Marta Chmielewska

Marta.chmielewska@eui.eu

PhD student at the European University Institute

The equivalent course in Sociology BA Curriculum: ALR3411 Sociologia schimbării

Please fill in the course registration form here (deadline October 15)

ECTS: 3

Language of instruction: English

Modular course beginning in Thursday 31st October 2024 (14 meetings of two hours) 

Room 217, 2nd floor, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work

- Acquire theoretical tools to analyze the construction of gender and sexuality, and to consider its co-constitution and intersection with class, race, religion, disability, family, and citizenship

- Develop a critical vocabulary, drawing on a range of methodological and intellectual traditions, for rigorous and deep critical thinking about gender sexuality, intimate and global inequalities 

 - Develop broad knowledge of the central political debates in the field of LGBTQ studies and queer theory

- Develop and demonstrate practices of critical thinking and critical argumentation

1 Introduction

-       Introducing each other (what are you interests, why are we here, what would you like to get from this class);

-       Discuss assignments;

-       Analyze the syllabus, plan out the semester;

-       Group work: what is queer? Finding a definition (What would be Romanian word/their native languages?)

2 Sexuality studies

During this class, we question how socially contracted and historical our understanding of what sexuality is. In his foundational text of Queer Theory, Michel Foucault challenges the role of sexuality in one’s identity and the stable figure of a hetero/homosexual person, as well as a widespread view that the history of sexuality can be characterized as the history of repression. Instead, he suggests that our understanding of sexuality is a distinctly modern phenomenon constituted through a proliferation of discourses. What are the consequences for his argument on our understanding of (homo)sexuality, theories of power, resistance, and liberation?

-       Michel Foucault ‘History of Sexuality’ (fragments TBH, ex. “The Invention of the Homosexual”)

3 Trans studies: construction of gender 

This class explores the social construction of cisgender and transgender identities, challenging the binary understanding of gender. We discuss how trans critique informs gender theory and consider the impact of transphobia on diverse experiences of gender. How does recognizing the fluidity of gender identities reshape our understanding of cisnormativity and gender dynamics?

-       Kadji Amin “Taxonomically Queer? Sexology and New Queer, Trans, and Asexual Identities” GLQ (2023) 29 (1): 91–107, https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-10144435

4 Economy, capitalism and class

This class explores the intersection of transgender theory and Marxist thought, interrogating capitalist structures and their impact on gender and sexuality. Through readings on Transgender Marxism, we delve into the radical potential of queer politics within economic frameworks. How does Transgender Marxism offer new insights into the connections between capitalism, gender, and liberation?

-       Cathy Cohen “Punks, Bulldaggers & Welfare Queens: The Radical Potential of Queer Politics?”

-       *Bohdan Popa “De-centering Queer Theory: Communist Sexuality in the Flow During and After the Cold War”

5 Queer studies of LGBT+ movement

In this class, we analyze the normative assumptions of the contemporary American LGBT movement to challenge its moral politics, the construction of “homonormativity” and the “universal gay subjects” by discussing concepts such as gender and sexual identity, gay liberation, coming out, queer temporalities. How these debates shape contemporary global politics?

-       Eve Sedgwick “Epistemology of the Closet” (Introduction: Axiomatic)

-       *Jack Halberstam “That Smell?: Queer Temporalities and Subcultural Lives”

6 Desire

This class delves into the the social aspects of desire, encompassing diverse experiences and perspectives. We navigate the nuances of desire, identity, and agency through readings that interrogate the right to sexual expression, the complexities of attraction, and the societal constructs what desire. How social is what we want? Should we /can we change it? Is being queer something that we are or what we want? What are the political stakes of such debates?

-       Andrea Long Chu “On liking women”

-       Amia Srinivasan “The Right to Sex” (fragments TBH)

-       *Eva Sedgwick “How to bring your kids gay”

7 Global geopolitics

Investigating the intersection of queerness and global politics, this class scrutinizes power dynamics, state apparatuses, and resistance movements on a global scale. We critically analyze how geopolitical forces shape and are shaped by queer identities and experiences, exploring narratives of homonationalism, tourism, and international gay rights movements. What are the implications of understanding queerness within the context of global geopolitics? How do nation states and capitalism using queernes? How are LGBT+ movements using global power relations?

-       Jasbir Puar “Terrorist Assemblages” (fragments TBH from Introduction: “Homonationalism and Biopolitics”/ Chapter 1: “The Sexuality of Terrorism)

-       *Mitchell, Gregory, “TurboConsumersTM in Paradise: Tourism, Civil Rights, and Brazil’s Gay Sex Industry”, American Ethnologist 38, 4 (2011), 666-682, https://anthrosource-onlinelibrary-wiley- com.eui.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1111/j.1548-1425.2011.01329.x

-       *Ewing, Chris: “‘Toward A Better World for Gays’: Race, Tourism, and the Internationalization of the West German Gay Rights Movement, 1969-1983”, Bulletin of the German Historical Institute 61 (2017), 109-134. https://www.ghi-dc.org/publication/bulletin-61-fall-2017

8 Temporalities. Eastern Europe

During this class, we discuss queer theory and politics within the context of Eastern Europe and examine the intersections of history, culture, and sexuality in the region. Through readings that challenge Cold War stereotypes, explore socialist-era experiences of sexuality, and provide perspectives from Central and Eastern European scholars, we unpack the complexities of queer temporalities in this region. How do these readings reshape our understanding of Eastern European sexualities and disrupt Western-centric narratives within queer theory?

-       Joanna Miezielińska, Robert Kulpa “De-centring Western sexualities: Central and Eastern European perspectives” (Introduction)

-       *Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2017). Why Women Had Better Sex Under Socialism. New York Times, Aug. 12, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/opinion/why-women-had-better-sex-under-socialism.html

-       *Renkin, Hadley (2016) ‘Biopolitical mythologies: Róheim, Freud, (homo)phobia, and the sexual science of Eastern European Otherness.’ Sexualities 19 (1-2): 168-189.

-       *Ghodsee, Kristen, Lišková Kateřina (2016) ‘Bumbling Idiots or Evil Masterminds? Challenging Cold War Stereotypes about Women, Sexuality and State Socialism.’ Filozofija i Društvo, 27(3): 489-503.

9 Queer family or family abolition

This class delves into the tension surrounding the concept of family within queer theory, examining conflicting perspectives on its role and significance. We explore critiques of the heteronormative, patriarchal institution of the family as rooted in violence and inequality, alongside affirmations of queer families as sites of safety, support, and resistance. How do these discussions challenge traditional notions of family and envision alternative models of kinship and belonging within queer communities?

-       Sophie Lewis “Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberation” (Chapter 1: “1 But I Love My Family!”)

-       *Maggie Nelson “The Argonauts”

10 Disability and bodies

This class explores the intersection of disability studies and queer theory. We will examine the nuanced connections between disability and queerness, interrogating what it means to inhabit a disabled body within queer contexts. Additionally, we will analyze how queerness itself is embodied and the normative practices surrounding sexuality and gender expression.

We'll discuss normative bodily practices around sexuality and gender, and the commodification of identities within capitalist systems. Through our readings, we aim to challenge conventional notions of bodies and disability with queer theory.

-       Alison Kafer “Feminist Queer Crip” (Introduction)

-       *Paul B. Preciado “Testo Junkie: Sex, Drugs, and Biopolitics in the Pharmacopornographic Era”

11 Affect theory

This class explores the intricate relationship between affect, trauma, and queer experiences. We unpack the ways in which emotions shape and are shaped by queer lives and communities, examining narratives of queer feelings, affect as trauma, and the intersections of depression and trans identity. How do these readings expand our understanding of the emotional landscapes of queer existence?

-       José Esteban Muñoz, “Feeling Brown, Feeling Down: Latina Affect, the Performativity of Race, and the Depressive Position” https://doi.org/10.1086/499080

-       *Cameron Awkward-Rich, “Reading Like a Depressed Transsexual,”Signs42: 4 (2017) DOI: 10.1086/690914

12 Writing histories and researching representations

Investigating the power of narrative and representation, this class explores the process of writing queer histories. Were they gay and trans people always there? Why do we look for them? How to do so? Do these representations challenge dominant discourses and and create new canon narratives of the queer lives? 

-       Beans Velocci “Denaturing Cisness, or, Toward Trans History as Method” (in “Feminist Against Cisness”)

-       The Watermelon Woman (1996) - Directed by Cheryl Dunye, this film follows a young black lesbian filmmaker as she investigates the life of a mysterious black actress from the 1930s, blurring the lines between fiction and documentary.

13+ 14 Students’ presentations

In this final session, students will demonstrate their ability to apply queer theory in practical research settings. Through their presentations, they will showcase their research projects, which investigate various aspects of gender and sexuality, such as norms, practices, political movements, discrimination and violence, expressions of desire, and interconnected of gender and sexuality with class, race, nationality, disability, age, and others. By employing sociological methods such as discourse analysis, interviews, participant observation, and more, students will offer critical insights into their chosen objects of study. These presentations serve as a platform for students to apply theoretical concepts and academic debates learned throughout the course to real-world contexts, fostering a deeper understanding of queer studies and its practical implications. Through dialogue and discussion, students will engage with each other's research, further enriching their understanding of queer theory and its relevance in contemporary society.

vezi tematică

- Active participation in classroom discussions (10% of grade)

- Response papers – minimum 4 (40% of grade, 10% of grade each)

- Final presentation (50% of grade)