This course examines literature that challenges the construction of borders, be they physical, ideological, or metaphoric. The theorizing of the border, as more than just a material construct used to demarcate national boundaries, has had a profound impact on the ways in which Chicana/Latinas have written about the issue of identity and subject formation. We will examine how the roles of women are constructed to benefit racial and gender hierarchies through the policing of borders and behaviors. In refusing to conform to gender roles or hegemonic ideas about race or sexuality, the Chicana and Latina writers being discussed in the course illustrate the necessity of crossing the constructed boundaries of identity being imposed by the community and the greater national culture.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Crosslisted Courses:

Prerequisites: Previous experience with feminist or race theory preferred.

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes: