Women and Global Activism in Media and Politics
An interdisciplinary subject that examines questions of feminism, international women's issues, and globalization through the study of novels, films, critical essays, painting and music. Considers how women redefine the notions of community and nation, how development affects their lives, and how access to the internet and to the production industry impacts women's lives. Primary topics of interest include transformations of traditional values, social change, gender role distribution, identity formation, migration flows, globalization and development, popular culture, urban life, cyber-culture, activism, and human rights. Limited to 25 when Writing Tutor is assigned to the class. Otherwise, limited to 18.
Fall 2023 · Women and Global Activism in Art, Media and Politics
This course explores theoretical issues and concerns underlying global feminisms, and their expression through diverse forms of feminist activism at the community, national, and transnational levels. A comparative perspective is used to examine the following questions: How are women's issues understood and articulated in different contexts? What are the linkages between women's multiple identities (class, race, caste, ethnicity, religion, location) and feminist activism? How do conflict, religious fundamentalism, and militarization of societies impact women's lives? Further, the course explores the role of the state in influencing the course and direction of women's movements, and women's mobilization within and across national boundaries for social and gender justice. The challenges and dilemmas facing contemporary women's activism are also addressed. In this semester the course will devote a section of the course to the Black Lives Matter struggle in the US and its global impact.
Readings
- bell hooks. 1989. “Feminism: a Transformational Politic.” In Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black . Routledge.
- Marjorie Agosin. 1987. “A Visit to the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo," Human Rights Quarterly 9(3): 426–435.
- Barbara Ransby. 2015. “The Class Politics of Black Lives Matter.” Dissent 62: 31–34. DOI: 10.1353/dss.2015.0071.
- Articles from press across the globe:
- Lorraine W. Gray (director). 1986.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-0-9 units. HASS-H; CI-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2023
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.