FEMGEN 139D: Queer Ecologies (ENGLISH 139)

Course Description

This course will introduce students to the emerging field of Queer Ecology, which combines eco-criticism and queer theory to emphasize the interconnectedness of discourses on nature and the embodied politics of sexuality/gender/race. We will discuss queer-ecological intersections across literature, cultural theory, media, popular culture and performance, including, for example, key works by Jose Esteban Muñoz, Alexis Pauline Gumbs and Samuel Delaney. In so doing, we will critically examine how narrative can help us understand our environments outside heteronormative and extractivist frameworks. In addition to critical analysis, our methodologies will include experiments with experiential learning such as zine-making and community engagement.