WGSS 20.02 #MeToo: Intersectionality, Hashtag Activism, and Our Lives
The #MeToo movement is a response to gender-based harassment, assault, and violence. It is a form of resistance. This course examines and critiques the #MeToo movement. It covers the movement’s founding in 2006 by civil rights activist Tarana Burke; the benefits and limitations of intersectionality theory and approaches; feminist legal and critical race theories about sexual harassment and gender based violence; and competing analyses of contemporary #MeToo activism, particularly its spotlight on the wealthy and famous. The course includes elements of collaborative syllabus building, campus outreach activities, group project work, research into histories of resistance at Dartmouth (using College archives), and peer review of students’ written work. Throughout the term, we will draw connections among scholarship, current events, and our lives.