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1 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
Online Summer Course: July 3 – August 14, 2018
Instructor: Dr. Jan Oakley
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (807) 343-8701
Skype: jan.oakley73
___________________________________________________________________________________ Welcome to Sex, Gender, and Species! (Social Justice/Graduate Syllabus)
In this course, we will undertake a critical analysis of the questions “what is a woman?” and “what is
an animal?” to examine the ways that women and animals have been constructed, objectified, and
entangled in social and cultural practices. We will consider the discourses and material consequences
of Western ethics, science, consumption, and entertainment as they relate to gender and species. In
doing so, an aim is for you to develop responses that move beyond biological determinism, and to
develop a feminist consciousness that does not draw a line at the human boundary.
Guiding Questions
Some of the guiding questions we will explore in this course include:
What are some the dominant ways in which women, animals, and “others” have been socially
constructed in Western culture?
How does anthropocentrism and speciesism intersect with sexism, racism, classism,
heterosexism, ableism, and sizeism?
How do the dominant discourses of Western ethics, science, philosophy, consumption and
entertainment relate to species and gender?
How is the figure of the white male privileged as “human,” creating hierarchical relationships
in terms of sex, race, and species?
Does feminism need to account for inclusive understandings of oppression and emancipation,
beyond the human boundary? What does a feminism inclusive of nonhuman animals entail?
How can we move beyond ideologies of biological determinism and create new patterns for
thinking and being?
Which position(s) regarding the “place” of animals in feminist thought resonate most strongly
with your own beliefs, values, and contexts, and why?
We will approach these and other questions in a variety of ways, including reading, viewing, online
discussion, creative representations, and writing. Insights from people’s experiences are welcomed.
2 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
Course Website
Our course is online and can be accessed through the Desire2Learn (D2L) platform at
https://mycourselink.lakeheadu.ca/. The functions we will use on our D2L site are:
Main page/Announcements: where course updates will be regularly posted; please check it
often
Content: where all course texts and supplemental materials are posted
Assignments: please use the Assignments function to submit course assignments
Discussions: where online discussions will take place throughout the course
Email: use the D2L email system to contact the instructor, and your classmates, at any point
during our course
Please spend some time familiarizing yourself with these components of D2L. You may wish to review
the “Important Links” information under the tab menu item entitled “More.”
Course Materials
There is no text to purchase for this course. All texts are available on our D2L website, organized by
week under the “Content” tab. Readings/videos under the “Optional/Recommended” category are
just that: optional, but recommended.
Important Note: Because this course is largely discussion-based, it is ESSENTIAL that we all read the
articles/view the videos by the beginning (i.e., Monday) of each week, and are prepared to discuss
them. Please see the Course Readings by Week for dates associated with each reading.
Time Management/Approach to Online Learning
This is an intensive six-week course. Time management is essential for you to successfully complete it.
Please plan to allocate approximately two hours to the course each day, and possibly more, based on
the given week and workload. Note that if we were meeting in person, our class time would be 6
hours per week – consider this as a guideline for your online participation. On top of this, there is a
heavy workload of reading and viewing each week, and assignments to complete as well. A suggested
guideline for completing the readings and assignments is 8 hours per week, and possibly more
depending on the week. Please do not procrastinate at any point in the course, and approach me
immediately if you are falling behind schedule.
The focus of this course is on unpacking the ideas in the assigned texts through weekly discussions
and assignments. Please note that the material covered in this class may be controversial and
provocative to all of us (including the instructor), so we must be prepared to challenge and be
challenged, to be critical and to be critiqued, and to support and be supported. We may not always
agree with each other. However, it is essential that we enter our conversations with generosity of
spirit, good humour, and high regard for each other.
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Respectful communication is expected at all times. Please keep in mind that all participants have the
right to hold, defend, and promote their views. However, this right exists alongside regulations that
protect an individual’s right to education without discrimination or harassment on the basis of
gender, race, sex, ethnicity, religion, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, body size, age,
place of origin, etc. Students are required to respect social and cultural differences. Intents to insult
an individual or group of individuals on the basis of their gender, race, etc. and words or symbols that
convey hatred or contempt constitute harassment and will not be tolerated, and I (as instructor)
reserve the right to remove any posts I deem offensive. Our discussions must always respect the
values of diversity and tolerance of difference.
Drop Date: The last date to drop the course is July 30. By then, you should have a sense of how you
are faring in the course.
Contacting the Instructor
I will check my email, and the Discussion boards, once daily from Monday-Friday throughout the
course. On weekends I will check email less regularly, and a response may take longer (e.g., 48 hours).
To correspond with me by email, please use the email link provided through D2L. I am also available
to discuss assignments or course materials with you by phone or Skype (see the top of this course
outline for contact information).
Course Assignments and Evaluation
1. Intersections: Women and Animals Paper Due Sunday, July 15 by 11:59 pm 20%
2. Reading Response Papers (x4) Weekly, Mondays at 5:00 pm 20%
3. Online Participation - Postings Weekly, first posts due Mondays by 5:00 pm 25%
4. Final Essay Due Tuesday, August 14 by 11:59 pm 35%
Assignment Details
1. INTERSECTIONS: WOMEN AND ANIMALS PAPER. Due Sunday, July 15 by 11:59 pm (20%)
Based on the assigned texts in Week 1 and Week 2 of the course, write a paper of approximately 1000
words (not including References/Works Cited), explaining what you have learned to date about the
interconnections and intersections between women and animals, and feminism and animal advocacy.
Your paper should explain and synthesize what you have learned in the first two weeks of the course.
You may wish to address some of the following questions in your paper:
What have you learned from the Week 1 and Week 2 texts, regarding the ways in which
women and animals are socially constructed in Western culture?
How do sexism and speciesism overlap through frameworks of biological determinism?
What are some of the proposed interconnections between feminism and animal advocacy?
What are your impressions of the texts – do you have further questions, ideas for application,
disagreements, critiques?
4 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
Assignment guidelines: Your paper should provide evidence that you have carefully read/reviewed
the Week 1 and 2 texts, and have drawn on them in your analysis. Please use MLA or APA style in your
writing, and include a References/Works Cited list. Please note that conducting external research for
this assignment is not encouraged: you will have enough to draw upon from the Week 1 and 2 texts!
Note that I am not grading your opinions in this paper; rather, I am looking for evidence that you have
read the texts and have considered them critically. Evaluation will also be based on quality of writing,
demonstration of engagement, and evidence of critical analysis.
Instructions for submitting this assignment: Please submit this assignment to me in MS Word (not as
a PDF), through the “Assignment” tab on D2L. I will use “the track changes” feature in MS Word to
comment and provide feedback on your papers, and return them to you.
2. READING RESPONSE PAPERS (x4). Due weekly, Mondays at 5:00 pm (20%)
Section One: Summarize the overall gist of the week’s readings (not including videos). What is the
ostensible meaning of each reading, that is, what is the primary claim each author is making? Are all
the week’s authors communicating similar messages or do they diverge; how so? Maximum word
count for this section: 250 words.
Section Two: Is there something in the week’s readings or texts that especially appealed to you,
intrigued you, moved you, or annoyed you? How might your positionality (e.g., your identity, context,
academic or professional background) have influenced this response, and why is that important? Do
not comment on all the readings in this section nor on everything that drew your attention; rather,
develop one idea in some depth. Maximum word count for this section: 250 words.
Note: You do not need to include a References/Works Cited page for this assignment. If you make
connections to other sources, please reference them appropriately.
There are 5 possible weeks when you could do a reading response (i.e., Weeks 2-6), and you need to
do 4 in total. Note that even if you are not submitting a response in a particular week, I still expect
you to have done all the readings.
The reading responses provide me with evidence that you have read and reflected on the readings,
including how they connect (or not) to your own experiences. These responses also help ensure that
everyone can actively participate in discussion of the readings each week. Please respect the
maximum total word length of 500 words. Doing so while still conveying something of substance is a
challenging task, but honing your skill at being precise and concise in your writing is a highly
worthwhile endeavor. Evaluation will be based on quality of writing, depth of engagement, originality,
and evidence of critical analysis and self-reflexivity.
5 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
3. ONLINE PARTICIPATION – POSTINGS. Due weekly (25%)
Ongoing, active participation is a requirement of this course. This means posting your own thoughts
about the weekly topics, commenting on others’ ideas, and responding to questions about your own
postings. Remember, we are covering contentious issues in this course and emotions can run high.
Please see the guidelines under “Approach to Online Learning” for further detail. Now is an ideal time
to hone your skills at being “critical friends.”
Consider your time commitment to online discussions to be critical to your success as a learner as well
as to the success of the course. You are expected to participate throughout the week (Monday-
Friday); do not clump your postings all together, especially at the end of the discussion period. You
must post on at least two different readings each week, but are welcome to post on more as well as
on the other content (e.g., videos) if desired.
You are expected to post a minimum of three times per week. Your first posting is due by 5:00 p.m.,
Mondays each week. Your initial posting should be no more than 250 words and should be precise,
concise, and clear. Ensuing discussion will build on these initial postings and should focus not only on
places of convergence but also divergence. You will be required to comment at least 2 other times
each week; additional posts should generally be no more than 75 words. The boards will close each
Friday at 5:00 p.m.
To ensure that this course does not become overwhelming for all of us, it is vital that you emphasize
quality rather than quantity when posting. While it is relatively easy to post numerous, non-
substantive comments (e.g., “I really liked this reading”), doing so will only generate tons of postings
that we will all have to wade through. It is therefore important that you make the effort to only post
insightful, meaningful comments that move the discussion forward. Please ensure that you post
substantive comments that demonstrate investment of thought, research, reflection, and critical
analysis. For example, a meaningful post might:
Clarify the ostensible meaning of course readings, and/or make connections among them
Suggest a different interpretation of the readings
Encourage perspective-taking by illustrating how others might react to the readings
Pose a critical question
Clarify the positionality of authors by identifying common ground and/or differences among
the authors
Identify the assumptions and theoretical frameworks underlying each author’s arguments
Provide concrete examples of theoretical ideas
Identify possible implications (e.g., ethical, social, environmental) of particular ideas
Offer an intersectional analysis that makes clear the connections between feminism and
animal advocacy
Engage in intertextuality by suggesting other relevant readings that might help extend
understanding of the issues
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Evaluation of your online contributions will be based on both the timeliness and quality of your
postings. I will provide you with feedback at the halfway mark (during Week 4) of our course.
4. FINAL ESSAY. Due Tuesday, August 14 by 11:59 pm (35%)
Note: Please submit a brief outline/“pitch” (maximum 200 words) of your idea for your final paper by
Wednesday, August 8 (or earlier). This should include a description of your proposed paper topic, and
list at least 5 relevant scholarly articles, books, or book chapters beyond the course readings that will
inform your work. Please choose one of the following options for your final essay:
Option 1: Final Reflection Essay
Wrap up the course by distilling what you find most compelling about this course. You should cite at
least 5 academic sources from beyond the course. Length guideline: 2,500 words maximum. Please
use MAL or APA style (6th edition) to format your final paper.
OR
Option 2: Traditional Academic Essay
Write a more traditional academic paper in an area of interest, related to our a course topic. You
should cite at least 5 academic sources from beyond the course. Length guideline: 2,500 words
maximum. Please use MLA or APA style (6th edition) to format your final paper.
Instructions for submitting this assignment: Please submit this assignment to me in MS Word (not as
a PDF), using the “Assignment” feature on D2L. I will use “the track changes” feature in MS Word to
comment and provide feedback on your papers.
Other Important Course Information
Assignment due dates: All assignments must be handed in by the specified due dates. If you have
trouble meeting a due date, please discuss it with me at least one week prior to the due date and, if
accepted, we will negotiate a new due date. Missing due dates without prior approval will result in a
deduction of 5% per day. Please note that late online postings will not be accepted, as doing so would
give procrastinators an unfair advantage.
Accessibility and Learning Accommodations: Lakehead University is committed to achieving full
accessibility for persons with disabilities. Part of this commitment includes arranging academic
accommodations for students with disabilities and/or medical conditions to ensure they have an
equitable opportunity to participate in all of their academic activities. If you are a student with a
disability and think you may need accommodations, you are strongly encouraged to contact Student
Accessibility Services (SAS) and register as early as possible. For more information, please contact
7 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
Student Accessibility Services http://studentaccessibility.lakeheadu.ca (SC0003, 343-8047 or
[email protected]). If you have special needs regarding the format or the due dates for the
assignments, please inform me.
Note on Incomplete Standing (from the Lakehead University Calendar): Incomplete Standing indicates
that a student has not passed a course, but that the instructor is prepared to insert a grade upon the
completion of required course work or the writing of an examination. The privilege of deferring part
of the work in this way will be granted only when, in the opinion of the instructor and his/her
department/school, the incomplete work is a separable part of the course. Where a grade of
Incomplete is recommended by the instructor and approved by the chair/director of the
department/school concerned and the Dean of the Faculty, the designation “Inc” shall be temporarily
entered on the student’s record by the Registrar. If a student wishes to clear a grade of Incomplete
from their record, they must make an application to the Registrar within one month after the
publication of the grades for the course, and pay the required fee.
Academic dishonesty and plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Presenting an idea,
words, or an exact phrase of another author as your own work constitutes plagiarism. Other instances
of Academic Dishonesty, including but not limited to double submission (submitting your own work
across courses, or within the same course), purchasing of assignments (either online or from another
student on campus), or copying of assignments will be dealt with in accordance to the University
regulations on Academic Dishonesty. All students are required to know what constitutes plagiarism
and how to avoid it. Click this link to review the policy. Please do your own work.
Your mental health is important! If you require immediate support regarding a mental health crisis,
call Crisis Response at 346-8282 (24 hours/day). For non-crisis issues, please call Good To Talk at
1-866-925-5454. For additional community resources, please call 211.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Course Readings by Week
All course texts are available through our website. Many students report that printing out and
marking up the readings aids their recall and reflection, and ultimately deepens their understanding.
However you go about it, please make a significant investment in the readings, to make the most of
the course. Please also note that because this course is discussion-based, it is ESSENTIAL that we all
read the articles/view the videos, and prepare (and post) responses at the beginning of each week.
8 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
WEEK 1: JULY 3-6 (a short week) INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE: ESTABLISHING INTERCONNECTIONS, PART 1 View
1. Hopkins, P. (2018). What is intersectionality? [VIDEO]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/263719865
2. Earthlings (excerpt). (2014). Earthlings – what is speciesism? [VIDEO]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRtTvaEinbI
Read
1. Walker, A. (1988). Am I Blue? In E. Zahava (Ed.), Through other eyes: Animal stories by women (pp. 1-6). Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press.
2. Birke, L. (2002). Intimate familiarities? Feminism and human-animal studies. Society & Animals, 10(4), 429-436.
3. Ortner, S. (1974). Is female to male as nature is to culture? Excerpted from M. Z. Rosaldo & L. Lamphere (eds.), Woman, culture, and society (pp. 68-87). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
4. Fox, K. (2010). Why animal rights are (still) a feminist issue. The Scavenger. Retrieved from http://www.thescavenger.net/feminism-a-pop-culture/why-animal-rights-are-still-a-feminist-issue-84674-244.html
5. Twine, R. (2010). Intersectional disgust? Animals and ecofeminism. Feminism and Psychology, 20(3), 397-406.
Optional/Recommended
1. Donovan, J. (2006). Feminism and the treatment of animals: From care to dialogue. Signs,
31(2), 305-329.
___________________________________________________________________________________ WEEK 2: JULY 9-13 ESTABLISHING INTERCONNECTIONS, PART 2 View
1. Vegan Talk. (2015). Putting animals in their place [VIDEO]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwm3l_pXImo&feature=youtu.be
Read
1. Munro, L. (2001). Caring about blood, flesh, and pain: Women’s standing in the animal protection movement. Society & Animals, 9(1), 386-400.
2. Gaard, G. (2001, Fall). Ecofeminism on the wing. Women and Environments, 19-22.
3. Cudworth, E. (2008). ‘Most farmers prefer blondes:’ The dynamics of anthroparchy in animals’ becoming meat. Journal for Critical Animals Studies, 6(1), 32-45.
INTERSECTIONS: WOMEN AND
ANIMALS PAPER DUE
SUNDAY, JULY 15 BY 11:59 PM
9 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
4. Glasser, C. (2011). Tied oppressions: An analysis of how sexist imagery reinforces speciesist sentiment. The Brock Review, 12(1), 51-68.
5. Gaard, G. (1994). Mothering, caring, and animal liberation. Feminist for animal rights newsletter, 8(3-4), 5, 12.
6. Hardy, K. (2014). ‘Cows, pigs, and whales’: Nonhuman animals, anti-fat bias, and exceptionalist logics. In R. Chastain (Ed.), The politics of size: Perspectives from the fat acceptance movement (pp. 187-206). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Optional/Recommended
1. Deckha, M. (2008). Intersectionality and posthumanist visions of equality. Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender and Society, 23(2), 249-267.
___________________________________________________________________________________
WEEK 3: JULY 16-20 HUNTING AND EATING View
1. Edell, C. (2016). Does feminism require vegetarianism or veganism? [VIDEO]. Everyday Feminism. Retrieved from https://everydayfeminism.com/2016/02/feminism-and-vegetarianism/
2. Adams, C. J. (n.d.). The sexual politics of meat slide show. Retrieved from http://www.caroljadams.com/spom.html
Read
1. Plumwood, V. (1999). Being prey. In D. Rothenberg & M. Ulvaeus (Eds.), The new earth reader: The best of Terra Nova (pp. 76-92). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
2. LeGuin, U. K. (1982). The wife’s story. The compass rose. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press. Retrieved from https://frielingretc.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/the-wifes-story-ursula-k.pdf
3. Kalof, L. & Fitzgerald, A. (2003). Reading the trophy: Exploring the display of dead animals in hunting magazines. Visual Studies, 18(2), 112-122.
4. Bailey, C. (2007). We are what we eat: Feminist vegetarianism and the reproduction of racial identity. Hypatia, 22(2), 39-59.
5. Robinson, M. (2015). Indigenous veganism: Feminist Natives do eat tofu. Earthling Liberation Kollective. Retrieved from https://humanrightsareanimalrights.com/2015/04/03/margaret-robinson-indigenous-veganism-feminist-natives-do-eat-tofu/
Optional/Recommended
1. Kheel, M. (2004). Vegetarianism and ecofeminism: Toppling patriarchy with a fork. In S. F. Sapontzis (Ed.), Food for thought: The debate over eating meat (pp. 327–341). Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
2. Brissette, C. (2017). Is meat manly? How society pressures us to make gendered food choices.
10 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/is-meat-manly-how-society-pressures-us-to-make-gendered-food-choices/2017/01/24/84669506-dce1-11e6-918c-99ede3c8cafa_story.html?utm_term=.d4bed9954daf
___________________________________________________________________________________
WEEK 4: JULY 23-27 SCIENCE, SEX, AND SPECIES Listen
1. Birke, L. (2007). Feminism, animals, and science: Interview with Dr. Lynda Birke [AUDIO INTERVIEW – Starts around the 10-minute mark]. Animal Voices. Retrieved from https://animalvoices.ca/2007/11/20/feminism-animals-and-science-interview-with-dr-lynda-birke/
Read
1. Smuts, B. (2006). Between species: Science and subjectivity. Configurations, 14(1-2), 115-126.
2. Holmberg, T. (2011). Mortal love: Care practices in animal experimentation. Feminist Theory, 12(2), 147-162.
3. LeGuin, U. K. (1985). She unnames them. Buffalo gals and other animal presences. New York, NY: Penguin.
4. Birke, L. (2009). Naming names: Or what’s in it for the animals. Humanimalia, 1(1), 1-9.
5. Birke, L. (2010). Structuring relationships: On science, feminism, and non-human animals. Feminism and Psychology, 20(3), 337-349.
6. Smith-Harris, T. (2003). Bringing animals into feminist critiques of science. Canadian Women’s Studies, 23(1), 85-89.
Optional/Recommended
1. Angier, N. (1997). Bonobo society: Amicable, amorous, and run by females. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/22/science/bonobo-society-amicable-amorous-and-run-by-females.html
___________________________________________________________________________________ WEEK 5: JULY 30-AUGUST 3 ENTANGLED, CAGED, AND KEPT View
1. Haraway, D. (2003). The companion species manifesto [VIDEO]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59N5xwmw5x0&t=414s
11 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
2. Bored Panda (n.d.). 22+ shocking illustrations reveal how animals feel by switching them with
humans. Retrieved from https://www.boredpanda.com/satirical-animal-rights-illustrations-
parallel-universe/
Read
1. Spiegel, M. (1996). An historical understanding. In The dreaded comparison: Human and animal slavery (pp. 15-32). New York, NY: Mirror Books.
2. Outman, N. (2014). Women portrayed as animals/beasts. Ferris Museum of Sexist Objects. Retrieved from https://ferris.edu/moso/objectification/womenasanimals/index.htm
3. Wade, L. (2009). Black women posed as and among animals. Sociological Images. Retrieved from https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/08/19/another-photoshoot-places-a-black-woman-among-animals/
4. Munro, A. (1968). Boys and girls. Retrieved from http://www.giuliotortello.it/shortstories/boys_and_girls.pdf
5. Adams, C. J. (1999). Woman-battering and harm to animals. In C. Adams & J. Donovan (Eds.), Animals and women: Feminist theoretical explorations (pp. 50-81). London, UK: Duke University Press.
6. Angelou, M. (1969). I know why the caged bird sings. All poetry. Retrieved from http://allpoetry.com/poem/8511445-I_Know_Why_The_Caged_Bird_Sings-by-Maya_Angelou
7. Wrenn, C. L. (2015). The role of professionalization regarding female exploitation in the nonhuman animal rights movement. Journal of Gender Studies, 24(2), 131-146.
Optional/Recommended
1. Frye, M. (1983). The systemic bird cage of oppression. The politics of reality: Essays in feminist theory (pp. 2-7). Freedom, CA: Crossing Press.
2. Haraway, D. (2003). The companion species manifesto: Dogs, people, and significant otherness. Chicago, IL: Prickly Paradigm Press.
___________________________________________________________________________________ WEEK 6: AUGUST 6-10 BUILDING A MOVEMENT, AND MOVING FORWARD Listen
1. Freedom of Species (2015). International women’s day: Exploring feminism and animal rights [AUDIO]. Retrieved from http://www.freedomofspecies.org/show/international-womens-day-exploring-feminism-animal-rights
Read
1. Gaard, G. (2013). Toward a postcolonial milk studies. American Quarterly, 65(3), 598-618.
2. Mesa, J. (2017). Animal rights are a feminist issue too. Quaker Campus. Retrieved from http://www.thequakercampus.org/opinionsblog/2017/3/9/animal-rights-are-a-feminist-issue-too
12 – Sex, Gender, and Species 5011
3. Feminists for Animal Rights website (n.d.). See: http://www.farinc.org/far_articles.html
4. Donovan, J. (2017). Caring for animals: A feminist approach. AllCreatures.org. Retrieved from http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-caring-animals-feminist.html
5. Turnbull (2015). Feminism and farming: Sugarshine FARM gives sanctuary to livestock. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-06/sugarshine-farm-gives-sanctuary-to-unwanted-livestock/6915334
COURSE WRAP-UP: AUGUST 10-14 There are no further assigned readings for the last days of this course; you can use this time to complete your final assignment. Thank you for taking this course!
FINAL ASSIGNMENT
DUE TUESDAY, AUGUST 14
BY 11:59 PM (OR EARLIER)
9
