The Institute for Research on Women invites all undergraduates to apply to its Fall 2020 Virtual Learning Community, "Knowing Bodies: Science, Sex, and Gender." Given the ongoing global crises we have witnessed over the past several months, this class will use feminist approaches to science and technology to explore how our bodies are both vulnerable and resilient to illness, lack of health care, economic uncertainty, racial injustice, and changing social norms. At the same time, we will examine the role of technology in facilitating the disembodied experience of online learning, remote working, and video chats with family and friends. Because self-care is a key component to feminist politics, it is critical that we consider how trauma affects our communities, and what strategies we can use to handle stress and heal.
In keeping with Rutgers' decision to hold most classes online this fall, the Learning Community will be synchronous remote, meeting once a week on Thursdays from 4:30-6:00pm through Zoom. As a discussion-based, 1.5 credit seminar, it will be a creative space to unwind from the pressures of our daily lives, build strong community, attend virtual IRW lectures, "field trips," and livestream events, take part in digital technology workshops, teach one another healthy practices for "pandemic survival," and work on mini-research projects. I'm encouraging students to develop projects related to this theme (COVID-19, reproductive rights, police brutality, aging, trans-embodiment, gender/race and pharmaceuticals, the digital divide, etc.), but the main thing we'll be doing is learning how to podcast! So, instead of writing a traditional paper or doing a poster presentation, we'll learn how to use our research to tell stories through sound! It's a fabulous opportunity for students interested in exploring a very different kind of classroom at Rutgers.
Hope to see you there!
Please contact Sara Perryman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
Apply online at: undefined
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