This course provides an overview of key contemporary theories, concepts, issues, and debates in Gender Studies as well as an overview of the historical roots that inform this interdisciplinary area of study. Students will also conceptualize and develop an applied gender-project. While topics may vary by instructor expertise and state of the discipline, currently, focus will be placed upon intersectionality (categories such as gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, citizenship status, social class, caste, ability, and age interlock and work together), transnationalism (no matter one's location or awareness, one is connected to others in different parts of the world) and masculinities (analysis of masculine social formation and feminist masculinities). Students will glean an overview of the field of Gender Studies and its emergence from Women's Studies and advocacy for women's rights. Students will become familiar with key concepts from current gender scholarship. As professors encounter current scholarship they will change the course content to reflect the latest debates in the field. Upon completing the course, students must be able to show that they can conceptualize and complete a substantial project with real-world applications that they can then share with other students.
