I was once overheard talking with a friend about my upcoming Women's Study seminar. I had mentioned the titled and was interrupted with a daunting, yet inevitable question:
"Third-Wave...what's that?"
My answer was jumbled and and a little too careful. I started talking about multicultural feminisms, intersecting oppressions, a gender continuum, trans issues, international human rights, gender neutral language, etc. etc...I lost my conversation partner somewhere between eco-feminism and bell hooks.
My response above portrays well my journey and experience with the third-wave. I have been simultaneously confused and awed by the complexity of and it and by the number of issues it addreses. I have, however, in spite of my intermittent confusion, never hesitated to call myself a third-waver. Its inclusive nature and gender consciousness speaks to me on a personal level and offers a map for future activism.
I am looking forward to discussing third-wave feminism and gender in new and complex ways that help strengthen my feminist beliefs while also challenging dichotomous, heterosexist, gendered beliefs/practices still present in my life. I hope to be able to offer "expertise" in the fields of international as well as domestic human rights. I have done research on issues such as rape as a tool of war, women in U.S. politics, women in the labor movement, and I am currently working on an Independent Research project on incarcerated women in the U.S. Other courses I have taken include feminist theology, U.S social policy (with a focus on women's issues), gender and sexuality in the 20th century, Women in America, and feminist political theory.
I can't wait to be reaffirmed in my beliefs and challenged further by fellow feminists.
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1 comment:
Thank you, Laura! I'm glad to hear you're open to being challenged in your beliefs as I hope we'll all dare to be challenged in our beliefs and opinions in this seminar.
Anne
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