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79410-01 - Seminar: Gender Is a Weapon: Feminism, Fascism, and the Far Right (3 KP)
| Semester | Herbstsemester 2026 |
| Angebotsmuster | einmalig |
| Dozierende | Elizabeth Mesok (elizabeth.mesok@unibas.ch, BeurteilerIn) |
| Inhalt | This course takes a broad approach to the conceptualization of gender as a weapon — that is, as an instrument leveraged by far-right and fascist political factions. The design of the course is intentionally exploratory, offering students the historical, theoretical, and methodological building blocks necessary for understanding contemporary political movements, conflicts, and violence. Rather than attempting to define “fascism” or “the far right,” we will instead trace the continuities and ruptures in what Judith Butler calls the “furious nostalgia” of “fascist passions,” exploring the complex and often paradoxical relationship between feminisms, fascist ideologies, and the contemporary far right. The course covers the role of gender discourse and identities in various historic iterations of fascism, as well as the specificities of the contemporary far right, particularly in the US and Europe. We will work to unpack and problematize oft-repeated labels assigned to far-right political maneuvers—such as anti-gender, anti-feminism, anti-DEI, and femonationalism—while remaining cautious to not see the mobilization of women’s rights or feminist rhetoric as exclusive to the far right. To that end, we will draw comparisons with the weaponization of feminism by liberal imperial factions, through imperial or colonial feminisms and homonationalism. Additionally, the course centers the role of digital platforms in amplifying far-right narratives, considering the extreme contexts of the so-called manosphere alongside mainstream social media sites where women’s participation serves to normalize and diffuse fascist ideologies. Importantly, this course treats gender as a category that is always already informed by race, class, ethnicity, religion, and other power dynamics. By centering intersectional feminist praxis and looking to Black, Indigenous, women of color, and socialist feminist traditions, together we will continue to elaborate visions of emancipatory feminist politics. |
| Teilnahmevoraussetzungen | Students must have a background in feminist theory and gender and sexuality studies, and be prepared for a reading-intensive course. |
| Unterrichtssprache | Englisch |
| Einsatz digitaler Medien | kein spezifischer Einsatz |
| Intervall | Wochentag | Zeit | Raum |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Dienstag | 13.15-15.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
Einzeltermine
| Datum | Zeit | Raum |
|---|---|---|
| Dienstag 15.09.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 22.09.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 29.09.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 06.10.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 13.10.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 20.10.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 27.10.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 03.11.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 10.11.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 17.11.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 24.11.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 01.12.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 08.12.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Dienstag 15.12.2026 | 13.15-15.00 Uhr | Rheinsprung 21, Seminarraum 00.004 |
| Module |
Modul: Bodies, Objects, Circulation (Master Studiengang: Changing Societies) Modul: Vertiefung in Theorien und Debatten der Geschlechterforschung (Master Studienfach: Geschlechterforschung) Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Arbeit, Migration und Gesellschaft (Masterstudium: European Global Studies) |
| Prüfung | Lehrveranst.-begleitend |
| Hinweise zur Prüfung | Students will be assessed on the basis of course participation (being physically present in the classroom and intellectually engaged); one presentation; and one writing assignment. |
| An-/Abmeldung zur Prüfung | Anmelden: Belegen; Abmelden: nicht erforderlich |
| Wiederholungsprüfung | keine Wiederholungsprüfung |
| Skala | Pass / Fail |
| Belegen bei Nichtbestehen | nicht wiederholbar |
| Zuständige Fakultät | Philosophisch-Historische Fakultät, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Anbietende Organisationseinheit | Fachbereich Gender Studies |