Philosophy of Feminism
Philosophy 275/ WMST 275
Instructor: Meg Wallace
Syllabus
Office: Caldwell
206B
Office Phone: 919-926-3330
Office Hours: TR 2:30-3:30 and by appointment.
Email: megw@email.unc.edu
Course Webpage: http://www.unc.edu/~megw/Phil275F06.html
Where: Caldwell 105
When: TR 3:30-4:45
Texts
Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the
Future.
Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex
bell hooks, Feminist Theory: From
Margin to Center
Linda Nicholson (ed.), The
Second Wave: A Reader in Feminist Theory
Suzanne Pharr, Homophobia: A
Weapon of Sexism
The above texts should be available in the student
book store. Other required readings will
become
available during the
duration of the
course, and will be posted up on the course webpage reading schedule (here)
or on blackboard. In general, I will email
the entire class when any changes have been made to any of the course
related webpages; please get in the habit of checking your email, the
course web page, and blackboard often.
Course Description
Philosophy 275 is an introduction to the history of the philosophy of
feminism, beginning with Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex. We will be taking a
critical look at the history of the oppresssion of women, why it exists
or did exist, whether it exists today, how it gets perpetuated if it
did or does exist, and what the solution might be. We will also be
looking at feminsit issues as they relate to racism, class prejudice,
gender, sexuality and pornography.
Course Requirements
(i) 3 Papers
There will be 3 short paper assignments, one at the end of each month.
They must be turned in on the due dates on the reading schedule. Papers will
be
expected to be approximately 3-5 pages in length.
(ii) 1 Final
There will 1 final at the end of the semester. It will cover all of the
course material and will be in short answer/essay format. Date:
December 8, 12:00pm.
(iii) Participation
You are expected to read the assignments, think carefully
about the readings, and come to class prepared. Part of what makes
philosophy
so engaging is being able to discuss various views with others. My hope
is that
this course will provide you with a forum where such discussion can
take place.
Thus a small part of your grade will be allotted for participation,
which
includes coming to class, taking part in class discussions, turning in
class
assignments, coming to office hours, etc.
Grades
Your final grade in this course will be broken down as
follows:
First Paper
25%
Second Paper
25%
Third Paper
25%
Final
20%*
Participation
5%
*Caveat: You must pass the exam to pass
the class.
Honor Code
It is expected that everyone in the class has read, understood,
and obeys UNC's Honor Code, which you can read on-line here. For more general
information about the university's honor system, go here.
General Advice
Philosophy is oftentimes difficult. You may find
that you
need to read an article several times before you even have a sense of
what the
article is about. Please don’t get frustrated—you’ll discover that
having
patience and working through such arduous material will be incredibly
rewarding. However, chances are that even reading and re-reading the
material
will not be enough. That is why I encourage every single one of you to
see me in
my office hours whenever you feel you need the extra help. I have two
hours a
week specifically allotted for meeting with students, but feel free to
make an
appointment with me if another time would be more convenient. Also, I
am open
to having group meetings or study sessions outside of class time
whenever you
feel such a meeting would be beneficial (I have in mind here
review-like
sessions prior to a paper due date, but I leave it to you to decide
when you
might be in need of such sessions).
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Phil 275 Main Page
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Teaching Page
Page Last Updated: August 24,
2006