Gender, Race and Gay Rights in the Obama Era

CSP 19: Gender, Race and Gay Rights in the Obama Era

MWF Fall 2009

Professor: Ron Buckmire, Mathematics

Beginning with the era of Barack Obama's birth in the early 60s, we will focus specifically on how notions of WHO can marry as well as the cultural, religious, legal and societal significance of marriage, have changed as the country enters the era of President Obama. We shall examine the fight for equal citizenship and equal marriage rights for LGBT Americans, commonly known as the “gay rights movement.” This course is also an introduction to the concept that gender, race, sex and sexuality (among other aspects of one’s identity) are not biological but are social constructions. Our texts will include academic articles, court cases, popular media pieces and moving images. All students in this class will be using Web 2.0 tools such as Blogger and Twitter to facilitate their development as both consumers and producers of intellectual content. A learning outcome of the course will be the development of elementary web publishing skills. No previous knowledge is required and technological support will be provided.

Background Image Credit: Kruger, Barbara. Love for Sale. New York: Harry N. Adams, Inc., 1990.
Thanks to Oxy graduate Natasha Sinutko, class of 1991.