GENDER AND POLITICS

 GENDER AND POLITICS

Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, 2nd Year Elective Course 2020-2021 Academic Year Fall Semester Course instructor: Res. Assist. Dr. Ezgi Sarıtaş, Prof. Dr. Elif Ekin Akşit ezgibsaritas@gmail.com; elifaksit@gmail.com

Gender and Politics is one of the two main classes of the Gender and Politics subdivision of Political Science and Public Administration, AÜ SBF. 

Course objective: The aim of this course is to help students understand the importance of a gender perspective in analyzing modern social processes. The role of gender in shaping the world we live in, citizenship, labor, family, practices of state sovereignty, and other related areas will be examined. The relationship between gender and race, class, and national identity will be emphasized. In this context, discussions on feminist theory and movement will be addressed. The course aims to increase students' knowledge and awareness about the significance of ending all forms of discrimination based on gender, both globally and in Turkey, for the development of a democratic political order. Readings on the topics will be discussed in class to ensure the flow of the course.

Course Materials: The resources used in this course are listed under each week's topic with page numbers. These resources will be made available to students at the beginning of the semester. The course materials will be sent to their email addresses, so students should regularly check their email accounts on the e-campus platform. Course Requirements: Regular attendance and active participation in the course are important. Students who attend the course are expected to have completed the readings for the respective week and actively participate in class discussions. The course grade will be determined based on attendance, midterm, and final exams. Midterm: 30%, Final: 80% Students who want to earn an additional 10% score can give presentations on the novels they have read in the weeks before the midterm and final exams. Students who wish to give a presentation should send an email to ezgibsaritas@gmail.com no later than Friday, October 14th. It is possible to choose a novel outside the list, provided that it is discussed with the course instructor in advance. Attendance and participation in the course will be included in the calculation of the midterm and final grades, accounting for 10% of the overall grade. The extra points obtained from the presentations will be added to the final grade of the course.

Midterm: The midterm exam will be held during the midterm period and will consist of traditional style questions. Students will be responsible for the weeks leading up to the midterm.

Final: The final exam will be held during the final exam period and will consist of traditional style questions. Students will be responsible for all weeks and the novel they choose from the list.

Basic resources and additional readings for the course: Sara Ahmed, Living a Feminist Life. Istanbul: Sel Yayıncılık, 2018. bell hooks, Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. Istanbul: BGST, 2016. Bonnie G. Smith, Women's Studies: The Basics. Istanbul: İletişim, 2021. Rosemarie Tong, Tina Fernandes Botts, Feminist Thought: A Comprehensive Introduction. Istanbul: Sel, 2021. Tina Chanter, Gender. Ankara: Fol, 2019.

Course Schedule: Week 1 (September 30, Friday): Introduction and course overview Week 2 (October 7, Friday): Basic concepts: Gender and feminism bell hooks, Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. Istanbul: BGST, 2016. 7-38 Sara Ahmed, Living a Feminist Life. Istanbul: Sel Yayıncılık, 2018. (37-66).

Week 3 (October 14, Friday): Historical development of feminism Elizabeth G. Seldziweski, "Fransız Devrimi Olarak Bir Dönüm Noktası." Kadınların Tarihi Cilt IV. İstanbul: İş Bankası Kültür Yayınları. 39-51.

Week 4 (October 21, Friday): Transformation of the concept of public and private spheres Elif Akşit, "Transformation of the concept of public and private spheres in Turkey," SBF Journal 64/1, 2009: 1-21. https://cins.ankara.edu.tr/kamu.html Elif Akşit, "Home: Feminist Geography, the Middle East, and Unavailable Intersections." Kebikeç: Geography 44, 2017.

Week 5 (October 28, Friday): HOLIDAY Week 6 (November 4, Friday): Equality and citizenship: Are women equal citizens? Carole Pateman, The Sexual Contract. Istanbul: Boğaziçi University Press, 2017. 122-177.

Week 7 (November 11, Friday): Class and gender Heidi Hartman, The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism. Istanbul: Agora, 2006. https://english.emmaclit.com/2022/09/01/where-does-it-go/

Novels for presentations: Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. Istanbul: Türkiye İş Bankası Yayınları, 2020. Virginia Woolf, Orlando. Istanbul: İletişim, 2000. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Herland. Istanbul: İthaki Yayınları, 2020.

Week 8 (November 18, Friday): Midterm week Week 9 (November 25, Friday): National identity, race, and black feminism bell hooks, "Race and Gender," Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. Istanbul: BGST, 2016. (72-77) Angela Davis, "Rape, Racism, and the Myth of the Black Rapist." Women, Race, and Class, trans. Selda Arıt. Ankara: Heretik, 2019. (171-197)

Cynthia Cockburn, "Self and Other: Varieties of Border." In Hat: Women in Cyprus, Taksim, and the Gender Order. Istanbul: İletişim, 2005. (43-65)

Week 10 (December 2, Friday): Masculinity and male violence R. W. Connell, "The Social Organization of Masculinity," Masculinities, trans. Nagihan Konukçu. Ankara: Phoenix, 2019. (135-164).

Betül Yarar, "Rethinking Violence in Close Relationships from a Feminist Perspective," in The Gendered Faces of Violence, edited by Betül Yarar. Istanbul: Istanbul Bilgi University Publications, 2015 (13-51).

Week 11 (December 9, Friday): Queer politics and transfeminism Anne Marie Jagose, "Theorizing Gay Desire," "Gay Liberation," Queer Theory: An Introduction, trans. Ali Toprak. Istanbul: Notabene, 2015. (17-33, 45-59).