CSP 76 White Privilege, Feminism, and Intersectionality

This course will examine various texts where privilege, feminist thought, race and class intersect. Questions will be asked about the role of allies in antiracist dialogic reflection. What is skin color privilege; does it exist, how does race, class, and gender define us? We will critically consider through a series of readings, and through our own critical writing what does it mean to be an anti-racist? What does it mean to acknowledge one’s privilege, while considering one’s own oppression with regard to gender, or class, or sexual orientation? How can one use one’s privilege to confront racial and gender injustices? Students will be asked to examine numerous texts from various genres, including fiction, essay, digital media, poetry and non-fiction, in order to consider how writers and artists ask difficult questions, and present ideas in order to engage in critical conversation regarding the topic. Texts for the course will include works from Kimberle ́ Crenshaw, Toni Morrison, Claudia Rankine, Tim Wise, Sharon Smith, bell hooks, Beyoncé, Audre Lorde, and others. Students will engage in essay writing with an emphasis on constructing logical arguments and developing persuasive analysis utilizing primary and secondary evidence to support ideas in preparation for writing an academic research paper.