F10 Pol 266 XF81 Politics & Culture

Syllabus

Required readings (available at the bookstore or online):
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Random House, 1998; 978 038 549 0818
Barbara Ehrenreich & Arlie Russell Hochschild, eds., Global Woman, 2002, 978 080 507 5090
Martha Nussbaum, Women and Development, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2001; 978 052 100 3858
Susan Moller Okin, Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women? Princeton Univ. Press, 1999; 978 038 547 5778

Grading:
Short papers (1000-1250 words each)        30%    (Due September 24, October 22)
Term paper (2500-3000 words)            25%    (Due December 10)
Final exam                    30%
Attendance & participation            15%

All work must be handed in during class on the due date. No electronic copies will be accepted – NO EXCEPTIONS. If you run into any problems with the course or with deadlines, it is imperative that you speak with me immediately.

Class 1 Introduction; What is politics, What is culture
August 27: Intro to class; discussion

Class 2 Politics/culture, culture/politics, cont.; Capabilities
September 3: Discussion, cont.; ontology; Nussbaum, Introduction

*September 10—Rosh Hashanah: NO CLASS*

Class 3: Capabilities approach: THIS CLASS IS ON TUESDAY; CAMPUS CLOSED FRIDAY
September 14: Nussbaum, ch. 1 (skip § III, pp. 59-70)

Class 4 Capabilities, cont.                        *First paper due: September 24
September 24: Nussbaum, ch. 1 (skip § III, pp. 59-70)
Classs 5 Choice? Sex and Family
October 1: Nussbaum, ch. 2 (skip § III-IV, pp.122-148); begin ch. 4; Ehrenreich & Hochschild [E&H] (Introduction)

Class 6 Household labor: power and care and, oh yeah, sex, too
October 8: Nussbaum, ch 4, cont., E&H (Hochschild; Cheever; Hondagneu-Sotelo; Rivas)

Class 7 Household labor, cont.
October 15: E&H (Ehrenreich, Anderson, Constable, Zarembka, Gamburd, Lan)

Class 8: Questions and confrontations                    *Second paper due: Oct 22
October 22: Okin (pt. I-Okin; Pollitt, Kymlicka, An-Na‘im, Post, Parekh, Sassen, Bhabha, Tamir, Raz, Halley)

Class 9 The ultimate good?
October 29: Nussbaum, ch. 3 (skim § IV, pp. 198-206);  Atwood, §§ I-III

Class 10: Religion, cont.
November 5: Nussbaum, ch. 3 (skim § IV, pp. 198-206); Okin (Honig, al-Hibri, Sunstein, Nussbaum); Atwood, §§ IV-VIII

Class 11: Nightmare or reality?
November 12: Atwood §§ IX-XII

Class 12 Sex and work and politics, again
November 19: Okin (Gilman); E&H (Rivas, Brennan, Bales) Atwood §§ XIII-XIV

*November 25-28 Thanksgiving Break—NO CLASSES*

Class 13 Home and world, in their own ways
December 3: Atwood §§ XV & Historical Notes

Classes 14 Home and world and everything
December 10: Nussbaum, conclusion; Okin, Reply        *Term paper due: Dec 10

FINAL: TBA