Transcript Gender diversity in the curriculum

Diversity
in the
Curriculum
Department of Philosophy
AAM dissemination event
October 2015
Gender under-representation in Philosophy

Paucity of female philosophers at post-graduate level,
and beyond

Undergraduate level – good balance of genders

PROBLEM: why are so few females pursuing
philosophy after completing undergraduate study?

REASON for problem (one of them): philosophy as a
discipline – across the sector, internationally – is
perceived as ‘male’

ACTION to be taken: increase the visibility and profile
of female philosophers, especially in our UG curriculum
Society for Women in Philosophy
SWIP UK is an organisation of UK women in philosophy, including
students and professionals, working within or outside academic
departments. http://www.swipuk.org/
SWIP UK's aims are






to facilitate co-operation between women in philosophy

to end discrimination against women in philosophy
to support women in philosophy
to promote philosophy by women, past and present
to foster feminism in philosophy and philosophy in feminism
to collect information of interest to women in philosophy
to raise public awareness of discrimination against women in philosophy,
past and present
Society for Women in Philosophy
SWIP UK is an organisation of UK women in philosophy, including
students and professionals, working within or outside academic
departments. http://www.swipuk.org/
SWIP UK's aims are






to facilitate co-operation between women in philosophy

to end discrimination against women in philosophy
to support women in philosophy
to promote philosophy by women, past and present
to foster feminism in philosophy and philosophy in feminism
to collect information of interest to women in philosophy
to raise public awareness of discrimination against women in philosophy,
past and present
These can be addressed within the curriculum
From BPA/SWIP guidelines:

Departments should help to break down stereotypical
associations of philosophy with maleness, for example by
striving for diversity in seminar speakers, syllabi and course
reading lists.
Addressing gender balance in the
curriculum

Semesterly review of modules at module boards;
reflective discussion, including reflection on gender
representation on the syllabus/reading list

Commitment by teaching staff to strive to improve
gender balance

Involvement of students in our curriculum design:

All sub-Honours modules replaced in 2015-16

Involvement of students from the Society for Women
and Minorities in Philosophy in our new module
planning – 3 UG members funded as interns
URAS
interns
Celia Coll
Honours student
Eleanor Mullin
Honours student
Philosophy Student President
Marissa Wallin
Honours student
President of Women and
Minorities in Philosophy
Society
From BPA/SWIP guidelines:

Departments should help to break down stereotypical
associations of philosophy with maleness, for example by
striving for diversity in seminar speakers, syllabi and course
reading lists.

It is worth also worth giving thought to how women are
included. Adding women in the final week of a module, or
only to provide a feminist perspective, can give an
impression that women’s contributions are secondary or
limited. Ideally, they should be fully integrated into the syllabi.
Interns’ suggestions:
Week 6: Beauty, aesthetic and artistic judgements
• The relationships between judgements of beauty, aesthetic
judgements, and judgements of artistic value.
Nick Zangwill, ‘Aesthetic Judgement’ (in Stanford Encylopedia
of Philosophy)
Jennifer A. McMahon, ‘Beauty’ (in Routledge Companion to
Aesthetics)
Crispin Sartwell, ‘Beauty’ (in Stanford Encylopedia of
Philosophy)
Further Suggestions by interns:

Marcia Muelder Eaton- “In What Does Beauty Consist?” (in
“Contemporary Debates in Aesthetics and the Philosophy of
Art” ed. Matthew Kieran).
This article provides an accessible and clear introduction to
beauty, addressing initial intuitions about the nature of beauty
and discussion common conceptions of the definition of beauty.
It extends over other material relevant to the course, offering a
brief introduction to Kant and nature appreciation. As an
overview article it brings together several of the topics the
course covers in an accessible article.

Carolyn Korsmeyer- “Terrible Beauties” (also in
“Contemporary Debates”).
Korsmeyer presents an account of the complexities in defining
beauty, using the paradox of “terrible beauties”, the paradox of
tragedy as a basis for her discussions. The article is interesting
and relevant insofar as it demonstrates why defining beauty is
so difficult.

3/5- 60%
Week 7: Hume and Kant
Hume on the verdicts of true judges and their scope for
disagreement. Kant's universalism about value.
David Hume, ‘Of the Standard of Taste’
Noel Carroll, ‘Hume’s Standard of Taste’ JAAC 43:2 (1984)
Carolyn Korsmeyer, ‘Taste’ (in RCA)
Elisabeth Schellekens, ‘Taste and Objectivity’ Philosophy
Compass 4:5 (2009)
Immanuel Kant, ‘Critique of Judgment’ (extracts)
Donald Crawford, ‘Kant’ (in RCA)
Further Suggestions by interns:

Michelle Mason, “Moral Prejudice and Aesthetic
Deformity: Rereading Hume’s “Of the Standard of Taste”.
This is a good supplementary article for students interested in
Hume. It elucidates the relationship between aesthetic
deformity and moral content. Mason explores the difficulty that
comes from Hume apparently being unable to engage with
artworks prescribing ethical judgements different from those of
the percipient. She then raises the more general questions
about how Hume’s linking of moral content and aesthetics can
be defended. The article is largely accessible and draws on
Carroll’s work regarding “Of the Standard of Taste” as well as
offering a new interpretation.

3/ 6 50%
Society for Women and Minorities in
Philosophy – mentorship scheme