Politics and Gender/Gender Politics
This semester, we will examine the politics of gender from different perspectives. First will be the insertion of gender into American politics. From an historical perspective, we will look at how women won the right to vote and the campaigns for and against this. We will examine the concept of the “Personal as Political,” as feminist discussions of genders opened new debates over how what had previously been considered simply personal became politicized and new meanings became attached to the division of labor in and out of the home. Finally, contemporary political campaigns will be a major focus as women began acting more overtly as political agents. Special attention will be given to the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.
Media Framing and Social Movement Organization theory will provide examples of how to apply theories to the study of gender and politics.
Building research skills necessary for thesis work is central to the organization of the course. Specifically, we will focus on the uses of secondary sources in a review of the literature/historiographic review and research, as well as the application of theories to primary source material. We will examine both scholars’ work and contemporary media accounts and memes, as primary sources.