GENDER & WOMEN’S STUDIES CONCENTRATION

Assistant Professor Vilhauer and Associate Professor Henold, Coordinators

Gender & Women’s Studies is born of the historical effort to retrieve from obscurity the realities of women’s lives and to advocate for equality for all genders in the modern world. This interdisciplinary field investigates the cultural categories of masculinity and femininity (and the various mixtures of the two) which have developed in and through complex socio-historical processes, and which face the possibility of future transformation. Gender & Women’s studies courses approach the relationship of gender to sex, class, race, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and language in a critical and self-critical spirit. Students —male or female—from any major may earn a concentration in Gender & Women’s Studies by successfully completing (with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0) at least six units. Of these six units one must be GNDR 150. The other five units must come from at least two different disciplines from the course list below. Topics and special studies courses, marked “as appropriate” below, must be approved by the concentration advisors. In accordance with the general rules for concentrations, the six courses taken for the concentration must include at least three units which are not used to satisfy the student’s major requirements. While GNDR 150 is not a prerequisite to the other courses, taking GNDR 150 as early as possible is recommended. Students should see the concentration advisor(s) for additional special topics courses, INQ courses, and independent studies that can be counted toward the concentration. No more than two INQ courses may be applied toward the concentration.

Required Course:
GNDR 150 Introduction to Gender & Women’s Studies

Elective Courses: (5 from at least two disciplines)
ENGL 220 Special Topics (as appropriate)
ENGL 301 Special Studies in Language and Literature (as appropriate)
ENGL 305 Women Writers
ENGL 308 Author Studies (as appropriate)
ENGL 336 Studies in Restoration and 18th Century Literature (as appropriate)
ENGL 356 Studies in Film (as appropriate)
HIST 215 History of Women
HIST 235 History of Witchcraft
HIST 262 U.S. Women’s History
HIST 290 Special Studies (as appropriate)
HIST 310-380 Issues Courses (as appropriate)
HIST 420-475 Research Seminars (as appropriate)
PHIL 260 Selected Topics (as appropriate)
POLI 261 Selected Topics in Political Science (as appropriate)
RELG 290 Feminist Readings of the Bible
RELG 312 Topics in Biblical Studies and Early Christianity (as appropriate)
SOCI 226 Intimate, Marital, and Family Relationships
SOCI 229 Sociology of Sex and Gender
SOCI 360, 361 Selected Topics in Sociology (as appropriate)

150 Introduction to Gender & Women’s Studies
An introduction to key questions, concepts, and debates within the field of Gender & Women’s Studies and a basic grounding in the historical movements in which gender equality is fought for. The fundamentally interdisciplinary nature of Gender & Women’s Studies is emphasized by regular guest lectures from faculty across the curriculum. (1)
Lecture: 3hrs/wk.