Women’s and Gender Studies
Information
Director of Women’s and Gender Studies
Ula Klein
Department Office: Sage Hall 3457
Telephone: (920) 424-0964, (920) 424-0892
WG STDS
Faculty
|
Baker Beck Burnett Cannon Collien Corley – Schuhart Crotty De Montigny DeMuynck Foss Harper Harris |
Heider Herzberg Klein Kuhl Landry Mouton Murphy Scribner Shaffer Son Subulwa Wilson |
Degrees
- Undergraduate: A major in Women’s and Gender Studies can lead to the degree(s): Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science.
- Graduate: None
Summary of Fields of Study
1. Goal(s)
- Women’s and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that helps us understand the status, experiences and achievements of women. It explores how we create and perpetuate gendered social structures and how these structures affect complicated social issues. Recommended for all students interested in investigating their responsibilities as part of a gendered society and enriching their personal and professional interactions through commitment to both gender equity and activism for social change.
- The curriculum of the Women’s and Gender Studies program is built upon a set of learning outcomes that emphasizes both content and skills. Upon graduating with a Women’s and Gender Studies major or minor, students will demonstrate knowledge of the social construction of gender, systems of privilege and oppression, intersectionality and difference, varieties of feminism and feminist activism, major feminist issues, and the connections between feminist theory and practice. Students will also be expected to demonstrate skills related to research, critical thinking, the application of knowledge, and self reflection about the learning process.
- Comment: Cross-listed courses used to satisfy the unit (cr.) requirement of the major or minor may also count toward another major or minor. Approved Women’s and Gender Studies courses that are taken to fulfill USP and/or degree requirements may also count toward the major or minor.
2. The Major(s)
- The program offers one major: Women’s and Gender Studies
3. The Minor(s)
-
- The program offers one minor: Women’s and Gender Studies
Admission/Graduation Requirements
To graduate with a Women’s and Gender Studies major or minor, students must meet all requirements for the degree being sought, in addition to earning a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all courses applied to their Women’s and Gender Studies major or minor. Refer to the following for complete requirements.
Required Core Courses
- Women’s and Gender Studies 201, 366 or 399, 390, 435
The Major(s), with Emphases and/or Options
Women’s and Gender Studies Major
- Required Credits: 36 minimum
- Required Courses: In addition to the core courses: 12 credits
- Choose one course from each of the following four disciplinary categories:
- Historical Perspectives: Women’s and Gender Studies 328, 334, 346, 351, 386, 396, 450, 451
- Arts and Humanities: Women’s and Gender Studies 224, 225, 243, 265, 315, 316, 317, 318, 324, 332, 335, 345, 347, 360, 391, 395, Anthropology/WG STDS 349
- Social Sciences: Women’s and Gender Studies 204, 205, 232, 260, 302, 303, 305, 306, 307, 314, 320, 330, 331, 333, 339, 342, 343, 344, 350, 353, 368, 392, 397
- Environment, Health, and Natural Sciences: Women’s and Gender Studies 226, 263, 310, 329, 333, 365, 380, 398
- Diversity Requirement: One course must be global in nature, and at least one must cover Gender and Diversity in the United States. These courses may overlap with the disciplinary category.
- Global Diversity: One course from Women’s and Gender Studies 204, 263, 265, 303, 333, 334, 342, 343, 344, 346, 351
- Diversity in the United States: One course from Women’s and Gender Studies 205, 226, 232, 306, 314, 317, 318, 328, 347, 350, 360, 371, 386, 391, 392
- Choose one course from each of the following four disciplinary categories:
- Electives: Sufficient credits from Women’s and Gender Studies offerings to meet the Minimum Requirement.
The Minor(s)
Women’s and Gender Studies
-
- Required Credits: 21 minimum
- Required Courses:
- Women’s and Gender Studies: 201 Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies (3)
- Women’s and Gender Studies: 435 Women’s and Gender Studies Senior Seminar (3)
- Electives: 15 credits from Women’s and Gender Studies offerings.
Certificate(s)
LGBTQ Studies
The LGBTQ Studies certificate is intended to prepare students for the diverse world of the 21st century by concentrating on the study of same-sex sexuality, and sexuality more generally, as well as gender identity and gender expression, concerns that are frequently left out of or briefly covered in traditional fields of study. The certificate is available to students majoring in any field who wish to complement their work with a concentration in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies.
- Required Credits: 15 minimum
- Required Courses:
- Women’s Studies 205 Introduction to LGBTQ Studies 3 crs.
- Electives: 12 credits
- 9 credits from the following list (consistent content):
- English 360
- Political Science 346
- Psychology 224
- Women’s and Gender Studies 306
- Women’s and Gender Studies 310/Biology 310
- Women’s and Gender Studies 318/Religious Studies 318
- Women’s and Gender Studies 328/History 328
- Women’s and Gender Studies 335
- Women’s and Gender Studies/Anthropology 349
- Women’s and Gender Studies 360/Religious Studies 360
- Women’s and Gender Studies 391/English 391
- Women’s and Gender Studies 392
- Women’s and Gender Studies 366/Social Justice 366
- Women’s and Gender Studies 446/Social Justice 446.
- 3 credits from the following list (significant content):
- Anthropology 344
- Sociology 325
- Women’s and Gender Studies 329
- Women’s and Gender Studies 339/Sociology 339
- 9 credits from the following list (consistent content):
No more than 9 credits may also count for the major or minor.
Director: Liz Cannon LGBTQ Studies Certificate Program
Department Office: LGBTQ Resource Center (located in the Campus Center for Equity and Diversity)
Telephone: (920) 424-3462
Email: cannon@uwosh.edu
Course Offerings
| Women’s & Gender Studies 130 | 3 (crs.) |
| Biology of Women | |
| An introduction to the physiology and reproductive anatomy of women including pregnancy, human development, cancer, infertility, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and other health issues. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 201 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies (XS) | |
| Introduction to social scientific analysis of the cultural construction of gender and how it affects women’s experiences past and present. Includes interdisciplinary study of women’s issues in the family, work place, media, education, politics, and other cultural institutions, as well as intersections of ethnicity, class, and gender. Provides an introduction to the origins, purpose, subject matter and methods of Women’s and Gender Studies as a discipline for majors/minors and others interested in the field. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 201Q1 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies (XS) | |
| Introduction to social scientific analysis of the cultural construction of gender and how it affects women’s experiences past and present. Includes interdisciplinary study of women’s issues in the family, work place, media, education, politics, and other cultural institutions, as well as intersections of ethnicity, class, and gender. Provides an introduction to the origins, purpose, subject matter and methods of Women’s and Gender Studies as a discipline for majors/minors and others interested in the field. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 204Q3 | 3 (crs.) |
| Global Perspectives on Women and Gender (XS)(GC) | |
| Course examines women’s status and power around the globe, with a specific focus on the following issues; education, health and reproduction, family, gendered violence, work, the environment, and political representation. Focus on past and present transnational feminist movements to combat oppression and improve the lives of girls and women worldwide. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 205 | 3 (crs.) |
| Introduction to LGBTQ Studies (XS) | |
| This course provides an introduction to the field of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Studies. This course provides an overview of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and identities, with an emphasis on history, psychology, media, and social justice struggles. Course explores the social and historical construction of the lives and realities of diverse people who transgress sexual and gender norms, and examines how institutions, practices, and beliefs foster heterosexism, homophobia, and gender conformity. Individual and collective efforts to eliminate oppression will also be examined. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 218 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women and Sport (XS)(ES) | |
| A course focusing on the social dimensions and the historical and cultural foundations of women and sport in our society. Emphasis will be placed on exploring the changing roles and opportunities in sports for women, as well as how past and current beliefs regarding gender, sexuality, and race and ethnicity shape the experiences of women in sports in our society. Selected topics include: the history of physical education, activity and fitness for women in the United States, barriers/structural constraints facing women in sports, race and ethnicity, women’s health issues, sexuality and homophobia, the role of journalism and the media, career opportunities for women, and the future of sports for women in our society. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 224 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women in Literature (XC) | |
| Representations of women and female experiences in literature. A variety of genres and historical periods may be covered from American, British, and/or colonial literatures. Prerequisite: Any Writing-Based Inquiry Seminar (WBIS 188) or English 101 or English 110. Cross-listed: English 224/Women’s and Gender Studies 224. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Writing assignments will be required. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 225 | 3 (crs.) |
| Images of Women (XC) | |
| Interdisciplinary approach to cultural representations of women past, present, and future. Students cannot receive credit for both WaGS 225/225Q2 and WaGS/Journalism 259Q2 (Body Image in the Media). Only one of these courses can count in the WaGS major/minor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 226Q3 | 3 (crs.) |
| Saving Seeds, Saving Community (ES)(XC) | |
| This course focuses on American ethnic women’s relationship to nature, the land and culture. Through collaborating with local women farmers and reading ethnic women’s writings, we will explore how people’s attitudes toward the land, animals and the earth are influenced by culture, beliefs and values shared by a group of people. Thus, we will begin to understand how people’s world view, their cultural perspective, shapes them. We will see how women’s choice to work the land is also a choice to create a future for themselves, their families and their communities. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 231 | 3 (crs.) |
| Sex, Power, and Public Policy (XS) | |
| Examination of controversial issues of gender that affect equality and power. Includes women’s movement and the search for equality, justice and freedom. Examines political and judicial policies that exemplify success and failure. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 232Q3 | 3 (crs.) |
| Inclusivity and Diversity on University Campuses (XS)(ES) | |
| This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to academia and whether and how it serves diverse populations, with particular focus on women, the LGBTQ community, and multicultural groups. The course focuses on the history and mission of these centers and their current role in shaping campus climate and increasing access or historically underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 243 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women in the Arts: Encounters (XC) | |
| Women in the Arts: Encounters is a team-taught interdisciplinary course which provides an overview of the significant contributions of women in the arts, while offering a critical look at individual achievements and at societal attitudes and limitations which have impacted the nature and direction of women’s artistic output. Students will gain hands-on experience through guided studio work in music, visual art and theater and the combination of these are forms via collaborative projects. Art243/Women’s and Gender Studies 243/Music 243/Theatre 243. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 260 | 3 (crs.) |
| Psychology of Gender (XS) | |
| Study of the psychological theories and research concerning gender in and across cultures. Topics, as they relate to gender, include language and communication, physical and mental development and health over the lifespan, work relationships, education, sexuality, power, and the media. Cross-listed: Psychology 260/Women’s and Gender Studies 260. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: General Psychology 101, 102, 104 or 110; or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 263Q2 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women, Sustainability, Religion: From Green Nuns to Hindu Tree Huggers(XS)(ES) | |
| We all live in bodies, and we all live on the planet Earth. This class explores how women from diverse religious traditions have approached the question of how to live sustainably on this planet, as well as how religious approaches to sustainability affect women’s lives. We will assess this through units on four themes: 1) Wonder and Nature, 2) Food, 3) People and Bodies, and 4) Myth and Ritual. Cross-listed: Religious Studies 263/Women’s and Gender Studies 263, students may receive credit for only one-cross listed course. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 265 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women and Religion (XC)(GC) | |
| This course introduces you to women’s religious experiences in a wide variety of world traditions. We will gain an appreciation for diverse religious traditions and learn how these movements manifest “on the ground.” By learning “religious literacy,” we will have the grounding to examine how gender is performed in specific contexts, and how texts and practices intertwine with both inequity and empowerment. Our work this term will bring together local and global examples in order to prepare you for thoughtful global citizenship throughout and beyond your UW Oshkosh career. Cross-listed: Religious Studies 265/Women’s and Gender Studies 265. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 279 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women in American History (XS)(ES) | |
| This course will focus on the struggle by women to acquire social equity and access to equal opportunity and political rights from the colonial times to the present. Students will learn about key figures in the areas of social reform, the right to vote, and the fight against job discrimination while exploring the larger historical context in which these leaders operated. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 291 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies | |
| A course addressing a topic not normally covered in the curriculum. The topic will be specified each time the course is scheduled. May be repeated with different content. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 299 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Intermediate Independent Study | |
| Supervised undergraduate reading and research. See Independent Study under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form requirements. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 303 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women, Politics and Policy – A Global Perspective (GS) | |
| This is a Comparative Politics course that examines how women’s political power varies across countries and around the globe. The course examines topics such as: women’s representation in government and political explanations for the variation across countries; women’s movements locally and globally and the degree to which they have been able to achieve their objectives; and gender policy that affects women’s political and economic empowerment around the globe, including violence against women policy, family law, social policy, and reproductive health policy. The course is designated as a Global Scholar course; and is cross-listed: Political Science 303/Women’s Studies 303/Social Justice 303. Students may receive credit for only one of the three cross-listed courses. There are no prerequisites. Political Science 101 or 105 is recommended, but not required. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 305 | 3 (crs.) |
| Social Work Ethics in a Diverse Society | |
| Introduces the student to the framework of ethics in a diverse society for generalist practice, focusing in particular on women’s issues. To clarify ethical issues, social workers will need to use ethical concepts paired with social work knowledge, skills and values, when dealing with populations at risk. This course presents the student with basic philosophical theories and moral and ethical decision making models to prepare the student to fully understand the logic systems of the client as well as one’s own values and behaviors. Cross-listed: Social Work 305/Women’s and Gender Studies 305. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Declared Pre-Social Work Major or Admission to the BSW program, or Women’s and Gender Studies student OR consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 306 | 3 (crs.) |
| Trans & Non-binary Lives | |
| This course provides an introduction to trans and non-binary gender experiences in order to create an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of both binary and non-binary transgender individuals. The course explores the theories, history, psychology, and activism of trans and non-binary individuals. Through this course, students will examine cisgender privilege and oppression related to gender identity and expression. Students will utilize narratives of trans and non-binary individuals to explore the historical and current issues facing them. Course counts as an elective for the LGBTQ Studies Certificate. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 307 | 3 (crs.) |
| Discrimination, Gender, and the Economy | |
| Analysis of the experiences of women and ethnic minorities in the economy, extending the traditional interpretations of economic issues to the unique experiences of these groups. Economic tools will be developed, and then applied to such topics as Comparable Worth, Wage Determination, Occupational Choice and Segregation, Poverty, and the Criminal Justice System. Cross-listed: Economics 307/Women’s and Gender Studies/Social Justice 307. Students may receive credit for only one of the three cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: (ECON 101, 201, 202, 208 or 209) AND EITHER (Admitted to the College of Business; Admitted Econ Bus majors; Econ COLS majors & minors) OR (44 credits with no more than 21 credits of 300/400 level College of Business courses and 2.5 GPA) Special fees may apply. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 310 | 3 (crs.) |
| Biology of Gender | |
| Evolution, genetics, development, anatomy, and physiology of gender in humans and other animals. Gender diversity including intersex and transgender. Roles of gender in reproductive and social behavior. Using biology in evidence-based critical thinking about related sociopolitical issues such as endocrine disruptors, defining deviancy, gender-based medicine, and sexual reassignment of infants and adults. Cross-listed: Biology 310/Women’s and Gender Studies 310. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Biology 105 and either Biology 211 (preferred) or Biology 230 or Biology 308, or instructor’s permission. (Fall) | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 314 | 3 (crs.) |
| Native American Women (ES) | |
| This class explores the diverse experiences, perspectives, histories, cultures, and contemporary issues of Native North American women as well as the ethics of research and representation. Relevant topics include family and gender roles, health, alcoholism, education, language, cultural preservation and change. Examples will be drawn from ethnography, ethnohistory, and autobiography. Cross-listed: Anthropology 314/Women’s and Gender Studies 314. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 315 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women and Madness | |
| This course examines women’s experiences with madness, mental institutions, and mental illness. We explore the following questions: what is madness and how has it been culturally defined, why are women institutionalized, what disorders do women suffer from, and what environmental causes lead to women’s mental illnesses? | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 316 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gender and Discourse | |
| Explores gender issues through the framework of public discourse and power dynamics. This course analyzes the public vocabularies through which we understand contemporary issues, examines the interests served by such discourses, and invites discussion on alternative language choices. Students can earn credit for only one of the cross-listed courses: Communication 316 or Women’s and Gender Studies 316. Prerequisites: Communication 104; and Prerequisite or Corequisite for Communication Studies Majors/Minors: Communication 219; or consent of instructor. Prerequisite for Women’s and Gender Studies Majors/Minors: Women’s and Gender Studies 201; or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 317 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gendering Jewish Children Literature | |
| Religion. Race. Class. Gender. All of these variables of identity intersect in the memorable and complex representations of Jewish life found in children’s and young adult literature. In this class, we will consider Jewish children’s literature-both books by Jews and books about Judaism from a gender perspective. How does Jewish children’s literature contribute to the construction and representation of gender roles of families in America? We will study all of these questions (and more). Cross-listed: Religious Studies 317/Women’s and Gender Studies 317. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 318 | 3 (crs.) |
| Religion and Sexuality | |
| In this class, we will explore how religious practice and sexuality intersect, with a particular focus on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer-identified (LGBTQ) individuals in the modern world. By placing LGBTQ issues at the center of study, we will gain a greater understanding of how religious adherents think about the very notion of sexuality itself. We will also become more sophisticated in our ability to engage with civic questions about religion, families, and rights. Cross-listed: Religious Studies318/Women’s and Gender Studies 318/Social Justice 318. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 320 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gendered Lives | |
| Analysis of how gender affects human experiences throughout the lifespan, from infancy through old age. Using insights from social science theories of human development and of gender, explores how males and females are expected to behave, how they actually define themselves, and how they act out or challenge gender prescriptions, at each stage of the life cycle. Cross-listed: Liberal Studies 320/ Women’s and Gender Studies 320. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Concurrent or prior enrollment in Liberal Studies 209 and BLS major with no emphasis; Collaborative Nursing Prgm; Human SV or Criminal Just Online. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 323 | 3 (crs.) |
| Inside-Out Prison Exchange | |
| Focuses on how language shapes our understanding of issues and topics related to incarceration. This course brings together equal numbers of UWO students and incarcerated students at a local correctional institution. Ten joint class sessions are held at the correctional institution. The other three class sessions are held on campus for UWO students and at the correctional facility for incarcerated students. Prerequisites: By Instructor Consent Only. To be considered for a seat in this course, students must complete an interview with the instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 324 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gender in Literature: Optional Content | |
| This course may be offered with different content. With a different subtitle, it may be taken twice with the signature of the department chair. A study of literature from various periods illustrating gender roles in their cultural and social contexts. Cross-listed: English 324/Women’s and Gender Studies 324. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisite: English 281 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 328 | 3 (crs.) |
| History of Sexuality in the United States | |
| This course will explore the complicated and fascinating history of sexuality in America, from the colonial era to the present. As such, it deals with many contemporary issues like contraception, censorship, prostitution LGBT rights, marriage, sex education, sexual assault, and sexually transmitted diseases. Students can only receive credit for one the two cross-listed classes. History328/Women’s and Gender Studies 328. Prerequisites: Junior standing or any 200-level History course or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 329 | 3 (crs.) |
| Body Politics: Contemporary Feminist Debates | |
| This course trains students to utilize feminist frameworks to analyze contemporary debates about women’s and men’s bodies. In the process, students will be introduced to the ways in which bodies, especially women’s bodies, continue to be politicized sites of contestation. Topics for this course will depend on contemporary debates, but will center on: ethical questions concerning bodily autonomy and human rights, healthcare and social policy debates, and issues concerning environmental risks and social justice. Prerequisite: Women’s and Gender Studies 201 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 331 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women and Crime | |
| This course is the study of women and crime, including women as participants and victims of crime, and criminal justice professionals. The course explores the pathways by which women become involved in criminal behavior, the response of the criminal justice system, and the complex worlds women experience on the street and in prison. Prerequisite: Criminal Justice 110 and 270 and at least 12 credits from the following: Prerequisite: CJ Major w/ CJ 244, 270, 281, 288 and at least 2 of the following: CJ 312, 318, 343, 351; OR CJ Minor w/ CJ 110, at least 1 of the following: CJ 244, 270, 281, 288, and at least 2 of the following: CJ 312 318, 351; OR consent of instructor. Cross-listed: Women’s and Gender Studies 331/Criminal Justice 331. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 332 | 3 (crs.) |
| Early Women Writers – Optional Content | |
| This course may be offered with different content. With a different subtitle, it may be taken twice with the signature of the department chair. A study of women writers before 1900. The content will vary from term to term, and may include such subjects as Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Early American, Eighteenth-and Nineteenth-Century Women Writers. Cross-listed: English 332/Women’s and Gender Studies 332. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisite: English 281 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 333 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gender, Place, and Culture | |
| This course will explore how the social category of gender and the organization of gender relations are implicated in, constituted by, and maintained through spatial processes. This course examines feminist thought/theories and explores the ways in which geographers have used feminist thought/theories to study and problematize concepts and experiences of the body, home, place, environment, and culture, among other themes. Cross-listed: Geog/Wg Stds 333. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Geog 202, WG Stds 201, 45 credits, or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 334 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women in Modern European History (XS)(GS) | |
| An examination of the role of women in modern European History from the Enlightenment to the Present. Particular attention will be paid to how women’s work, political participation, and family roles have influenced and have been influenced by industrialization, modernization, and suffrage as well as political movements like democracy, communism, and fascism. Cross-listed: Women’s and Gender Studies 334/History 334. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Junior Standing and 100-level history course or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 335 | 3 (crs.) |
| The Philosophy of Sex | |
| An examination of recent philosophical views of human sexual desire and sexual activity. Questions to be addressed include: what makes a desire, activity, or pleasure sexual? How should we understand the distinction between “natural” and “unnatural” sexual activities? What constitutes consent, and how does consent relate to the moral status of sexual activities? What is sexual objectification, and what should its moral status be? What are gender and sexual orientation, and in what ways, if any, are they related? In the end, should we be pessimistic or optimistic about human sexuality? Prerequisite: One prior philosophy course, or Junior standing, or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 339 | 3 (crs.) |
| Sociology of the Family | |
| The course examines the family system in the U.S. and elsewhere, including the ways family structures both reinforce and challenge gender roles. Sociological and gender-based theories of the family are explored as well as the complex relationships among marriage, parenting, work, and family. Varieties of family experience are considered, with special attention given to issues concerning competing definitions of the family. Cross-listed: Women’s and Gender Studies 339Sociology 339. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Sociology 101 or 151, or 203 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 342 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gender, Law and Policy | |
| This course examines the most significant legal and policy issues relating to gender (the roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes considered appropriate for men and women). The legal system has shaped gender relations for both women and men through regulation of such issues: work, family, education, pay equity, reproductive rights, military service, violence, and social justice. The course offers students the opportunity to engage in a critical analysis of the relationship between law and gender that is grounded in court decisions and legal commentary, and centered on competing theoretical frameworks of gender equality in a democratic society. The course utilizes a comparative approach and draws on case law from the United States, South Africa, regional human rights courts, and UN bodies that interpret international law. The course does not assume prior background in political science, law, or women’s studies; however, previous coursework in any of these areas will be helpful. Cross-listed Poli Sci 342/WG Stds 342 Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 343 | 3 (crs.) |
| Masculinity Across Cultures | |
| By taking a cross-cultural approach with examples from all over the world, the course aims to interrogate notions of masculinity that have become naturalized in wider American society. Some of the topics of the course may include issues of men and violence, emotion, invulnerability, independence, kinship, the body, trans-sexuality, masculinity and national identity, and rites of passage. The course will examine the relationships between particular masculinities and femininities and gendered hierarchies, power, and inequality in culture and society. Implicit in all these discussions will be the relationships between men and women, definitions of masculinity and femininity, gender, gender roles and expectations, and how factors of race, class, and gender shape definitions and expressions of masculinity. Cross-listed: Anthropology 343/Women’s and Gender Studies 343. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 344 | 3 (crs.) |
| Kinship, Gender and Sexuality | |
| Examination of comparative gender roles and the behavior, status, and economic position of the sexes in cultural groups other than contemporary U.S. society. Cross-listed: Anthropology 344/ Women’s and Gender Studies 344. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 345 | 3 (crs.) |
| Twentieth-Century Women Writers – Optional Content | |
| This course may be offered with different content. With a different subtitle, it may be taken twice with the signature of the department chair. Studies in literature written by women in the 20th-century, with emphasis on works by contemporary authors. Cross-listed: English 345/Women’s and Gender Studies 345. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisite: English 281 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 346 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women & Gender Relations in Latin American History | |
| This course will explore the role of women and the construction of gender relations in Latin America since Pre-Hispanic times to the Twentieth Century. It will start with the analysis of these topics among the Aztec and Maya and will next focus on the way in which gender relations contributed to the construction of the colonial world. The course will next look at the position that women played in the nineteenth century and the transformations that affected gender relations towards the end of the century, when new middle-class values began pervading Latin American society. The course will finally examine the way in which the modernization process of the first half of the twentieth century brought women into the public sphere as workers, political leaders, and intellectuals. Cross-listed: History 346/Women’s and Gender Studies 346. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Junior Standing and 100-level history course or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 347 | 3 (crs.) |
| Race, Class, Gender in the Mass Media (ES) | |
| An introduction to the issues of race, socioeconomic class, gender, and sexual orientation focused on representations in media, including film and television. This course examines the interconnected relationship between storytelling and social concepts of identity, using both formal analysis and research-based investigations. Cross-listed: RTF 347/Women’s and Gender Studies 347/Social Justice 347. Students may receive credit for only one of the three cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: RTF Students: Cumulative 2.5 GPA in RTF major or minor and RTF 310: Women’s and Gender Studies Students: Cumulative 2.5 GPA and WG STDS 201; Communication Students Comm 219; Social Justice Minors: Cumulative GPA 2.5 and Social Justice 101 OR consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 349 | 3 (crs.) |
| Archaeology of Gender | |
| This course is a survey of the archaeology of gender; that is how cultural norms, ideals, rules, and expectations about gender shaped personal identity, experience, and relationships in the past. People in the past and present configure gender roles and relations in a multitude of ways, which has led to great diversity in cultures around the world and throughout time. Students will be introduced to the development of the archaeology of gender including the theories and methods applied to studies of gender in the past. In this course we will also address thematic topics including gender performance, masculinity, femininity, and non-binary identities, gendered labor, status and power, as well as sexuality and reproduction. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 350 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women, Race and Class (ES) | |
| Explores how women’s lives are shaped by the intersections of the major socially-constructed systems of differentiation and power: race, class, gender and sexual orientation. Examines how women of color have shaped feminist thought and how all of us can participate together in feminist and anti-racism work. Fulfills Ethnic Studies general education requirement. Prerequisite: Women’s and Gender Studies 201 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 351 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gender in Indian History | |
| This course examines gender in the context of Indian Civilization from prehistory to the present. Instead of focusing on political and economic history, the concern of this course is the development of ideas about sexual identity and normative values regarding the roles of men and women in society. While the majority of the course material will revolve around the history of women, with an emphasis on relationships and family life in Hindu and Muslim Indian culture, some attention will be given to the subject of masculinity and to non-normative traditions. Cross-listed: History 351/Women’s and Gender Studies 351. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Junior Standing and 100-level history course or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 353 | 3 (crs.) |
| Domestic Violence | |
| The course will familiarize students with the problem of domestic violence. Special emphasis will be given to spouse abuse, the cycle of violence, alternatives available to the victim, legal options, and counseling approaches used. Aspects of prevention, community intervention will be explored, along with the historical perspective and contributory factors such as sex-role stereotypes, social violence, and cultural norms. Cross-listed: Human Services 353/ Women’s and Gender Studies 353. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 360 | 3 (crs.) |
| Judaism Since Gender | |
| How have Jewish women, men, and individuals of other sexes lived with Judaism “since gender?” In this course, we will examine the intersection of Judaism and gender among various Jewish communities from the ancient world to the present, with a particular focus on contemporary America. We will consider how the “afterlives” of biblical figures continue to influence modern gender roles; the different and complex ways that bodies have figured in Jewish culture; how Jews are gendered in popular culture portrayals; and some of the changes, renewals, and continuities in Jewish practice and theology that have occurred since the rise of feminist movements. Cross-listed: Religious Studies 360/Women’s and Gender Studies 360. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 365 | 3 (crs.) |
| Gender and Nature | |
| This course offers an introduction to the connections between concepts of gender and nature in the West. It examines ecological feminist theories about the relationship between the domination of nature and the subordination of women as well as the impact of gender differences on ideas and experiences of nature. Topics include: scientific explanations of the nature of gender, the feminization of nature in Western thought, the roles of men and women in the environmental movement, and the gendered division of environmental risk, work, and benefits in contemporary political economies. Cross-listed: Environmental Studies 365/Women’s and Gender Studies 365. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 366 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Service Learning Field Study | |
| In this course, students will apply their Women’s Studies education in service activities in the community related to women’s issues, under the supervision of an individual at the site and a member of the faculty or academic staff. Students will volunteer for a certain number of hours per week depending upon the number of credits they will receive. Students will also write reflective papers that connect their service experiences with relevant readings. Additional work is required for graduate credit. Prerequisite: Instructor permission and 6 hours of Women’s and Gender Studies course credit. (NOTE: The general prerequisites for Independent Study/Related Readings are waived for this course.) | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 368 | 3 (crs.) |
| Sociology of Gender | |
| Analysis of the social construction of gender, which shapes the lives of men and women through the organization of roles or patterns of expectations related to order in society, including sex-typed behavior and self-expression, sexualities, the division of labor, the organization of households, parenting, power and gender-based forms of discrimination. Sociology 368/Women’s and Gender Studies 368/Social Justice 368. Students may receive credit for only one of the three cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Sociology 101 or 151, or 203 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 371 | 3 (crs.) |
| African American Women Writers – Optional Content (ES) | |
| This course may be offered with different content. With a different subtitle, it may be taken twice with the signature of the department chair. An examination of work by African American women writers such as Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, Alice Walker, Paule Marshall and others. Cross-listed: English 371/Women’s and Gender Studies 371. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisite: English 281 or consent of instructor. 371/571 | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 380 | 2 – 3 (crs.) |
| Women’s Health: Issues and Nursing Practice | |
| An overview of the health care of women from a nursing perspective. The status of women as health care professionals, as well as clients in the health care system, is explored. Aspects of health promotion and female health related problems are studied with the incorporation of psycho-socio-political aspects. Content related to childbearing will not be addressed. Open to majors and non-majors. Cross-listed: Nursing 380/Women’s and Gender Studies 380. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. (Elective) | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 386 | 3 (crs.) |
| Women in the United States | |
| The status, work, role, and leadership activities of white, Native American and African American women in United States history. Exceptional women, and the feminist, suffrage, and liberation movements examined within the perspective of the life and attitudes of the mass of women in the United States. Cross-listed: History 386/Women’s and Gender Studies 386. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisites: Junior standing or any 200-level History course or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 390 | 3 (crs.) |
| Feminist Thought and Practice | |
| Explores the distinct but intersecting explanations for women’s personal, professional, and political conditions, as well as various recommendations for improving or transforming those conditions. This course may be offered using different content. When cross-listed with different departments or offered using different subtitles, it may be repeated for credit with consent of director. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 391 | 3 (crs.) |
| Queer, Trans, and Non-Binary Literature – Optional Content | |
| This course explores representations and stores of how gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and queer (LGBTQ+) people shape culture and identity before, during, and after the Stonewall Rebellion and is organized around LGBTQ+ activism and its relationship to other forms of American activism such as feminism and the Civil Rights movement. Cross-listed: English 391/Women’s and Gender Studies 391. Students may receive credit for only one of the two cross-listed courses. Prerequisite: English 281 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 392 | 3 (crs.) |
| Queer Theory/Queer Lives | |
| As a school of thought and method of analysis, queer theory provides a range of theoretical approaches that challenge fixed, essentialist identities, drawing attention to the incoherencies in the allegedly stable sex/gender system. This course provides a survey of contemporary arguments and critical terms used in the field of queer studies. Emphasis will be on using queer theory as a lens to analyze cultural representations of queerness (in fiction and film), examining the ways in which selected cultural representations frustrate and delegitimize heteronormative knowledges and institutions. Prerequisites: Completion of 30 or more credits AND Women’s and Gender Studies 201 or Women’s and Gender Studies 205 OR consent of instructor. Cross-listed: Women’s and Gender Studies392/Social Justice 392. Student can only receive credit for one of the two cross-listed courses. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 395 | 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics in the Arts and Humanities | |
| A course on a topic not normally covered in the curriculum. Each time it is offered, the topic will be announced in the timetable. May be repeated with different content. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 396 | 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics in Historical Perspectives | |
| A course in historical perspectives not normally covered in the curriculum. Each time it is offered, the topic will be announced in the timetable. May be repeated with different content. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 397 | 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics in the Social Sciences | |
| A course in the social sciences not normally covered in the curriculum. Each time it is offered, the topic will be announced in the timetable. Maybe repeated with different content. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 398 | 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics in the Environment, Health and Natural Sciences | |
| A course in the environment, health, and natural sciences not normally covered in the curriculum. Each time it is offered, the topic will be announced in the timetable. May be repeated with different content. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 399 | 3 (crs.) |
| Special Topics for Off-Campus Study | |
| A course designed for off campus study of women’s and/or gender issues that provides students an opportunity to engage with other cultures and societies. Information on specific trips, fees, transportation, and trip expenses will be announced each time the course is scheduled. May be repeated with different content. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 435 | 3 (crs.) |
| WGS Senior Seminar | |
| A capstone seminar for the Women’s and Gender Studies program, designed for exploration of topics from a feminist perspective. Multidisciplinary approach, allowing students to combine work in their major field with Women’s and Gender Studies research, if they wish, using both primary and secondary sources. Prerequisite: Completion of 12 credits of Women’s and Gender Studies courses or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 445 | 3 (crs.) |
| African American Civil Rights Rhetoric | |
| This course explores African American civil rights activism through the frameworks of rhetoric and gender. Topics include both the challenges faced by civil rights activists and their contribution to the movement. Integrated throughout the course is an analysis of persuasive documents and events, including speeches, photographs, marches, and slogans. Prerequisites: COMM 214 and COMM 219 or Coreq COMM 368, or WG STDS 201, or SOC JUST 101, or AF AM 100; or instructor consent. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 446 | 1 – 3 (crs.) |
| Independent Study (XS) | |
| See Independent Study under Course and Academic Advisement Policies information for general course description, general prerequisites, and proper contract form. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 450 | 3 (crs.) |
| Rhetoric of the US Women’s Rights Movement 1848-1920 | |
| This course introduces students to primary rhetorical texts of the U.S. women’s rights movement, from 1848 to 1920. Emphasis on the analysis of the arguments, appeals, and ideas of the movement. Social Justice 450/Communication 450/Women’s and Gender Studies 450. Students may receive credit for only one of the cross-listed courses. Prerequisites for Majors/Minors: Communication 104 and 219; and Prerequisite or Corequisite for Communication 368 or consent of instructor. Prerequisite for Women’s and Gender Studies Major/Minors: Women’s and Gender Studies 201 or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 451 | 3 (crs.) |
| Feminist Rhetorics and Social Change | |
| This course explores feminist activism in a variety of forms and contexts. Integrated throughout the course is an analysis of iconic images, speeches, marches, protests, and digital activism. Students can earn credit for only one of the cross-listed courses: Communication 451/ Women’s and Gender Studies 451 /Social Justice 451. Prerequisites for Communication Studies Majors/Minors: Communication 104 and 219; and Prerequisite or Corequisite for Communication Studies Majors/Minors: Communication 368 or consent of instructor. Prerequisite for Women’s and Gender Studies Majors/Minors: Women’s and Gender Studies 201; or consent of instructor. | |
| Women’s & Gender Studies 474 | 3 – 6 (crs.) |
| Honors Thesis | |
| The Honors Thesis is one of two options offered to Honors students to meet the senior capstone requirement of The Honors College. Students who choose the thesis engage in research as an independent study over two semesters (fall/spring or spring/fall) with the support of a faculty advisor. They decide on a topic in their major or minor, address recent scholarship, develop a prospectus, and produce a substantial work (e.g., a written thesis, scientific experiment or research project, or creative arts exhibit or production). At the end of the term in which the capstone is completed, students give presentations at the Honors Thesis Symposia. Credits are applied to the respective department or unit. Prerequisites: In good standing with The Honors College, prior enrollment in HNRS 175Q and HNRS 275Q, and senior status. | |