Jessica Pruett joined the faculty at Kenyon in 2023 after spending two years as a faculty member at Lawrence University. Her research and teaching focus on queer and feminist social movements, intersectional feminist theory and cultural studies. She is currently working on a book manuscript entitled “Sisters Unite: Popular Culture and the Lesbian Feminist Future,” which analyzes the role that political conflict played in lesbian feminist communities during the 1970s. This project foregrounds the contributions that trans women and women of color made to lesbian feminist politics during this period, complicating homogenous depictions of lesbian feminist communities.
Her academic writing has been published in the journal Transformative Works and Cultures and the edited collection tumblr book: platform and cultures.
Areas of Expertise
Queer history, intersectional feminist theories, popular culture
Education
2021 — Doctor of Philosophy from Univ of California Irvine
2021 — Doctor of Philosophy from Univ of California Irvine
2016 — Master of Arts from Univ of California Irvine
2014 — Bachelor of Arts from Arizona State University
Courses Recently Taught
This course provides students with critical frameworks for thinking about the social construction of gender at the personal and institutional levels. Emphasis is placed on diverse women’s significant contributions to knowledge and culture; to other areas of gender studies, including men’s studies, family studies and the study of sexuality; and to the intersections of various forms of oppression both within and outside of the U.S. The course includes both scholarly as well as personal texts, visual as well as written text. This counts toward the introductory requirement for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS/GSS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. No prerequisite. Offered every semester.
In this course, we read both historical and contemporary feminist theory with the goal of understanding the multiplicity of feminist approaches to women’s experiences, the representation of women and women’s relative positions in societies. Theoretical positions represented include liberal, cultural, psychoanalytic, socialist and poststructuralist feminism. We explore the relationship of these theories to issues of race, class, sexual preference and ethnicity through an examination of the theoretical writings of women of color and non-Western women. This counts toward the concentration and the mid-level requirement for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS/GSS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. Prerequisite: any WGS/GSS course, approved departmental course. Offered every other year.
This course provides the opportunity for those students taking WGS 481 in the spring to plan the course. Students select a topic, order books, plan the syllabus and design a project. In addition, they read about course design and pedagogy so that they are prepared to take responsibility for collaboratively teaching the course in the spring. Offered only on a credit/no credit basis. This course is required for the major. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. No prerequisite. Senior standing.
The senior colloquium is organized around a theme determined by senior majors and concentrators in consultation with the instructor during the semester prior to the beginning of the course. Previous topics include "Women and Madness," "The Politics of the Bathroom" and "Gender and Tourism." This course is required for the major. Prerequisite: GSS 480 or permission of instructor. Offered every spring.
This course provide students with critical frameworks for thinking about the social construction of gender at the personal and institutional levels. Emphasis is placed on diverse women’s significant contributions to knowledge and culture; to other areas of gender studies, including men’s studies, family studies and the study of sexuality; and to the intersections of various forms of oppression both within and outside of the U.S. The course includes both scholarly as well as personal texts, visual as well as written text. This counts toward the introductory requirement for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. Offered every semester.
In this course, we read both historical and contemporary feminist theory with the goal of understanding the multiplicity of feminist approaches to women’s experiences, the representation of women and women’s relative positions in societies. Theoretical positions represented include liberal, cultural, psychoanalytic, socialist and poststructuralist feminism. We explore the relationship of these theories to issues of race, class, sexual preference and ethnicity through an examination of the theoretical writings of women of color and non-Western women. This counts toward the concentration and the mid-level requirement for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. Prerequisite: any WGS course, approved departmental course or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
