Gender and Sexuality

This course offers an exploration of the creation and perpetuation of gender and gender roles through communication. Students will also consider the question of the impact of gender on communication. Students will examine gender in a variety of contexts including families, schools, and media.

Each course in the Topics in World Literature group will study a selection of literary works that engage the chosen topic--texts of different genres, from historical eras, and from different cultural traditions. The selected readings will present both abstract principles involved in the topic and its immediate, lived realities.
Cross listed with GEND 2200.
Prerequisite(s): Any First Year Writing course.
(Normally offered every fall and spring semester.)

See ENG 2200 Topics in World Literature: Sexualities.

Each course in the Studies in Writing group focuses on the writing process and its product as applied to a particular genre (risk fiction, scriptwriting, hybrid genes, creative nonfiction, biography, and memoir) or concept (writing the body), which will vary from semester to semester. The course is conducted as a workshop in which students read their own compositions to the class and respond to the compositions of their classmates.

Prerequisite(s): ENG 1030FYW Writing and the Creative Arts, ENG 2170 Introduction to Fiction Writing, or ENG 2190 Introduction to Poetry Writing, or instructor permission.

See ENG 3030 Studies in Writing: Writing the Body.

Fiction and essays by women from various cultures (including the U.S., Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean) will be the focus of this course. The multicultural, international reading list will provide students insight into the lives and experiences of women most likely very different from themselves; thus they can appreciate and learn from the differences and make connections across cultures.
Cross listed with GEND 3410.
Prerequisite(s): First Year Writing and sophomore standing.

See ENG 3410 Women Writing Across Cultures.

A study of Shakespeare and related texts that address issues of gender, sex, sexuality and sexuality identity.

Pre or corequisite(s): ENG 2000 Introduction to Textual Studies or junior standing.

A supervised, experiential learning opportunity in which the student works with an agency dealing with gender concerns. Students prepare weekly written reports and a reflective paper at the close of the semester. All students enrolled in the practicum will meet regularly with the faculty coordinator to discuss their internship activities and their relevance to gender studies. No P/F.
This course does not fulfill a core requirement for the major.
Corequisite(s): GEND 3000 Gender Advocacy or permission of the program director.

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.
Prerequisite(s): Minimum sophomore standing.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

A supervised, experiential learning opportunity in which the student works with an agency dealing with gender concerns. Students prepare weekly written reports and a reflective paper at the close of the semester. All students enrolled in the practicum will meet regularly with the faculty coordinator to discuss their internship activities and their relevance to gender studies. No P/F.
Pre or corequisite(s): GEND 3000 Gender Advocacy.

An introduction to the experiences of women in the United States from colonization to the present, with an examination of cultural meanings attached to gender; various social inequalities in access to institutions, activities, and resources; and women's status, well being, and power in American society. The course investigates the lives of women from various social, ethnic, and racial groups, analyzing the ways that they affected one another. The course emphasizes sexuality, reproduction, and maternity, and also covers politics, law, work, education, and other issues in women's lives. This course includes a service learning component.
Cross listed with GEND 2370.

See HIST 2370 History of Women in the United States.

See HIST-4530.

A study of women’s leadership and public speech across time and place, emphasizing the gendered nature of power, how it has been deployed and interpreted. This course begins in the Ancient World and then studies female leaders such as Cleopatra and Elizabeth I, along with women who have instigated reform in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. HIST 4530 meets with HIST 3530. The requirement of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4530.

This course is a study of the history of sexualities from US and transnational perspectives. It covers the development of ideas about sexual behavior in antiquity and their influence on Europe and the United States, as well as global histories of sexuality. The course covers the influence science, religion, migration, and capitalism have had historically in shaping social values about sexuality. Additional topics include sexual norms and nonconformity, the connection between sex and gender roles, sex and the body, and sexual liberation.

This course is a study of the history of sexualities from US and transnational perspectives. It covers the development of ideas about sexual behavior in antiquity and their influence on Europe and the United States, as well as global histories of sexuality. The course covers the influence science, religion, migration, and capitalism have had historically in shaping social values about sexuality. Additional topics include sexual norms and nonconformity, the connection between sex and gender roles, sex and the body, and sexual liberation. Students in this course will conduct research in the history of sexualities and complete a research paper.

See HIST 4550 Gender & The Wild West.

See HIST 3550 Gender & The Wild West.

Women of the American West to the Wild West? Gender in the American West.
This course highlights the history of the North American West through the lens of gender from precontact to present, and explores topics of myth and stereotypes; gender roles in the home, family, and community; as well as addressing questions of race, class, and ethnicity.  HIST4550 meets with HIST3550.  The requirements of the courses are the same EXCEPT that a research paper is required for students in 4550.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 1010 Topics in United States History to 1877, or permission of the instructor.

See HIST 4550 Gender & The Wild West.

See Thread Coordinator.

Students learn and apply information from music, history, culture, and gender studies. Honoring the relationship between past and present, we explore systems of privilege and oppression associated with the intersection of gender, sexualities, race, socio-economic status, and other markers of identity. Since music intersects with all fields of study, students select their in-roads based on their majors, minors, passions, and vocation. This course examines foundational concepts and genres from the Medieval through Baroque periods of the music history survey. Students develop and apply music research skills in historical social/cultural context and current published scholarship. 3000-level course has additional requirements. Please consult with the instructor.

Students learn and apply information from music, history, culture, and gender studies. Honoring the relationship between past and present, we explore systems of privilege and oppression associated with the intersection of gender, sexualities, race, socio-economic status, and other markers of identity. Since music intersects with all fields of study, students select their in-roads based on their majors, minors, passions, and vocation. This course examines foundational concepts and genres from the Medieval through Baroque periods of the music history survey. Students develop and apply music research skills in historical social/cultural context and current published scholarship. 3000-level course has additional requirements. Please consult with the instructor.

Most Americans have some understanding of how the categories of race and gender influence our personal and social identities. Yet many Americans also assume that race and gender are "natural," i.e., that we are born into a certain race and naturally embody a certain sex. In this course, we will examine these assumptions by reading, discussing, and critically assessing the arguments for and against the "naturalness" of race and gender. We will consider how categories of race and gender position us, historically and philosophically, as a person of a certain "type" from whom certain behaviors are expected. We will look at socio-economic conditions and philosophic positions that support or challenge racism, sexism, classism, segregation, and violence.
Cross listed with GEND 2300P.
(Normally offered alternate years.)

See PHIL 2300 Philosophies of Race and Gender.

An exploration of the varieties of contemporary feminist thought. We will examine ideas of convergence among feminist philosophers but also attend to the issues that divide them. Special consideration will be given to race, class, and gender both in terms of the sex/gender distinction and theorists who argue against this distinction. Having established that feminism is not a single, homogeneous system, we will also explore the local, national, and global implications of feminisms for the 21st century.
Cross listed with GEND 3270.

See PHIL 3270 Feminist Theories.

This course examines the participation of women in society and politics, and their ability to influence the policy decisions related to the issues of concern to them. The course will take a cross-national perspective, although primary emphasis will be women in Middle Eastern and South Asian societies.
Cross listed with GEND 2700.

See POLSC 2700 Women and Power.

An investigation of psychological theories and issues relating to the psychology of women from a feminist perspective. Gender bias in traditional psychological theories, research, and practice will be evaluated in relation to women's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Students will gain a better understanding of women's psychology across the lifespan and how other interacting constructs such as race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, nationality, and disability influence women's experiences. The social and political implications of how we understand women and gender will be explored, and emphasis will be placed on envisioning possibilities for individual (psychological) and social change.
Cross listed with GEND 2550.

See PSYCH 2550 Psychology of Women.

Theories and research exploring how gender is constructed in United States culture are introduced in this course. Topics include the construction and propagation of gender roles, differences between men and women in various domains, gender identity, sexuality, romantic relationships, and roles within work and family. 
Cross listed with GEND 2650.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.
(Normally offered each spring semester.) 

See PSYCH 2650 Psychology of Gender.

This course will examine the roles and views of women in religious traditions. Students will encounter scholarship on gender, religion, and feminist theology in different traditions. The primary focus of this course will be on the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, although other traditions and contemporary religious movements may be considered.
Cross listed with GEND 2300R.
(Normally offered every year.)

See RELIG 2300 Women and Religion.

See SOC 2350 Sociology of the Family.

This course offers an analysis of various interrelationships of men and women with emphasis on love, courtship, marriage, and family. Institutional, social, and policy perspectives are presented in a cross-cultural and historical frame of reference to clarify the dynamic relationship between the family, its members, and broader U.S. society. The requirements of the 2350 course are the same as the 1350 course EXCEPT that students in the higher course number complete a field interview project that involves significant writing and which fulfills the writing instructive designation of Archway.
(Normally offered each semester.)

See SOC 3380 Women and Crime.

See SOC 2380 Women and Crime.

This course uses the sociological perspective to explore sex and gender relations as major features of social life. It considers the social construction of gender (including the creation of masculinities and femininities) and examines the impact of gender ideologies on the social positions of gendered individuals. In particular, it emphasizes the way these social positions (such as gender, race, social class, sexualities, etc...) create and perpetuate the inequalities embedded in its social institutions (like the family, economy/work, religion, media, etc...).

Prerequisite(s): SOC 1110 Introduction to Sociology

This course uses a sociological perspective to explore gendered issues that women face as perpetrators, victims, and workers in the criminal justice system. As such, students will explore theories and empirical studies related to offending, victimization, and employment. This course is cross listed with GEND 3380 and meets with SOC 2380/GEND 2380. The requirements of the 3380 course will be the same as the 2380 course EXCEPT that students in the higher course number conduct an additional major project as determined by the instructor.

See SOC 3380 Women and Crime.

This course will expose students to the various types of violence experienced by individuals and families across their lifespan. An introduction to various theories used in working with survivors of abuse will be presented and students will learn about bruises and fractures associated with child abuse. The influence of societal "isms", culture, gender, and sexual orientation related to violence will be incorporated into the material being discussed.
Cross listed with GEND 2350.
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

See SOCWK 2350 Family Violence Across the Lifespan.

This speaking-instructive dramatic literature class examines how varieties of feminisms and cultural diversity have been represented in dramatic literary works. By reading, discussion, reflecting in writing and making oral presentations about a variety of dramatic works drawn from diverse perspectives students will utilize recent scholarship in gender and sexuality studies to analyze how assumptions about gender and/or sexualities have contributed to inequalities, choices, biases, oppression and/or empowerment in the culture and time periods in which the plays were written and produced.
Cross listed with GEND 2050.

See THTRE 2050 Dramatic Literature: Gender and Sexuality.

This course will examine representations of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny in primarily U.S. film. Students will learn to recognize and evaluate elements of film art. Using variety of film theories, we will analyze Hollywood and independent movie images of men and women for the messages conveyed about gender roles and expectations. The course provides instruction in filmmaking and public speaking.
Cross listed with GEND 3730.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

See THTRE 3730 Gender and the Art of Film.