GSS 440 - Matters of Life and Death: Biopower, Necropolitics, Sex

In this course, we will investigate how definitions of life and death have evolved over the last two centuries and how those definitions have shaped American culture and policy. We will ask who is empowered to make decisions about who lives and who dies and by what authority; what bodies are included and excluded in discussions of bio- and necropolitics; and how gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion frame and become framed by matters of life and death.

Matters of Life and Death will run through the Inside/Out Prison Exchange Program. Half of the class will be comprised of traditional Davidson students, and the other half will be comprised of incarcerated students on study-release at the Center for Community Transitions (CCT) in Charlotte. Transportation will be provided to class at CCT; we will depart at 1:00pm each week. An interview with the instructor will be required of all students seeking to enroll in this course.

Satisfies a requirement in the Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.