FROM PAST FEMINISMS TO POSTFEMINISM: FEMINISMS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Explores feminist theories from a broad array of disciplines and perspectives. Beginning with early feminist writings, to the significance of the Second Wave, examines consciousness raising, political pamphlets, personal manifestos, and the feminist ideology of the "personal is political." Explores work from Black feminist thought, queer theory, theory from disability studies, fat studies, ecofeminism, and transnational and global feminisms. Identifies and addresses crucial areas of contestation that punctuate the dynamic relationships among texts from past and present-the arrivals, departures, and returns-in feminist theory. Listens to voices that align and voices that dissent. Engages with the work of writers and thinkers from the past and bringing these ideas to our current cultural configurations and conceptualizations of feminism(s) and feminist movement(s).
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Sophomore standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Social & Behavioral Science Breadth - Humanities or Social Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Summarize and synthesize the work of feminist theorists and other theorists (queer and crip theory, fat studies, critical race theory, etc.) from the mid-20th century to the present day. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Critically analyze feminist theory in conjunction with cultural and social events and draw connections among how feminist theory ideas align and how they differ from each other. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Critically appreciate and constructively critique texts, theoretical frameworks, ideas, and praxis (the gap between text and world). Audience: Undergraduate 4. Articulate your own ideas about what you think feminism for the 21st century can or should look like/sound like/feel like in conjunction with historical and contemporary feminist theories and frameworks. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Build awareness and understanding of feminist principles, values, and epistemologies (knowledge development) and how these translate to praxis and feminist calls to action. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Engage in the process of social science data collection, through interviews, oral history, textual and/or content analysis Audience: Undergraduate 7. Conduct a literature review and seek out contemporary social science research using a feminist theory and research lens Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Summarize and synthesize the work of feminist theorists and other theorists (queer and crip theory, fat studies, critical race theory, etc.) from the mid-20th century to the present day. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Critically analyze feminist theory in conjunction with cultural and social events and draw connections among how feminist theory ideas align and how they differ from each other. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Critically appreciate and constructively critique texts, theoretical frameworks, ideas, and praxis (the gap between text and world). Audience: Undergraduate 4. Articulate your own ideas about what you think feminism for the 21st century can or should look like/sound like/feel like in conjunction with historical and contemporary feminist theories and frameworks. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Build awareness and understanding of feminist principles, values, and epistemologies (knowledge development) and how these translate to praxis and feminist calls to action. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Engage in the process of social science data collection, through interviews, oral history, textual and/or content analysis Audience: Undergraduate 7. Conduct a literature review and seek out contemporary social science research using a feminist theory and research lens Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027