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Requirements and Curriculum

Note: This information reflects the 2007-08 course catalog.

Requirements

Requirements for the completion of the women and gender studies major

10 courses in women’s and gender studies, plus senior project. These courses include four core courses, 130, 380, 495 and a theory course, usually coms/wgst 342; three area courses (one from each of three areas); and three electives, at least two of which much be at the 300-level or above.

Areas include Culture and Society (185, 201, 202, 242, and linguistics 141); Global Studies (337, 350, 468, and approved J-term study-abroad courses); and Literature (243, 245, and 361)

Electives include 138, 200, 260, 290, 330, 342, 352, 370, and a number of courses housed in other departments that count toward women and gender studies, such as Spanish 460 (Latin American Women Writers). Those courses vary; see semester course listings from the registrar.

Requirements for the completion of the women’s and gender studies minor

All students take 130 and 485 as required for introduction and capstone experiences. Students must complete four other courses from at least two divisions (humanities, social sciences, sciences), one of which must be at course number 200 or above. Relevant 139, 239, 339, or 439 courses may count.

Students completing the women’s and gender studies minor are encouraged to use their senior papers, independent study, and/or professional internships as a means of further exploring the study of women in their particular fields of interest. Students may petition the women’s and gender studies board to have relevant independent study and/or internships meet minor requirements.

Curriculum

130 Introduction to Women and Gender Studies 4 hours

The course introduces theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of women and men. It examines reasons for the increasing scholarly interest in gender and encourages students to reflect on the application of gender scholarship to their other academic courses. No prerequisite. Offered alternate years. (HB, W)

138 Human Sexuality 4 hours

A study of the field of human sexuality. The origins of sex roles, myths, stereotypes, and realities of this important aspect of life will be presented. The complexity of the sociological, psychological, biological, and legal components of the sexual being will also be included. The class is open to all students on campus. (Same as nursing 138.) (HB)

139, 239, 339, 439 Special Topics Credit arr.

155 The Black Family 4 hours

Examination of the development of the black family from historical, sociological and literary perspectives. Includes assessment of the effects of urban poverty on family life. Varying patterns of family life in contemporary black America will be considered. (Same as Africana studies 155.) (HB, Hist, Intcl)

185 First-year Seminar 4 hours

A variety of seminars for first-year students offered each January term.

186 Service Learning in Crisis Intervention 1 hour

Building on the knowledge and skills learned in sw/wgst 185 (Crisis Intervention: Interpersonal Violence), this course will provide students an opportunity to engage in a service-learning field experience and seminar. The field experience and seminar will allow students to blend their educational goals around the issues of interpersonal violence with the needs of local communities. Service-learning plans will be designed to meet the skills, abilities, and interests of the students while addressing community issues related to interpersonal violence. A minimum of 40 hours will be spent in a service-learning field placement. Under the guidance of the instructor, students will plan, prepare, implement, and evaluate their service learning. A two-hour seminar will be held every two weeks throughout the semester. (Same as social work 186.) Prerequisite: 185 (Crisis Intervention: Interpersonal Violence) offered only to first-year students during January term, or consent of instructor.

201 American Diversity 4 hours

What is diversity? The course will examine this complex question, asking students to examine American cultural stories about differences such as race, ethnicity, class and gender, how difference is experienced by people themselves, and the implications of each of these for social equality and inequality. In the examination of social equality’s promise and reality’s fact, the course will pay particular attention to groups of people that have been marginalized in American society. (Same as anthropology 201.) (HBSSM, Intcl)

202 Gender and Culture 4 hours

Women and men alike are defined by cultural expectations and roles which often deny their full human needs and expressions. Selective cross-cultural readings, films, and novels will be used to explore the religious, ideological and cultural forces which shape women’s and men’s lives within different societies. (Same as anthropology 202.) (HBSSm, Intcl)

220 Women and Gender in the Classical World 4 hours

This course explores the constructions and representations of women and gender in ancient Greece and Rome through an examination of textual, art historical, and archaeological evidence. The course also addresses the intersections of women’s and gender issues with issues of legal status, class, and ethnicity, and pays close attention to current scholarly methodologies and approaches to the subject. (Same as Classics 220.) (HEPT)

242 Sociology of Gender 4 hours

Examines the gendered structure of our everyday lives; makes gendered assumptions and practices explicit; and uncovers the impact of gender in the social world. Emphasis on historical and cross cultural constructions of gender that provide alternatives to gender inequality and a basis for social change. Prerequisite: sociology 101. (Same as sociology 242.) (HBSSM)

243 Time of Stalin: Literature and Memoirs 4 hours

This course, through the medium of literature and memoirs, focuses on Russia/Soviet Union in the early years after the Bolshevik Revolution (1917) until Gorbachev’s glasnot and perestroika. Students will learn about the rise of Stalin, the time of terror and purges at the height of Stalin’s regime (mid 1930s), WWII, the “Thaw” after Stalin’s death in 1953, and the implications Stalinism has on present-day Russia. We will seek answers to the questions of how Stalin was allowed to rise to power, retain political control, and instigate policies that caused the deaths of approximately 20 million Soviet citizens—many of whom were Bolsheviks and loyal members of the Communist Party. Literary readings include memoirs, poetry, and novels. A significant part of the course concerns the role of women in the Bolshevik Revolution and their fate under Stalinism. This course fulfills requirements of international studies, women’s and gender studies, and Russian studies. The course is taught in English and readings are in English. (Same as foreign culture 243.) Offered alternate years. (HEPT, Hist, Intcl)

245 Literature by Women 4 hours

A study of how women writers from different historical periods use poems, stories, essays, and plays to address gender issues in the private and the public world. The course looks a how literature both presents and critiques culture and its construction of gender, as well as how it offers new visions and choices for women and men. Readings include such writers as Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Maxine Hong Kingston. Prerequisite: Paideia 111. (Same as English 245.) (HEPT)

260 Feminist Philosophy 4 hours

Examination of feminist philosophies, including issues in epistemology, ethics, social philosophy, political philosophy, philosophy of religion and historical interpretation. Focus on the challenges which feminist theory presents to traditional philosophical assumptions in the Western tradition. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy, or two courses in women’s and gender studies. Offered alternate years. (Same as philosophy 260.) (HEPT)

290 Gender and Women’s History 4 hours

Faculty teaching this course will focus on the history of gender within their own period of expertise. The course will examine such gender questions as: Why and how should we study the history of gender? What do gender roles from the past tell us about our own gender experience? How do the historians of men and women as gendered persons intersect? The course will focus on these questions as they are related to the history of work, family, politics, and social behavior for the particular period and nation the instructor selects. (Same as history 290.) (HBSSM, Hist)

330 Gender, Health and Medicine 4 hours

This course will explore the cultural, historical, political and economic dimensions of health and medicine, paying particular attention to the way gender, race, ethnicity, and class shape health experiences. We will also examine inequalities in health care and health outcomes, especially how inequalities such as racism, poverty, and sexism can create and perpetuate poor health. Using cross-cultural examples from around the globe, we will examine such topics as: the politics of health care delivery; international health care policy and development programs; the medicalization of women’s bodies; and community based health care activism. By comparing a diversity of health experiences across cultures we can carefully examine the ways in which culture helps constructs perceptions of health and effective delivery of health care. Offered alternate years. (HBSSM, Intcl)

337 God and Gender 4 hours

An investigation of how our understanding and experience of gender are connected to our views of God, human beings, and the natural world. The course explores the works of a variety of thinkers and pays special attention to issues raised by feminist theologians who stand both inside and outside the Christian tradition. Possible topics include: language about God, human sexuality, views of women in the Bible, the nature of biblical authority, the feminist movement, the men’s movement, images of nature in Western religious thought, and the ordination of women. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: one of religion 101, 111, or 112. (Same as religion 337.) (Rel, HE, Intcl)

342 Feminist Rhetorical Theories 4 hours

This course is a study of feminist rhetorical theories and expression. The class reads texts by feminist rhetorical theorists and rhetors. Special emphasis is placed on the intersection between social, cultural, and economic contexts, political influences, and rhetorical strategies of women rhetors challenging Western patriarchy. Prerequisites: 130 or communication studies 132. (Same as communication studies 342.) Offered alternate years. (HBSSM, HE, Hist, W, S)

350 Gendered Activism in a Global Context 4 hours

This course will explore varied expressions of activism at the community, national, and transnational levels, asking in what ways activism can be gendered and what gendered activism actually means for the lives of men and women around the world. Our understanding of gendered activism is informed by a richly comparative perspective that deals with topics such as war, peace, poverty, and globalization, and draws from ethnographic materials that give voice to activists from diverse regions of the world. Offered alternate years. (HB, Intcl)

351 Women and Crime 4 hours

Examines women’s experiences as both victims and perpetrators of crime and deviance, in the U.S. and internationally. Analyzes the history and theory of women’s criminal activities, the social construction of women’s victimization, and the impact of culture, structure, and inequality on women’s behavior. Prerequisite: sociology 101. (Same as sociology 351). (HBSSM)

362 Gender and Sexuality In Asian Religions 4 hours

This course will explore the construction of gender and the role of sexuality in the religious traditions of South and East Asia. It will investigate gender and sexual politics in primary texts and institutional settings. In addition, the course will analyze feminist readings of scriptures and institutional policies from within and without the respective traditions. Particular emphasis will be given to Asian feminist theories. Prerequisite: one of religion 101, 111, or 112. (Same as religion 362.) (Rel, HEPT, Intcl)

370 Queer Theory 4 hours

This course examines the possibilities and limitations of queer theory, beginning with its history, antecedents, and the social context in which it emerged. Using primary texts, students will focus on new ways of thinking about identity that emphasize the openness, fluidity and performance of gender, sexuality, class and ethnicity. In the end, students will be asked to address the applicability of these theories for better understanding social identity and its consequences for individuals, groups, and society. Prerequisite: 130. (HB)

468 Seminar: Gender, Globalization and Development 4 hours

In this course we will examine the phenomena of globalization and development from a sociology of gender perspective. We will focus on the global intersections of contemporary societies and cultures, and the gendered dynamics therein. Questions we will raise include: How does globalization affect women’s and men’s lives? How is power distributed, and how does this impact development processes? What impact do gender dynamics play in the social institutions of development: economic, political, and cultural? (Same as sociology 468.) Prerequisite: sociology 101. (HBSSM, Intcl)

485 Senior Seminar 4 hours

An interdisciplinary seminar on women’s social action and social change as it is understood and guided by feminist theories. The conflicts and contradictions among feminisms will be discussed and critically examined in terms of implications for the future of gender relations. Students will develop projects related to course materials. Prerequisites: 130. (W)

490 Senior Project 1, 2, or 4 hours

493 Senior Honors Project 4 hours

A year-long independent research project. Applications are completed on the “Honors Program” form available at the registrar’s office, requiring the signatures of a faculty supervisor, the department head, the honors program director, and the registrar. Interdisciplinary projects require the signatures of two faculty supervisors. The project must be completed by the due date for senior projects. The completed project is evaluated by a review committee consisting of the faculty supervisor, another faculty member from the major department, and a faculty member from outside the major department. All projects must be presented publicly. Only projects awarded an “A-” or “A” qualify for “department honors” designation. The honors project fulfills the all-college senior project requirement.