FEMINIST LECTURE PROGRAM SUMMER RECORDINGS SERIES!
Dear students and fellow critical theory lovers!
As we take our yearly sabbatical over the summer months to prep for what is already shaping up to be a LIT September term, we wanted to make sure that we’re feeding your curious minds as we all melt in this heatwave, so we’ve cooked up a series of our core program recordings (some of which have never been released on our archive), and we’re making them available to you at a Pay-What-You-Can Price! All these lectures are delivered by our founder and director Luisa-Maria MacCormack. Luisa is an artist, researcher and educator specializing in Feminist Art History and with a particular interest in Ecology, Magico-Religious Practices and our Deep Past.
FLP is an entirely un-funded program that brings you cutting edge Feminist Education at a pay what you can price, every single donation matters to us no matter how large or small, so please give what you can truly afford so we can keep our pay-what-you-can system flying high for the long haul 😎
LECTURE DESCRIPTION
This session will explore one of the strangest theories in western medical history; ‘The Wandering Uterus Theory’, its almost unbelievable origins, and its ongoing complicity in the subjugated status of the female body in Western Medicine.* In this session we will be using the word female inclusively, to represent all self identifying women, femmes and thems who own a uterus, and those who don’t too.
Beginning with a brief tour of misogyny in ancient medicine, this session will explore the history of the Wandering Uterus theory in the ancient world, tracing its sinister evolution through the middle ages, the era of victorian medical men, and through to our own time.
The second part of the session will explore how the Wandering Uterus Theory evolved over time to become synonymous with ‘Hysteria’ (from the greek Hystera: Womb); another sex-selective disorder, this time associated with mental illness. This part of the session will explore the concept of hysteria, and the danger of yet another cover-all diagnosis which at one point consisted over 67 pages of symptoms - most of which are synonymous with the perfectly normal functioning of the female body.
In the final part of the session, we will explore the ongoing legacy of millennia of medical oppression, exploring how these theories linger under the surface of modern medicine. By scrutinising historical medical treatments for hysteria and acknowledging the gradual recognition of the mind-body connection, attendees will gain insights into the persistent gender biases in medicine and the ongoing challenges in achieving gender-inclusive healthcare.
THIS RECORDED CLASS IS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY.
CLASS EXPIRES ON 8TH SEPTEMBER
ABOUT OUR LECTURER
The Director of The Feminist Lecture Program, Luisa-Maria MacCormack (she/her) studied Textiles Design at London College of Fashion before turning to Fine Art and studying at the Royal Drawing School in 2014. A practicing artist as well as lecturer and Creative Director, Luisa has recently completed her MA at City and Guilds of London Art School. A founding member of the London Drawing Group since its inception in 2016, Luisa teaches drawing, and Feminist Art History classes across London, as well as exhibiting regularly in solo and group shows across the country. Her work specializes in Feminist Art History and with a particular interest in Ecology, Magico-Religious Practices and our Deep Past.
WEBSITE: https://www.luisamariamaccormack.co.uk/
INSTAGRAM: @luisamariamfineart
DONATE TO FLP
Love what you’re seeing? Help The Feminist Lecture Program to keep our Pay What You Can ticket model, and to continue scheduling an incredible line-up of lectures by donating a little extra.
You can send us a ‘tip’ via our PayPal link here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/my/profile
ALL SUMMER CLASSES
ANA MENDIETA: SOIL, DIRT AND THE BODY AS EARTH
QUEER MYCOLOGIES
SOFT SCULPTURE AND FEMINIST ART PRACTICE
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI: THE MAKING OF AN ICON
FEMINISM AND FAIRYTALES
SHAMANESS: THE FEMALE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF OUR DEEP PAST
HYSTERICAL BODIES: GENDER, MEDICINE AND THE WANDERING UTERUS
ALBRECHT DURER: INVENTING THE WITCH
RECORDING DETAILS
This is a recording only lecture. You can access this class as soon as you book by heading to the online event page. The expiration of the recording is listed in the description.
Please ensure you watch the class before the recording expires as we may not be able to provide extensions.
PAY WHAT YOU CAN
Everyone is welcome to join this Pay-What-You-Can class. We suggest a donation of £20, however, we understand that may not be possible for everybody. Please be honest and pay what you can afford so that we can continue to offer our sessions on a donation basis.
MORE FLP…
Can’t get enough? The Feminist Lecture Program has our very own digital archive, where you can find some of the best past lectures from our back catalogue to rent and watch ON DEMAND. Check out our ever growing collection here: https://thefeministlectureprogram.vhx.tv/
Follow us on Instagram @thefeministlectureprogram
And check out our sustainable merch from FLP Studio at https://feministlectureprogram.com/shop & @flp__studio
And that's it!
We're really looking forward to you joining us x