This is a picture of a 70's style CR (Consciousness-raising) group in the Women's Liberation Movement of the time. Read this description from the Wikipedia: CR
These were among the activist/theory development groups in which understandings of feminism came and come into being, then and now, for individuals, these groups, and for what bell hooks calls "feminist movement" more generally.
You are about to experience some of the meanings this formation has for feminism historically and currently, as well as get a feel for what activism is about.
Remember, it's the experience that matters most, although the produce has its own importance. We call some of this "feminist process." You will invent, re-invent it in your group!
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Here are the instructions for Assignment Two:
WMST 250: Women, Art & Culture, Spring 2008
Professor: Katie King
Office: 2101F Woods Hall
Office phone: 301.405.7294 (voice mail)
Email: katking@umd.edu
Course blog: http://wac250spr08.blogspot.com/
(Links to section blogs in Resources on right side)
ASSIGNMENT TWO: What is Feminism?
Imaginative assignment focusing on basic communication skills DUE with printed commentary in class, posted to section blog (and to be presented in section): TUESDAY 4 MARCH
Your second assignment asks you to work with your discussion group to come up with a collective meaning for the term feminism. Trying to come up with such a definition or set of meanings is the whole purpose of this assignment and its most important aspect. You won't fulfill the assignment unless you do this! Such making/discovering your groups' particular answer to the question What is Feminism? will push you to understand feminism as diverse, invested in changing meanings by the people who use it to describe themselves, and intrinsically connected to social action. You fulfill the assignment by:
creating a leaflet and a feminist event
(1) Each discussion group comes up with a leaflet or flyer for a real or imaginary feminist event; in the flyer as part of the copy for the event you find a way to also EXPLICITLY state your group's formal definition of What is feminism? Don't be indirect: have the definition itself in the copy, in complete sentences, formally spelled-out.
(2) Each discussion group should also turn in a printed description of the event advertised by the leaflet. This description should also include (a) what audience the flyer is aimed at; (b) where it would be distributed. The event it describes can be a real feminist event on campus, off campus, or a national event; or you can make up your event to allow maximum possibility for answering the question What is feminism?
(3) Each individual in each group will also individually turn in a printed account of what happened in your group as you-all worked on your project and understandings of feminism. You must say who did what work by name (so learn everyone's names), what work you personally did, and how the group functioned. Be sure to describe how conflict in the group was addressed, and how decisions were made to ensure representation and participation by all. This portion of the grade is not determined by how harmonious the group was, but rather on how detailed and honest the analysis of group process is.
Each group turns in only one leaflet and event description. Nothing has to be as finished as actual flyers would be for distribution, but can be mock-ups, or assemblages as if ready for the last stage of production. However everything should be very neat and ready for presentation to our class as a group. Each individual in each group also turns in their statement about their group as described above.
Your grade will be determined by
(1) the quality of the flyer or leaflet, and how well it addresses What is feminism?
(2) by how well you personally described group process, especially addressing issues of conflict and representation, and how well you know who did what by name, and
(3) by the contribution you personally made to the group.
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MUSIC: Malvina Reynolds, "It isn't Nice" from Ear to the Ground album (2000)
her Wikipedia bio
 | YouTube - Malvina Reynolds - No Hole in My HeadJack Elliott, Pete Seeger, & Malvina Reynolds - Woody's Rag ...www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sooNNv9qHg |
