Course Description
History and criticism of speeches by United States women in nineteenth- and twentieth-century social reform movements, especially woman's rights and feminism.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be required to write a research paper
analyzing the speech of a woman in U.S. history. Students will be
required to conduct outside research and cite at least ten new
sources, compose introduction, biography, context, analysis, and
conclusion sections.
Athena Title
Women and US Public Discourse
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This is an advanced course in the areas of rhetoric and women's discourse. The specific objectives of the course are for the students to: (1) have an advanced understanding of rhetorical theory and criticism; (2) have an advanced understanding of how women's discourse challenges and shapes rhetorical theory and criticism; (3) demonstrate knowledge of the history of U.S. women's discourse; (4) be able to identify the theoretical underpinnings and critique the rhetorical strategies used in such discourses; (5) be more critically aware of women's public discourse today.
Topical Outline
Week 1 Introduction to rhetorical theory and criticism Week 2: Constraints and challenges of women's public discourse Week 3: Women's discourse: Abolition and early women's rights Week 4: Women's discourse: Women's rights in 19th century Week 5: Women's discourse: Women's rights in early 20th century Week 6: Women and labor rights Week 7: Women's discourse: Between the waves Week 8: Women's discourse: Early second-wave feminism Week 9: Women's discourse: Second wave and the rise of identity politics Week 10: Women's discourse: Third wave and postfeminism Week 11: Women, Politics, and Media Week 12: Third-World Women's discourse Week 13: Intersectionality: Women, Nation, Race Week 14: Women's Discourse: Women and War Week 15: Women's Discourse: Women and Citizenship Week 16: Women's Discourse: Women and Agency
Syllabus