Feminism: Theory & Practice

This course will introduce various theories of patriarchy. It will discuss theories of sex/gender debate and the concept of biological determinism which is the ideological foundation of patriarchy. This course will explore various strands of feminism namely Liberal, Marxist, Socialist, Radical and other new feminist schools like post modern feminism and ecofeminism. The course provides a detail analysis of feminism in western countries like France, Britian and USA. The course will also explore Feminism in the Socialist Countries: China, Cuba and erstwhile USSR. Feminist issues and women’s participation in anti-colonial and national liberation movements with special focus on India will also be discussed elaborately.The third section of the course deals with feminism in Indian experience. It deals with Traditional Historiography and Feminist critiques. The course will have an in-depth analysis of Social Reforms Movement and position of women in India tracing History of Women’s struggle in India. The course will also deal with Family in contemporary India in terms of patrilineal and matrilineal practices. Other topics covered are Gender Relations in the Family, Patterns of Consumption: Intra Household Divisions, entitlements and bargaining and Property Rights. The course will help in Understanding Woman’s Work and Labour – Sexual Division of Labour, Productive and Reproductive labour, Visible - invisible work – Unpaid (reproductive and care), Underpaid and Paid work and Methods of Computing women’s work. The course will also discuss the nature of female-headed households.Students will gain a vast knowledge of the concept of feminism and its method of study. This is essential in building a sexually egalitarian society. The aim of the course is to explain contemporary debates on feminism and the history of feminist struggles. It outlines the basic theoretical and conceptual tools students will need in order to view social structures and relations as producers and repositories of gender inequality. The course will sensitise the student on gender issues, feminist theorisation of polity and society and the history of feminist movement in west and India. In this course, students will gain advanced understanding of theoretical debates about gender and feminism. You will learn to identify strengths and weaknesses within these theories to recognise and classify arguments used to support gender equality. You will acquire knowledge about how theories established within specific disciplines and situations develop and change in an interdisciplinary and political context. You will also learn how to critically analyse the structures and practice of feminist theories. This course will also support the development of more general academic skills, such as critically examining theories from different scholarly fields, analyse and discuss explicit and implicit theoretical assumptions, and to identify problems and possibilities within feminist theories.

WEEK 1

1

1 Patriarchy

2 Origin and concept of Patriarchy

3 Patriarchy and its ideological foundation: Biological Determinism

2

1 Feminist critique of Patriarchy

2 The social construction of gender

3 Gender as performative

4 Sex and gender Discrimination: Biologism versus Social Constructivism

3

First Wave Feminism

4

Second Wave Feminism

WEEK 2

5

Third Wave Feminism

6

Public-Private Divide and Feminism

7

Feminist criticism of Public Private Distinction

8

Feminism and the concept of power

WEEK 3

9

Feminism and the concept of empowerment

10

Introduction to Liberal and Radical Feminism

11

Liberal Feminism

12

Radical Feminism

WEEK 4

13

Marxist/Socialist Feminism

14

Marxist Feminism and Post Modern feminism

15

Post-modern Feminism

16

Cultural Feminism

WEEK 5

17

Introduction to Ecofeminism and Black Feminism

18

Black Feminism

19

Eco-Feminism

20

Postcolonial Feminism

WEEK 6

21

Islamic feminism

22

Feminist Discourse and its Discontent

23

Critique of Feminist Theory

WEEK 7

24

Feminism in the West

25

Feminism In India

26

Third World Feminism

WEEK 8

27

Feminism in Britain in 19th century

28

Feminism in Britain in 20th and 21st century

29

Women’s Movement in post Independent India

WEEK 9

30

Women’s studies and Women’s movement in India

31

1 Women and caste system in India

2 Dalit Women and their Problem

32

1 Women and State

2 Women and Indian State

WEEK 10

33

Traditional Historiography and Feminist Critiques

34

Social Reforms Movement and Position of Women in India

35

1 Women and Social Reform movements in the 19th Century India

2 Women Reforms Movement and their Position in India

WEEK 11

36

History of Women’s Struggle in India

37

Feminist Perspective on Family

38

1 Family as a social system, socialization within the family

2 Family in Contemporary India : Patrilineal and Matrilineal Practices

WEEK 12

39

Feminist Views on Family in India

40

Gender Equality

Gender Relations in the Family: Patterns of Consumption

41

Intra Household Divisions

WEEK 13

42

Entitlements and Bargaining

43

Property Rights

44

Sexual Division of Labour

WEEK 14

45

Productive and Reproductive Labour

46

1 Visible and Invisible work

2 Women and work in India: The concept of visible and invisible work

3 Why women’s work is not visible

47

1 Reproductive and care work: An introduction

2 Unpaid (Reproductive and Care)

3 Care as a political concept

WEEK 15

48

Underpaid and Paid Work

49

Methods of Computing Women’s Work

50

Female Headed Households