RELI386 - Gender and Religion in Asia

[ Wesleyan Home Page ] [ WesMaps Home Page ] [ WesMaps Archive ] [ Course Search ] [ Course Search by CID ]
Academic Year 2003/2004

Gender and Religion in Asia
RELI 386 FA

Crosslistings:
ANTH 384
WMST 386

This course applies feminist and critical theory to the relationship between religion, gender, and sexuality. Most broadly, it considers the social and symbolic construction of gender and sexuality in a variety of Asian religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam. In particular, it considers the discourses and practices which construct ideas about the body, purity and pollution, and the nature of male and female. These discourses involve a disciplining of the body and sex through the use of moral codes, ethics, social institutions, ritual practices, and popular culture. The course also addresses post-colonial and post-structuralist debates about how class, caste, and race cut across the universality of gender as a category.

MAJOR READINGS

Thomas Cleary and Sartaz Aziz, TWILIGHT GODDESS
Jose Cabezon, BUDDHISM, SEXUALITY, AND GENDER
Bernard Faure, THE RED THREAD
Anne Klein, MEETING THE GREAT BLISS QUEEN
Liz Wilson, CHARMING CADAVERS
Mandrakarta Bose, FACES OF THE FEMININE IN ANCIENT, MEDIEVAL, AND MODERN INDIA
Sherry Ortner, MAKING GENDER

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Class participation, Oral Presentation, 1 Essay, Final Exam.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

This fufills a "Religion in Society" requirement.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS RELI Grading Mode: Graded

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Gutschow,Kim I.

Times: .M..... 07:00PM-09:50PM; Location: FISK414

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 20)

SR. major: 6 Jr. major: 6

SR. non-major: 3 Jr. non-major: 3 SO: 2 FR: 0

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal: Speaking, Writing

Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2004