PHIL/WGST 275.001 – Moral and Philosophical Issues of Gender in Society

Instructor: Lauren Townsend. This course meets MTWRF 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in CH 104.

Here are some of the kinds of issues we will cover in this course: gender-based oppression (what is it like, what can we do about it, and does it have the same cause as oppression based on sexuality?), intersectionality (how does the fact that we have multi-faceted identities and belong to multiple social groups complicate our analysis of oppression?) the concepts of femininity and masculinity (what do they mean? how are they connected to women or men? should we aim to get rid of them?) and more.

In this course students will develop and improve their critical thinking and philosophical writing skills and have the opportunity to learn and reflect on how the moral and philosophical issues surrounding gender show up in their everyday lives. Students will analyze films, music, and fiction relevant to course themes (in addition, of course, to philosophical essays).

This course fulfills the Philosophical and Moral Reasoning and US Diversity requirements.

Please email the instructor, Lauren Townsend, with any questions, concerns, or suggestions: lhtownse@live.unc.edu.