Academic Theme

Since the rise of the “third wave,” feminists have sought to problematize the centrality of the “White Western Woman” in classical feminism. Among these approaches are alternative feminisms developed from the unique experiences and struggles of Indigenous women in the Americas. These Indigenous activists and scholars have challenged the exclusion of their histories and voices within hegemonic feminist traditions. This course explores the work of pioneer figures from Domitila Barrios de Chungara (Bolivia) and Rigoberta Menchú (Guatemala) to the Zapatista women (Mexico). As we read texts by and about Indigenous women, we will explore the relationship between Indigenous feminisms and other feminist traditions; the unique concepts of indigeneity, gender, and class in these movements; and the reasons that Indigenous feminists connect women’s struggles to the broader resistance struggles of Indigenous communities.

“Mujeres custodias,” mural by Mona Caron in Quito, Ecuador.
Read more

Solving Wicked Problems: Technology, Literature, and the Brain

Wicked problems proliferate everywhere, from climate change to public policy, education, health, discrimination and political polarization; wicked problems are complex, contradictory and dynamic and do not fit tidy disciplinary categories. Technology is often seen as a key source of solutions, but, as we have seen over the last decade, it often brings with it biases, problematic algorithms, and ethical dilemmas. This course posits culture, and literature in particular, as a way to productively study and assess wicked problems and potential technological solutions. Since Mary Shelley penned Frankenstein and The Last Man in the early nineteenth century, literature has invited its readers to think deeply about new technologies, its possibilities and its dangers, enabling readers to model possible scenarios and evaluate risk, to place technology within the context of the human condition. This course will begin with Bram Stoker’s Dracula and its response to technology of the Victorian era and will then move to a plethora of recent literary works that engage with postmodern technology. This course has no prerequisites and invites students interested in all disciplines to participate. Readings will include literary works by such authors as: Charles Dickens, Ian McEwan, Susanna Clark, Patricia Lockwood, and Nnedi Okorafor. During discussions of these texts we will consider a variety of theories about how reading literature increases the imaginative capacity of the brain, and about the relationship between technology, culture, and ethics including concepts from such books as: Sheila Jasanoff's Ethics of Invention, Adam Greenfield's Radical Technologies: the Design of Everyday Life, Safiya Umoja Noble's Algorithms of Oppression, Paul B. Armstrong's How Literature Plays with the Brain, and Shoshana Zuboff's Surveillance Capitalism.

" DSC03184 - Tangled" by archer10 (Dennis) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Sep 6: Camila Thorndike, “The Fight for U.S. Climate Policy”

Camila Thorndike has organized across eight states and D.C. for climate action and progressive change. As a legislative assistant to Senator Bernie Sanders, she worked on key elements of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in U.S. history. Camila co-founded Our Climate, a national youth advocacy nonprofit, and led the campaign to pass 100% renewable electricity in the District of Columbia. At Whitman she was a student activist, ‘08 Westie, and Environmental Humanities major. After graduation, Camila served in the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution; led outreach for a regional land use planning process in Arizona; and spearheaded public engagement for a musical about fossil fuels. In 2020 she received a master’s degree as an environmental fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Sep. 17: Floods in Pakistan Awareness Campaign

by South Asian Student Association (SASA)

Pakistan has declared a national emergency: a third of the country is drowning. More than 30 million people have been displaced, and the resulting floods have hit more than 1.5 million homes. As of September 7, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that the floods have resulted in 1,355 deaths (including 481 children and 273 women). More than 1.5 million houses have been partially or entirely damaged, around 800 schools (600 in Balochistan alone) were destroyed, and 246 bridges and 6,579 km of road sections have been affected.

We held an awareness session Saturday Sep. 17, 4–5 p.m. in the Reid basement. We also set up an awareness and donation table at Cleveland during lunch time. For more information about donating, please email Kainat Ansari.

Oct. 27: Youth Climate Justice Panel 1

A video recording of this event is available to members of the Whitman community:

Meet the speakers for the first panel of the Youth Climate Justice and Activism Speaker Series! Javan Santos (co-speaking with Louise Stephens) and Selina Leem are youth activists bringing diverse perspectives on the climate crisis to campus. Each will be discussing their work, highlighting how climate justice fits into what they do and how climate action is necessary regardless of age or experience.

Javan Santos is the Policy Manager for the Climate Initiative, currently based in Washington D.C. He is a proud CHamoru, indigenous to the Pacific Island of Guam in the Marianas Islands. He has worked in policy for over eight years, his notable achievement being passing a plastic bag ban into Guam law as a youth representative in the Guam Youth Congress when he was a student. Working in policy since high school, Javan hopes to help young people have access to understanding policy and our government to inform their climate solutions. With the Climate Initiative, he does that by creating state-level policy toolkits and hosting programming on climate policy. In his spare time, Javan loves to play Pokémon, cook CHamoru desserts, and write articles on climate issues and issues facing the Pacific Islander community.

Louise Stephens will be a co-speaker with Javan. She has worked on environmental issues throughout her entire career. She joins The Climate Initiative team after helping set the conservation strategy at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, TN. She has conducted sustainability research for Walt Disney World and, before that, was with Manta Consulting and IMPACTS Research & Development where she focused on projects for nonprofit clients. Louise holds a BA in History from Whitman College and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Selina Leem is a climate justice, spoken word performer, and a poet from the large oceanic nation of Aelōn̄ Kein Ad, the Marshall Islands. Crediting her late grandfather for her deep awareness of the fate of her home, she has made it her mission to globally raise awareness about the climate crisis. Representing the Marshall Islands at the age of 18, Leem was the youngest delegate at the COP21 (the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris). Alongside the Marshall Islands' Foreign Minister Tony deBrum, she delivered the closing statement for their country. Leem went on to many other global stages to speak on behalf of her people, using storytelling and spoken word—most recently becoming a TED speaker at the 2021 TED Countdown Summit.