Geography 426Y: "Gender and Geography"

Until the 1970's women remained invisible in the analyses of social space: human geography was indeed just that (hu)man. Recently, feminist geography began to challenge the implicit masculinity of the subject of geography; this course will examine the evolution of the feminist challenge. The course addresses four major topics -- Gendering Space; Gendering Work; Gender, Place and Nationalism; and Gender and the Body. Students explore each of these through case studies and group projects, and will produce a series of essays throughout the semester. As a point of entry to discussion of place, space and gender, this course will explore the diverse ways in which feminists have seen space as central both to masculine power and to feminist resistance. In particular we will explore arguments from feminists of color and from poststructuralists which have influenced current discussion about maps and power in historical and contemporary contexts.

Professor: Dr. Lorraine Dowler