Abya Yala, a term in the Kuna language refers to the continent known today as 'the Americas’. Indigenous women, along with queer, trans, and two-spirit individuals in Abiayala, have played a pivotal role in activism and resistance against settler colonial powers and their allies. The primary emphasis will be on the life experiences and ways of knowing of Indigenous individuals and Native feminist thought. We will examine literary and cultural works created by scholars, artists, activists, and movements within the context of Abya Yala, while also considering the transnational dialogue and exchange that occurs as Indigenous bodies constantly move across borders and territories. The course covers various topics, including environmental care and justice, reproductive justice, gendered violence, cultural reclamation, rematriation, and Indigenous futurisms.

This upper-level seminar will introduce you to complex theories of gendered and sexual identity from the perspective of music and sound. Considering insights from the intersection of feminist studies and ethnomusicology, we will develop a critical stance toward the study of gender and sexuality as we explore the power dynamics that play into the social construction of the body. We will examine how manifestations of sound and gender can be structurally mobilized to reproduce oppression across different socio-cultural setting over time. Simultaneously, we will also explore how these form sites of performative resistance that also challenge and defy structures of power through projects of reclamation centered in music and art. Furthermore, this course critically engages with the wide variety of approaches and discourses from musicians and activists around the world working to further LGBTQIA+ rights, while also considering how these (successfully and problematically) manifest in unique ways in relation to race, class, gender, religion, and nationality across varying social contexts from around the globe. Prerequisite: Any 200-level music or FGS course or Music 301 or Music 360. 1 unit - Carrizo.

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of Latina feminist histories, theories, and testimonios (personal narratives) centered on the experiences of incarceration. Students will examine how carceral spaces—such as juvenile detention centers, state-run boarding schools, and foster homes—have criminalized, punished, and isolated young women of color, particularly Latinas. Drawing on feminist and abolitionist frameworks, we will critically analyze the ways in which race, class, gender, and sexuality intersect within the experiences of incarcerated girls, exploring the structures and narratives that perpetuate their criminalization. Additionally, the course will explore how young Latina women have responded to and resisted these systems of oppression by creating spaces of agency, care, love, and mutual aid. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with a critical lens for understanding the impact of the criminal justice system on Latina girls and will engage in discussions about strategies for justice, healing, and abolition.