Women,Gender,Sexuality Studies 391V - S-Problem of Sexual Violence

This class will serve as a collaborative workshop on the problem of sexual violence, informed by transformative justice. We will start with a recap of how the problem of sexual violence on campus has been understood and framed by various constituents here at UMass. We will then explore the problem from a variety of academic and activist angles, gathering insight through individual and collective research. Questions we will explore include: What are we talking about when we talk about "sexual violence"? Who is impacted by sexual violence and how? How are racism, classism, transphobia, ablism, xenophobia, and other factors that contribute to vulnerability thematized (or ignored) in conversations about the problem of sexual violence? Why doesn't the carceral model for understanding and ending sexual violence work? What sorts of strategies have activists on and off college campuses used to raise awareness, challenge dominant carceral models, and create community safety? Final projects can take a variety of forms and may be collaborative. Students who enroll should be invested in deepening their understanding of sexual violence, have respect for its individual and collective impacts, and possess a desire to work collectively towards transformation.