Lahore University of Management Sciences

SS2323TheReluctantFeminist
Fall20152016

Instructor
RoomNo.
OfficeHours
Email
Telephone
Secretary/TA
TAOfficeHours
CourseURL(if
any)

MariaAmir
SSWing(GroundFloor)
TBA

COURSEBASICS
CreditHours
Lecture(s)
Recitation/Lab(per
week)
Tutorial(perweek)

2lecturesper
week
NbrofLec(s)Per
Week
NbrofLec(s)Per
Week

Duration 1hr50mins
Duration
Duration

COURSEOVERVIEW
Today,itiscommonplacetostatethatwomensvoiceshavebeenabsentfromtheWesternrhetoricaltradition,as
eitherpractitionersortheorists.ThiscertainlyholdstrueforabulkofEasterntradition.Thisomissionhasbeenso
absolutethatnostandardhistoryofrhetoricincludesevenonewoman,leadingmanytoconcludethatwomenhad
nothing to contribute to theories or practices of persuasion. The last twenty years, however, have produced a
number of challenges to such assumptions, as well as to the majority of masculinist traditions of classical
rhetoric.Asaresult,anoverarchingrecoveryprojecthasbeenunderway,andthiscourseisyetanotherattemptin
this rather extensive global enterprise. But while recoveringand finally hearingwomens voices is one thing,
discoveringorcreatingafeministrhetoricasacorollarytoexistingpatriarchalparametersandtraditionsisquite
another.

COURSEDESCRIPTION
Theproposedcourseaimstohelpstudentsunderstandthesubtletiesofthegenderdebateandhowitisconstructed
intodaysenvironment.Thereasonthiscourseispositedasawritingcourseistoensuremaximumengagement
andtheexplorationofdifferentanddiversethemespertainingtogenderratherthanexclusivelyfocusingongender
theoryandthesociologyofrefractinggenderissues.Studentswillbeexpectedtoengageonapersonallevelwith
allofthesubjectmatterandwriteinvaryinggenresabouttheirowngenderedexperiences:fiction,nonfiction,
media,music,improvandfieldjournals.

Muchofthefeministdebatetodayhasbeenmicromanagedintoverytightcornerssothatmostmodern,educated
menandwomenstillhesitateadoptingthelabelfeministunlessitisfollowedwithaIbelieveinwomensequality
butclause.JoannaRusselaboratesonthistrendinherbookHowtosuppressWomensWriting:
Shedidntwriteit.(Butifitsclearshedidthedeed...)
Shewroteit,butsheshouldnthave.(Itspolitical,sexual,masculine,feminist.)

Lahore University of Management Sciences

Shewroteit,butlookwhatshewroteabout. (Thebedroom,thekitchen,herfamily.Otherwomen!)
Shewroteit,butshewroteonlyoneofit.(JaneEyre.Poordear,thatsallsheever...)
Shewroteit,butsheisntreallyanartist,anditisntreallyart.(Itsathriller,aromance,achildrens
book.Itsscifi!)
Shewroteit,butshehadhelp.(RobertBrowning.BranwellBronte.Herownmasculineside.)
Shewroteit,butshesananomaly.(Woolf.WithLeonardshelp....)
ShewroteitBUT...
Thiscoursewillprimarilydealwiththemesthatcropupfollowingthecatchallqualifierbutinthecontextofsuch
debate. Students will rank themselves on a Feminist Scale in the beginning of the session that ranges from
hardcorefeministtonotatallandwillbeexpectedtorevisittheiroriginalpositionintheirmidtermpaper.
A free writing medium will allow students to explore otherization on varying fronts and in diverse voices. In
particular,studentswillexplorequestionsandtheoriessurroundingthevexedcategoryofwomenswriting.After
exploringkeyconcepts,issues,anddebates,thecoursewilltakeatwoprongedapproach:theclasswillreadaseries
ofliterarytextsthatnowoccupyacentralsplaceinthefeministcriticalarchive,whilesimultaneouslyexamining
diverse critical approaches to each text (a mix of early and more recent work) as a way of charting the fields
developmentovertimeandproducingtheirownworkasaparallel.
Feminist theory, LGBT discourse, human rights issues, gender philosophy and cultural theory, media and pop
culture,writingsonwomenbylocalpoetsandauthorsinUrduandotherlocallanguages,bodyimageaswellas
ongoingShariadebatesrelatingtogenderwillallbeincorporatedintothecourseandstudentswillbeexpectedto
drawontheirenvironmenttofeedtheirwriting.Thatsaid,thiswritingmustalsotryandengagewithlarger,global
gendercontexts.Writingisafreemediumandisthereforeperhapsthebestavenuetoexploremodernpriorities
andunderstandingofsuchconcerns.

COURSEELEMENTS
Therewillbeaclosedwebsite,throughwhichstudentscancommunicateandtowhichtheycancontributetheir
written work.The website will also include an anonymous Voices section, where students may write about
personalgenderedexperiencesaccordingtoweeklysetthemes.
In addition, students will be required to conduct a oneweek anthropological exercise examining gendered
stereotypes, by recording their experiences after portraying a different prototype each day (i.e. punk, dumb
blonde,geek,maulvietc).
Studentswillalsoberequiredtomaintainafieldjournal,recordingtheirobservationsofvariedgenderpatterns
overtheperiodofthecourse.

GOALS
1. Engageandreflectdeeplyonvariedapproachestointerdisciplinarygenderresearchandcontemporarygender
concerns.
2. Identifyandacknowledgeapositionwithinthefeministdebate.Studentsmustbeabletoplacethemselves
asstakeholdersregardinggenderissues.
3. Decodemediaandpopularcultureportrayalsofgenderforwhattheysay,meananddo.
4. Thinkaboutgenderinpolicyterms,humanrightsissues,ethics,equalitydebateetc.
5. Personalizegender,individualvoicesallowustobreakthebracketingofgenderfromaonewomanand
onemanvoice
6. Interpretgenderphilosophyandliteratureforlocalandglobalcontexts
7. Exploreotherizationandhowitoccursinlanguage,ethics,policyandprioritization
8. Applytheirlearning,withoutdistancingthemselvesfromgenderissuesintheirpersonallives.

GRADING

Lahore University of Management Sciences

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Presentation15%
Midterm30%
ClassParticipation10%
WrittenResponsePaper10%
FinalExam35%
Morethan3abstentionswillresultinalowerlettergrade.

READINGMATERIAL
ThecoursepackwillincludesectionsofsomeseminalfeministworkssuchasNaomiWolfsTheBeautyMyth,
GermaineGreersTheFemaleEunuch,SimoneDeBeauvoirsTheSecondSexandVirginiaWoolfsARoomof
HerOwn.Thepackwillalsoincludemediaarticles,musicallyrics,poems,researchpapersandjournalarticles.
Books:
TheFemaleEunuchbyGermaineGreer
TheBeautyMythbyNaomiWoolf
TheFeminineMystiquebyBettyFriedan
TheSecondStagebyBettyFriedan
DaughtersofAbraham,editedbyYvonneYazbeckHaddadandJohnLEsposito
BeyondtheVeilMaleFemaleDynamicsinMuslimSocietybyFatimaMernissi
FeministTheoryfrommargintocenterbybellhooks
TheCityofLadiesbyChristinedePizan
ARoomofOnesOwnbyVirginiaWoolf
TowardaNewPsychologyofWomenbyJeanBakerMiller
WomenWhoRunwithWolvesbyClarissaPinkolaEstes
SexandPhilosophyrethinkingdeBeauvoirandSartrebyEdwardandKateFullbrook
SillyNovelsbyLadyNovelistsbyGeorgeEliot
CinderellaAteMyDaughterbyPeggyOrenstein

EssaysandAnthologies:
TheSkepticalFeministAPhilosophicalEnquirybyJanetRadcliffeRichards(theFeministandtheFeminine;The
Unpersuaded)
SignifyingWomenCultureandChaosinRousseau,BurkeandMillbyLindaM.G.Zerilli(MakingaMan,
BreakingtheCode;PoliticalEconomyoftheFemaleBody;AngelintheHouse)
IslamGenderandSocialChangeeditedbyYvonneYazbeckHaddadandJohnLEsposito(GenderIssuesand
ContemporaryQuranInterpretation;FeminisminanIslamicRepublicyearsofhardship,yearsofgrowth;The
slowyetsteadypathtoWomensEmpowermentinPakistan)
HonourCrimes,ParadigmsandViolenceAgainstWomeneditedbyLynnWelchmanandSaraHossain(Honour
RightsandWrongs;CrimesofHonour,valueandmeaning;HonourKillingsandtheLawinPakistan)
FeminismandSexuality,AReadereditedbySteviJacksonandSueScott(GenderDifferenceandtheProduction
ofSubjectivitybyWendyHolloway;TheSexwhichisnotonebyLuceIrigaray;HatingMasculinityandnotMen
byMarieJoDhavernas;ImitationandGenderInsubordinationbyJudithButler)
FeministPhilosophybyHertaNaglDocekal(WhythereisnonaturalorderoftheSexes;Writingwithwhiteink;
MoralFoundations;TheFeministWe)
Women,MenandLanguagebyJenniferCoates(LanguageandGender;SocialNetworks;GenderDifferencesin
CommunicativeCompetence;TheSocialConsequencesofGenderDifferencesinLanguage)
TheFemaleExperienceeditedbyGerdaLerner
TheProstituteinLiteratureeditedbyHaroldGreenwaldandAronKrich
TheFWord,Grantaissue115(OtherWomenbyFrancineProse;AKeptWomanbyLauraBell,AllIKnowAbout
GertrudeSteinbyJeanetteWinterson)

Films:
TheLady

Lahore University of Management Sciences

TheHours
Documentaries:TheSuffragettes
KillingUsSoftly:AdvertisingsImageofWomen
SavingFaceSharmeenObaidChinoy
StandUpclipsfromJaneaneGorafalo

OtherMaterials:
Popculturereferencesfromadvertising,musicallyrics,clipsfromtheglobalplaythevaginamonologuesand
memesaboutthatcommentongenderwillbeusedinclass.

GRADEDISTRIBUTION
1. Attendanceandparticipation20%: Classparticipationisacorecomponentofthiscourse.Studentsare
requiredtodiscussissuesinclassandtousetheclassdiscussionstofueltheirwriting.Unexcused
absenceswillaffectoverallgradesandstudentswillnotbeexemptedfromhandinginassignments
regardlessofabsence.
2. Inclasswritingsandtakehomeassignments20%:Classassignmentsareafundamentalcomponentof
thiscourseaseachlecturecoversadifferentthemerelatingtogender.Theassignmentswilltacklethis
subjectmatterandwillallowstudentstoindividuallyexplorethethemesfromtheirownperspective.
3. Presentations&Groupproject:20%Allstudentswillberequiredtomakeashortpresentationtowards
theendofthecoursebypersonalizingoneofthethematiczonesexploredduringthesemester.Agroup
projectwillbeassignedandstudentswillberequiredtodofieldworkonagenderissueoftheirchoice
thatexploresanalternativecommunicationmedium(podcast,shortfilm,song,performanceetc)
4. Fieldjournal10%Studentswillberequiredtomakepersonalobservations,collectedinajournal
and/orblog,thatcommentsongenderinANYway.Thisjournalcanbeintheformoffiction,anecdotes,
photosorcommentary.Theonlyrequirementisthattherebeatleast4entriesperweek.Thepurposeof
thisexerciseistoensurethatstudentsbecomeawareofthegenderdebatethatsurroundsthem,outside
oftheoreticalandpoliticaldebate.
5. Midtermessay:10%ThemidtermessayforstudentswillrelatetoFeminismandtheinitialdiscussion
sessionthestudentswillhaveatthebeginningofthecourse.Studentswillbeexpectedtowritea1500
wordessayontheirpersonalfeministpositionwithreferencetowheretheyrankedthemselvesonthe
FeministScaleinthebeginningofthecourse.
6. FinalTermPaper:20%Thefinalessay,withcitations,willrequirestudentstoselectanygenderrelevant
themethathasbeenexploredduringthecourseanddevisetheirownareaofinterest.Itwillbearesearch
paperandwillideallyinvolveaninterdisciplinaryapproachtowardsthesubjecttheyselect.Studentswill
berequiredtoscheduleatleastoneconferencewiththeinstructortodiscusstheirfinalessayandtopic.

REQUIREDMATERIALS
Aworking,alertmindpreferablyopen.
Studentswillberequiredtobringtheirjournalwiththemtoeachclassandincasesofthosewritingablog,they
willberequiredtosubmitlinkswiththeTAforthecourse.
Allstudentswillbeaskedtocontributetothewebsiteforthecourse.

COURSESCHEDULE
Week Topics
Discussions
1
Introductorysession Classintroductionsand
thefeministscale rankingalongascale

Readings
Assignment
The Female Experience Inclasswriting
assignment.1paragraph.
editedbyGerdaLerner

DefiningFeminism Whatdoestheword
mean,whatdiditmean,

Nonfictionpieceon
whatfeminismmeansto

Lahore University of Management Sciences

doweneedanotherf
word?
2

you
TowardaNewPsychology Whichfeministgroup
ofWomenbyJeanBaker and/orismdoyou
Miller
identifywithandwhy?

FeministWaves:
flowingorstagnant

Theevolutionofthe
feministmovement

CollectingStrands:
branchesof
feminism

Classifyingdifferent
strainsofgendergroups FeministTheoryfrom
MargintoCenterbybell
andmovements
hooks

Culturaland
ColouredGender

Signifying Women
Studyingcultural
Culture and Chaos in
constructsand
marginalizednarratives. Rousseau, Burke and Mill
by Linda M. G. Zerilli
Locatingthesubaltern (Making a Man, Breaking
the
Code;
Political
Economy of the Female
Body;AngelintheHouse)

Postcolonial
contextsstillwhite
washinggender

(ShortFilmClipsand
documentary)
Writingincoloured
characteristheresucha
thingasabrown,black,
whitevoice?

Tracingtheevolutionof
genderedthoughtand
thinking.

FeministPhilosophy

FilmThehours

Biesecker,Comingto
termswithRecent
AttemptstoWrite
WomenintotheHistory
ofRhetoric.Philosophy
andRhetoric25(1992):
14061.

Compareandcontrast
twoopposing
philosophersviewson
genderAncientv
Modern,tracebias

Film:TheHours
5

FeministWriting
SwitchingVoices:
Opposinggender
constructions

Selectedexcerptsand
analysisongenderin
Literature
Menwritingonwomen
andviceversa

The F Word, Granta issue

115 (Other Women by
Francine Prose; A Kept
WomanbyLauraBell,AllI
Know About Gertrude
Stein
by
Jeanette
Winterson)

Allthefemalestudents
willberequiredtowrite
inamasculinevoiceand
viceversa,todenotewhat
theythinksuchvoices
represent.

TracingSexuality
andBodyImages

East/WestGender
Typing.

Evolutionofsexualroles FeminismandSexuality,A Weeklongstereotyping

andagency,Bodyimage Reader edited by Stevi improveandsurvey.
Jackson and Sue Scott
idealism
(Gender Difference and
Drawingparallelsand
the
Production
of Writingaboutones
contrastsincontext
Subjectivity by Wendy bodies,theanthropology
Holloway;TheSexwhichis ofperfection.

not one by Luce Irigaray;

Hating Masculinity and
not Men by MarieJo
Dhavernas)

Lahore University of Management Sciences

Anon:Languageand
Feminism

LGBTIsfeminism
bigenoughfor
everyone?

Tracingbiasesinwriting Rich,selectionsfromOn
Lies,Secrets,andSilence
andlanguage,
anonymousfemale
Ratcliffe,chapters1and4
authors
Discussingothergender (GuestSpeaker:Parveen
groupsandconcerns
Bobby,Hijracommunity
leader)

Feminismand
Religion

Women,Religionand
varyingdefinitions

Detailinghonour
constructs,specifically
withregardtoPakistan

DefiningHonour

Studentswillbegivena
selectionofparagraphs
andrequiredtoassess
whethertheythinkthe
authorsweremaleor
femaleandwhy?

Beyond the Veil Male

Female Dynamics in
MuslimSocietybyFatima
Mernissi

TracingissuesinIslamic
Feminism,Studentswill
takeupagenderrelated
themeoftheirchoiceand
examineitfromwithina
Honour

Crimes, religioustext.
Paradigms and Violence
AgainstWomeneditedby
Lynn Welchman and Sara
Hossain (Honour Rights
and Wrongs; Crimes of
Honour, value and
meaning;HonourKillings
andtheLawinPakistan)

Popculture
Feminism

10

Tracingmodern
influencesinfeminism,
advertising,music,
anthems.
Reexaminingthe
fairytaleformula

HappilyNever
Afters:Fairytale
Feminism

GenderinFilm

Studyingthestake
holders,actressesand
fashion

Ate
My Studentswillberequired
by
Peggy towritetheirownoriginal
fairytale,onewhich
introduces
Silly Novels by Lady unconventionalgender
NovelistsbyGeorgeEliot roles.
(Collageofmedia
sequencesfromOnce
UponaTimeandother
Disneyclassics)
Cinderella
Daughter
Orenstein

TBA

Whatfilmortelevision
characterdoyourelateto
mostandleastdueto
theirgenderedportrayal
andwhy?

Glenn,Truth,Lies,and
Method:Revisiting
FeministHistoriography,
samevolume:38789.

Studentswillberequired
tochooseagenderissue
thatconcernsthemand
writea5700wordmedia
campaignarticleonthe

Media
representation
11

Urduandotherlocal ExaminingPakistani,
Indianandother
andinternational
internationalcontexts
writingsongender
onWomenoutsideof

theEnglishlanguage

Lahore University of Management Sciences

Whatdoesfeminist
activismstillmean?

issue.

Feminism,Marxism,
Method,andtheState:
AnAgendaforTheory
Author(s):CatharineA.
MacKinnon

Studentswillpresent
theirchosentheme
fromthecourse.

Examiningpoliticalrole
modelsaspoliticians,
activistsandfeminists.

Feminismand
Activismparallel
strains?

12

Presentations

PoliticalFeminism:
MarxistFeminism
andPostcolonial
feministcontexts

13

Masculinities:Does
genderbiasgoboth
ways?

Examining,malevoices
aboutfeminismand
outsideofit.

TheRadicalWomen
Manifesto:Socialist
FeministTheory,Program
andOrganizational
Structure,RedLetter
Press,2001.
Ritchie. RidingLong
Coattails,Subverting
Tradition:TheTricky
BusinessofFeminists
Teaching
Rhetoric(s).Feminism
andCompositionStudies.

Studentswillhaveanin
classdebatesessionon
severalsocialissueswith
agenderedcontext

Donawerth,Poachingon
MensPhilosophiesof
Rhetoric:Eighteenthand
Nineteenth
14

Beyondfeminism:Is
thereapost
feminism,willthere
everbeone?

Studyingpostmodern
Ede,Lisa,CherylGlenn,
influencesandstrainsin andAndreaA.Lunsford,
BorderCrossings:
feministwriting.
IntersectionsofRhetoric
andFeminism.Rhetorica
8:4(Autumn1995):401
442.