Introduction to Women’s Studies

Paper Code: 
WMS-121
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

This course is designed to make it possible for students from diverse background conceive the perspective of Women’s Studies. To introduce students to concepts and debates of integration and autonomy of Women’s Studies, and the role it plays in interdisciplinary approach.

15.00

Introduction to Women’s Studies – origin, nature and scope.

15.00

History of Women’s Question, India and Europe: early theories and critiques.

15.00

Impetus of Women’s Movement: The Context of the Women’s Studies Movement.

15.00

Institutionalization of Women’s Studies and Challenges to it.

  1. The integration and autonomy debate.
  2. Accounts of Women’s Studies Departments – Research Centre for Women’s Studies, SNDT Women’s University; Women’s Studies Department, Antar Rashtriya Mahatma Gandhi Hindi University, Wardha; Women’s Studies Department, Chandigarh University; School of Women’s Studies, Jadavpur; Department of Women’s Studies, Mother Teresa’s Women’s University, Kodai Canal, Karnataka.

 

15.00

Role of Women’s Studies in transforming the conventional academic approach  - to the study of individual and society, with emphasis on the social sciences.

  1. Study of education from gender point of view - The study material could include school and college level textbooks of different grades beginning from class 6-8. Different subjects could be chosen for the purpose, e.g. Sociology, Economics, Political Science.
  2. Introduction to the question of ideology and production, epistemology from gender point of view.

 

 

Essential Readings: 
  1. Gerda Lerner, Creation of Feminist Consciousness, Introduction and Chapter One, OUP, 1986
  2. Articles by Marcia Weskott and Renate Klein in ‘Theories of Women's Studies’ (Paperback) ed Gloria Bowles and Renate Klein
  3. Readings could include the study of the Hindi language by Dipti Bhog published in EPW,
  4. Rubina Saigol article on civics textbooks from her article ‘His Rights Her Duties’ from the book ‘Symbolic Violence’, Lahore, Pakistan : Society for the Advancement of Education, 2000
  5. Poorva’s paper on Sanskrit textbooks
  6. Farida Khan et al, The Critique of Science textbooks.
  7. Alternative syllabi produced by ‘Eklavya’ for schools and ‘Nirantar’ for adult women learners.
  8. Shinde, Tarabai. 1882. Stri purush tulana. (Translated by Maya Pandit). In S. Tharu and K. Lalita (Eds.) "Women writing in India. 600 B.C. to the present. Volume I: 600 B.C. to the early 20th century". The City University of New York, New York : The Feminist Press.
  9. Rukaiya’s  Sultana’s Dream, In S. Tharu and K. Lalita (Eds.) "Women writing in India. 600 B.C. to the present. Volume I: 600 B.C. to the early 20th century". The City University of New York, New York : The
  10. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s HERLAND, Women's Press1979, also ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.
  11. F. Engels, The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, (1884), New York, 1972
  12. Socialist Feminists and the Women’s Question - Alexandra Kollontai, ‘Social Basis on Women’s Question’, 1909.
  13. ‘Selected Writing by Clara Zetkin (Author), Philip S. Foner (Editor), 1991
  14. Pandita Ramabai, High Caste Hindu Woman.
  15. Writings by Periyar and Phule
  16. Articles on Periyar by V Geeta in From Myths to Markets.
  17. Uma Chakravarti on Phule from Caste and Gender, (ed.) Anupama Rao
  18. Sheila Rowbotham, Women in Movement: Feminism and Social Action, Routledge.
  19. ‘Towards Equality’, Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India 1975.
  20. Kumar, Radha, The History of Doing: An Illustrated Account of Movements for Women’s Rights and Feminism in India, 1800-1990, Kali for Women, New Delhi, 1993
  21. Nandita Gandhi and Nandita Shah,  Issue at Stake, Theory and practice in the contemporary women's movement in India, Kali, Delhi, 1991
  22. Ilina Sen, A Space Within at Struggle,  Women’s Participation in People’s Movement, Kali for Women, 1990
  23. Madhu Kishwar and Ruth Vanita, In Search of Answers: Indian Women’s Voices from Manushi, Zed 1999.
  24. Gail Omvedt, We will Smash the Prison.
  25.  Khawar Mumtaz, Women of Pakistan: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, Zed Books, London, 1988
  26. Introduction to Recasting Women, Kali for Women, Delhi, 1989
  27. Devaki Jain, Narratives from Women Studies family: Recreating Knowledge, Sage.
  28. Articles by Dipankar Gupta and Andre Beteille; responses by Malini Karlekar, Mary John, etc.
Academic Session: 
2018-19
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