Feminist legal theory can pose a significant epistemological challenge to traditional schools of jurisprudence, questioning some of the very premises of what constitutes justice and equality in a liberal democracy. At the same time, it seeks to explore how gender shapes the law and how the law shapes gender. This course will examine the principle tenets, methodologies, and controversies in feminist legal theory including the meaning of equality, the intersection of race and law, the public/private divide, concepts of objectivity and neutrality, and how law reproduces hierarchies while also having the ability to participate in significant social change. We will look at how feminist theory has used, incorporated, modified and critiqued other schools of jurisprudence and theoretical paradigms including Marxism, critical legal studies, critical race theory, and postmodernism. We will also analyze debates between feminist theorists regarding essentialism, women’s sexual agency, and how feminist theory itself is a product of a particular society. The goal of the course is to think broadly and critically regarding the interaction of law, society, and gender while exploring the potential and limitations of our legal system. (3 Credits)
Fall 2018
Saru Matambanadzo
Family Law
Legal History & Jurisprudence
Seminars