Fall 2017 Course Schedule

Feminist Jurisprudence (LAW-815-001)
Ann Shalleck

Meets: 03:00 PM - 04:50 PM (T) - Capital - Room C217

Enrolled: 13 / Limit: 20

Administrator Access


Notices

Feminist Jurisprudence can be taken for two or three credits. You will get the third credit by registering for a structured independent study credit associated with the course. You can complete this registration after the class begins. You will fulfill the requirements for the third credit throughout the different portions of the course and by writing a paper of 20-30 pages or doing a project requiring equivalent effort.

Forms of Assessment:

Class Participation

Weekly Writing Assignments

Final Paper or Project – Development of Ideas

Final Paper or Project – Realization of Ideas

Description

Feminist Jurisprudence includes the study of different strands of feminist theory and the themes that have emerged and developed within feminist thought, as well as the application of theory to issues that interest members of the class. Through the weekly application of feminist legal theories to experience, the class works together to develop an understanding of what feminist theory is and how it can matter to the understanding of legal thought, legal institutions, and the ways people’s lives interact with the law. We explore the different strands of, themes within, conflicts among, and questions confronted by feminist analyses of law and legal thought. We examine the relationship of law to the experiences of women situated differently in the world; the relationship of sex and gender as reflected in and influenced by law; the relationship of gender to understandings and experiences of sexuality; cultural images of women and men that both shape and are shaped by the law; and institutional and social structures and practices that perpetuate or challenge inequality or subordination. With this analysis, students explore recurring constructed dichotomies that affect women: public/private, agent/victim, motherhood/sexuality, production/reproduction, caregiving/work, etc. Students identify how different strands in feminist legal thought overlap and differ and the ways themes recur and change within those strands. The course also considers the interaction of feminist theories with other critical traditions, including Critical Race Theory, Social Theories of Power, Wealth and Inequality, Disability Theory, Queer Theory, Cultural Studies, Narrative Theory, and Clinical Theory.

The class is participatory and interactive. Students write short essays applying concepts from feminist legal theory to some event/legal item/cultural artifact/etc. These essays are circulated weekly and provide part of the material for class discussion. Students also develop a project and/or paper exploring/analyzing a topic of their choosing from the perspective of feminist legal theories. Students present their ongoing work on their papers/projects to the class with the goal of increasing understanding of how some aspects of feminist theory matter in understanding some features of the socio-legal world.

Students may take the course for two or three credits, depending upon the scope of the project/paper they undertake. For two credits, the paper should be 8-10 pages. For three credits, the paper should be 20-30 pages. The projects will differ similarly depending on the number of credits. To take the course for three credits, students will need to register for a structured independent study that will be fully integrated into the course.

Students may fulfill the upper level writing requirement through this course.

Textbooks and Other Materials

The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.

Gender & Law: Theory, Doctrine, Commentary 7th Edition and Feminist Legal Theory Foundations

First Class Readings

There is no assignment for the first class.