Compulsory Heterosexuality

For this week you are reading two text, Rich's Compulsory Heterosexuality and Walker's Definition of Womanist. You can find both of these things on the Adam's Library electronic reserves. Just click on the tab in the middle of the page that says RESERVES and type in my name (BOGAD). You will see a listing for WMST 200. The rest of the reading for the course are found there.

Adriene Rich is not an easy read so please read slowly and carefully and try to stay focused on her central issues as she defines what she calls, "compulsory heterosexuality" and "lesbian exisistence." Try not to get bogged down in the details -- just work hard to understand these basic terms.

Note that the assignment in the syllabus asks you to focus your Talking Points specifically on this task. You don't have to choose one of the talking points options this week -- just focus on defining the terms.


Talking Points #4: Define what Rich means by “compulsory heterosexuality” and “lesbian existence” using specific evidence from the text (focus on this specifically rather than one of the TP options) (posted to your blog by 10/4 @ midnight)

I want to highly recommend that you use the internet to help you with Rich. Google "compulsory heterosexuality" or "Adriene Rich." What have others written about this article? What resources can you find online to help you figure her out? Googling is not cheating -- it is learning!! So include links to any resources you find that help you!!

See you next Thursday!

LB :)

Another Event for WMST

Several of you were looking for other events to attend in addition to the Promising Practices conference at RIC in November.

Here is an interesting one that would be great to write about.

Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health Fun(d)raiser
Sunday October 2 (7-10 pm)

Check it out!!!

Materials for Thursday, Sept 29

Next week we will be looking at issues of social class and how they relate to Gender and Society. Your reading is all online for this week.

Spend an hour exploring the website for

People Like Us

and

The Center for Working Class Studies.


I think you will enjoy the resources that you find there. Then, blog about them. You blog can describe what you found and name some interesting issues that you notice. But I also want you to take at least one paragraph to answer the question: Why/how is economic inequity a feminist issue?

Youutbe funny

You should really watch this... worth ten minutes of your life!