Trailer
Course modules
In our first class, we'll explore queer ecology through a case study on mycology. We'll consider how our scientific understanding of mushrooms has been influenced by mycophobia, a fear of fungi. Connecting mycophobia to queerphobia, we'll discuss how cultural views limit our understanding of fungal systems.
In our second class, we'll explore endosymbiotic theory, a concept introduced by Dr. Lynn Margulis in 1967 in her work "On the Origin of Mitosing Cells." Rejecting the focus of competition, Margulis explores how living things work together through mutualism, cooperation, and vitality. Even though her paradigm shifting theories were contested for decades, ongoing research has supported her for over 50 years, earning her the nickname "vindicated heretic.”
In the third class, we'll explore how ecological knowledge has been shaped by capitalism, economic theories, and the eugenics movement. We'll dive into readings by biologists who aim to challenge, rethink and recast our understanding of how organisms interact.
In the fourth class, we'll shift from the work of biologists to environmental humanities texts by Myra Hird and Stacy Alaimo. We will explore concepts like transgression, non-linearity, embodiment, and trans-corporeality to enhance our understanding biological realities, including queerness.
In the fifth class, we'll explore the work of the radical and luminous scholar Donna Haraway, particularly her ideas around the power or “partial perspectives”, which complicate claims to objectivity.
In the final class, we explore the fertile soil beneath both queer ecology and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. We will discuss where they cooperate and amplify one another, and where they are in tension. Patty talks about future directions — queer and liberatory futures — both personally and collectively.
