Introductory description

This module centres feminist perspectives on a range of social, cultural and political questions and concerns
particularly within postcolonial and settler colony societies. Taking as starting point the postcolonial and indigenous
feminist critiques which have challenged the dominance of the liberal and rationalistic Enlightenment episteme, the
module will work through questions that have been pertinent to indigenous and post/colonial feminisms such as
sovereignty, self-determination, borders, terror, security, authoritarianism and revolution. Throughout the course we
will be attentive to the intersectionality of political struggles and so while we connect our thinking on these topics to
specific state exemplars each week, students are encouraged to bring their own examples of each theme to class
discussions.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Provisional Outline:
Week 1: Introduction: Indigenous feminisms, post/colonial feminisms and the intersections of
political struggles
Week 2: Womanism
Week 3: Feminism, post/coloniality, sovereignty and citizenship
Week 4:Feminism, reproduction and land rights in settler colonial states
Week 5: Feminism, Militarism and security
Week 6: Reading Week
Week 7: Feminism, socialism and authoritarianism
Week 8: Feminist perspectives on religion and secularism
Week 9: Feminism and Revolution
Week 10: Summary/ Time for assessment discussion

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Have developed a critical understanding of indigenous and post/colonial feminist perspectives and approaches to questions of sovereignty, self-determination, borders, sectarianism, security, authoritarianism and freedom.
• Be able to organise and present written information clearly and coherently through their essay writing.
• Be able to identify, evaluate and critically analyse appropriate feminist theories relating to social and political issues discussed through the course such as sovereignty, borders, sectarianism, security, authoritarianism and revolutionary struggles.
• Be able to explain and critically engage in indigenous post/colonial political and intellectual debates on sovereignty, borders, sectarianism, security, authoritarianism.
• Be able to organise and present oral arguments and contribute to classroom discussion in seminars.

Indicative reading list

R. Icaza (2017) 'Decolonial Feminism and Global Politics: Border Thinking and Vulnerability as a Knowing Otherwise'
in M. Woons & S. Weier (eds) Critical Epistemologies of Global Politics, E-International Relations Publishing. M.
Lugones (2010) 'Toward a Decolonial Feminism', Hypatia, 25(4). N.K. Das, (2019) 'Indigenous Feminism and Women
Resistance: Customary Law, Codification Issue and Legal Pluralism in North East India', Journal of Cultural and Social
Anthropology, 1(2), pp. 19-27. Kaul, N. & Zia, A.(2018) ‘Knowing in our Own Ways: Women and Kashmir’, Special
Issue EPW/RWS Osuri, G.(2018) ‘Sovereignty, vulnerability, and a gendered resistance in Indian-occupied Kashmir’,
Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal, 3(2) 228-43. Menon, Nivedita. 2012. "Victims or Agents?" in Seeing like a
Feminist. pp. 173-212. Radha Kumar (1999) 'From Chipko to Sati: The Contemporary Indian Women's Movement'. in
N. Menon (ed.), Gender and Politics in India. OUP, pp.342-369. Fong, M. (2016) One Child: The story of China’s most
radical experiment, Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt. Lydia H. Liu, Rebecca E. Karl and Dorothy Ko (eds.) (2013) The Birth
of Chinese Feminism: Essential Texts in Transnational Theory, Columbia University Press. Hershatter, G. (2018)
Women and China’s Revolutions, Rowman & Littlefield. Maha El Said, Lena Meari and Nicola Pratt (eds.) (2015)
Rethinking Gender in Revolutions and Resistance: Lessons from the Arab World, London: Zed. Nadje Al-Ali & Nicola
Pratt (2009) What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq, Berkeley: University of California Press.
Seedat, F.(ed.) (2017) ‘Special Issue: Women, Religion and Security’, Agenda, 30(3). M.E.M.Kolawole (1997)
Womanism and African Consciousness, Africa World Press Inc. B. Badri & A. M. Tripp (eds.) (2017) Women’s
Activism in Africa, London: Zed. B. Fredericks (1997) ‘Reempowering Ourselves: Australian Aboriginal Women’,
Signs. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 35(3). Green, J. (ed.) (2017) Making Space for Indigenous
Feminism(2ndedition), Fernwood Publishing. R. Aída Hernández Castillo (2010) ‘The Emergence of Indigenous
Feminism in Latin America’, Signs, 35(3). K. Kampwirth (2004) Feminism and the Legacy of Revolution. Nicaragua, El
Salvador, Chiapas, Ohio University Press.

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Demonstrate an advanced and critical understanding of indigenous and post/colonial feminist perspectives and
approaches to questions of sovereignty, self-determination, borders, sectarianism, security, authoritarianism and
freedom.
Identify, evaluate and critically analyse to an advanced level appropriate feminist theories relating to social and
political issues discussed through the course such as sovereignty, borders, sectarianism, security, authoritarianism
and revolutionary struggles.
Contextualise, synthesise and draw links between feminist approaches to social and political issues and political
struggles in different state contexts.
Show an appreciation of indigenous and post/colonial feminist pedagogies.

Transferable skills

Be able to organise and present oral arguments to an advanced level, carry out a formal presentation and facilitate
classroom discussion in seminars.
Be able to organise and present written information clearly and coherently through their essay writing.