Department of English

This seminar will examine the theme of power as it engages questions of sex and gender. Subsidiary themes that will be developed over the course of the semester include: the modernism/postmodernism debate as it particularly relates to feminism; the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality and class and how feminists can and do talk about "women"; the relevance of feminist theory to policy issues, and which theoretical approaches are the most appropriate or have the most powerful potential. The readings represent some of the newest scholarship as well as several more familiar texts to provide an understanding of how some of the latest developments in feminist theory have come to pass.  In the first 5 weeks we will explore general  issues of power and then turn to works that attempt to grapple with more specific political issues in which power is expressed.