Jill Locke

Professor Jill Locke teaches a range of courses in the history of political thought, democratic theory, and feminist theory and is currently Director of the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies program (through 2021). During the 2019-2020 academic year, Professor Locke's courses include: Political and Legal Thinking (fall/spring); Sex, Power, and Politics (fall); Living a Feminist Life (GWS 380: Colloquium/Capstone) (fall); Revolting Children (POL 399: Sr Seminar) (spring); and Feminist Political Thought (POL 380) (spring).

In addition to several articles and essays, Professor Locke is also the author of Democracy and the Death of Shame: Political Equality and Social Disturbance (Cambridge University Press, 2016). She has presented her work on shame and shamelessness at universities and colleges throughout the US and Europe, specifically the University of Amsterdam, University of Jyväskylä (Finland), University of Oslo, University of Vienna, London School of Economics, Macalester College, and Minnesota State University (Mankato, MN). Professor Locke is currently working on a new project, tentatively titled Revolting Girls: From Little Rock to the Climate Strike, about youth activism and the ways in which the figure of the "the girl" circulates in both political theory and activist politics. She  has had the opportunity to share that work with colleagues at McMaster University (Canada) and the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.

Professor Locke has held fellowships from the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation (1999-2000), the Center for Ethics and Public Affairs at Tulane University (2006-07), and the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study, where she participated in Professor Danielle Allen's Egalitarianisms seminar (2014-15). Professor Locke won the 2017 Gustavus Adolphus College award for Faculty Scholarly Accomplishment and plans to be on sabbatical AY 2021-2022.

Professor Locke can often be found out for a long run with Piper, her hyperactive dog, or curled up with Piper and a page-turner novel. 

Courses Taught