This course introduces the student to the broad and interdisciplinary field known as Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies. It is designed to make students aware of the new discoveries in feminist and gender studies research and to focus on many aspects of the female experience and the social construction of gendered identities. The course is designed to help students understand different theories and methodologies in diverse disciplines and to treat areas such as literature, history, psychology and the arts through an issue-oriented approach. Meets Gen Ed - Social Science Perspectives. Meets World Cultures Requirement.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 102. This course will interrogate the concept and practice of feminism from various locations outside of the U.S. Students will examine the political, cultural and socio-economic structures that promote or inhibit activism on women's lives and issues. Meets Gen Ed - Global Cultural Perspectives. Meets World Cultures Requirement.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 102. How did feminism begin in Europe and America? This course studies the birth of feminism as an international political movement and explores its growth in response to Western social developments from 1750 to the mid-twentieth century.
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 100 or SOCI 102 or SOCI 104 or SOCI 106 or SOCI 113 or SOCI 201. This course focuses on men and masculine identities in the United States and other countries. It reviews how masculine identities are constructed in everyday lives and how societies shape such identities. In this class, we will examine the construction of masculinity in different areas such as work, school, sports, family and other social relationships. We also explore the diverse experiences of masculinities based on race, ethnicity, class and sexual orientation. Mutually Exclusive with SOCI 208.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 200 or GSWS 201 or GSWS 208 or SOCI 208. This course examines a wide variety of feminist theories which illustrate the many ways in which issues of gender can be interpreted. Recognizing that gendered identities are molded by such factors as class, race, sexual orientation and national identity, this course explores the issues of difference among women and the role of theory in conceptualizing such differences.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 200 or GSWS 201 or GSWS 208 or SOCI 208 or RELG 221 or EDFD 220 or HUMN 201 or HUMN 202 or HUMN 285. The exploration of a topic related to Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies which is either not covered in the curriculum or which deserves more in-depth treatment than is possible in an existing course. The specific topic will be announced each time the course is offered. May be repeated two times (as long as the topic is different) for a maximum of 9 credits.
Prerequisite(s): ENFL 208 or ENGL 230 or ENGL 234 or ENGL 237 or ENGL 238 or ENGL 239 or ENGL 250 or ENGL 252 or ENGL 260 or ENGL 262 or ENGL 263 or ENGL 274. A study of Asian American literature and film through the lenses of gender and sexuality. Topics addressed will include major issues in Asian American literary studies, such as orientalism, intersections of race and gender, changing gender roles, the invention of "tradition," bachelor societies, queer sexuality, family, intergenerational issues, war, and colonialism and empire. Ethnic groups addressed might include Chinese American, Filipino American, Hmong American, Japanese American, Korean American, South Asian American, and Vietnamese American, among others. Mutually Exclusive with ENGL 308.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 102; or HIST 100 and HIST 117; or HIST 100 and HIST 118. This course focuses on female migrants from the late nineteenth century to the present. Using an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on historical studies, it considers issues of work, family, sexuality, and identity formation for migrant women past and present. Questions to explore include: what distinguishes the experiences of migration for women; what are the continuities and differences for women across time, ethnicity, and geography; how do historians, sociologists, anthropologists, and others, as well as the migrants themselves, understand female migration; what do women gain and lose through migration, and why a gendered approach to migration studies is crucial. Mutually Exclusive with HIST 314.
Prerequisite(s): JUST 204 or JUST 205 or GSWS 301 or departmental approval. Victimology is the scientific study of victims including the relationship between the victim and offender, the victim and the criminal justice system, and the victim with other societal institutions. The goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the subject of victimology in the context of Criminology and Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies. The course will be presented in three parts: Research and theory on victimization, Exploration of special topics in victimology, and Historical and Contemporary practical responses to victimization. Mutually Exclusive with JUST 316.
Prerequisite(s): HUMN 201 or HUMN 202 or GSWS 201; or departmental approval. This course explores representations of medieval and early modern women, gender, and sexuality in literary, artistic, and musical media that were produced in continental Europe. Paying particular attention to works - e.g., manuscript illuminations, songs, texts - produced by, for, and about women this course transcends disciplinary boundaries and draws on a range of methodological approaches. Mutually Exclusive with HUMN 345.
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 300, JOUR 210, JOUR 211, WRIT 204, ENWR 205, WRIT 206, WRIT 207, ENWR 250, or GSWS 201. This course exposes students to writing-as-social-action through intensive study of the topic of sexual violence against women. Students will gain a broad-based understanding of community literacy and the role of writing outside school walls in order to fully explore how writing can function as an activist tool for the prevention of sexual violence. We will read broadly on the issue of sexual violence against women-analyzing depictions of rape in popular language, exploring how rape has been discussed in feminist theory and scholarship, and researching community-based and activist responses to rape and its prevention-in order to strengthen our own literacy practices towards prevention and awareness-raising. Students will be familiar with local, national, and international agencies that work to protect women from sexual violence and advocate for rape survivors. Students will develop activist writing projects that work to serve and further these existing efforts. Mutually Exclusive with WRIT 350.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 200 or GSWS 201 or JUST 204 or JUST 205 or departmental permission. The goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of global human trafficking, including extent, causes, impact, perpetrators, victims and responses. In addition to an overview of the global issues we will examine the multifaceted needs of trafficking survivors, and legal and policy approaches to reducing the problem. Mutually Exclusive with JUST 355.
Prerequisite(s): PHIL 200 or PHIL 212 or JURI 210 or LAWS 200 or GSWS 200 or GSWS 201. An examination of the philosophical basis of legal doctrines as they apply to women and feminist issues. The course will explore the legal arguments feminists have made for social and political equality. It will also examine whether gender bias is built into traditional jurisprudential theories. Women's rights and women's legal status in politics, employment, education, and the family will be explored. Mutually Exclusive with PHIL 376 and JURI 376.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 301 and approval of the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Director. This course involves advanced research on a topic of particular interest to the students that goes beyond the scope of available courses in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. Students are required to hand in an extensive paper documenting the results of their research. May be repeated once for a maximum of 6 credits.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 102, GSWS 201, GSWS 301 and 6 additional hours in the major. Each participant completes an individual project that is either (a) research on an approved topic or (b) description and analysis of a long-term field experience. With faculty facilitator, students discuss research strategies, issues, and work in progress. Meets the Graduation Writing Requirement for majors in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 301 or JUST 310 or by departmental approval. The goal of this course is to provide an upper-level, trans-disciplinary overview of ways that gender shapes individuals' experiences with the criminal justice system as workers, offenders and victims. Emphasis will be placed on the examination of structural disadvantage, the gendered nature of criminological theoretical perspectives, and the victim/offender dichotomy. Mutually Exclusive with JUST 403.
Prerequisite(s): GSWS 102, GSWS 301 and at least one other GSWS course; approval of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies director. Restriction(s): Minimum GPA of 3.0. Academic study integrated with supervised internship in an organization, agency, or business that addresses women's issues or issues of gender or sexuality. Part-time (20 hours per week). Required individual meetings with faculty advisor supplement experiential component, and include discussion of field work experience, connection between feminist/gender studies theories and practice, issues of access and diversity, civic responsibility, and career options.
Corequisite(s): COED 401, COED 402, COED 403 or COED 404. Prerequisite(s): GSWS 102 plus two Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies electives relevant to the intended placement (subject to the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies director's approval). Restriction(s): Minimum 3.0 GPA in the major or minor. In this course students will intern in Washington, D.C., at governmental offices, interest groups, party and electoral organizations, law and lobbying firms or other political organizations. Students' academic learning is assessed by faculty and their work performance is evaluated by their placement supervisor. Students may receive up to 7 credits in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies and up to 8 credits in a corequisite Cooperative Education course. Mutually Exclusive with POLS 436.
Prerequisite(s): Departmental approval. This course will include some historical background for clearer understanding of what the changes in laws mean for women and men. Discussion and study of the effect of affirmative action, civil rights legislation and titles VI and IX will be included. Legal rights in the areas of education, employment, finances and credit, property ownership, marriage and divorce, health care, pensions and criminal law will be covered. Meets World Cultures Requirement.