CTSJ 370 Transnational Feminisms
This course examines the scholarly, cultural, and activist work of transnational feminists in the Global North and South. The course will discuss how the term “transnational” has been employed by feminist theorists to critique the centrality of nations, nationalism, and the national scale in political life, including in feminist political imaginings. We will study the debates that erupted between “third world” and “Western” feminisms, the latter signifying the globally dominant, liberal feminism of U.S. and European-based privileged women and of the aid and development establishments. The course will center on and be guided by the experiences of transnational feminist groups working in different geographies and social movements, as well as their efforts to create solidarity movements globally.
Case studies and examples are drawn from Juarez, Mexico; Guatemala; South America; Asia; and Palestine. Authors to be discussed include Chandra Mohanty, Richa Nagar, Lorena Cabnal, and Katherine McKittrick.