Folklore and Folklife - Courses - Fall 2003 - FOLK 247 601: Gender, Genre and Power

For more information about Folklore and Folklife,at UPenn, contact Professor Dan Ben-Amos at dbamos@sas.upenn.edu.

For assistance with the Folklore and Folklife website, contact Linda Lee at lindalee@sas.upenn.edu.

FOLK 247 601 Gender, Genre and Power

J.Li
Lecturer: Wednesday 5:30-8:40 p.m.
Contact: lijing@sas.upenn.edu

Gender is culturally and socially constructed. Expressive traditions are one of the main forces in the process that reflect, define and shape the interpretations of gender in our societies and cultures constantly. How do
folk narratives depict the idealized female images, helpless priceless, capable housewives, benevolent fairies, or warriors in different cultures? How do women construct their identities through some unique genres in
expressive traditions including quilting, ritual and religious performances, pottery, music, dance, life stories or even their self-invented writing system? How do women use their expressive forms to resist/subvert unbalanced
power relationships and create meanings for themselves in daily life?

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