WGSS is very excited to welcome Erika Alm, visiting professor from Gothenburg University, Sweden, to campus this fall. She will be instructing a course engaging with work stemming from trans* and intersex experiences.

Erika describes her academic background with a paraphrase of cultural theorist and feminist scholar Sara Ahmed: “I believe that education is part of a larger scheme, that of killing joy as a world-making project. It is my firm belief that critical thinking is the basis of sustainable knowledge, and that we all need to be sensitive to material and ideological constrains on knowledge claims and knowledge production.” To me Ahmed’s feminist kill joy is the quintessence of critical thinking: a figure that challenges taken for granted notions and norms and opens up for debates and changes. I hope to get the chance to explore norms on sex, gender and identity within and outside of academia with you this fall!”

Alm’s course (WGSST 5620: Critical perspectives on cisnormativity) engages with norms on sex, gender and identity in relation to the pathologization of trans* and intersex people and the scholarly, activist and community work that has grown out of reactions to such pathologizations. As a class, we will explore temporally and geographically situated examples of cisnormativity, as articulated in medical and juridical contexts, but the main focus will be an engagement with the prolific academic and activist work related to trans* and intersex experiences.

TuTh 3:55PM – 5:15PM
Mendenhall Lab 0175

There is still space available in this class! Don’t miss out on this unique course!