Syllabus: WGS 3340 Transnational Feminism (Spring 2021)Instructor: Dr. Brittany Leach (she/her or they/their pronouns)Instructor Email: [email protected] Description: This course places women, feminism, and activism in a transnational perspective, and offers students the opportunity to examine how issues considered critical to the field of gender studiesare impacting women’s lives globally in contemporary national contexts. We will look closely at how violence, economic marginality, intersections of race and gender, and varied strategies for development are affecting women in specific geographical locations.Learning Objectives: (1) Develop a global perspective on feminist theory and practice; (2) Learn about feminist thought, issues, and activism transnationally and in other countries; (3) Better understand the difficulties involved in cross-cultural comparison and translation; (4) Gain awareness about the power dynamics implicit in cross-national feminist research and transnational feminist coalition-building.IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is listed in SIS as online/synchronous. However, in order to avoid over-burdening you with lengthy Zoom calls, I will be conducting the class partially synchronously and partially asynchronously. This means:- We will only meet synchronously once per week instead of twice per week.- To make up for fewer synchronous meetings, you will also be required to complete asynchronous course content. This content includes readings, videos, and activities. Unless otherwise specified, all asynchronous course content must be completed before the synchronous weekly meeting. - The synchronous meeting will be discussion-based, so please come prepared to discuss the coursematerial each week.Scheduled Class Time: * Tuesday/Thursday 5 PM – 6:15 PM EST (synchronous)Modified Class Time:** Tuesday (asynchronous)Thursday 5 PM – 6:15 PM EST (synchronous)*FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS ONLY, we will meet synchronously on Tuesday and asynchronously on Thursday.**FOR WEEK 2 & ALL SUBSEQUENT WEEKS UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED***, the material for Tuesday will be completed asynchronously and our synchronous meeting will be on Thursdays.***The exceptions are limited to weeks where an exam or a Mental Health Day is scheduled. They are noted on the course schedule below and I will send an email reminder the Monday before a synchronous Tuesday.Books: All readings will be provided in a digital format via Collab. You are not required to purchase any books for this course.Resources for Students: I have uploaded a variety of resources for students under Resources > Resources for Students, including:- The Academic Resources folder (Resources > Resources for Students > Student Academic Resources) provides links to research tools, library resources, the writing center, etc. - The Technology Resources folder (Resources > Resources for Students > Technology Resources) provides information about free or low-cost software and apps that may be useful for this course, tutorials for Zoom and Collab, and links to other technology-related resources for students at UVA.1- The Personal Resources folder (Student Well-Being, Crisis, & Financial Resources) provides information, links, and phone numbers for students facing financial burdens, domestic violence/intimate partner violence/sexual assault, mental health issues, other health problems, etc.It also provides links to the Women’s Center, Student Disability Access Center (SDAC), and resources for LGBTQ students, international students, and other diverse students.Course PoliciesRecording policy: Although I will be recording the synchronous class sessions, these recordings will only be made available to students in the course upon request. This is intended to protect students’ privacyand allow everyone to speak freely. Please do not share recordings (including video lectures) from the course with anyone who is not enrolled in the class. If you are concerned about server locations where Zoom recordings may be stored, or if you have other privacy-related concerns, please let me know and I will work to address them within the confines of the course. Expectations Regarding Student Conduct: In your communications with fellow students, whether synchronously or asynchronously, you are expected to treat one another kindly and with respect. Though you are welcome and encouraged to disagree with me, the readings, and each other, you should approach disagreement as a mutual learning opportunity. Please remember that everyone has a right to be here and that each student has an equal claim to the learning environment.Zoom Etiquette:- You are strongly encouraged to keep your cameras on in order to enable us to connect with one another (students from previous semesters report that it substantially increases the quality of discussions and makes it less intimidating to speak up if everyone has their cameras on).o You may temporarily turn your camera off if you are having connectivity problems, need to eat a snack or use the restroom, face a temporary disruption in your physical environment, or otherwise are unable to keep your video on for a brief period of time.o If you are unable or unwilling to use your camera all or most of the time, please contact me with a general reason (e.g. technological limitations, home environment, accommodations) so that we can discuss alternatives such as uploading a profile picture or using a voice-activated avatar. See Resources > Technology Resources for information on how to do this.o If you do not wish for others to see your home environment, you may change your Zoom background (see the Help/FAQ page or Resources > Technology Resources for a tutorial).If you choose an alternate background, please choose something appropriate and non-distracting (e.g. nature scenery, office room, bookshelves, neutral color or pattern).- Microphones should be muted when you are not speaking unless you are in a small group breakout session.- Your display name should be your first and last name (if your preferred name is different than your official name, that’s fine – just let me know so that I can count you present when I take attendance!) and (if you wish to share) your preferred pronouns. - I am not concerned with your personal appearance or the appearance of your environment. However, I ask that students please wear clothing. I don’t care if you’re wearing pajamas or a costume or whatever, as long as it covers the