WMST Course Offering: Fall 2015

WMST 498N: Religion, Militarism, and Gender

Tuesdays, 2-4:30pm, MTH 0105

Taught by Dr. Ashwini Tambe (http://wmst.umd.edu/people/core-faculty/ashwini-tambe)

 

Religion and militarism are powerful forces in our time. They shape not only state policies but also people's identities, sense of purpose, and sense of security. In this course, we will explore the appeal of these two forces from a gendered perspective: we will analyze how religion and militarism both rely on idealized notions of masculinity and femininity. In part we will do this by analyzing contemporary global political issues from feminist angles, becoming proficient in applying the vocabulary of gender analysis to current events, and engaging with the multifaceted roles of the U.S. in the world and analyzing every day practices that support this role. This course is multi-disciplinary and will draw on research in history, politics, sociology, psychology, visual culture, and literature.

 

 “Religion, Militarism, and Gender” was previously offered in Fall 2013, and may not be offered again for another couple of years. A copy of the Fall 2013 syllabus for the course can be obtained by sending a request to wmst@umd.edu

About the Instructor:

Dr. Ashwini Tambe is Associate Professor in the Department of Women’s Studies. She is also the Editorial Director of the journal Feminist Studies, a premier venue for interdisciplinary feminist scholarship and creative expression. She has previously taught at the University of Toronto, Georgetown University and Temple University. Her interests include transnational feminist theory, modern South Asia, sexuality studies and global political economy. Her current work, supported by SSHRC and NEH grants, examines the legal paradoxes in age standards for sexual consent and the shifting definitions of girlhood.

 

Her recent articles have spanned topics such as climatology in scientific racism (Theory, Culture and Society, 2011), interdisciplinary approaches to feminist state theory (Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 2010), economic liberalization and sexual liberalism in contemporary India (Economic and Political Weekly, 2010), and the long record of transnational approaches in feminist scholarship (New Global Studies, 2010).