Dr. K. O’Mara Office 335 FH
IRC 8 4-5:15 Hours: MW 1-3
This course examines the social conditions and lived experiences of women in Africa and the Near East, contrasting the precolonial, colonial and post colonial eras. LA, HO2/ ICD (OSC catalogue, 2005)
A topical course which addresses the socio-economic context of women’s lives in various African and Near Eastern societies, this course considers changes over three eras-- precolonial, colonial and postcolonial periods. To facilitate this undertaking, useful analytical concepts such as social constructionism v. essentialism (e.g., as it relates to gender, sexuality, class, race) orientalism, & imperialism will be employed in looking at the differences in women’s experiences in African & Middle eastern societies at different times. Local hierarchies of power and socio-sexual ideologies of particular societies will be discussed, as well as how they in turn transformed and were transformed by colonialism, nationalism, and globalization. Since the subject matter is so vast, the course will focus on particular issues (women’s rights & citizenship, gendered work, identity issues, religion & healing, impact of war) and specific countries (e.g., Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa & Iran) as representative of trends.
Learning Outcomes:
· Students will acquire a familiarity with the main currents of African and Mid Eastern
Women’s lives in precolonial, colonial and ‘post’ colonial history.
· Students will be able to think critically about gender in different African & MENA societies.
· Students will improve their critical thinking and writing skills with frequent short papers.
· Students will develop an ability to evaluate the varied factors – external economic and internal socio-ideological factors -- affecting women in varied societies
· Students will become familiar with relevant analytical concepts: orientalism, subalternity, imperialism, gender, class, hegemonic ideologies, etc.
Required Texts:
Coquery-Vidrovitch, Catherine (ed). African Women: A Modern History. Boulder,CO: Westview Press, 1997.
Sabbagh, Suha (ed). Arab Women: Between Defiance and Restraint. NY: Olive Branch Press, 1996.
Mernissi, Fatima. Dreams of Trepass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood. NY: Doubleday, 1997.
Ata Aidoo, Ama. No Sweetness Here. London: Longman, 1976 OR (CHOOSE ONE)
Magona, Sindiwe. Push-Push & Other Stories. Boston: Beacon, 2001.
(PP) A number of short articles are also required reading, i.e., photocopy packet.
(V) video-required viewing
“Men call you Mother Africa and put you on a pedestal. But they want you to stay there for ever – and unhappy you, if you want to step down and live the life of an ordinary human being.” -- Miriam Tlali
“My heart rejoices each time a woman emerges from the shadows.” -- Mariama Ba, So Long A Letter
“Orientalism, both pictorial and literary…has set the stage for the deployment of phantasms – a central figure emerges, the very embodiment of the obsession: the harem -- Malek Alloula, The Colonial Harem
Topics/readings:
1. Myths & Stereotypes: of women in the history of sub-Saharan, Saharan, Maghrebin Africa and the Islamic Near East. Conceptual framing of the course & our discussions: defining basic concepts (e.g., social constructionism, essentialism, patriarchy, social location, orientalism) and posing key questions.
Readings: Sabbagh: Introduction
Coquery-Vidrovitch, Introduction
(PP) Edward Saïd, Orientalism, 'glossary,' & A. Lorde, 'Cannot Dismantle' (V) Orientalism
2. Women in Islamic Society before the 19th Century: An overview of gender & the muslim
world from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to 1800. What is custom in different
muslim societies and what is shari’a, Islamic law. Muslim women’s rights & obligations.
Differentiating women’s lives by class, cultural norms, social identity.
Rdgs: Sabbagh, #2, “Women’s Rts in the Arab World” & #20 “Women & Property Rights”
(PP) L. Ahmed, “Women & the Rise of Islam” (Women & Gender in Islam)
(PP) F. Mernissi, “Muslim Concept of Active Female Sexuality” (Beyond the Veil)
(V) Women of Marrakesh (V) Women & Islam
3. Women in Precolonial & Colonial Africa:
Common socio-occupational features of women’s lives & changes created by European
Intervention: varieties of family composition, aspects of clan & caste, etc.
Women in and during the slave tradeera, 16-19th centuries.
Rdgs: Coquery-Vidrovitch, Part I (chaps 1-5)
(V) Sara Baartman: Hottentot Venus
4. Understanding Colonialism & examining its gender effects in the Maghreb and sub-
Saharan Africa.Intersections of disease, hygiene, purity, & the colonial state.
Representations on black & brown women’s bodies; the colonial gaze.
Rdgs: Coquery-Vidrovitch: Part II (chaps 6-7) and chaps 8, 10, 12.
Sabbagh: #24 “Gender & Family” & #27 “State & Gender in the Maghrib”
(PP) M. Lazreg, “Women in Precolonial Algeria” (The Eloquence of Silence)
(PP) J. Clancy-Smith, "The House of Zainab: Female Authority.."
5. Feminism, & Social Change & in late 19th/early 20th c. Muslim World
Western intervention and colonialism in Mid East. Salafiyya Movements and the roots of
Arab feminism, muslim modernism and Islamism. Egypt as the forerunner
Rdgs: Sabbagh: #32 “Hidden history of Arab Feminism”
(PP) L. Ahmed, “The First Feminists” (Women & Gender in Islam)
(V) Algerian women in war segment
6. Urbanization, Migration and Resistance. From colonial dispossession to globalization.
Rdgs: Coquery-Vidrovitch: chaps. 7-9
Sabbagh, Ch. 24 & 27
(P) M. Lazreg, “Exposing & Reconstructing Colonial Identity.
(V) (Women Farmers of Kenya)/Manmade Famine
7. Women’s Religious Practices and Healing in Africa & Muslim Near East.
Rdgs: Coquery-Vidrovitch, chap. 5
(P) Mernissi, “Women, Saints & Sanctuaries”(Signs, V-2)
(P) “Zar” (Women of Omdurman) (P) "Women & Shrines in Shiraz"
(V) Zulu Zion
8. South Africa: the colonial settler state, gendered apartheid & its legacies
Rdgs: Coquery-Vidrovitch, chaps. 10-12
(V) Maids & Madams
9. Women and War
a) women in anti-colonial/nat’l liberation movements: Algeria , South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Israel/Palestine. Women as participants & civilian victims
Rdgs: Coquery-Vidrovitch, ch. 17
b) Post-colonial wars in Africa & Muslim world.
Rdgs: Sabbagh: chaps. 12-14; 17, 25-26.
(P) NYTimes, “The Outcasts” (Rwanda)
(P) NYTimes, "Warrior Women Rank Low"
(V) Flame EXCERPTS: (V)Undercover in Afghanistan; Gaza Ghetto
10. Sexuality, Healing & Difference
(P) U. Wikan, "The Xanith: A Third Gender Role?"
(P) Amnesty Internat’l: Female Genital Cutting
(P) # 14: "Black lesbian life on the Reef;" Testimony-FannyAnn Eddy;" Egypt's
Targeting of Gays."
(V) Women with eyes open (V) Woubi Cheri (V) Everything Must Come to Light
11. Islamist Women and Islamists on “women in Islam”
Examining the rise of political Islam in the past 2 decades.
Rdgs: Sabbagh, chaps. 19, 22, 26
(P) NYTimes, "Iranian Lessons"(17 July 2005) and "Lipstick Politics in Iran"(19/8/99)
(P) L. Ahmed, “Divergent Voices.”
(V) Interviews with Islamist women.
12. Education and literacy for girls & women in the Muslim Mid-East, Maghreb
And Sub Saharan Africa.
Rdgs: Coquery Vidrovitch: chap. 14
Sabbagh: Part 4
(V) These girls are missing: the gender gap in African schools
13. Women, Work and Community: Holding up more than half the sky.
Alternative networks & institutions.
Rdgs: Coquery, chap. 15 + 16
Sabbagh, chap. 6-8, 23
(P) U.N. –ACW: Status of Women in Africa; (P) "Eight women, one voice."
(V) A Way to Move On (V) Running Away
14. Against all odds: “she/roes” in politics, community leadership, sports, the arts
Rdgs: Coquery-Vidrovitch: chaps. 16 & 18
Sabbagh: chaps. 1, 3-5.
(P) The Guardian, “Eight Women One Voice” (11 June 2005)
(P) NYTimes, “Butting Heads Against Religion and Men” 20 Dec 1999;
Long 1999; "Distance Dynamo: Tegla Loroupe" 13 Aug 2000; and (H) The Guardian, "The
Beautiful Deadly Game,” 6 Nov 1999; The Guardian, “Muslim Comics Confront
Bias,” al-Sayyid-Marsot, "Humor....."
(P) # 16 = 5 HIV/AIDS articles
(V) Umm Kulthum (V) Hanan Ashrawi
Course Evaluations:
--Mid term (mixed format) is Thursday Oct 20, 2005 and
--a (take home) essay is due Dec. 13, 2005
--A critical paper on fiction: CHOOSE Ata Aidoo’s No Sweetness Here or Magona’s Push-Push. Fiction critique is due November 29, 2005. (4pp)
(1.5-2 pp max) due Thursdays: Sept 1 & 29, Oct 13 & 27, Nov 10 & Dec. 1.
Course Policies:
1. All assignments are to be submitted on time. Late papers will be penalized 5% per day; and will not be accepted after one week.
2. Make up exams are available by prior arrangement only and must be due to an emergency.
3. Students are expected to keep up with the assigned readings, come to class on time and remain in class unless there is a personal emergency. Please (!) no eating in class, conversing together about non-course matters, or wandering out of (& back into) class unless you are ill. Traffic is disruptive & disruptive behavior is referre to the Office of Judicial Affairs per OSC student handbook. Attendance is taken each class and influences grades.
Due Dates: Dreams paper: Sept. 22 (15%) Midterm: Oct. 20 (15%) novel critique: Nov. 29 (15%) reaction papers: varied (15%) Log/participation (18%) final: Dec 13 (15%) film eval. Nov. 17 (7%)
______________________________________________________________________
Office Hours. MTW 1-3
Phone 436-2593
ALS Office: 436-3449