Sexuality Wmn's & Gndr Studies 466 - Democratic Theory and Sexuality: Past and Present

(Offered as POSC 466 and SWAG 466) This course examines the relationship between movements for sexual liberation and theories of democracy. It is structured around two moments in history: (i) the emergence of early arguments for gay liberation in Britain between 1880 and 1930; and (ii) the renewed debates about the democratic possibilities and limitations of queer theory in the past three decades. The historical focus is on Britain because an intellectually rich gay liberation movement emerges there while Britain was at the forefront of debates about representative democracy. From these two vantage points, we will examine several persistent and important questions about sexuality and democracy. Do sexual minorities have anything distinctive to say about democracy? Is resistance to sexual oppression best conducted via traditional democratic institutions, or through radical transformations of everyday life and other extra-institutional means? Is a democratic queer politics possible independent of other marginalized groups, or can it only be realized as part of a broader coalition of oppressed groups? Must queer democratic theory reject normativity, or can it articulate a positive theory of value? These questions are open and debatable, and this course is an attempt to explore them so that students are prepared to enter the long-running debates about them. Students are not expected to come to this course with answers already prepared. 

Recommended Prior Coursework: One POSC course (200 or above), one political theory course (POSC 124, POSC 228, POSC 229, POSC 254, POSC 429, POSC 480 etc.), and/or one SWAGS course. 

Limited to 18 students. Spring Semester. CHI Fellow and Visiting Lecturer Deslauriers.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference will be given to POSC and SWAGS majors, and by seniority.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work and reading, as well as a creative assignment based on the course's focus on reading texts creatively as political theory.