Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (August 7 at 10 am – August 31 at 4 pm): $185
Regular Registration Price (August 31 at 4 pm – first day of class): $203.5

Members, seniors, and students get a 10% discount.

This seminar is full. Please call (312) 255-3700 to be added to the wait list.

Mark your Calendar!

The Newberry Bookstore will re-open on August 14, and you will once again be able to find most of your assigned books for sale there.

Seminar Description

This seminar will explore The Second Sex, moving beyond the tome’s most famous line: “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” Originally published in French in 1949 and now required reading for students of contemporary theory, this foundational work influenced a generation of American feminists. We will analyze de Beauvoir’s detailed exposition and consider in particular how she predicted current gender tensions.

Four sessions. E - $185, L - $203.50

Susan Lyons focuses her scholarship on the intersection of capitalism and humanism. With both MBA and MLA degrees, she brings varying perspectives to the tensions surrounding feminism. She also studied gender theory at Paris VIII's Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, founded by French feminist Hélène Cixous.

Materials List

Required:

• Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, translated by Borde and Malovany-Chevallier, Vintage, May 2011. ISBN: 978-0307277787

First Reading:

For the first class, please read:

• The Introduction, Translators Note and Part One: Destiny (pp. ix – 68) of Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex.
• The link that will be sent upon registration, in the confirmation email.

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.