Feminist Political Economy

In recent years there has been a revival of feminist theorizing around the topic of "social reproduction", breathing new life into the field of feminist political economy. It brings into view the crucial but largely hidden and often unpaid work in homes, farms, small businesses, and communities. It often focuses on women's labour, caring rather than profit, and on the creation of value outside the privileged realms of capitalist production and accumulation. This research practicum introduces students to core texts in feminist political economy and enables them to conduct original research on marginalized economic practices and feminized labour from a situated perspective. Conceptualized as a research practicum, the class supports students as they develop and execute an independent research project. Weekly reflections on research progress will be geared towards strengthening abilities to formulate a topic, develop a feminist methodological approach, apply methods that capture the intersectionally-gendered character of their research subjects, execute the research, and write a paper. Moreover, students will hone their presentation skills as they introduce their papers in class and provide feedback to each other.