Sharyn Clough: OSU Course Outlines

Philosophy Seminar 407/507 

Feminism, Knowledge and Science

Instructor: Dr. S. Clough
Office: 102B Hovland Hall
Email: Sharyn.Clough@oregonstate.edu
Http:// www.oregonstate.edu/~cloughs
Phone: 541-737-9801

Required Texts:
Clough, Sharyn, 2003, Beyond Epistemology: A Pragmatist Approach to Feminist Science Studies
Plus a photocopied package of readings available at the bookstore.

Course Plan:
     A core commitment of the western Enlightenment is that science and technology are fundamentally progressive.  However, in the latter half of the twentieth century, marxists, feminists, and other social critics have begun to identify science as a radically oppressive institution that requires revolutionary change.  More recently they have identified scientific method, and the concepts of objectivity and truth, as tools of oppression.  Alternative theories of knowledge and truth, that is, alternative epistemologies, have been developed by feminists in particular, with the goal of radically altering the practice of science and knowledge seeking, more generally.

    In this course the well-documented claim that scientific practices have indeed brought psychological and physical harm to disproportionately large numbers of already marginalised peoples will have to be assumed, though, of course, students who want more of the details of these claims will be directed to the appropriate body of literature.  Given these concerns about science, the focus of the course will be to critically examine feminist epistemic discussions of truth and objectivity and the usefulness of these discussions for those feminist scientists on the front lines of science criticism.
 

Course Requirements:

10%: (Phil 407) Discussion and distribution of an outline of the material from the previous class. (Phil 507) Discussion and distribution of an overview of one of four sections of course material.
30%: Three position papers, 2 -3 pp. each, only top two papers count (15% each).*
20%: Worksheet on each reading, checked randomly 5 times (4 points ea. all or nothing).**
10%: Draft of final paper + Comments on colleague's draft (5 points ea., all or nothing).
30%: (Phil 407) Final paper, 5 - 7 pp. (Phil 507) Final paper 10 - 15 pp.
These requirements add up to a score out of 100 which will be translated to a letter grade near the end of the semester.

(If you have a disability that makes some part of your experience in this class unnecessarily difficult for you, please contact me within the first two weeks of class or as soon as possible, and we'll see what accommodations we can work out.) 

*Late papers will be accepted, but only if you have cleared it with me ahead of time and/or experienced a life-changing event that was beyond your control, otherwise you will lose points for each day that the paper is late. 

**The worksheets for each reading are intended to get you prepared to talk about the reading in class. Checking the worksheets is a measure of class participation. Therefore, if you miss class on a day when I check the worksheets, it makes no sense to hand in your worksheet late.  If, for reasons beyond your control (acts of god, children's dental emergencies, etc.) you miss a class where a worksheet has been checked, and you let me know ASAP, you will still get the 4%.  If you don't have a good excuse you will get a zero for that worksheet.

Student Reviews and Discussion Schedule:
This schedule is subject to change, so please stay in touch.  You are responsible for knowing about any changes announced on days you were absent.

Tues. Discuss readings/assignments; Schedule student reviews; Lecture on Epistemology and Representationalism.
Thur. Class discussion of Descartes' Meditations I-III.
Tues. Student review of Descartes; Class discussion of Davidson.
Thur. Student review of Davidson; Student overview of Section I; Lecture on Representationalist Epistemology & Feminist Science Studies.

Tues. Class discussion of Clough Ch. 1, Ch. 2 pp. 25-36.
Thur. Student review of Clough; Class discussion of  Hubbard, Bleier.
Tues.  Student reviews of Hubbard; Bleier; Discuss Clough, Ch. 3.
Thur.  1st. paper due (on Epistemology and Representationalism); Student review of Clough; Student overview of Sec. II; Lecture on The Subject of Feminist Epistemology.

Tues. Class discussion of Keller.
Thur.  Student review of Keller; Class discussion of Spelman.
Tues.  Student review of Spelman; Class discussion of Mohanty; Bar-On.
Thur.  Student review of Mohanty; Bar-On; Class discussion of Clough, Ch. 4.
Tues.  2nd paper due (on Representationalist Epistemology & Feminist Science Studies);  Student review of Clough; Student overview of Sec. III; Lecture on Feminism Standpoint vs Feminist Empiricism.

Thur. Class discussion of Harding.
Tues. Student review of Harding; Class discussion of Campbell.
Thur. Student review of Campbell; Class discussion of Wylie.
Tues. 3rd paper due (The Subj of Feminist Epist.); Student review of Wylie ;  Student overview of Sec. IV; Lecture on Where to Next?

Thur. Class discussion of Andersen and SGRP commentaries.
Tues. Drafts of 4th paper due (synthesizing the course material)
Thur. Return drafts; snacks, celebrating, etc.

Mon. Final versions of 4th paper due in my office by noon.