WGSS 348 - Rethinking the 'Second Wave': The History of U.S. Feminisms, 1960-1990

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

The U.S. women's movement has been called "the 20th century's most influential movement," but until recently, assessments of its origins, characteristics, and impact have been largely impressionistic and subjective, left to movement participants and popular culture. Building on a recent explosion of historical studies of American feminism, this course examines the history of the so-called "second wave" of the women's movement from its origins in the early 1960s to its alleged demise in the late 1980s. Topics covered include the origins of feminist activism; the traditional history of the women's movement and recent revisions; how race and class shaped the feminist movement; how feminist ideas and organizing transformed American society; feminism and individual experience; and responses to the women's movement. In this discussion-based course, we read scholarly analyses of the women's movement as well as memoirs, popular essays, and many primary documents from the period.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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