Syllabus: Feminist Animals | Guha-Majumdar

Feminist Animals: Sex, Nature, and Nonhumans

Instructor: Jishnu Guha-Majumdar
Office Hours: Monday 1-3 PM, and by Appointment; Gilman Atrium
jguham@gmail.com
AS.363.416

Course Description
Feminist theorist Marilyn Frye, in The Politics of Reality, uses a metaphorical birdcage to
conceptualize interconnected systems of oppression. To only examine one wire of the cage,
no matter how closely, renders it impossible to understand why the bird does not simply
fly to freedom. Instead, she writes, you must “stop looking at the wires one by one,
microscopically, and take a macroscopic view of the whole cage.” The network of
interconnected wires, of oppressions, is what entraps the bird. “Feminist Animals: Sex,
Nature and Nonhumans” shares Frye’s emphasis on interconnected oppressions and also
takes seriously the referent of her metaphor. Though the Greek philosopher Aristotle
famously claimed that “Man is a political animal,” this class explores the thought, practice,
and actions of feminist animals, both human and nonhuman.

Introducing feminist approaches to ecology and nonhumans, the course considers the
interconnections between heteropatriarchal domination and the domination of nonhuman
animals like Frye’s bird. What different ways of seeing sex and gender open up when
attention shifts to nonhumans? What tensions within and between feminism, animal
liberation, and ecological concern come to the fore when each approach is considered
alongside the others? How does the study of nonhumans extend the promise of feminism,
and vice versa? In responding to these questions, we will see the real breadth of issues that
the theory and practice of feminism can address. Themes include critiques of extractive
relationships to the environment, the question of nature and culture in relationship to sex
and gender, food justice, land politics, and the ethics of eating animals. We will explore a
wide array of feminist perspectives, including those from trans, queer, indigenous, and
black feminist writers.

Internship/Practicum
Students will participate in a Baltimore-based volunteer position at an organization whose
mission is relevant to this course’s themes. In total, these efforts will total 40-50 hours over
the semester, i.e. about 3-5 hours per week. Prior to our second meeting, students will have
approached an organization for which they intend to volunteer throughout the semester.
You are free to either work with the programs that have been pre-approved for the
course—Thrive Baltimore, the Baltimore Free Farm, and Food Not Bombs—or nominate an
organization of your finding in consultation with me and the JHU Center for Social
Concern. Should students opt to select their own organization, it should be demonstrably
relevant to the course’s subject matter and the position should meet requirements for

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volunteer hours. Students are encouraged to reflect on and incorporate their experiences
into our class discussions and their engagement with textual materials.

Learning Objectives and Expectations

- To understand how intersections between feminism and studies of ecology and
nonhuman animals inform and extend each other’s insights.
- To understand the conceptual and philosophical issues underlying climate change,
ecological destruction, and violence towards animals.
- To learn to write about and critically discuss a diversity of sophisticated, multi-
disciplinary works in a generative manner.
- To experience the mutually enriching interplay between theory and community
engagement

Grades
Internship Log and Journal (10%)
Internship Evaluation (10%)
Weekly Questions and Internship Participation (20%)
3 Short Analytic Papers (20%)
Final Paper (20%)
Rewrite (20%)

Course Expectations and Requirements

This course will be reading intensive, though the reading has been adjusted to account for
your time spent volunteering: about 60-80 pages per week. It requires careful sensitivity to
both historical context and theoretical questions. Lectures and class discussion will be
oriented towards helping students develop an understanding of the ways in which
questions of ecology, land, food, race, gender, and animal rights are fundamentally
intertwined. While discussion leaves room for expressions of opinion, evaluative claims,
and personal experience, as scholars we place scholarly priority first and foremost on
understanding our texts.

Assignments
1. Selecting Organization and Internship Responsibilities: After our first class, students
will have one week to research and choose a Baltimore organization for which they will
volunteer. The organizations pre-approved for the course are Thrive Baltimore, the
Baltimore Free Farm, and Food Not Bombs. Students are welcome to submit an
organization of their choosing, pending approval from the instructor and the JHU Center
for Social Concern. Student will complete an average of 4 hours of volunteer work per
week (between roughly 3 and 6 hours per week). Please note that the internship/practicum
component is obligatory and regular contact will be maintained between the instructor and
internship coordinators to verify that students complete these compulsory volunteer hours.

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2. Internship log and journal. Students are to keep a log throughout the semester in which
they will record their internship activities and provide, when possible, a brief, one-to-two
paragraph reflection (200-300 words) on their experience each week. These are to be done
via Google Docs, in a document viewable only to you and I. Wherever possible, students
are strongly encouraged to connect their community engagement experience to textual and
other course materials. Log entries are due every Tuesday by midnight.

3. Daily questions: Students will come to class every day with two questions that attempt
to seriously engage the assigned reading. In formulating this question, students should
consider those difficulties and ambiguities in the text that would be most productive to
discuss further. Since this exercise also serves to demonstrate that students have done the
assigned reading, a successful question should not appear arbitrary, but rather, carefully
formulated on the basis of what strikes the reader as most essential or productive to further
understand the text. See the handout at the end of the syllabus for a guide to asking
productive discussion questions.

6. Internship evaluation: With the aid of the reflection logs maintained throughout the
semester, students are to write a final evaluation of the internship experience. This
evaluation will serve as both a practical evaluation of the course’s internship component, as
well as a deeper reflection on your experience. Points that might be considered include: Did
your internship responsibilities shed light on our theoretical and historical themes? If not,
why? How might the internship component be improved? In what ways did you benefit
from your community engagement experience? Did you encounter any logistical problems
that should be pre-empted for future students of this course? What was most interesting or
enlightening about your volunteer work? (Often the lessons might be about institutional
bureaucracy or the impacts of funding shortages!) Did you encounter situations you felt
overwhelmed by or unprepared to respond to? The evaluation should be 3-5 pages.

7. 3 Analytic Response Papers: These papers should be between 500 and 750 words (about
2-3 double-spaced pages) each. They present an opportunity to engage with one or two
readings or issues with more depth, and to emphasize critical analysis instead of summary.
Students may connect readings to volunteering experiences, if relevant, as long as there is a
substantive engagement with the reading. The deadline is one week after the relevant
reading was assigned (or if working with more than one reading, a week after the later one
was assigned). See the handout at the end for assistance with writing response papers.
***The first response paper must address a reading from Part I of the course, so that we can
get set early expectations for them***

8. Final Paper and Rewrite: The final paper, constructing an argument on the topic of your
choice, should be between 1500 and 2000 words (about 6-8 double-spaced pages). You
should meet with me at least once outside of class to discuss the topic and scope of the
paper. Alternatively, you may propose a final project of a different format, in consultation

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with me, such as a short film, visual art, non-prose writing project, other performance, or
the like. For the latter, you may work in pairs or groups. These papers will be due in late
November. You are then expected to take the comments given and **substantially** revise
them. We will discuss expectations for these assignments later in the semester.

Electronics Policy
While I do prefer that we keep readings and notes analog, laptops and other electronic
note-taking or reading devices are permitted. If you prefer electronic devices, please use
them to enhance and not distract from the classroom experience—avoid social media,
email, texting, and other distractions. If it seems like these devices are causing distraction, I
reserve the discretion ask you to leave your devices turned off.

Support Services
If you are struggling with anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health related
concerns, please consider visiting the JHU Counseling Center, located at 3003 North
Charles Street in Suite S-200. You may contact the Counseling Center by phone at (410) 516-
8278 or online at http://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/counselingcenter/.

The Writing Center is an invaluable resource for improving your papers. Get more
information or schedule an appointment at https://krieger.jhu.edu/writingcenter/.

Accessibility and Accommodations

You do not have to disclose your disability status in order to request accommodations from
me. I do want to know about what kinds of accommodations will make our classroom a
productive learning environment for you, but I also want you to know that disclosure is a
choice.
Disclosure isn’t limited to disability status: it may come up with respect to past trauma,
gender identity, sexuality, etc. I have a legal obligation to disclose sexual misconduct and
civil rights violations to the university, so be aware of these legal obligations. Risk is
inherent in any space, but in order to manage that risk in as respectful way as possible,
please observe the following ground rules concerning your and other’s disclosures:
• Disclosure is a complex and personal decision, and it should be voluntary.
• Disclosures are only to our classroom. Please don’t discuss that information
with people outside of our class without express permission.

This is a classroom committed to access: I have tried to anticipate as many kinds of

situations as possible, but if any changes would facilitate your greater participation, don’t
hesitate to contact me. Access works best as a community effort. Please be aware of the
access requests your peers make, and as much as possible, adopt these best practices:
• Be aware of your hands when you’re speaking, taking care not to cover
your mouth as you talk.

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• Fragrance: if you wear perfume or cologne, please skip it on class days. If

you smoke, please do not smoke just before class.

If you are a student with a disability and use accommodations, please contact Student
Disability Services, 385 Garland, (410) 516-4720, studentdisabilityservices@jhu.edu so that
appropriate arrangements can be made.

Academic Integrity
All students are expected to adhere to high standards of academic integrity. In this class
that means that all work presented as original must, in fact, be original, and the ideas and
contributions of others must always be appropriately acknowledged. Quotations must be
acknowledged, but so must summaries, paraphrases, and the ideas of others. This course
adheres to the policies outlined in the Johns Hopkins guidelines for undergraduate ethics.
Visit [https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/undergrad-ethics/] to review
policies relating to academic integrity.

Texts to Acquire
Han Kang, The Vegetarian

***All other readings available via electronic course reserves***

Course Schedule

Part I: Introduction to Themes in Feminism, Ecology, and Animal Studies

Jan. 29—Introduction
▪ Val Plumwood. “Surviving a Crocodile Attack,” Utne Reader July-August 2000,
https://www.utne.com/arts/being-prey
▪ Alice Munro, “Boys and Girls,” from Dance of the Happy Shades: And Other Stories;
http://www.giuliotortello.it/shortstories/boys_and_girls.pdf

Feb 5—Ecofeminism and Activism

▪ Val Plumwood, “Feminism and Ecofeminism,” in Feminism and the Mastery of Nature
(1994)
▪ Lori Gruen, “Dismantling Oppression: An Analysis of the Connection Between
Women and Animals,” in Ecofeminism (1993), ed. Greta Gaard
▪ Christine Cuomo, “Activism That is Not One,” in Feminism and Ecological
Communities (1998)

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Feb 12—Racism and Colonialism

▪ Val Plumwood, “Dualism: The Logic of Colonisation”, in Feminism and the Mastery of
Nature (1994)
▪ Evelyn C. White, “Black Women and the Wilderness”;
https://engl250environarratives.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/white-black-women-
and-the-wilderness.pdf
▪ Alice Walker, “Am I Blue?”;
https://researchwrit.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/article_walker-alice_am-i-blue_.pdf
▪ Maneesha Deckha, “Toward a Postcolonial, Posthumanist Feminist Theory:
Centralizing Race and Culture in Feminist Work on Nonhuman Animals,” Hypatia,
Volume 27, Issue 3, August 2012

Feb 19—Vulnerability and Entanglement

▪ James Stanescu, “Species Trouble: Judith Butler, Mourning, and the Precarious Lives
of Animals,” Hypatia
▪ Jenny O’Dell, “An Ecology of Strangers,” in How to Do Nothing
▪ Lori Gruen, “Attending to Nature: Empathetic Engagement with the More than
Human World,” Ethics & the Environment

***First Analytic Response Paper Due by Next Class***

Part II: Nature and Culture in Feminism

Feb 26—Nature/Culture in Canonical Feminism
▪ Claude Lévi-Strauss, “Nature and Culture” in The Elementary Structures of Kinship [9]
▪ Simone De Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 3-49
▪ Kelly Oliver, “The Beaver’s Struggle with Species-Being: De Beauvoir and the
Praying Mantis,” in Animal Lessons: How They Teach Us to Be Human

Mar 4—Feminist Science Studies and the Study of “Nature”

▪ Donna Haraway, “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism” in
Simians, Cyborgs, and Women
▪ Elizabeth Grosz, “The Nature of Culture”, Ch. 3 in Time Travels
▪ Elizabeth Grosz, “Darwin and the Split Between Natural and Sexual Selection”, Ch.
8 of Becoming Undone, pp.115-142

Mar 11—Queering and Trans*ing Nature

▪ Susan Stryker, “My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix:
Performing Transgender Rage”
▪ Karen Barad, “TransMaterialities: Trans*/Matter/Realities and Queer Political
Imaginings,” GLQ
▪ Anne Fausto-Sterling, “Dueling Dualisms,” Ch. 1 of Sexing the Body

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March 16-22—SPRING BREAK

▪ Woo!

Part III: Land and Food Justice

Mar 25—Black and Indigenous Feminist Perspectives on Land
▪ Katherine McKittrick, “I Lost an Arm on My Last Trip Home,” in Demonic Grounds
▪ Alice Walker, "The Only Reason You Want to Go to Heaven is That You Have Been
Driven Out of Your Mind (Off Your Land and Out of Your Lover's Arms): Clear
Seeing Inherited Religion and Reclaiming the Pagan Self," in Anything We Love Can
Be Saved
▪ Vanessa Watts, “Indigenous Place-Thought and Agency Amongst Humans and Non
Humans (First Woman and Sky Woman Go On a European World Tour!),”
Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education, & Society Vol 2 No 1 (2013)

Apr 1—Feminist Gardening and Cultivation

▪ Dianne D. Glave, “Women and Gardening”, in Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the
African American Environmental Heritage, pp.115-126
▪ Alice Walker, “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens,” from In Search of Our Mother’s
Gardens, pp. 231-243
▪ Jamaica Kincaid, “To Name is to Possess,” in My Garden Book, pp.114-125
o “Flowers of Evil,” The New Yorker [4]
o “Sowers and Reapers: The Unquiet World of a Flower Bed,” The New Yorker
[5]
o “On Gardening,” Interview with Kathleen Bulatnatsky, Callaloo Volume 25,
Number 3, Summer 2002
▪ Val Plumwood, “Decolonising Australian gardens: gardening and the ethics of
place”, Australian Humanities Review, 2005;
http://australianhumanitiesreview.org/2005/07/01/decolonising-australian-gardens-
gardening-and-the-ethics-of-place/

Apr 8—Food Justice in Baltimore and Beyond

▪ Chaone Mallory, Locating Ecofeminism in Encounters with Food and Place, J Agric
Environ Ethics (2013) 26: 171.
▪ Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, “On Faith and Food Disparities,” interview with the Center
for Earth Ethics, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj1eallJ_Fo
▪ Vasile Stănescu, "Green" Eggs and Ham? The Myth of Sustainable Meat and the
Danger of the Local,” Journal for Critical Animal Studies, Volume VIII, Issue 1/2, 2010

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Part IV: Food and Animal Ethics

Apr 15—Vegetarianism
▪ Peter Singer, “Becoming a Vegetarian,” in Animal Liberation
▪ Bailey, Cathryn. 2007. “We Are What We Eat: Feminist Vegetarianism and the
Reproduction of Racial Identity.” Hypatia 22 (2): 39–59.
▪ Margaret Robinson, “Animal Personhood in Mi’kmaq Perspective” Societies 2014,
4(4), 672-688 [17]

Apr 22—Intersectionality and Black Feminist Veganisms

▪ Kimberle Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black
feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist
politics”
▪ Brenda Sanders, “A Comprehensive Intersectional Approach to Vegan Activism,”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWFvRNCQM6w
▪ A. Breeze Harper, “Social Justice Beliefs and Addiction to Uncompassionate
Consumption,” in Sistah Vegan
▪ Christopher Sebastian McJetters, “Yes to Intersectionality, Boo to Intersectional
Vegans,” Striving With Systems (2017)
https://strivingwithsystems.com/2017/05/10/yes-to-intersectionality-boo-to-
intersectional-vegans/
▪ Aph Ko and Syl Ko, Aphro-ism: Chs. 8-9, 11-12, 15, 17-19

Apr 29—Eating Animals, Feminism, and Race in Fiction

▪ Han Kang, The Vegetarian

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Appendix 1: Guidelines for Your Questions

• Make your discussion question as simple, straightforward and jargon-free.

• Make your questions open-ended, i.e. not answerable with fact or by direct and
immediate reference to the text.

• Make sure your question doesn’t rely on information the rest of the class doesn’t have,
OR give the class enough information and background to be able to engage the
question. Make sure the question is answerable to start with, i.e., is not vague and does
not rely on facts or assumptions not addressable within the confines of our class
conversation.

• When relevant, make reference to the text with quotes or page numbers:

• A good discussion question reframes some of the problems of the text and then tries to
get at internal logical problems and paradoxes or to think through the consequences,
implications and applications of the theory.

• As such, questions about “experience” or “feelings” tend not to be helpful questions –

try to step back from personal responses and instead focus on the intellectual shape of
the ideas and argument. That doesn’t mean separate yourself from the material, or that
these things aren’t important! But in framing your questions, keep in mind the
responses and dialogues of others. Remember, we’re trying to get at underlying
structures.

[Adapted from Kyla Wazana Tompkins, http://avidly.lareviewofbooks.org/2016/09/13/we-

arent-here-to-learn-what-we-know-we-already-know/]

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Appendix 2: Guidelines for Response Papers

Author’s purpose. Asking yourself about the author’s aim provides a good point of
departure for filtering out the author’s secondary arguments from their main arguments,
and helps you discover what is most at stake for the author. To help identify the author’s
purpose, please also determine the author’s main problem (sometimes posed in the form
of a question) and their main claim. Problems can be either empirical or theoretical, or
some combination of both. Please also ask, in addition, why does the author think their question
or problem is significant?

Author’s reasons and evidence. Any argument, in addition to its main claim, also includes
the author’s reasons for their claim, and evidence to back up these reasons. “Evidence”
differs across academic disciplines. In political theory, authors’ evidence is often an older or
“canonical” text. But as we will see with Foucault, authors sometimes draw on a wide array
of authors and sources, including written texts, images, novels, etc. You should ask: does
this evidence adequately support the author’s reasoning? Have they omitted other
relevant evidence/sources? How might different evidence buttress their argument even
further? What is the authors approach to evidence? For example, Foucault is not trying to tell
a straightforwardly historical story.

Author’s success (or lack thereof). Based on the combination of claims, reasons, and
evidence, does the author successfully achieve their original aim or purpose? If you found
the author to be successful in achieving his/her aim, what factors contributed to this
success? If you found the author unsuccessful or unpersuasive in achieving their goal, how
might they have argued differently?

Contribution. How does the author contribute to your understanding of how feminism,
ecology, and/or animal rights? What concepts have they introduced that help you think
about these questions in new ways? One way of thinking about these questions is to think
about how the author took an everyday, ordinary term and transformed, augmented, and
redescribed it in a new way (e.g. Foucault on power). Finally, how do the author(s) under
consideration theorize political responses to forms of human and nonhuman domination?

Question from the Monday/Wednesday lectures. Please formulate a succinct question

about a topic from the lectures that you would like clarified. The question may be as simple
or as complicated as you like. Please also make a first attempt to answer your own question
in the response paper, staying within the word count. You will not be graded on whether
your answer is “right” or “wrong,” I just want to see that you have attempted to think
through one possible answer.

[Adapted from Jon Masin-Peters]

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