I'm excited to me back in the class, discussing and learning with students. I thought I would share parts of my Queer Theory course on this space so people can see what we'll be doing--and of course, I always welcome suggestions and critical feedback. This course is cross-listed between Women's Studies and Philosophy. One goose at a time Curious about the subtitle, "One goose at a time"? Join us on October 5 to discuss Alex Johnson's "How to Queer Ecology: One Goose at a Time." I taught a … [Read more...]
Welcome to the man cave?
I am puzzled and fascinated by the gendering of inanimate objects, such as when "lady" cars have eyelashes stuck over the headlights. More recently, I have been both puzzled and irritated by the gendering of a space: a "man cave"-decorated medical clinic that I visited. The DriverCheck man cave Immigration paperwork sent me deep into industrial Kitchener. The closest service provider was DriverCheck, a company that specializes in occupational medical assessments. They formed specifically to … [Read more...]
Are tribbles trivial?
I’m disturbed by the trivial way in which tribbles are treated within the Star Trek universe. The Tribble Handbook describes these creatures as “the most fabulous furballs in the galaxy!” (p. 1). Further, Star Trek supposedly represents a futuristic society that has solved many of the ethical, social, and political challenges we face today. Despite these points, Star Trek’s treatment of tribbles tends to parallel contemporary problems with how we human animals conceptualize and treat … [Read more...]
Reflections on accountable research in philosophy
What is a philosopher's accountability for their research? To whom am I accountable as a researcher? My philosophical research tends to focus on current social and political issues (for example, Canadian policy and surrogacy or organizational diversity). Despite being embedded philosophically in applied problems, I'm still attracted to "armchair philosophy." This term often refers to a philosopher who primarily relies on their intuitions rather than information about the world. I imagine this … [Read more...]
Can Haraway’s vegan meet animals responsibly?
Recently I finished Donna Haraway's When Species Meet (University of Minnesota Press, 2008). This post isn't about how great the book is. It's really, really great. This post is about my frustration with Haraway's descriptions of veganism, specifically vegan views about abolitionism, or abolishing entirely our use of animals. Why I read this book Like many feminists, I think abstract, universal moral claims usually miss the mark. Except when it comes to animal ethics. On issues such as … [Read more...]