CSOC 23A13 - Eco/Feminism(s) Past and Present: Theories, Practices, and the Climate Emergency

This course recontextualizes Ecological Feminist scholarship and activist movements in view of their resurgence amid today’s climate emergency. We will begin with a critical introduction to the subject, starting with the foundations and critiques of Ecofeminism. Thereafter, the term Eco/Feminism(s) will be employed as language that offers a broader representation of the field, accounting for new and emerging Ecological and Feminist thought and activism, alongside the foundational and canonical literature on the subject. We will use interdisciplinary methods and scholarship to assess the often-neglected nuance, multiplicity, and dynamism found at the intersection of Feminism and Ecology. Transnational, Intersectional, Decolonial and Queer Feminist approaches that problematize and counter monolithic perspectives on Eco/Feminism(s) are central frameworks in this approach. In turn, this course will span from early understandings of Eco/Feminism(s) to more current ones, traversing from Ecofeminism and Queer Ecologies to Ecowomanism, and from Indigenous Feminism and Black Ecological Feminisms to Eco/Feminism(s) in the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. It will then shift into the literature characterizing the present revival of Eco/Feminism(s), before turning to the dimension of Eco/Feminist movements and activism, which are integral to the field.

Group Presentation 30%

Each group will choose a topic, or have one approved by the instructor, during the first session.

Mid-Term Assignment 30%

A short-form writing assignment.

Take-Home Final Exam 30%

A longer, formal writing assignment.

Mandatory Attendance and Participation 10%