Is there a distinct feminist method of conducting research? How do feminist and decolonial methodologies challenge - or complement - conventional research methodologies? This course provides a framework for thinking about methods and forms of knowledge production from a feminist decolonial perspective. The course examines how feminist scholars challenge dominant theories of knowledge through a lens that recognizes multiple, interrelated axes of inequality.

Goals:

• Students will be familiar with some of the primary source collections on women’s lives at Colgate
• Students will understand how to analyze a primary source

Evidence:

• Students can identify a source, its main content and perspective, and its defining characteristics.
• Students will be able to craft a research question using the sources presented.

Exercise 1 (25 minutes):

• Divide students into 3 groups of two.
• Each group receives 1-2 folders to review and analyze. (10 minutes)
• Groups share what they gathered from the sources. (15 minutes)

Exercise 2 (50 minutes):

• In pairs, students visit “stations” of materials for 5-7 minutes at each. Ask them to review the materials and think about a research question that is inspired from their investigation.
• In last 20 minutes of class, students share their findings.