Course: Domestic violence and violence against women in feminist theory

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Course title Domestic violence and violence against women in feminist theory
Course code KPOL/B411
Organizational form of instruction Seminary
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Svatoňová Eva, Ph.D.
Course content
1. The second wave and the articulation of violence against women as a political problem - Susan Brownmiller - Kate Milet - Susan Griffin - Andrea Dworkin - Gayle Rubin 2. Intersectionality and the discourse on violence against women - Kimberley Crenshaw: Mapping the Margins - Angela Davis - Chandra Talpade Mohanty 3. Later reflections on the generic discourse on violence against women - Kristin Bumiller - Pilar Rodriguez Martinez - Mithu Sanyal 4. Feminist theory of violence (not only against women) - Francoise Verges: A Feminist Theory of Violence - Elsa Dorlin: Self-defence - Philosophy of violence 5. International Conventions on the Prevention and Combating of Domestic Violence - CEDAW - Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979) - Report of the United Nations Conference on Women (1995) - Istanbul Convention (2011)

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
In recent years, the topic of violence against women has become the subject of polarizing disputes not only in the Czech public sphere (see the discussion about the ratification of the so-called Istanbul Convention, i.e., the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence and Violence against Women). In order to understand why the topic has become the subject of so-called culture wars, we will look together at the historical development of the discourse on domestic violence and violence against women. That is, we will look at how the topic of domestic violence became a political issue. We will read both classic feminist texts written during the period of second wave feminism, which defined violence against women not as a private problem but as a political problem, and later texts that offered a critical perspective. Last but not least, we will look at important international documents that sought to address the issue of domestic violence at the legislative level and the social debate they generated.
Upon completion of the course, students will have a basic understanding of how discourses and policies on domestic violence have evolved. Students will become familiar with the classic texts that have been central to defining the issue and will be introduced to the content of documents that aim to protect victims of domestic violence and will be encouraged to think critically about them. The seminar will take the form of a discussion in which the participants will be responsible for the content of the debate. Thus, during the semnar, students will practice the ability to express their own perspectives in the context of academic debates.
Prerequisites
None

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
- Active attendacne - Active participation in seminar discussions - Reading assigned texts in English - Submitting questions on the assigned literature
Recommended literature
  • Edwards, Alice. Violence against Women under International Human Rights Law. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
  • Federici, S. The Great Witch-Hunt in Europe. Brooklyn, 2004.
  • Gordon, Linda. The Heroes of their Own Lives. London, 1988.
  • Pleck, Elizabeth. Domestic Tyranny. The Making American Social. 1987.
  • Susan Brownmiller. Proti naší vůli. Muži, ženy a znásilnění. In Oates-Indruchová, L.: Dívčí válka s ideologií. Klasické texty angloamerického feministického myšlení. Praha: Slon, 1998.
  • Yllö, Kersti. Political and Methodological Debates in Wife Abuse Research. London, 1988.
  • Zakaria, Rafia. Against White Feminism. London, 2022.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester