1 WSP 400 Section 002 Women, Rap, and Hip Hop Feminism Mondays and ...
Source: womens-studies.syr.edu
Topic: Hip Hop
Sort Desciption: Feminism, rap music, and Hip Hop culture, at first glance, do not appear to be ... In the male-driven, testosterone filled world of Hip Hop culture and rap ...
Content Inside: 1 WSP 400 Section 002 Women, Rap, and Hip Hop Feminism Mondays and Wednesdays 12:45- 2:05 Meets in Shaw 029 G Spring 2006 Instructor: Professor Gwendolyn D. Pough Office: 208 Bowne Hall Phone: 443-6745 Email: gdpough@syr.edu Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00 – 11:00 Course Description: Feminism, rap music, and Hip Hop culture, at first glance, do not appear to be likely cohorts. In the male-driven, testosterone filled world of Hip Hop culture and rap music labeling oneself a feminist is not a political stance easily taken. Thus, many women involved with Hip Hop culture do not take on the label of feminist even as their actions imply feminist beliefs and leanings. Much of the strong criticisms of rap music have been about the music’s sexism and misogyny. And much of the attention focused on sex and gender have been in terms of constructions of Black masculinity, and rap music as a vehicle for Black male posturing. A lot of attention has been paid to the impact rap music and the masculine space of Hip Hop culture has on the development of Black male identities. This course links feminism, rap music, and Hip Hop culture. We will explore the work of actual women in Hip Hop, images of women, and feminist critiques of rap music and Hip Hop culture. We will also work on locating a space of praxis—where theory meets practice—that uses Hip Hop, rap and feminism to propose ways of addressing social inequalities. With this in mind, one goal of this course is to move beyond discussion to a space of critique linked to change. Taking current controversies and rap music’s dominant presence in US media into consideration, we will use rap as a springboard into a consideration of pressing social, cultural, and political issues. Some questions we may examine include: What are the defining contours of Hip Hop Feminism? If we are of the understanding that a Hip Hop feminist is more than just a woman who loves Hip Hop and feels conflicted about it, what d ...
