Critical Social Inquiry 0286 - Postcolonial Fem Sci Studies

Science was a central force in the ideologies of colonialism and the successes of colonial expansion. Postcolonial studies suggests that this colonial legacy lives on in postcolonial nations. In what ways does this colonial legacy shape postcolonial conceptions of the state and its citizens and subject formation? We will explore recent work in postcolonial feminist science studies by examining a range of postcolonial sites and a variety of scientific disciplines. Some of the questions we will explore are: postcolonial development, bioprospecting and biopiracy, pharmaceutical testing in postcolonial contexts, colonial sexual science and the history of sexuality, surrogacy, the rise of genomic sovereignty in postcolonial nations, GMOs and industrialized agriculture, and climate change. Throughout the course, students will engage with postcolonial feminist critiques of scientific epistemologies (theories of knowledge) and the universalizing metaphysics (theories of existence/reality/nature) they engender. This class will be team taught by Professors Jennifer Hamilton, Angie Willey, and Banu Subramaniam. We will combine with another section of the class based at UMass. Classes will meet at UMass from 4-6:30pm.

Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research This class will be team taught by Professors Jennifer Hamilton, Angie Willey, and Banu Subramaniam. We will combine with another section of the class based at UMass. Classes will meet at UMass from 4-6:30pm. Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.