A Seminar on Feminist Legal Theory & Practice © Course Syllabus, 1st Semester SY 2006-2007

The course is a seminar on Feminist Legal Theory and Practice. The course is meant as an introductory course on the basics of feminist legal theory, tracing the roots of early feminist legal theory from the 70s into the current and emerging multi-disciplinary explorations in post modern feminist legal theory; in relation to state theory; to alternative conceptions of sexual morality and feminist ethical paradigms. Applications to local engagements in law by women's movements are incorporated and shall be emphasized as cases for study/analysis. (C.S.Ruiz-Austria)

I. Early Feminist Legal Theory

A. The Influence of Structural Theory & Approaches

(1) Engaging Marxism

Rubin G. 1975. The traffic in women: notes on the political economy of sex. In Toward an Anthropology of Women, ed. R Reiter, pp. 157–210. New York: Mon. Rev.

Firestone,S. 1970.The Dialectic of Sex: the case for feminist revolution (available at: www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/us/fireston.htm)

Hartmann H. "The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism & Feminism: Towards a More Progressive Union, Chapter 6, The Second Wave

(2) The Role of Law in Patriarchy

Polan D. 1982. Toward a Theory of Law and Patriarchy. In The Politics of Law, ed. D Kairys. NewYork: Pantheon. See Weisberg 1993, pp.419–26

Taub N, Schneider E. 1982. Perspectives on Women’s Subordination and the Role of Law. In The Politics of Law, ed. DKairys, pp. 328–55. New York: Pantheon

Rifkin J. 1980. Toward a Theory of Law and Patriarchy. Harv. Women’s Law J. 3:83–95

B. Equality & Difference Debates in Liberal Feminist Legal Theory & Practice

(1) Equal Treatment for Equals

Williams W. 1984. Equality’s riddle: pregnancy and the equal treatment/special treatment de-bate. NY Univ. Rev. Law Soc. Change 13: 325–80

*Minow M. 1987. The Supreme Court 1986 term, justice engendered. Harv. Law Rev.101:10

Williams W. 1997. The Equality Crisis: Some Reflections on Culture, Courts and Feminism. Second Wave: A Reader in Feminist Theory, ed. L.Nicholson, pp. 70-91, Routledge, New York and London

See also: Flores D.A., Discrimination Against Women in Philippine Civil and Criminal Laws, 1992.Ateneo de Manila Law Journal, pp.196-201

(2) Equal Treatment of Unequals

Finley L. 1986. Transcending equality theory: a way out of the maternity and workplace debate. Columbia Law Rev. 86:1118–83

Kay HH. 1985. Equality and difference: the case of pregnancy. Berkeley Women’s Law J. 1:1–38

(3) Women’s Human Rights

Evatt, Elizabeth, Eliminating Discrimination Against Women: The Impact of the UN Convention, 18 Melbourne University Law Review 435

Merry, Sally Engel, Constructing a Global Law-Violence against Women and the Human Rights System, Wellesley College, Massachusetts, Conference: Violence Between Intimates: Globalization and the State March-April 2001.

Bunch C. 1990. Women’s Rights as Human Rights: Toward a Revision of Human Rights.12 Hum Rts.Q. 486-498.

Charlseworth, Hillary, Not Waving but Drowning: Gender mainstreaming and Human Rights in the United Nations , Harvard Human Rights Journal, Vol 18, 2004

Reference Material:

Battad E. D. et.al. 2006. A Gender Review of Selected Economic Laws in the Philippines:CEDAW.UNIFEM-CIDA.

II. Transcending the Equality and Difference Debate

A. Post Structuralist Feminist Legal Theory

Scott, Joan, W., Deconstructing Equality-Versus-Difference: or, the uses of Postructuralist Theory for Feminism, in Feminist Theory Reader: Local and Global perspectives, Maccann and Kim (eds), New York Routledge (2003)

Review: Butler, Judith, Imitation and Gender Insubordination (from Part.I (B))

B. The Myth of Law’s Neutrality

MacKinnon C. 1987. Feminism Unmodified. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press

MacKinnon C. 1989. Toward a Feminist Theory of the State. Cambridge, MA: Harv. Univ.Press

MacKinnon C.,  Sexuality

Smart C.1995. Feminism and the Power of Law.

See also:

Ruiz,C. and Ursua, E., Feminist Legal Advocacy in the Philippines: Defining a Framework, Women’s Legal Bureau, November 1998.

C. Critiques of Liberal Legalism

Substantive Equality: Towards Equity

Hoff J.1991.Beyond Liberal Legalism: From Equality to Equity, Chapter 10, pp. 350-375, in Law, Gender and Injustice, A Legal History of U.S. Women, New York University Press

Universalism

West, R. 1998. Universalism, Liberal Theory and the Problem of Gay Marriage.Florida State University Law Review

(available at: http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/lawreview/issues/254/west.html)

Kapur R. 2002.The Tragedy of Victimization Rhetoric: Resurrecting the “Native” Subject in International/Post-Colonial Feminist Legal Politics in Harvard Human Rights Journal, Vol.15, Spring 2002

(available at: http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss15/kapur.shtml)

Secularism and Geopolitical Inequalities

Barker, I .2002. Disenchanted Rights: The Persistence of Secularism and Geopolitical Inequalities in Articulations of Women's Human Rights http://criticalsense.berkeley.edu/archive/fall2002/barker/1.htm

III. Post Modern Legal Theory and some applications

a.     Legal Language as Constitutive Discourse 

Raitt F. and Zeedyk S.M. 2000. Rape Trauma Syndrome, Chapter 5 in The Implicit Relation of Psychology & Law: Women and Syndrome Evidence. Pp. 87-108. Routledge London and Philadelphia.

Raitt F. and Zeedyk S.M. 2000. Battered Woman’s Syndrome, Chapter 4 in The Implicit Relation of Psychology & Law: Women and Syndrome Evidence. Pp. 63-86. Routledge London and Philadelphia.

Supreme Court Cases (For Discussion)

Republic vs Molina, G.R. No. 108763.  February 13, 1997

Santos vs CA, G.R. No. 112019 January 4, 1995

Espiritu vs CA, G.R. No. 115640 March 15, 1995

People vs. Genosa

See Also:

Sex, Sexuality and Law: The Construction of the Filipino Woman's Sexuality and Gender Roles in the Philippine Legal System, Carolina S. Ruiz Austria, Vol.No.1 Womenlead Journal on Law and Culture, December 2001

Wife Battery and Psychological Incapacity Under Article 36 of the Family Code: Issues in Feminist Legal Advocacy (available at: www.wlead.org)

Conflicts & Interests: Trafficking in Women and the Policies on Migration and Trafficking in the Philippines,” Global Sex Trafficking, Edited by Karen Beeks and Delia Amir, Littlefield Publishers, U.S.A. 2005. (also published as a limited edited Monograph, Womenlead 2005.

Review from Part II (C)

Kapur R. 2002.The Tragedy of Victimization Rhetoric: Resurrecting the “Native” Subject in International/Post-Colonial Feminist Legal Politics in Harvard Human Rights Journal, Vol.15, Spring 2002 (available at: http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hrj/iss15/kapur.shtml)

b.     Explorations of Feminist Theory focusing on the legal regulation of sexualities: Engaging Legal Discourse from the abstract to the practical

Ethics and Morality

Jaggar.A.M.1998.Globalizing Feminist Ethics. Hypatia vol. 13, no. 2. Spring Issue. (Also appears in the book: Sex, Truth and Power: A Feminist Theory of Moral Reason)

Tan M. 2004 Suppl.Fetal Discourses and the Politics of the Womb. Reproductive Health Matters.United Kingdom. ed.Breer M.

Engaging Rights-based Discourse

Reconceptualizing Human Rights and rights-based positions

Seeking Accountability on Women’s Human Rights: Women Debate the UN Millennium Development Goals, compiled by the Women’s International Coalition for Economic Justice, ed.Barton C. and Pendegrast L. WICEJ, New York,U.S.A.2004.

Correa S. and Petchesky R. Reproductive and Sexual Rights: A Feminist Perspective

Ruiz-Austria C. with Acuba A; Avellano A; Legaspi, R; Padilla, C; Vargas F. 2001.From Mortal Sin to Human Rights: Redefining the Philippine Policy on Abortion, in Womenlead Journal on Law & Culture, Vol.1.No.1

Religious Expression

Ruiz-Austria C.S. Fall 2004. The Church, the State and Women’s Bodies in the Context of Religious Fundamentalism in the Philippines, Reproductive Health Matters, United Kingdom. ed. Breer M.

Reproductive Health Politics, Health Sector Reforms and Religious Conservatism in the Philippines (1964-2004) by Lalaine P. Viado with foreword by Sonia Correa, and After word by Carolina S. Ruiz Austria, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era, ed. Abesamis M. and Francisco G. copyright DAWN, Nigeria December, 2005.

Review from Part II (C)

Barker, I .2002. Disenchanted Rights: The Persistence of Secularism and Geopolitical Inequalities in Articulations of Women's Human Rights http://criticalsense.berkeley.edu/archive/fall2002/barker/1.htm

Supreme Court Cases:

Gualberto vs Court of Appeals

Estrada vs Escritor

Freedom of Speech

Abortion and Free Speech

 Ruiz-Austria C.S. 2005.In Defense of Free Expression: The Legality of Abortion Rights Advocacy in the Philippines, Womenlead Monograph.

Pornography: Legal Debates in Censorship and Classification

MacKinnon C. Sexuality. 1997.Second Wave: A Reader in Feminist Theory, ed. L.Nicholson, pp.158-180, Routledge, New York and London

Segal L.2000.Women Who Censor: Pornographic Battles in Index for Free Expression (News & Analysis).

Mobility, Agency & the Right to Travel

Agustin L.  Migrants in the Mistress’ House: “Other” Voices in the Trafficking Debate

Sexual Exploitation

Prostitution: Where Racism and Sexism Intersect, Vendita Nelson, Michigan Journal of Gender and Law, 1993, Vol.1:81-89

Review from Part III (a)

Conflicts & Interests: Trafficking in Women and the Policies on Migration and Trafficking in the Philippines,” Global Sex Trafficking, Edited by Karen Beeks and Delia Amir, Littlefield Publishers, U.S.A. 2005. (also published as a limited edited Monograph, Womenlead 2005.

Migrant’s Rights & Migrant Workers’ Rights

Langevin L. and Belleau M.C.2000.Trafficking in Women in Canada: A Critical Analysis of the Legal Framework Governing Immigrant Live-in Caregivers and Mail-Order Brides. Faculty of Law Université Laval Québec City, Quebec CIDA

Reflections: Engaging States

Penal Law Focused Feminist Legal Strategies: Reinforcing the Police Character of the State?

Ruiz-Austria C.S. July 2005. Women in Prison, Womenlead Journal on Law and Culture, Vol. 2.

Ruiz-Austria, C.S. "The Tragic Tale of the Philippine women's movement's engagement in law reform, After word in Reproductive Health Politics, Health Sector Reforms and Religious Conservatism in the Philippines (1964-2004) by Lalaine P. Viado with foreword by Sonia Correa, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era, ed. Abesamis M. and Francisco G. copyright DAWN, Nigeria December, 2005.

Feminist Challenges to the Global Economic Order  

Flynn D. and Koffman E. Women, Trade & Migration. Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era from the Module on GATTS (Available at the DAWN Website)

Fraser N. 1989.Women, Welfare and the Politics of Need Interpretation from Unruly Practices: Power, Discourse and Gender in Contemporary Social Theory. University of Minnesota Press.

Fraser, Nancy and Linda Gordon. 1994. “Dependency Demystified: Inscriptions of Power in a Keyword of the Welfare State.” Social Politics 1: 14-31

Nancy Fraser, Structuralism or Pragmatics: On Discourse Theory and Feminist Politics

*Additional Cases and readings may be assigned during the semester