WGST 1100:

GENDER, RACE, SEXUALITY, & CLASS IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

Fall 2023, 4 units | T/TH 9:55-11:35am
University Hall 3316

Professor:
Dr. Iris Blake
iris.blake@lmu.edu
Office: University Hall 3522
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11:45am-12:45pm, and by appointment

Course Description:

This course examines race, class, gender, and sexuality as interlocking structures of power.
Questions that will guide our inquiries include: How do the intersections of these systems (race,
class, gender, sexuality) exert power and domination to produce states of un/freedom and
inequality? How and under what conditions have these forms of power and domination been
resisted? How does history, memory, and “what might have been” inflect our present moment?
What more liberatory and just presents and futures can we envision, and what are some strategies
that have been proposed for enacting those visions? While the primary focus is on the U.S.
context, this course recognizes the transnational relationships that constitute the formation of the
project known today as the “U.S.” and the attendant histories and presents of settler colonialism,
slavery, imperialism, white supremacy, war, capitalism, imprisonment, and heteropatriarchy that
produce the borders of the nation-state. This course engages women of color feminisms, queer of
color critique, countermemories, histories of social movements, transnational feminisms,
decolonization, abolition, and speculative fiction as forms of insurgent knowledge production
and praxis that simultaneously critique and generate possibilities for a world that is otherwise.

The course is organized into three topical units:

(1) interlocking structures of power: race, class, gender, sexuality;
(2) the counterpoints of history: memory, haunting, and power; and
(3) producing otherwise: decolonization, abolition, and disability justice

Student Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply the framework intersectionality to particular case studies
• Articulate the goals and stakes of contemporary political projects including
decolonization, abolition, and disability justice
• Situate the gendered/racialized/classed dimensions of contemporary society within
broader historical contexts
• Strengthen critical reflection and analysis skills through writing assignments and in-class
participation
• Use basic recording technology to conduct an oral history interview
Course Expectations:

Arrive on Time. Attendance will be recorded each class. If you arrive more than 10 minutes
late, you will be counted as absent. If you arrive late, it is your responsibility to come talk to
me after class. Please contact me as soon as possible regarding any extenuating
circumstances that may affect your attendance. Your first four absences will not affect your
grade.

• Electronic Devices. The use of cell phones during class is not allowed. The use of computers,
tablets, or other electronic devices is allowed only for class work. If you are found accessing
devices for non-course work, you will be marked as absent for the day.

• Respect Class Space. We will work to create a respectful, participatory learning environment.
Be respectful to the community in the classroom, do not speak over others, and allow for
others to be heard. Do not make assumptions, and respect preferred names, gender pronouns,
and identities. If you make a mistake, apologize and correct yourself.

• Come Prepared to Participate. Bring your assigned readings and notes to every class.
Complete the assigned readings prior to the start of class, and be prepared to talk about them.

• Academic Honesty: All work submitted for this course must be your own. Representing
another person’s work as your own – including failure to adequately cite or quote sources –
will result in a grade of 0 on the assignment at minimum. The use of AI platforms including
ChatGPT is not appropriate for this course.

• What to Expect from Me. My goal is to facilitate the conditions of possibility for a critical
and meaningful engagement with the course material and each other’s ideas by providing the
organizational framework, lecturing to contextualize the assigned readings, and offering
opportunities to participate and think together in a number of ways. I strongly believe that
each of you comes to class with your own set of knowledges and experiences, and I do not
intend to position myself as an “expert.” Rather, following Stefano Harney and Fred Moten,
it is my intention that we enter into study together. It is my hope that we all leave this course
with more tools to critically assess and engage our social worlds and with a deeper
understanding of our mutual though uneven entanglements in the intersecting structures of
power we will examine.

• Emails. Due to the large volume of emails I receive, I strive to respond to emails within 24
hours. For non-urgent and non-personal questions about class and assignments, please come
and talk to me in person before or after class.

• Content Notices: The content and discussion in this course will engage with sexism, racism,
classism, homophobia, transphobia, sexual abuse, war, and other forms of structural and
interpersonal violence that may be emotionally and intellectually challenging to engage with.
I will flag especially graphic or intense content and will do my best to make this classroom a
space where we can engage bravely, empathetically, and thoughtfully with difficult content
every week. If you ever feel the need to step outside during one of these discussions, either
 for a short time or for the rest of the class session, you may always do so without academic
penalty. You will, however, be responsible for any material you miss. If you do leave the
room for a significant time, please make arrangements to get notes from another student or
see me individually.

UNIVERSITY POLICY STATEMENTS

Academic Honesty: Loyola Marymount University is a community dedicated to academic

excellence, student-centered education, and the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. As such, the
University expects all members of its community to act with honesty and integrity at all times,
especially in their academic work. Academic honesty requires that all members of the LMU
community act with integrity, respect their own intellectual and creative work as well as that of
others, acknowledge sources consistently and completely, act honestly during exams and on
assignments, and report results accurately. As an LMU Lion, by the Lion’s Code, you are
pledged to join the discourse of the academy with honesty of voice and integrity of scholarship.
Academic dishonesty will be treated as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences
that can range from receiving no credit for assignments/tests to expulsion. It is never permissible
to turn in any work that has been copied from another student or copied from a source (including
Internet) without properly acknowledging/citing the source. It is never permissible to work on an
assignment, exam, quiz or any project with another person unless your instructor has indicated so
in the written instructions/guidelines. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work meets
the standard of academic honesty set forth in the “Academic Honesty Policy” found at:
https://academics.lmu.edu/honesty/
For an additional resource, see the “LMU Honor Code and Process” found at:
https://bulletin.lmu.edu/content.php?catoid=1&navoid=18#LMU_Honor_Code_and_Process

Special Accommodations: The DSS Office offers resources to enable students with physical,
learning, ADD/ADHD, psychiatric disabilities and those on the autism spectrum to achieve
maximum independence while pursuing their educational goals. Staff specialists interact with all
areas of the University to eliminate physical and attitudinal barriers. Students must provide
documentation for their disability from an appropriate licensed professional. Services are offered
to students who have established disabilities under state and federal laws. We also advise
students, faculty and staff regarding disability issues. Students who need reasonable
modifications, special assistance, academic accommodations or housing accommodations should
direct their request to the DSS Office as soon as possible. All discussions will remain
confidential. The DSS Office is located on the 2nd floor of Daum Hall and may be reached by
email at dsslmu@lmu.edu or phone at (310) 338-4216. Please visit http://www.lmu.edu/dss for
additional information.

Tentative Nature of the Syllabus: This syllabus and its contents are subject to revision;
students are responsible for any changes or modifications announced or distributed in class or
posted on LMU's course management system.

Work Load Expectations: The credit standard for this 4-unit standard 15-week course is met by
an expectation of a total of 180 hours of student engagement with the course learning activities
(at least 45 hours per credit), which includes regularly scheduled instructor:student meeting
times and/or equivalent direct faculty instruction such as readings, research activities under the
supervision of the instructor, presentations, group work, and learning activities as applicable.
Students should also anticipate needing additional time outside of class to complete assignments.
The University’s Credit Unit Policy can be found here:
https://academics.lmu.edu/aprc/lmucredithourpolicy/

Required Texts:
• Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches (Crossing Press, 2007).
• Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, editors. This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by
Radical Women of Color (Watertown: Persephone Press, 1981).
• All other required texts will be available via Brightspace.

Course Assignments and Grading:

• Lecture Attendance 10% of course grade

Arriving on time and with the required texts for that day will comprise 10% of your total
grade. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, you will be counted as absent. If you arrive
late, it is your responsibility to come talk to me after class. Please contact me as soon as
possible regarding any extenuating circumstances that may affect your attendance. Your first
four absences will not affect your grade.

• Lecture Participation 20% of course grade

Participation in lecture – which includes speaking in class and may also include in-class
writing exercises and small group discussions – is required for every class to gain full points
for the day. You must speak at least one time each class for a satisfactory participation grade,
with full participation points for those who speak at least twice per class. You are strongly
encouraged to prepare questions and comments for discussion. Attending office hours also
counts as participation; please come prepared to discuss the materials.

• Assigned Reading Discussion Posts 30% of course grade

Due before the start of every class beginning Week 2, Tuesday. Discussion posts and replies
will be due for each class day where there is an assigned reading due that day, and will
cumulatively total 30% of your course grade. The prompts and detailed guidelines will be
accessible on Brightspace. Late posts and replies are accepted for a maximum of 50% credit,
and must be completed by the end of Week 15 (Friday, December 8, 11:59pm).

• Oral History Final Project 40% of course grade

To be completed with someone with whom you are already in relation/community. This
project will include four parts, each worth 10% of your total grade:
(1) Oral History Proposal and Protocol – Must be approved by Professor Blake
before you conduct the interview
(2) 3-page transcription from any portion of the interview
(3) 3-page summary of what you learned from the interview, in connection to the
course themes and at least two assigned readings
(4) In-class presentation
Detailed guidelines and due dates for the oral history project will be posted to Brightspace.
Grading Scheme: Please review the Academic Degree Requirements and Policy information
found here: https://bulletin.lmu.edu/content.php?catoid=10&navoid=431#Grades_and_Grading
Final grades in this course are based on a percentage scale as follows:
• A+ 98-100
• A 93-97
• A- 90-92
• B+ 87-89%
• B 83-86%
• B-80-82%
• C+ 77-79%
• C 73-76%
• C-70-72%
• D <70%

Calendar: The following provides a general overview of the course calendar. Please remember
that this syllabus is subject to change:

Course Schedule

UNIT 1: INTERLOCKING STRUCTURES OF POWER:

RACE, CLASS, GENDER, SEXUALITY
Week 1: August 28-September 1
Date In Class Readings Due
August 29 Introduction to Course Audre Lorde, “The Master’s Tools Will Never
(T) & Key Terms Dismantle the Master’s House,” Sister Outsider:
Essays and Speeches (Crossing Press, 2007).
August 31 Watch this film No Readings Due
(R) independently in place
of an in-person
meeting
Race: The Power of an
Illusion, Episode Three:
The House We Live In
[56 min.]
Week 2: September 4-September 8
Sept. 5 Intersectionality & Selections from This Bridge Called My Back:
(T) Genealogies of Black Writings by Radical Women of Color:
Feminist Thought • The Combahee River Collective, “A Black
Feminist Statement”
• "Foreword to the First Edition, 1981"
• "La Jornada: Preface, 1981"
• "Introduction, 1981"
• Cherríe Moraga, “La Güera,”
Sept. 7 Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Mapping the Margins:
(R) Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence
Against Women of Color” Read: 1241-1252.
Week 3: September 11-15
Sept. 12 Audre Lorde: Poetry as Selections from Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider:
(T) Praxis • “Introduction”
• “The Uses of Anger”
• “The Transformation of Silence into Language and
Action”
• “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power”
Sept. 14 Selections from Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider:
(R) • “Poetry is Not a Luxury”
• “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining
Difference”
• “Sexism: An American Disease in Blackface”
• “An Open Letter to Mary Daly”
Week 4: September 18-22
Sept. 19 • Siobhan Somerville, “Queer” in Keywords for
(T) American Cultural Studies
• Barbara Smith, “Where’s the Revolution?”
Sept. 21 Watch this film No Readings Due
(R) independently in place
of an in-person
meeting:
A Litany for Survival:
The Life and Work of
Audre Lorde [90
minutes]
Week 5: September 25-29
Sept. 26 Queer of Color Critique •
Cathy Cohen, “Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare
(T) Queens: The Radical Potential of Queer Politics?”
Sept. 28 • Siobhan Somerville, “Introduction,” in Queering
(R) the Color Line: Race and the Invention of
Homosexuality in American Culture
• Optional Reading: Siobhan Somerville, “Chapter
One: Scientific Racism and the Invention of the
Homosexual Body,” in Queering the Color Line
UNIT 2: THE COUNTERPOINTS OF HISTORY:
MEMORY, HAUNTING, AND POWER
Week 6: October 2-6
Oct. 3 No Class Meeting – No Readings Due
(T) Work Day for Oral
History Final Project
Oct. 5 Historical Memory and • Lisa Yoneyama, “On the Politics of Historical
(R) Evidence Memory,” Hiroshima Traces, p. 26-33.
• José Esteban Muñoz, “Ephemera as Evidence:
Introductory Notes to Queer Acts”
Week 7: October 9-13
Oct. 10 Haunting • Avery Gordon, “Introduction to the New Edition”
(T) and “Chapter One: Her Shape and His Hand,”
Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological
Imagination, 2nd ed. Minneapolis; London:
University of Minnesota Press, 2008.
Oct. 12 • Grace Cho, “A Genealogy of Trauma,” Haunting
(R) the Korean Diaspora: Shame, Secrecy, and the
Forgotten War, 50-88.
Week 8: October 16-20
Oct. 17 Imperialism, History, • Linda Tuhiwai Smith, “Imperialism, History,
(T) and Historiography Writing, and Theory,” in Decolonizing
Methodologies, 21-45.
• Dian Million, “There is a River in Me: Theory
from Life,” Theorizing Native Studies, 31-42.
Oct. 19 • Maylei Blackwell, “Introduction” and “Chapter
(R) One: Spinning The Record: Historical Writing and
Righting,” Chicana Power!, 1-11; 14-42.
Week 9: October 23-27
Oct. 24 • Angela Davis, “Racism, Birth Control, and
(T) Reproductive Rights”
Oct. 26 • Audre Lorde, “Learning from the 60s,” Sister
(R) Outsider, 134-144.
Week 10: October 30-November 3
Oct. 31 Watch this film No Readings Due
(T) independently in place
of an in-person
meeting:
The Black Power
Mixtape: 1967-1975
[90 minutes]
Nov. 2 No Class Meeting – No Readings Due – Interview Proposal and Protocol
(R) Work Day for Oral due Friday, Nov. 3 by midnight PST
History Final Project
UNIT 3: PRODUCING OTHERWISE:
DECOLONIZATION, ABOLITION, AND DISABILITY JUSTICE
Week 11: November 6-10
Nov. 7 Decolonization • Leanne Simpson, “I am Not a Nation-State”
(T)
Nov. 9 • Mishoena Goeman, “Introduction: Gendered
(R) Geographies and Narrative Markings,” Mark My
Words: Native Women Mapping Our Nations
Week 12: November 13-17
Nov. 14 • Lila Abu-Lughod, “Do Muslim Women Really
(T) Need Saving?”
Nov. 16 • Chandra Talpade Mohanty, “Chapter One: Under
(R) Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial
Discourses,” Feminism without Borders:
Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity, Duke
University Press, 2003, 17-42.
Week 13: November 20-24
Nov 21 Watch this film • Maile Arvin, “The Future is Indigenous:
(T) independently in place Decolonizing Thanksgiving”
of an in-person
meeting:
Visions of Abolition [90
minutes]
Nov 23 No Classes – No Readings Due
(R) Thanksgiving Holidays
Week 14: November 27-December 1
Nov. 28 Abolition Selections from Angela Davis, The Meaning of
(T) Freedom:
• “The Prison-Industrial Complex”
• “Abolition Democracy”
• “The Meaning of Freedom”
Optional Readings:
• Stefano Harney and Fred Moten, “The University
and the Undercommons,” in The Undercommons:
Fugitive Planning & Black Study.
• Johanna Hedva, “Sick Woman Theory”
Nov. 30 Oral History No Readings Due
(R) Presentations
Week 15: December 4-8
Dec. 5 Oral History No Readings Due
(T) Presentations
Dec. 7 Oral History No Readings Due
(R) Presentations
Finals Week: December 11-15
TBD No Readings Due
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