GERST 1131

FWS: The Commune

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

How can we reorganize society based on principles of shared resources, direct democracy, gender equality, and mutual aid? For centuries, radical thinkers have responded with the same answer: the commune. In this seminar, we will consider socialist, anarchist, and feminist proposals for how to live and work outside of the confines of the single-family home. The readings will cover a wide range of genres and historical periods: from first-hand accounts of the Paris Commune of 1871 to fictional communes in utopian literature and reports on intentional communities in the Ithaca area. In this seminar, students will gain experience writing in various genres. They will refine their writing skills through regular revisions and targeted exercises to develop their voice, use of sources, and close readings.

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