REL 310
Womanist/Black Feminist Thought
Last Offered Fall 2011
Division II Exploring Diversity Initiative
Cross-listed WGSS 310 / AFR 310 / AMST 309
This course is not offered in the current catalog

Class Details

This course explores the genealogy and development of black feminist and womanist thought. We will investigate the expansion of womanist thought from a theologically dominated discourse to a broader category of critical reflection associated more commonly with black feminism, analyze the relationship between womanism and black feminism, and review the historical interventions of black feminism. As critical reflections upon western norms of patriarchy, heterosexism, and racism, womanism and black feminism begin with the assumption that the experiences of women of color–particularly black women–are significant standpoints in modern western society. Through the examination of interdisciplinary and methodological diversity within these fields, students will be introduced to key figures including Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, and Katie Cannon, and will engage materials that draw from multiple fields, including, but not limited to, literature, history, anthropology, and religious studies. Fulfilling the EDI requirement, this course will explore how womanism/black feminism can be a bridge for empathetic understanding of diverse experiences, and will examine the varied social, political, and historical contexts that led to the formulation of womanism/black feminism as a tool to critique power and privilege.
The Class: Format: lecture/discussion
Limit: 25
Expected: 20
Class#: 1139
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: evaluation will be based on class participation, three short response papers, and the completion of an original research paper or project
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: Africana Studies concentrators, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies majors, Religion majors
Distributions: Division II Exploring Diversity Initiative
Notes: This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
WGSS 310 Division II AFR 310 Division II AMST 309 Division II REL 310 Division II
Attributes: REL Africa + African Diaspora Tradition Courses
REL Body of Theory Courses
WGSS Racial Sexual + Cultural Diversity Courses
WGSS Theory Courses

Class Grid

Updated 12:31 pm

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