Course Listings | Women's and Gender Studies Catalog

Women's and Gender Studies

WGS 134 Thinking Sex (4)

This course examines assumptions, arguments, evidence and underlying values about biological sex differences, sexuality and gender construction and asks: Who is a woman? Is sex a stable category? What is the future of sex and why does it matter? Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives and approaches, we further analyze the packaging of sex by consumer culture, global markets and social movements with the goal of exposing some of the varied uses of sex and the implications of what we view as sex differences.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences; PDE
Prerequisite: Open to 1st and 2nd year students only
Offering: Annually
Instructor: Staff

WGS 158 Womxn in the Arts (4)

This seminar examines the lives and contributions of womxn “artists” in multiple art forms and from a range of cultural and geographical settings. A series of case studies establishes a methodological foundation for subsequent student-directed investigations of womxn of particular interest to them, with an emphasis on contemporary artists and contemporary art forms. Topics may include: historiography of womxn; womxn’s artistic products (music, visual art, street art, literature, (slam) poetry, drag performance, videos, (e)motion pictures); womxn’s lives as fine artists in their respective historical, demographic, and cultural milieu; womxn’s representations of themselves as artists in such documents as letters, self-portraits, videos, blogs, and other sources; and challenges of womxn fine artists both historically and in the present.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Duerksen

WGS 199 Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (1-4)

A semester-long study of topics in Women's and Gender Studies. Topics and emphases will vary according to the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit with different topics. See the New and Topics Courses page on the Registrar’s webpage for descriptions and applicability to majors/minors in other departments.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

WGS 245 Feminism, Gender and Society (4)

This interdisciplinary course will explore the ways that gender inequality structures aspects of personal lives and social institutions. We will examine a variety of feminist perspectives on work, family, sexuality and culture and will consider the role of class, race and ethnicity in feminist thought. Emphases will vary with instructor.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences; PDE
Offering: Fall
Instructor: Michel, Dunlap

WGS 299 Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (1-4)

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

WGS 353W Feminist Theory (4)

This interdisciplinary course will examine such basic issues as gender difference and its relationship to women's subordination; the intersections of gender with other dimensions of social identity and power (e.g., class, race/ethnicity, sexuality, nation); the way gendered discourse shapes social reality. These issues will be discussed from a variety of feminist theoretical perspective (e.g., those influenced by liberalism, Marxism/socialism, psychoanalysis, radical feminism, post-modernism, and post-colonialism). Closed to first-year students.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered; Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences; PDE
Prerequisite: WGS 134 or WGS 245
Offering: Spring
Instructor: Staff

WGS 358 Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (4)

This course enables faculty and students to focus on a specific topic in Women's and Gender Studies within an interdisciplinary framework. Topics will involve an exploration of some combination of sex, gender, sexuality. Designation of specific topics and relevant cases and theories will be made at the time of course offering.

Prerequisite: Four semester hours in Women's and Gender Studies
Offering: Alternate years
Instructor: Staff

WGS 390 Independent Study in Women's and Gender Studies (4)

Qualified students will undertake a program of independent research with a Women's and Gender Studies faculty member. Closed to first-year students.

Prerequisite: WGS major or minor and consent of instructor
Offering: Every semester
Instructor: Staff

WGS 394 Internship in Women's and Gender Studies (2-4)

The Internship in Women's and Gender Studies course allows students the opportunity to obtain applied experience at an agency or in a social setting where women's or gender issues are prominent. This will allow WGS students the opportunity to go beyond the classroom, thus enabling students to translate and apply knowledge gained in WGS courses into social world experiences.

Prerequisite: WGS 353W and junior or senior standing, or consent of Department Chair
Offering: Every semester
Instructor: Staff

WGS 399 Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (1-4)

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

WGS 429 Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (1-4)

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Topic dependent
Prerequisite: Topic dependent
Offering: Occasionally
Professor: Staff

WGS 499W Senior Thesis (4)

Senior Women's and Gender Studies major will research and write senior papers on topics of their choice.

General Education Requirement Fulfillment: Writing-centered
Prerequisite: WGS 353W and at least one disciplinary methods course plus senior standing
Offering: Every Fall
Instructor: Staff