21810497 - GENDER AND POLITICAL THEORIES

This course is based on a systematic analysis of the classic works and theories of antique, modern and contemporary political philosophy, through a gender perspective; i.e. those works and theories in which great thinkers have revealed their thoughts regarding the political and social life of women. The aim of the course is to fill a gap in our knowledge about the history of political thought and to comprehend the assumptions behind deeply rooted modes of thought that continue to affect women’s lives in significant ways.
scheda docente | materiale didattico

Programma

Settimana 1
Introduzione e descrizione del corso.
Metodologia. Il genere come categoria di analisi storica.
Grecia antica: la tradizione greca della misoginia. Platone e Aristotele. L'eredità aristotelica. La Repubblica di Platone.

Settimana 2
Le donne nel pensiero medievale.
I Padri della Chiesa: Sant'Agostino
San Tommaso d'Aquino: Il posto delle donne in natura
Femminilità e mascolinità nel primo pensiero moderno europeo. La decostruzione del genere in Machiavelli. Difendere la mascolinità contro la Fortuna.

Settimana 3
Protofemminismo nella Venezia del XVI e XVII secolo.
Diritti naturali contro l'autorità naturale
Thomas Hobbes contro il modello aristotelico
John Locke contro il patriarcato. Il contratto sessuale.
Margaret Cavendish

Settimana 4
Lo stato di natura e la ricostruzione di una repubblica mascolina: Rousseau.
Rousseau e l'addomesticamento delle donne.
Rivendicare i diritti delle donne: Mary Wollstonecraft
Femminismo liberale: John Stuart Mill


Settimana 5
Costruire il femminismo liberale negli Stati Uniti: Il movimento per i diritti delle donne del XIX secolo. Le radici sociali del movimento americano per i diritti delle donne. Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Prospettive femministe contemporanee sul patriarcato. Virginia Woolf e Simone de Beauvoir. Uguaglianza e differenza.
Proiezione del film "Suffragette".

Settimana 6
Il dibattito sul multiculturalismo. Discussione in classe.


LETTURE OBBLIGATORIE:

Le letture obbligatorie si possono trovare su Moodle, nella biblioteca del Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche o sulla pagina web di University Discovery.


- Joan Scott, Gender: a Useful Category of Historical Analysis, in , 1, V, 1986, pp. 1053 – 1075

- Wendy Brown, Where is the Sex in Political Theory? In , 7, no. 1 1987

- Karen Offen, Defining Feminism: a Comparative Historical Approach, in , vol. 14, n. 11, 1988, pp. 119-157

- Susan Moller Okin, Plato and the Greek Tradition of Misogyny, in Susan Moller Okin, Women in Western Political Thought, Princeton University Press, 1992

- Susan Moller Okin, Philosopher Queens and Private Wives, in Women in Western Political Thought

- Susan Moller Okin, Female Nature and Social Structure, in Women in Western Political Thought

- Susan Moller Okin, Woman’s Place and Nature in a Functionalist World, in Women in Western Political Thought

- Diana Coole, Women in Medieval Thought: Transitions from Antiquity to the Renaissance, in Women in Political Theory, Lynne Rienner Publisher, 1993

- Zillah Eisenstein, The Historical Continuity of Patriarchy, from The Radical Future of Liberal Feminism, Northeastern University Press, 1993, Chapter 2

- Joan Kelly, Did Women Have a Renaissance?, from Joan Kelly, Women, History and Theory, University of Chicago Press, 1984, ch. 7

- Ian Maclean, The Renaissance Notion of Women, in , vol. 34, n. 2, Summer 1981, pp. 211-213

- Hanna Pitkin, Fortune is a Woman. Gender and Politics in the Thought of Niccolò Machiavelli, University of California Press, 1984, chapters 2,3,4,5,6

- Diana Coole, Women in Political Theory, chapter 4

- Carole Pateman, The Sexual Contract, Stanford University Press, 1988, chapters 1, 4, 6

- Susan Moller Okin, Women in Western Political Thought, chapters 5, 6, 7

- Else Wiestad, Empowerment Inside Patriarchy: Rousseau and the Masculine Construction of Femininity, from Feminist interpretations of Jean Jacques Rousseau, edited by Linda Lange, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002

- Penny Weiss and Ann Harper, Rousseau Political Defense of Sex-Roled Family, from Feminist interpretations of Jean Jacques Rousseau, edited by Linda Lange, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002

- Mary Wollstonecraft, excerpt from A Vindication of the Rights of Women, in The Feminist Papers, edited by Alice Rossi, pp. 40-85

- John Stuart Mill, excerpt from The Sujection of Women, in The Feminist Papers, edited by Alice Rossi, pp.196-238

- Susan Moller Okin, Women in Western Political Thought, chapter 9

- Alice Rossi, Introduction: Social Roots of the Woman’s Movement in America, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 241- 281

- From Abolition to Sex Equality: Sarah Grimké (1792-1837) and Angelina Grimké (1805-1879), in The Feminist Papers, pp. 306-322

- Alice Rossi, Along the Suffrage Trail, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 407-412

- Excerpt from the History of Woman Suffrage, in The Feminist Papers, Seneca Falls Convention, pp. 413-421

- Akron Convention and Sojourner Truth, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 426-29

- Kathryn Kish Sklar, Women’s Rights Emerges within the Antislavery Movement, 1830-1870, Bedford, 2000

- Virginia Woolf, excerpt from A Room of One’s Own, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 627-652

- Simone de Beauvoir, excerpt from The Second Sex, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 674-705

- Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?, edited by Susan Moller Okin, Princeton University Press, 1999



LETTURE CONSIGLIATE:
- Susan Moller Okin, Justice, Gender, and the Family, Basic Books, 1989

Il corso è impartito in lingua inglese.




Testi Adottati

Week 1
Introduction and description of the course.
Methodology.

- Joan Scott, Gender: a Useful Category of Historical Analysis, in , 1, V, 1986, pp. 1053 – 1075
- Wendy Brown, Where is the Sex in Political Theory? In , 7, no. 1 1987
- Karen Offen, Defining Feminism: a Comparative Historical Approach, in , vol. 14, n. 11, 1988, pp. 119-157
Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle.

- Susan Moller Okin, Plato and the Greek Tradition of Misogyny, in Susan Moller Okin, Women in Western Political Thought, Princeton University Press, 1992,
- Susan Moller Okin, Philosopher Queens and Private Wives, in Women in Western Political Thought
- Susan Moller Okin, Female Nature and Social Structure, in Women in Western Political Thought
- Susan Moller Okin, Woman’s Place and Nature in a Functionalist World, in Women in Western Political Thought



Week 2
Women in medieval thought.
The Church Fathers: St. Augustine
St. Thomas Aquinas: Women’s place in nature

- Diana Coole, Women in Medieval Thought: Transitions from Antiquity to the Renaissance, in Women in Political Theory, Lynne Rienner Publisher, 1993
- Zillah Eisenstein, The Historical Continuity of Patriarchy, from The Radical
Future of Liberal Feminism, Northeastern University Press, 1993, Chapter 2
Femininity and masculinity in early modern European thought. Deconstructing gender in Machiavelli


- Joan Kelly, Did Women Have a Renaissance?, from Joan Kelly, Women, History and Theory, University of Chicago Press, 1984, ch. 7
- Ian Maclean, The Renaissance Notion of Women, in , vol. 34, n. 2, Summer 1981, pp. 211-213
- Hanna Pitkin, Fortune is a Woman. Gender and Politics in the Thought of Niccolò Machiavelli, University of California Press, 1984, chapters 2,3,4,5,6


Week 3
Protofeminism in Venice
Natural rights against natural authority
Thomas Hobbes against the Aristotelian model
John Locke against patriarchy
Margaret Cavendish

- Diana Coole, Women in Political Theory, chapter 4
- Carole Pateman, The Sexual Contract, Stanford University Press, 1988, chapters 1, 4, 6

Week 4
The State of Nature and Reconstructing a Masculinized Republic: Rousseau

- Susan Moller Okin, Women in Western Political Thought, chapters 5, 6, 7
- Else Wiestad, Empowerment Inside Patriarchy: Rousseau and the Masculine Construction of Femininity, from Feminist interpretations of Jean Jacques Rousseau, edited by Linda Lange, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002
- Penny Weiss and Ann Harper, Rousseau Political Defense of Sex-Roled Family, from Feminist interpretations of Jean Jacques Rousseau, edited by Linda Lange, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002
Vindicating the Rights of Women: Mary Wollstonecraft
Liberal Feminism: John Stuart Mill

- Mary Wollstonecraft, excerpt from A Vindication of the Rights of Women, in The Feminist Papers, edited by Alice Rossi, pp. 40-85
- John Stuart Mill, excerpt from The Sujection of Women, in The Feminist Papers, edited by Alice Rossi, pp.196-238
- Susan Moller Okin, Women in Western Political Thought, chapter 9







Week 5
Constructing Liberal Feminism in the US: The 19th Century Women’s Rights Movement


- Alice Rossi, Introduction: Social Roots of the Woman’s Movement in America, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 241- 281
- From Abolition to Sex Equality: Sarah Grimké (1792-1837) and Angelina Grimké (1805-1879), in The Feminist Papers, pp. 306-322
- Alice Rossi, Along the Suffrage Trail, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 407-412
- Excerpt from the History of Woman Suffrage, in The Feminist Papers, Seneca Falls Convention, pp. 413-421
- Akron Convention and Sojourner Truth, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 426-29
Contemporary feminist perspectives on patriarchy.

- Virginia Woolf, excerpt from A Room of One’s Own, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 627-652
- Simone de Beauvoir, excerpt from The Second Sex, in The Feminist Papers, pp. 674-705

Week 6

Is Multiculturalism Bad For Women?, edited by Susan Moller Okin, Princeton University Press, 1999

Bibliografia Di Riferimento

- Susan Moller Okin, Justice, Gender, and the Family, Basic Books, 1989 - Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?, edited by Susan Moller Okin, Princeton University Press, 1999 - Kathryn Kish Sklar, Women’s Rights Emerges within the Antislavery Movement, 1830-1870, Bedford, 2000

Modalità Erogazione

Il corso è articolato in lezioni, proiezioni, discussioni critiche delle letture assegnate, lavoro in biblioteca.

Modalità Frequenza

La frequenza è obbligatoria; oltre le tre assenze il voto finale dell'esame sarà ridotto di due punti percentuali per ogni assenza aggiuntiva.

Modalità Valutazione

Frequenza e partecipazione (20%); presentazioni in classe e papers (30%); prova scritta di metà corso (25%); Prova scritta finale (25%)