivism
3
First Wave Feminism
4
Second Wave Feminism
WEEK 2
5
Third Wave Feminism
6
Public-Private Divide and Feminism
7
Feminist criticism of Public Private Distinction
8
Feminism and the concept of power
WEEK 3
9
Feminism and the concept of empowerment
10
Introduction to Liberal and Radical Feminism
11
Liberal Feminism
12
Radical Feminism
WEEK 4
13
Marxist/Socialist Feminism
14
Marxist Feminism and Post Modern feminism
15
Post-modern Feminism
16
Cultural Feminism
WEEK 5
17
Introduction to Ecofeminism and Black Feminism
18
Black Feminism
19
Eco-Feminism
20
Postcolonial Feminism
WEEK 6
21
Islamic feminism
22
Feminist Discourse and its Discontent
23
Critique of Feminist Theory
WEEK 7
24
Feminism in the West
25
Feminism In India
26
Third World Feminism
WEEK 8
27
Feminism in Britain in 19th century
28
Feminism in Britain in 20th and 21st century
29
Women’s Movement in post Independent India
WEEK 9
30
Women’s studies and Women’s movement in India
31
1 Women and caste system in India
2 Dalit Women and their Problem
32
1 Women and State
2 Women and Indian State
WEEK 10
33
Traditional Historiography and Feminist Critiques
34
Social Reforms Movement and Position of Women in India
35
1 Women and Social Reform movements in the 19th Century India
2 Women Reforms Movement and their Position in India
WEEK 11
36
History of Women’s Struggle in India
37
Feminist Perspective on Family
38
1 Family as a social system, socialization within the family
2 Family in Contemporary India : Patrilineal and Matrilineal Practices
WEEK 12
39
Feminist Views on Family in India
40
Gender Equality
Gender Relations in the Family: Patterns of Consumption
41
Intra Household Divisions
WEEK 13
42
Entitlements and Bargaining
43
Property Rights
44
Sexual Division of Labour
WEEK 14
45
Productive and Reproductive Labour
46
1 Visible and Invisible work
2 Women and work in India: The concept of visible and invisible work
3 Why women’s work is not visible
47
1 Reproductive and care work: An introduction
2 Unpaid (Reproductive and Care)
3 Care as a political concept
WEEK 15
48
Underpaid and Paid Work
49
Methods of Computing Women’s Work
50
Female Headed Households
Taught by
Ningombam Shreema Devi
