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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Feminism and Social Justice by University of California, Santa Cruz

4.8
stars
5,989 ratings

About the Course

"Feminism and Social Justice" is an adaptation of Distinguished Professor Bettina Aptheker's long-running course at UC Santa Cruz. In the course, Professor Aptheker presents a broad definition of feminism that serves to frame three significant events in the history of feminism and social justice: the Empire Zinc strike of 1951, the 1971-1972 trial of Angela Davis, and the #metoo Movement....

Top reviews

SC

Apr 11, 2021

It was a wonderful introduction on the vast studies on Feminism abd Social Justice. It made desire to learn more and to study how feminism as a movement has operated in my country in the last century.

VK

Jul 16, 2021

The course gave me various insights and exposure to feminist and black struggles in the American polity. I could some leads from the lessons which might be useful to work on my future research papers.

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26 - 50 of 1,481 Reviews for Feminism and Social Justice

By Giulia S C

Apr 27, 2020

incredible course to think about feminism and social justice history in the USA. we are becoming more powerful and the world will change with us. More we - women- know more power we have.

I hope that more and more classes and other people will join the movement. Feminism is about women, equality, sustainable development, racism. the more feminism, the better the world will become

By Kenneth A

Oct 5, 2021

This was a short, enjoyable and insightful course. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about taking it. Even though it is taught by an American white feminist, the ideas and principles are universal, and can be contextualised with your own culture, country and tradition. Many thanks to everyone who made this online course for our intellectual enrichment.

By Ali M

May 28, 2022

This was an extremely informative course for me to learn about some of the major events in feminist history. The lectures were super engaging, and the movie we watched was really eye-opening. The only thing I wish about this course is that it were longer! I went through the whole thing in a couple of days just because I couldn't stop watching. Thanks!

By Gloria O

Jun 5, 2019

This was an enlightening course! I had a limited understanding on the issues around feminism and social justice and I got listen to perspectives from many angles. And the Professor Bettina is great.

By Salwa A

May 27, 2022

the course was so empowered me as a woman who lives under patriarchy world to break all the rules and stand for my own

By Esther A

Jun 24, 2019

I have found the course of great help, giving me a whole thorough look at the social justice movement and feminism.

By Tanya L

Jul 14, 2019

This course gives me a better understanding of what ferminism is.

By Stefanie P

Dec 4, 2020

love the professor but the course is a quick fix if you want to learn about feminism.

By Christos G

Feb 21, 2021

It depends what you expect from a course like this. The course presented some cases that formed modern feminism. I wanted to present concepts, the ideological pillars of feministic movement.

By ALBIN K L

Sep 23, 2020

it was very helpful course for me to know deeply about what feminism is. i could understand what is equality means. thank you.

By Yana S

Apr 25, 2021

Very interesting and inspiring! And even being rather short, the course contains lots of historical facts and good cases and shows how all these things are connected. Hope some day I will use those cases told by Professor Bettina Aptheker in my new podcast devoted to awareness among Ukrainian women that they live in a very hostile environment and that this must be changed. Cause we still have a high level of domestic violence and at work and during studying women face harassment all the time.

Recently my two colleagues (both journalists) talked about the 8th of March and a demonstration of women in Kyiv, the capital, the slogan of it was "The pandemic has a woman's face". Because cases of violence against women in Ukraine really became a separate epidemic during the lockdown, but women began to tell about it publicly more and more. So, my colleagues (women) at the beginning of the podcast said that they cannot remember some violence or hostility against themselves. But at the end they began to remember, yes, there were several cases of hostile behaviour from men's side in their life: at a university, at school, at work, in the street... So. Women just often think its normal, I mean, that this is like a part of life that they cannot avoid and even their memory doesn't save those cases as violent ones. Awful. Must be changed!

By Emma B (

Nov 10, 2020

As a rising feminist who wanted to understand the history of the movement and the current movement better, along with learning about the intersectionality of different forms of oppression, this course was exactly what I was looking for. The first week of the course was really an introduction, that explained what feminism is and what components it has. The second week was about a workers strike in the 1950s, and in addition to misogyny, addressed classism and racism and the intersectionality of all of it. Week 3 was about the Angela Davis case in the 1970s, and I found it really fascinating. The fourth week was much more modern and dealt with the #MeToo movement and how that has changed the way we look at sexual violence against women. The instructor was very impressive, and it was cool that she was involved in a lot of these cases/movements, because it helped me understand what it was like firsthand. The course is also not very taxing, as I'm in school right now taking a lot of honors classes, but through extra time during the week and on the weekends I was easily able to finish it early. I found this course very interesting and educational, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a deeper look on feminism.

By Wati S

Aug 6, 2023

I had the privilege of enrolling in Bettina Aptheker's course on Feminism and Social Justice, and it proved to be an extraordinary and enriching experience. As a student seeking to expand my understanding of these critical subjects, I was pleasantly surprised by the course's exceptional blend of accessibility and depth.

Professor Aptheker's teaching style is both engaging and approachable. She has a unique talent for presenting complex ideas in a manner that is easy to digest, making the course suitable for students with varying levels of familiarity with the topics. Her passion for the subject matter shines through her lectures, discussions, and reading materials, creating an inspiring learning environment.

One of the course's most commendable aspects is its emphasis on delving deep into the core concepts of feminism and social justice. Professor Aptheker masterfully explores the historical context, theoretical foundations. Thank you Professor Aptheker, University of California, Santa Cruz and Coursera

By Barbra A

May 2, 2020

First and foremost, I would recommend all women with a lack or little understanding on feminism or female social justice that have an interest in the area to enroll for this short course.

I am very privileged to have been a part of the Feminism and social justice journey. I have appreciated and learnt that we as women, we should at all times uplift each other to promote social justice without discrimination.

Also, I have learnt that Rape is an offence that no woman should keep silent on because it is unjust and against your human rights, because one has not consented to this kind of violence.

When women take part in events, it only makes progress easy as it is more facilitated rather than only men enforcement.

Lastly, I encourage all women to focus on bettering themselves for themselves and not to solely rely on men for progress, happiness among others because only doing this makes you vulnerable to male oppression and criticism.

By Tina P

May 26, 2022

Grateful for this amazing journey through the history of Feminism and Social Justice with the renowned Bettina ApthekerOpens in a new tab! In this University of California, Santa Cruz course, Professor Aptheker presented a broad definition of feminism that served to frame three significant events in the history of feminism and social justice: the Empire Zinc strike of 1951, the 1971-1972 trial of Angela Davis, and the #metooOpens in a new tab Movement. The most extraordinary moment was when Dr. Aptheker shared that she was a childhood friend of Angela Davis and was deeply involved in her defense. Needless to say, I was mesmerized as Dr. Aptheker shared the facts of the case along with her firsthand knowledge of what transpired.  It was truly an incredible experience to hear Bettina Aptheker's lectures. Thank you University of California, Santa CruzOpens in a new tab for making this course available through CourseraOpens in a new tab!

By Silvia A D P

Jul 20, 2020

I really loved this course. I learned a lot throughout the course, it became too short for how much I liked it, now all that remains is to continue reading, inform myself and continue learning about feminism and social justice. The topics discussed were not boring at all and I can only thank deeply for all that new knowledge and awareness that I acquired. I can say with complete honesty that this course allowed me to clarify some of my ideas about feminism and offered me a totally new vision on topics that I had not considered much either because of my privileged situation or because they have never happened to me. I just hope to put this new knowledge into practice and try to put the seed of questioning our behavior in the people around me.

By Reema K

Apr 29, 2021

Loved the crisp yet deep overview of historical and contemporary contexts of the feminist and social justice movement which has implications from across various sections of society and system. Thank you Professor Bettina Aptheker for your genuinely passionate and curiosity-led course which left a lot of room for thinking about these issues in current contexts and our own place and time. Strangely enough, it also helps lend credibility to many pervasive experiences of injustice in our daily life- private or public and this course helps one with the vocabulary and confidence to process, contextualise and postulate one's experiences and understanding in charged current times especially in India and the world.

By Nupur B

Apr 27, 2021

It was a very informative and interesting course. I Really liked the way of teaching of the professor. She was well versed and a knowledgeable resource person. I have learnt the basics of feminism and understood the working definition of feminism even the purpose and importance of feminism in todays era.

Topics like Empire ZINC movement, Angela Davis' trial, arrest and prosecution were incredible.

#METOO Movement has helped me identifying the societal changes that have prevailed in our society and even in the whole world.

It has also helped me to analyze the effects of various feminism movements that have taken place until now.

Overall it was a great experience studying this course.👍

By Eliany A M D

Jul 6, 2020

Un buen curso que permite ampliar el entendimiento acerca de la interseccionalidad, la mujer, la raza, la etnia interrelacionadas, para la opresión y discriminación.

Considero que estos tipos de cursos deben extenderse, y además hablar sobre feminismo en los colegio, en la clase de historia, porque algo que he notado es que esta parte de la historia esta oculta, negada, y excluida de los curriculas e identidades del estudiantado. El mundo debe conocer los logros feministas, las niñas deben reconocer que su mundo es distinto, que puede gozar de ser niñas y mujeres libres, propias de su personas, gracias a estas luchas y reivindicaciones feministas a lo largo de la historia.

By soumya p

Apr 8, 2020

I really enjoyed the course and was able to finish it way before the stipulated time because of how much i could relate to the experiences shared throughout the course. The discussion forum was really informative as well as the question aimed to get a more wholesome understanding of how abuse operates in different parts of the world and reading through it really made me feel like women essentially have the same experiences throughout the world. Some of the cases studied during the course took place before I was even born and reading about them really helped me in broadening my understanding of how social movements and Feminism has evolved over centuries of struggle.

By Завьялова Л И

Mar 30, 2020

The course Feminism and Social Justice is really great! Thanks to Bettina Aptheker, I know more of the history of feminism and how it developed. Incredibly interesting, quite brief and powerful, it made me think of the current social environment in my country and in the world in general. As a consequence, I should say I am ready to spur into immediate action to help people treated unfairly. Moreover, the professor is very knowledgeable. She managed to make many complicated concepts into easily understandable parts. I would definitely recommend the course to my friends and acquaintances as the information given here is worth knowing and studying.

By Camila

May 20, 2021

This course is a great introduction to feminism and social justice through case studies that reflect on the weeks topic. I enjoyed Bettina Aptheker's approach to the lessons and I feel like I learned a lot about the history of feminism and social justice movements in the US. As I said, this is a great introductory course, as it teaches with examples and especific court cases to support the point being made. I find amazing that someone who is a prominent activist and writer offers such an accesible course. I would definitely take another course with her on whatever topic she wants to teach, that's how much I enjoyed having her as an instructor.

By Desiree E

Jun 21, 2022

This course - Feminism and Social Justice taught by Professor Bettina Aptheker is an eye-opener to the struggles of women in the world, especially as it relates to sexual violence, racial oppression and discrimination. This course has been critical to my understanding of gendered violence and the intersectionality of class, race and gender in accessing social justice. The well-explained references to notable times in history has not only been enlightening, but has helped me to reflect on better ways to champion the fight against sexual violence in my home country. Professor Aptheker is a great teacher and she made my learning seamless.

By roya D

Feb 17, 2022

During this period, I learned useful things about women's rights, and my awareness of the struggles of the women's equality movement increased. I became acquainted with the historical and cultural context of the women's movement. I also learned that the real liberation of women from oppression and discrimination in its various forms is impossible without the further spread of social justice. Achieving the ideal of women's liberation requires fighting all dimensions of the roots of oppression of women. Poverty, class status, race, gender, etc. are all intertwined factors, and the struggle for equality is a struggle on all these fronts.

By ESTEFANIA L B C

Aug 4, 2020

Fue un curso bastante satisfactorio para adentrarme a entender que significa feminismo y justicia social , lo recomiendo al 100 por ciento , la profesora te explica de una manera básica como estos términos se relacionan con otros para que toen un significado mas general pero a la vez cambia a través del tiempo y observamos esto con ejemplos de épocas anteriores y las comparamos con casos que suceden hoy en día en nuestro tiempo y como aun estamos en una lucha constante para que la mujer sea considerada en todos los ámbitos existentes igual a u hombre pero en el sentido de igual que verán en el curso , igual en humanidad