Feminist activism has long been a global phenomenon. How do we understand feminist practices in various locations as well as the relationships between feminisms in the east and west, and the local and global? Without assuming a universal course of development of women’s activism, this course adopts a comparative approach to the investigation of particular historical processes of women’s movements in three countries, China, India and the United States. Focusing on feminist activism in the three countries, this course attempts to ground our understanding of globalization in local history, and to illuminate in a concrete way that feminisms in various locations have engendered local, national, and transnational changes. By comparison, we also hope to understand the cultural parameters of each location that have shaped various feminist practices.

Personal narratives (in both textual and visual forms) of feminist activists from the three locations constitute the main body of texts for this course. Other readings and documentaries will provide historical backgrounds to these personal narratives.

Students will be encouraged to actively participate in analyzing and comparing the textual and visual material in the process of learning diverse feminist issues crossing national borders and from the personal to the political. Besides a historical perspective, the course encourages students to pay close attention to different key words used by feminists in various locations as a method to engage with situated knowledge.

Course Requirements:

No data submitted

Intended Audience:

This course presumes a willingness to engage in hard thinking, questioning, and respectful listening to the voices (spoken and written) of others.

Class Format:

The class meets once a week.