**GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON FEMINIST EDUCATION,
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
AEC3119 Fall 2012 Thursday 5:30-8:30pmonday Optional Videos at 5pm(Sept. 20, 2012)
COURSE DIRECTOR: Angela Miles
Tel: 416-978-0809 or home after 1pm (TBA)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students are expected to keep up with the reading, participate in and occasionally lead discussions based on one or more of the readings. And:
- do one short individual written assignment due Sept 27 (10%)
- make a presentation to class on Oct 11 orOct 18 or Oct 25(20%)
-write an term paper of about twenty pages on any topic of personal interest illustrating some global understanding of feminism (70%). Students should aim to identify their research topic and tentative thesis by Nov 1. A one page point form outline for their paper should be shared with the course director before beginning to write. The paper is dueDec7.
For information about how to write an analytical paper see the UofT web:
Also, on request, the article "Suggestions for Writing a Term Paper" from me.
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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON FEMINIST EDUCATION,
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION
Fall 2012
REQUIRED BOOKS
-Angela Miles, Integrative Feminisms: Building Global Visions, NY and London: Routledge, 1996.
(Available at OISE on 3 hour loan, three other UT libraries, second hand on the web)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
-Maria Mies, Patriarchy and the Accumulation of Capital on a World Scale: Women in the International Division of Labour (second edition), London: Zed, 1998 (1986)
-Luciana Ricciutelli, Angela Miles and Margaret H. McFadden, Feminist Politics, Activism and Vision: Local and Global Challenges, Inanna Press and Zed Press, 2005
COURSE OUTLINE
Sept. 13 INTRODUCTION TO COURSE STRUCTURE, CONTENT AND APPROACH
The first class will involve an introduction to the course and each other, including:
- relevant background, interests, and experience,
- current concerns/issues,
- expectations of the Course,
- confirmation of presentation dates
- suggestions for additional topics to be covered.
Sept 20 PATRIARCHY, CAPITALISM AND COLONIALISM
Video: Burning Times (56min)
Questions:
- How does Maria Mies understand the relationship between capitalism, patriarchy and colonialism? Is her analysis convincing? useful?
- How do you understand the relationship between patriarchy, capitalism and colonialism?
Required reading:
-*Maria Mies, Patriarchy and the Accumulation of Capital on a World Scale: Women in the International Division of Labour (second edition), London: Zed, 1998 (1986) Chap. 3
Recommended reading:
-**Angela Miles,”Women, Work, Nature and Colonial Exploitation: Feminist Struggle for Alternatives to Corporate Globalization,” Canadian Journal for Studies in Development Vol. XXII (2001)
-Luciana Ricciutelli et al, Feminist Politics, Activism and Vision, Inanna and Zed Press, 2004 (Part I. “Neo-Liberal Context”)
SEPT 27. INTEGRATIVE FEMINISMS
Due: First Paper. Maximum three pages (10%)
Video: “Vienna Tribunal” (48mins) (UN Conference on Human Rights) VC5588
Questions:
- How is feminism most usefully defined?
- What do you consider to be core feminist principles?
- In studying global feminisms does it make sense to consider all autonomous women-defined activism or only activism explicitly self-defined as feminist? Why/Why not?
Required reading:
- Angela Miles,Integrative Feminisms, Intro, Chaps 1-4 (ppix-60)
*-"'Zameen Kendar? Jote Ondar!' (Who Owns the Land? The Person Who Works It!), Women's Participation in the Bodhgaya Land Struggles", Manimala in In Search of Answers, Madhu Kishwar and Ruth Vanita eds. 1984:149-176.
*-"What Does a Woman Need to Know?" Adrienne Rich, 1979 in Blood Bread and Poetry, 1986.
*-"Letter to the Editor," from Welfare Warriors, Off Our Backs Feb. 1991
Oct. 4 GLOBAL FEMINISMS
Due: Oct. 11 presenters to assign Readings for next week.
Video: “No Longer Silent” VC5393 (Indian feminist movement)
Questions:
- How would you define global feminisms? Is there a term you prefer to 'global feminisms'? Why/Why not?
- What values do global feminisms share? How do these inform their visions for the future?
- What strategic and theoretical challenges of international solidarity and global movement are raised in the required readings?
- How do 'Two Third World' feminists respond to the charges that 'feminism' is a western and colonial concept and movement?
Required reading:
-Angela Miles, Integrative Feminisms: Building Global Visions 1960s-1990s (Esp. Chaps 6, 7, 8, 9)
**-Women’s Creed,
**-Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists
**-"Women's Action Agenda 21," Statement from World Women's Congress for a Healthy Planet, Miami Nov. 1991
*-"Some Questions About Feminism and its Relevance in South Asia," Kamla Bhasin and Nighat Said Khan, 1986
*-"Feminism in Africa", Issue of the AAWORD Newsletter II/III: 1-11 1985,
**-“Making Space for Indigenous Feminism,” Joyce Green 2007
*-"Keynote Address" to the First Asian Indigenous Women's Conference, Baguio City, Philippines, 24-30 Jan. 1993, Victoria Tauli Corpuz in Chaneq IV,1 (January-March 1993): 10-12.
Recommended reading:
-Luciana Ricciutelli et al, Feminist Politics, Activism and Vision, Inanna and Zed Press, 2004 (PartII ‘Feminist Organizing:National,Regional&Global’(PtIII‘Women’s Local Struggles and Feminist Politics’)
-Peggy Antrobus, The Global Feminist Movement: Origins, Issues and Strategies, Zed Press, 2004
-Basu, Amritu (Ed). Women’s Movements in the Global Era: The Power of Local Feminisms Boulder. Colorado: Westview Press, 2010.
Oct. 11, 18, 25 PRESENTATONS AND DISCUSSION
(Topic Order is to be confirmed in First Class – please remind me!)
Select one of the following topics for individual or collective research and collective presentation. Each topic will be discussed with reference to, and used to illuminate, issues raised in previous weeks. While all issues are of relevance to practice in all these areas, we will focus discussion through a different major for each topic. So choose the topic you wish to focus on with reference to both the area of practice and the highlighted issue. If you have a particular interest in some specific area of practice (ie peace, environment, indigenous feminism, sexual and reproductive rights etc.) we can incorporate your interest into the most appropriate topic.
For each of these topics the group will be responsible for one and a half hours of class time to present:
-Background information (ie women’s specific vulnerability/problems in each area - with substantial information, for instance about rights infringements, poverty levels, levels of violence/ trafficking etc;
-Information about feminist organizing in the issue area at the global level;
-Examples of local activism in the broad issue area;
Oct 11 FEMINIST HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZING- Women’s Rights are Human Rights
(Emily and Susan)
Due: Oct 18 Presenters to Assign Readings for next week.
Video:Who's Counting: Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics (94min) (VC5631)
Question:
How are feminists addressing the tensions between universal human rights and respect and support for particular cultures? How do they understand and engage women’s commonality and diversity?
Organizations
International Women’s Rights Action Watch-Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP)
Defending Women DefendingHumanRights
Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
RequiredReading: to be Assigned/Recommended by Presenters
Starting Sources for Presenters
**-Bunch, Charlotte and Roxanna Carillo. Gender Violence: A Development and Human Rights Issue,
**-Bunch, Charlotte, Mallika Dutt, and Susana Fried. “Beijing ‘95: Global Referendum on Human Rights of Women.” Canadian Woman’s Studies 16, 3 (Summer, 1996):7-12. /
**-Bunch, Charlotte.“Feminism, Peace, Human Rights and Human Security.” Canadian Woman Studies 22,2 (Fall 2002/Winter 2003): 6-11. (same url as above)
**-International Indigenous Women’s Forum. “Mairin Iwanka Raya: Indigenous Women Stand Against Violence” 2006
**-UN Cssion on Human Rights Women’s Rights and Religion
-Ackerley, Brooke. “Women’s Human Rights Activists as Political Theorists.” in Ricciutelli et al.
-Joanna Kerr ed., Ours By Right: Women's Rights as Human RightsLondon: Zed Press, 1993
-Peters, Julie and Andrea Wolper eds.,Women’s Rights, Human Rights: International feminist perspectives. New York: Routledge. 1995.
Oct 18 FEMINIST ECONOMIC ORGANIZING - Alternative Development, Anti-poverty
(Efrat and Emily)
Due: Oct 18 Presenters to Assign Readings for next week.
Video:contd. Who's Counting: Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics (94min) (VC5631)
Question:
What varying perspectives do feminists bring to the question of economic growth in their organizing for economic change and justice?
Organizations:
DAWN (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era)
AWID (Assoc for Women’s Rights in Development)
World March of Women
RequiredReading: to be Assigned/Recommended by Presenters
Starting Sources for Presenters:
*-“Let Us Look Again at Development, Education and Women,” Kamla Bhasin in Convergence XXVII, 4 (1994): 5-12
*-Maria Mies, “The Need for a New Vision: the Subsistence Perspective,” in Ecofeminism, Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva, 1993.
**-Angela Miles,”Women, Work, Nature and Colonial Exploitation: Feminist Struggle for Alternatives to Corporate Globalization,” Canadian Journal for Studies in Development Vol. XXII (2001)
**-Intl Feminist Network for a Gift Economy, “Position Statement for a Peaceful World,”
-Gita Sen and Caren Grown, Development, Crises and Alternative Visions: Third World Women’s Perspectives, NY:Monthly Review Press
-Luciana Ricciutelli et al, Feminist Politics, Activism and Vision, Inanna and Zed Press, 2004 (Part I. “Neo-Liberal Context”)
-Vandana Shiva, Staying Alive, Women, Ecology and Development, London: Zed (Intro and Chap.One)
-Marilyn Waring, If Women Counted: A New Feminist Economics, San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1989
Oct 25 FEMINIST ANTI-TRAFFICKING AND PROSTITUTION ORGANIZING
Video:“A Score for Women's Voices: A March to Change the World” (VC6185) Part Two
Question:
What two deeply conflicting frames/perspectives do feminists bring to organizing around prostitution and against trafficking?
Organizations:
CAT-W (Coalition Against Trafficking in Women)
GAAT-W (Global Alliance Against Traffick in Women)
Required Reading: to be Assigned/Recommended by Presenters
Starting Sources for Presenters:
There are many articles on both the organizations web sites on different sides of the very polarized feminist debate/politics on prostitution and trafficking and many other sites.
**-Gunilla S. Ekberg, The International Debate regarding Prostitution and Trafficking in Women: Refuting theArguments (2003)
**-Janice Raymond, "Prostitution, Trafficking and the Global Sex Industry: A Conversation”Canadian Woman Studies Vol. 22, 4 (Spring 2004):38-43
Nov. 1, 8, 15
Nov. 8 Video: At the Edge of Each Other’s Battles:The Vision of Audre Lorde - (VC 6158)
Expanded treatment of Topic Areas Presented or Additional Topics
Possibly: Gender and Development; Grass Roots/Social Movement/ NGO relations; North American Feminisms and Global Feminisms; Feminist Community Organizing; Diversity/Solidarity; Essentialism; Other Suggestions/Requests?
Wednesday November 21 instead of Thursday Nov. 22 Class
15th Annual Dame Nita Barrow Lecture
‘Same Song, Different Notes; Kenyan Truth Commission as an Agency of Transformative Justice’
by
Patricia Nyaundi
(Chief Executive Officer of the Kenyan Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commisssion
Nov.29 Course Summary/Overview
Dec 7 PAPER DUE
Your paper may be presented two-sided or on used paper but should be double spaced to leave room for comments. You may use any accepted format for referencing but should always include a full bibliography of sources at the end of your paper.
Submit your paper in an envelope in my department mail box or under my office door (7-180). Papers should be stapled, without any binding and with a cover page including: the title, your address, telephone number, e-mail, student number, home department, date of submission, academic program (ie MEd,MA,EdD,PhD) and number of graduate courses completed in your current program. I will return all papers at the same time within one week after the grades are posted and notify the class by e-mail at the time. Include a stamped self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage if you wish it returned by mail. Otherwise, I will return your paper to a pick up box in the department office on the 6th floor.
If you include a note with your paper that you would like me to read before I get to my marking, draw my attention to this by some indication on the envelope.
If you are nervous about leaving your paper. Call to alert me it is there and leave your telephone number with a request that I contact you if I haven't received it!
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