Night School: Gender & Sexuality

Zoom meeting: https://temple.zoom.us/j/93856429577

Questions of gender and sexual expression dominate politics and popular culture in a way not seen since the 1970s. Historically, socialists have been at the forefront of struggles for equality, but today the relationship between socialism and the politics of gender and sexuality is less clear. Capitalism’s interaction with much older forms of gender and sexual oppression is complex and contradictory, as shown by the celebration of female CEOs by liberal feminists, or the role of LGBTQ-friendly “gayborhoods” in real estate development. What role do economic forces play in the formation of sexual identity and family life? And what is the record of “really existing socialist” states in advancing women’s position in deeply patriarchal societies?

Join Philly DSA as we try to untangle complex questions of capitalism, gender-based discrimination, and sexual identity, with an eye towards moving beyond liberal egalitarianism.

Readings

Stephanie Coontz, “Gender and the Communist Manifesto”
Kristen Ghodsee & Julia Mead, “What Has Socialism Ever Done For Women?”
John D’Emilio, “Capitalism and Gay Identity”