240135 UE Guided Reading (2020W)

There have been heated arguments around both political and individual aspects of BDSM (short for Bondage & Discipline, Dominance & Submission, and Sadism & Masochism / Sadomasochism) practices and communities. For example, there have been arguments around whether practising BDSM should be seen as a mental illness or whether it contributes to mental health; whether it should be prohibited by law; and whether it is moral or immoral. Additionally, BDSM has been examined in terms of gender and race politics (e.g., asking whether BDSM ‘is’ sexist or anti-sexist; racist or anti-racist) as well as, more recently, from queer/trans and critical disability perspectives.
In this course, we critically engage with these interrogations from multiple perspectives, gaining a fuller understanding of the practices and politics of BDSM. We focus specifically on arguments about whether BDSM draws on and reproduces gendered and racialised power dynamics; as well as its embeddedness in the ‘circuits of power’ (Weiss 2011) of modern capitalism. Additionally, we ask whether BDSM can provide a space in which, for example, queer and trans people can try out and renegotiate gendered and bodily experiences; in which racialised trauma can be addressed; and in which disability can be engaged with and reframed.

The primary working language in this course is English. However, all participants are warmly invited to use and contribute their other languages as well.

My approach to learning spaces is based on emancipatory, queer and Black feminist perspectives (see e.g. the works of bell hooks, Patricia Hill Collins and Paulo Freire). Consequently, the aim of such spaces is not rote learning and regurgitating facts that are simply assumed to be true. Instead, I want to focus on jointly shaping an interactive knowledge process that involves our experiential knowledge and positionings in the world as well as a critical approach to societal power relations and norms.

The COVID-19 pandemic means that in-person sessions may be difficult or impossible to conduct. Because of this, the current plan for the course is as follows (and it may need to be changed during the semester):

First and last session: webinars with all participants
For the rest of the sessions, participants will be divided into two groups. In each biweekly session, each group will only be present for 1.5 hours so that we can keep a safety distance from each other.

Additionally, there will be learning groups throughout the semester. These will consist of 4–5 participants each. The aim of the learning groups is to provide a space in which the texts can be discussed ahead of and in addition to the in-person sessions that I will take part in. (This can be done online or in person, depending on how the situation develops.) For each session, one member of the group prepares the respective texts in more depth (e.g. by doing some research on the authors and preparing questions for discussion). Additionally, each learning group posts a summary of the main points they discussed, open questions, etc. on moodle ahead of the respective session.

Finally, there will be peer-teaching groups of 3–4 participants that prepare asynchronous sessions on topics related to academic reading, such as strategies for reviewing literature, etc. Asynchronous means that they will not require everyone to be online at the same time. Instead, peer teaching groups devise methods to enable participants to engage with the respective topics in their own time. (I am happy to provide support in developing/choosing such methods.)

Taking part in the in-person sessions is strongly encouraged. However, I will ‘check’ neither attendance nor participation.