Neo-patriarchy. A recurring idea of the hierarchical gender order

The idea of the course stems from an observation that a concept of linear historical progress marked by increasing gender equality and piecemeal but inevitable dismantling of patriarchal hierarchies is far from being an adequate description of reality, both in Western and non-Western societies. While in many spheres of social life gender equality has been a significant achievement of emancipatory movements, we have been simultaneously witnessing diverse political, cultural and economic processes that have undermined it and contributed to establishing new forms of hierarchy and dependency. Among the most important factors responsible for these processes one should mention so called "return of religion" (especially in its politicized and neo-traditionalist variants), implementation of the neoliberal economic policies (involving the dismantling of the welfare-state and privatization of social reproduction), resurgence of nationalism (with its hierarchical gender models) as well as different forms of rejection - both practical and intellectual - of the Enlightenment values that historically have been a basis of progressive movements, including feminist ones. The goal of the course will be to analyze these multiple processes and to examine a number of cases illustrating the anti-egalitarian backlash that takes place in Western as well as non-Western societies. During the course we will refer both to theoretical and empirical studies from the fields of history, sociology, political science as well as philosophy and cultural studies.

Recommended reading:

Alcoff, L., Caputo, J. D. (2011). Feminism, sexuality, and the return of religion. Indiana University Press.

Cooper, M. (2008). Orientalism in the mirror: The sexual politics of anti-westernism. Theory, culture & society, 25(6).

Benhabib, S. (1992). Situating the self: Gender, community, and postmodernism in contemporary ethics. Psychology Press.

Faludi, S. (2006). Backlash: The undeclared war against American women. Broadway Books.

Farris, S. R. (2017). In the name of women's rights: The rise of femonationalism. Duke University Press.

Fraser, N. (2009). Capitalism, Feminism, and the Cunning of History. New Left Review, 56, 97–117.

Kimmel, M. (2017). Angry white men: American masculinity at the end of an era. Hachette UK.

Korolczuk, E., Graff, A. (2018). Gender as “ebola from Brussels”: the anticolonial frame and the rise of illiberal populism. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 43(4), 797–821.

Kováts, E., Põim, M. (2015). Gender as symbolic glue. Budapest, Foundation for European Progressive Studies.

McDowell, L. (1991). Life without father and Ford: the new gender order of post-Fordism. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 400–419.

Scott, J. W. (2018). Gender and the politics of history (30. anniversary edition). Gender and culture. New York: Columbia University Press.

Sharabi, H. (1988). Neopatriarchy: A theory of distorted change in Arab society. Oxford University Press, USA.

Assessment criteria according to the scale used in UAM:

very good (bdb; 5.0): Very good knowledge of the literature discussed during the course, presentation of written work showing deep understanding of the problems covered by the course, ability to make creative use of the acquired knowledge, active participation in classes

good plus (+db; 4,5): Good knowledge of the literature discussed during the course, presentation of written work showing good understanding of the problems covered by the course, active participation in classes

good (db; 4,0): Good knowledge of the literature and problems discussed during the classes, presentation of written work meeting formal and content-related requirements, active participation in the classes

sufficient plus (+dst; 3,5): basic knowledge of the literature discussed during the classes, presentation of a written work showing sufficient understanding of the problems covered by the course, attendance at classes

sufficient (dst; 3,0): Knowledge of most of the literature discussed during the classes, presentation of written work showing partial or superficial understanding of the course issues, attendance at classes

Insufficient (ndst; 2.0): Insufficient attendance at classes, unfamiliarity with the literature and problems discussed during the course, failure to present the required written work or presentation of the work of insufficient quality