Chicana Politics and Public Policy

In this class, we will explore the ways in which Chicana and other Women of Color as well as White working-class women express, shape, and give meaning to political activism and public policy at the local, state, and national levels. We will spend time examining the lives of women who struggle for progressive social change for their families, communities, workplaces, and other social, political, and economic arenas. We will learn about individuals who have fought for change at various levels and how their experiences reflect and/or diverge from those of other activists.

This class will take a comparative interdisciplinary approach, comparing and contrasting the experiences of Chicanas and Latinas with those of Black (or African American), Asian American, and White working-class women, in an effort to gain an understanding of how gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality structure women's lives and political activism. Themes we will explore include (but are not limited to) the meaning of politics and political activism, women's social networks, community activism, work, labor organizing, education, affirmative action, health, patriarchy and family, cross-racial and ethnic coalition building.

a) To explore how Chicanas/Latinas as well as Other Women of Color and White working-class women articulate and give meaning to politics and political activism.

b) To examine the ways in which women have organized across racial, ethnic, and class lines and the outcomes of those efforts

c) To understand how the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality are played out in the lives of women/community activists.

1. Class Attendance and Participation: Class attendance and participation are essential to learning. However, participation should be of good quality and should enhance our understanding of the class readings and/or lectures. Attendance and participation will be taken into serious consideration when determining final grades. Since the instructor intends to run her course more as a discussion seminar with limited lecturing, I will expect all students to come to class well prepared to discuss the readings and to offer their insights! If for any reason you have difficulty speaking out in class, please make an appointment to see me in my office.

Good quality participation means the following: Showing up is half the battle. The second component is asking questions you are genuinely curious about, being able to present your ideas, statements and arguments in a meaningful manner that will contribute to the overall knowledge of the course subject. Participation points are not based on the number of words you utter per class, but rather a willingness to engage in the discussion.

2. 50% of the class grade will come from two short papers assigned throughout the 10 week term. The papers must critically analyze one or more of the themes/concepts, issues, and perspectives covered in class discussions and readings. You are expected to present an argument about your topic and support it with evidence. You may use (not required) a book(s) and a journal article(s) outside of the course to assist you in developing, critiquing, supporting or comparing your topic of interest. If you choose to use a reference outside of the course, your professor must approve it.

   FIRST SHORT PAPER DUE=> MAY 2^nd at the beginning of the class period

   SECOND SHORT PAPER=> DUE JUNE 4^th at the beginning of the class period

   The two short papers should be between 5 to 7 pages long, typed and double-spaced. I recommend that you use a computer and keep copies of your papers on a floppy disk. Computer labs are available throughout the campus for those without a computer. The margins should be 1 inch and a font size of 12. A formal writing style should be followed.

Two students will be selected for each class to lead discussions based on that day’s assigned readings. Your grade will be based on the summation of each book, the critical points or central arguments that you find of particular interest. You may also explore concept(s) or theoretical frameworks that you find particularly interesting in the readings. It will be your job to lead the class in a "quality" discussion. Thus, your grade is based on the willingness of your classmates to work together. If they choose to help you by keeping the class discussion continuous either by bringing up another topic, exploring questions, issues (pertaining to that day’s readings), then you will do well. This is a team effort. There will also be a class list serve to help generate class questions, concerns, and issues for each class. I will also be available to meet with the two student discussants before class.

First Short Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25%

Second Short Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%

Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%

Class Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%

Academic Misconduct: Given the fact that academe relies upon the ethical conduct of scholars, students are held to the same standards in their own work. Any act of academic dishonesty or misconduct will be referred to the Office of the Associate Dean. For further information, see Carleton College's Academic Honesty in the Writing of Essays and Other Papers and the section on "academic honesty" in Academic Regulations and Procedures, 2001-02. Both are available in Laird 140.

Special Needs: Students requiring access to learning tools/special schedules approved by Student Support Services should contact me at the beginning of the course.

Required Texts: A number of reserved readings are available at Gould Library. The following texts are available at the bookstore for purchase:

Nancy Naples, ed. Community Activism and Feminist Politics: Organizing Across Race, Class, and Gender. New York: Routledge, 1998.

Louise Lamphere, Helena Rogone, and Patricia Zavella. Situated Lives: Gender and Culture in Everyday Life. New York: Routledge, 1997.

Kingsolver, Barbara. Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, 1989.

Haya Stier & Marta Tienda. The Color of Opportunity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001.

Nelson, Albert. Emerging Influentials in State Legislatures: Women, Blacks, and Hispanics. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1991.

Zavalla, Patricia. Women’s Work and Chicano Families. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1987.

COURSE SCHEDULE:

April 2^nd, Introduction to Course Themes, Concepts, and Issues

Sign Up Sheet for Class Discussants

April 4^th, Feminist Activist Research: Rethinking Politics, Feminism and Women’s Movement

Readings: Zavella, "Feminist Insider Dilemmas: Constructing Ethnic Identity with "Chicana" informants," in Situated Lives, Chapter 2 (pp. 42-61)

**<Segura and Pesquera, "Beyond Indifference and Antipathy: The Chicana Movement and Chicana Feminist Discourse" Aztlan 19.2 (Fall 1988-1990): 69-92.

**<Harlan, "Introduction: A Brief History of Feminism", Feminism, Chapter 1 (1-20)

**<hooks, Ain’t I a Woman, Introduction (pp. 1-13) and Chapter 5 (pp. 159-196)

**<Shobat, "Introduction," Talking Visions: Multicultural Feminism in a Transnational Age, (pp.1-62)

April 9^th, Politics, Economics, and Culture: How Women Live

Video: Black Women On: The Light, Dark Thang (1999) 52 mins.

Readings: **Hunter, "If You’re Light You’re Alright", Gender & Society 16.2 (April 2002): 175-193.

**<Skrentny, "Inventing race", Public Interest 46 (Winter 2002): 97-113.

**<Zuriff, "Inventing racism," Public Interest 46 (Winter 2002): 114-128

**<England, Christopher, Reid, "Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Wages," Latinas and African American Women at Work, Chapter 4 (pp139-182)

April 11^th, Politics and Political Activism: Historical Perspectives (Consciousness)

Readings: Rollins, "Invisibility, Consciousness of the Other, Ressentiment," Situated Lives (pp. 255-270)

**<Ruiz, "La Nueva Chicana: Women and the Movement," From Out of the Shadows, Chapter 5 (pp. 99-126)

**<Hardy-Fanta, "Latina Women and Political Consciousness" Women Transforming Politics, Chapter 13 (223-237)

**<Vigil, "The Political Development of New Mexico Hispanas," The Contested Homeland Chapter 7 (pp. 191-213)

April 16^th, Chicanas and Contemporary Politics: Comparative Perspectives

Readings: **Cruz Takash, "One More Site of Struggle: Latinas in Electoral Politics,"

Women Transforming Politics, Chapter 24 (pp. 413-434)

**<Junn, "Assimilating or Coloring Participation? Gender, Race, and Democratic Political Participation," Women Transforming Politics, Chapter 22 (pp. 387-397)

**<Thao Mee Xiong and Beverly Daniel Tatum, "In My Heart I Will Always be Hmong," Women’s Untold Stories, Chapter 14

<Nelson, Emerging Influentials in State Legislatures, Chapters 1-4

April 18^th, Chicanas and Community Activism: Comparative Perspectives

Readings: Naples, "Introduction: Women’s Community Activism and

Feminist Activist Research," Community Activism and Feminist Politics, (pp. 1-27)

**<Tetreault and Teske, "Framing the Issues," Conscious Acts and the Politics of Social Change, Introduction (pp. 1-25)

**<Meyer, "Social Movements," Conscious Acts and the Politics of Social Change, Chapter 1 (pp. 35-55)

< Pardo, "Creating Community," Community Activism and Feminist Politics, Chapter 12 (pp. 275-300)

April 23^rd, Chicanas and Labor Activism: Comparative Perspectives

Video: "Bread and Roses" (2001) 110mins.

Reading: Kingslover, Holding the Line, Chapters 1-6

<Ong, "Spirits of Resistance," Situated Lives, Chapter 20 (pp.355-370)

April 25^th, Chicanas and Labor Activism: Comparative Perspectives

Readings: Seitz, "Class, Gender, and Resistance," Community Activism and Feminist Politics, Chapter 9 (pp. 213-236).

**< Patricia Zavella, "The Politics of Race and Gender," Chicana Critical Issues, (pp. 127-153)

<Kingslover, Holding the Line, Chapters 7-12

**<Brewer, "Theorizing Race, Class, and Gender," Theorizing Black Feminisms, Chapter 1 (pp. 13-29)

April 30^th, Women and the Informal Sector

Readings: Park, "Navigating the Anti-Immigrant Wave," Community Activism And Feminist Politics, Chapter 7 (pp. 175-198)

<Hondagneu-Sotelo, "Latina Immigrant Women and Paid Domestic Work," Community Activism and Feminist Politics, Chapter 8 (pp. 199-211)

<Salinger, "A Maid by Any Other Name," Situated Lives, Chapter 16 (pp. 271-291)

**<Staudt, "Seeds for Self-Sufficiency? Policy Contradictions at the U.S.-Mexico Border," Gender and Immigration, Chapter 2 (21-37)

May 2^nd, Gender, Patriarchy, and Household Dynamics

Video: "Joy Luck Club"

<Zavella, Women’s Work and Chicano Families (begin reading)

<Pesquera, "In the Beginning He Wouldn’t Lift Even a Spoon," Situated Lives Chapter 12 (pp.208-222)

******************First Short Paper Due************************

May 7th, Gender, Patriarchy, and Household Dynamics

Readings: Zavella. Women’s Work and Chicano Families (finish reading)

<Lewin, "This Permanent Roommate," Situated Lives, Chapter 11 (pp. 192-207)

May 9^th, Organizing Across Race and Ethnicity

Readings: Holding the Line, chapters 1-6, pp. 1-110 and chapters 7-12

<Nelson. Emerging Influentials in State Legislatures. (Finish reading)

May 14^th, Underclass Debate and Welfare

Reading: Stier and Tienda, The Color of Opportunity, Entirety

May 16^th, Environmental Justice and Health

Readings: Kendrick, "Producing the Battered Woman," Community Activism and Feminist Politics, Chapter 6 (pp. 151-174)

<Krauss, "Challenging Power: Toxic Waste Protests and the Politicization of White, Working-Class Women," Community Activism and Feminist Politics, Chapter 5 (pp. 129-150)

**<Martinez, "When People of Color Are an Endangered Species," De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century, Chapter 12 (pp.100-107)

< Ginsburg, "The ‘Word-Made Flesh’ The Disembodiment of Gender in the Abortion Debate," Situated Lives, Chapter 8 (pp. 142-156)

May 21^st, Women and Education

Reading: **Trueba, "Race and Ethnicity in Academia: Latinos in Higher Education", Latinos Unidos, Chapter 3 (pp. 65-93)

**<Acuna, Sometimes There is No Other Side, Chapters 1 &2 (pp. 1-55)

**<Rosado, Caleb, "Affirmative Action: A Time for Change?" Latino Studies Journal

May 23^rd, Politics, Women and Sports

Video: "Girl Fight" or "Knock Out"

May 28^th, Politics, Women and Sports Continued

Readings: **Hall, "How Should We Theorize Gender in the Context of Sport?" Sport, Men, and the Gender Order, Chapter 18 (pp. 223-255)

**<Festle, "Politicization" and "Backsliding," Playing Nice, Chapters 5 & 8 (pp. 109-141, 199-227)

May 30^th, Women, Human Rights, and War

Readings: **Jeanne Vickers, Women and War, Chapters 2 (18-37), 6 (88-104), 7 (105-117), 8 (118-132)

**<Boyle, Songora, Foss, "International Discourse and Local Politics: Anti-Female Genital-Cutting Laws in Egypt, Tanzania, and the United States." Social Problems

June 4^th, Future of Feminist Politics: Pitfalls and Paradoxes

Class Discussion

Readings: **Freeman, "Is Local: Global as Feminine: Masculine? Rethinking the Gender of Globalization", Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. 26.4 (2001): 1007-1037.

**<Gorelick, "Contradictions of Feminist Methodology," Feminism and Social Change, Chapter 1 (pp. 23-45)

**<Smith, "Contradictions for Feminist Social Scientists," Feminism and Social Change, Chapter 2 (pp. 46-59)

*****************Second Short Paper Due on June 4^th by the end of class*************

June 5^th: Classes End

Have a Great Summer!!!!