Racism and sexism

Rasizem in seksizem

Course credits:

6.00 ECTS / 30 (30 hours of lectures, 0 hours of exercises, 0 hours of seminars, 0 hours other forms of work)

Course holder:

doc. dr. Blaž Vrečko Ilc

Type:

Required

Language:

English

Semester:

First semester

Study degree

2. level

Course execution:

• Postgraduate Programme of Political Science – Political Theory, Global and Strategic Studies

Prerequisits:

Students are allowed to participate in the course provided that they have completed the enrolment procedure.

Objectives and competences

Question the dominant and common sense understandings of racism and sexism and identify their crucial limitations. Get familiar with contemporary anti-racist and feminist theories that address the phenomena in a structural/systemic manner and having a dynamic, developing and transforming character. Develop a comprehensive analytical framework through which the various historical interlinkages between racism and sexism and their role in the constitution, development and consolidation of modern liberal democracies can be identified, reflected upon and critically interrogated. Use the analytical framework to analyse historical texts and events and contemporary expressions of systemic/structural nature of racism and sexism Further develop their writing skill and their ability to convey essential points of original analysis in a clear and concise manner

Content (Syllabus outline)

From the outset, the course will critically interrogate the supposition that racism and sexism are incompatible with the normative foundations and the actual functioning of modern liberal democracies and modern capitalism. Consequently, it will problematized the various understandings and theories that consider racism and sexism as an individual or group psychological characteristic present at the irrational, uneducated, backward and anti-liberal fringes of liberal democratic societies. Additionally, it will problematize the understandings that consider racism and sexism as static and unchangeable set of ideas on the biological superiority of a specific sex or race. The course will analyse racism and sexism as multidimensional historically singular dynamic (non-static) phenomena interlinked with each other and other structures and systems of differentiation (class, sexuality, normality etc.) as well as the genesis of the modern nation state, nations, modern political economy, modern natural and social sciences, (neo)colonial relations and structures in the globalized world. In this regard, the course will address where, when, how and why racists and sexist discourses, practices, policies, institutions and structures were established and interlinked in liberal societies, how racism(s) and sexism(s) were historically consolidated and transformed in relation to historical transformations of liberal democracies and how, where and why do these phenomena persist in contemporary liberal democracies.

Intended learning outcomes:

Students will gain a comprehensive knowledge regarding contemporary structural/systemic anti-racist and feminist theories. They will gain an understanding of the limits and problems of dominant and common sense conceptualization of racism and sexism in liberal democracies. They will gain a comprehensive insight into the genesis, development and transformations of modern racism and sexism and their relation with the rise and development of modern societies. They will gain an understanding of racism and sexism as complex, historically specific, dynamic and multidimensional phenomena. They will gain knowledge to develop and use a complex analytical framework for a comprehensive analysis of historical and contemporary racist and sexist discourses, practices, institutions and structures and their complex relation with the functioning of liberal democracies.

Learning and teaching methods:

Lectures, guided debates, case studies, studies of historical and contemporary political texts, reflection of video materials and media texts and various web sources.

Assessment

70% Research paper, 20% Presentation of the insights of the research paper in the form of a short podcast or a short video, 10% In class participation.

Obligatory literature

Additional literature