Critical Social Inquiry 0278 - Queer Hope and Pleasure

In Cruising Utopia, Jose Munoz describes the possibility for queerness through the opening oneself up to the "perception of queerness as manifestation in and of ecstatic time." Ecstasy allows for us to see the paradoxes in pleasure, giving space to the contradictions, nuances, and differences, and in that, opening up what is meant in thinking with the future and potentiality. This course is grounded in women of color feminisms and explores the development of theories on hope, futurism, and utopia. The reading follows foundational texts in affect, queer, and critical race theories, examining their genealogies critically. We will examine debates within the context of future studies, starting with the notion of queer utopia by Jose Munoz and situating it within the larger context of women of color feminisms. We will analyze the development of these theories and explore the limits, possibilities, and new directions of the scholarship. Keywords:Queer, trans, critical race and ethnic studies, affect The content of this course deals with issues of race and power This course could be used to fulfill the Division II Project requirement.

In/Justice Library Materials: Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity by José Esteban Muñoz Books: Title:Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity Author:José Esteban Muñoz ISBN:9781479874569 Cost:$25 Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time