Gender Studies
Director Katharine N. Ings
The interdisciplinary courses in the gender studies minor afford students the opportunity to study gender both as an analytical perspective and as a social and cultural phenomenon. The minor will complement most academic majors, preparing individuals to do the critical thinking required in business and the professions as well as in graduate study in the humanities and the social sciences.
Minor in gender studies, 24 hours: GNST 125; INTD 324; 18 hours of electives from the following courses and others approved by the Gender Studies Council.
Applied Study Area in queer advocacy; Barb Burdge, coordinator: FYS LGBT Lives or GNST 201; three hours from: COMM 256, PEAC 218, PSYC 366, SOC 274; a practicum, internship, or special problems course designed for the development of relevant skills. Applied Experience: Complete a Celebrating Diversity Workshop and complete 6 hours of SafeZone training.
Specialized Gender Studies Courses
ENG 361 WOMEN IN LITERATURE - 3 hours
A chronological and thematic study of poetry, fiction, drama, essays and journals by women who represent a variety of cultural traditions. Emphasis will be upon works written in English, but translations may be used. C-3RC. Spring, even years.
FYS LGBT LIVES - 4 hours
Our society sends mixed messages of acceptance and rejection to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Same-sex marriage is legal in a majority of states, but many people oppose it. Pride parades are routine events in many cities, but it remains legal to fire gay employees in most states. LGBT celebrities are more visible than ever, yet some youth still commit suicide due to anti-gay bullying. What is life really like for LGBT people? To answer this question, we will uncover the histories, cultures, life experiences and contemporary circumstances of minority groups distinguished by sexual orientation and gender identity. This will involve reading works of fiction and non-fiction, viewing films, hearing from guest speakers and visiting LGBT organizations as we seek to better understand these commonly misunderstood groups.
GNST 125 INTRODUCTION TO GENDER STUDIES - 3 hours
A basic introduction to the field of gender studies. The course will examine gender as a category for analyzing culture and society. C-3RC. Spring, odd years.
GNST 201 INTRODUCTION TO QUEER STUDIES - 3 hours
An introduction to the interdisciplinary field of queer studies – the study of historically marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities. Topics include the histories of queer identities and cultures, diversity among queer people, queer representations in society and queer politics and activism. Theoretical emphasis is placed on feminism, queer theory, and social constructionism. C-3RC. Spring, even years.
HIST 329 WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY - 3 hours
A survey of the experience of various groups of women in colonial, 19th and 20th-century America. The nature of family life and the technology and management of the household will be an ongoing theme. Specific topics of relevance also will be pursued, including women’s roles in religious life of the colonial period, development of women’s rights and suffrage in the 19th century and the impact of women’s increasing participation in the paid labor force. Spring, even years.
HIST 337 WOMEN, GENDER STUDIES, AND EUROPEAN HISTORY - 3 hours
This course explores the historical development of European culture and society through the perspective of women’s and gender issues from ancient times to the modern era. Spring, odd years. Prerequisite: HIST 104, 105.
HUM 210 WOMEN IN THE ARTS - 3 hours
A study of the role of women in the fine arts. Material will be studied from the following areas: selected women composers and artists of the 18th through 20th centuries; the role of women in theatre, film and dance. Spring, odd years.
INTD 324 FEMINIST THEORY - 3 hours
Interdisciplinary examination of the theoretical and methodological questions that arise when women are placed at the center of study. Focus is on significant works and perspectives in feminist theory and on their contributions to understanding human experience. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing. C-5CC. Spring, odd years.
PSYC 307 PSYCHOLOGY OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY - 4 hours
This course focuses on the study and application of marriage and family research and theory. Students learn about a wide range of topics associated with functional and dysfunctional relationships. The emphasis will be on romantic and marital relationships, viewed through the lens of psychological theory and research. Prerequisite: PSYC 110.
REL 325 FEMINIST AND WOMANIST THEOLOGIES - 3 hours
An exploration of the critique and vision brought to contemporary theology by women’s perspectives represented in texts by feminist and womanist theologians and in women’s fiction and essays. Prerequisite: one course in religion or permission of instructor. Spring, even years.
SOC 305 SELF AND SOCIETY - 3 hours
Social psychology from a sociological perspective, examining the interaction between individual lives and social structure: how humans are created by their social order and how humans create social orders. Major topics include socialization and the development of the self, language and the social construction of reality and the social construction of gender. Fall, odd years.
SOC 333 SEXUALITY AND GENDER IN SOCIETY - 3 hours
Human sexuality as social interaction and as social-cultural construction. Topics include sexuality in historical-cultural context, psychosexual development and socialization, love and sex, sexual attitudes and behaviors, contraception, sexual coercion and commercial sex, with special emphases on sexual identity, sexual orientation and gender. A focus on empirical knowledge with attention to ethical and affective concerns. Spring.
SOC 335 SOCIOLOGY OF FAMILY - 3 hours
Primary emphasis on development and maintenance of intimate relationships in the United States; theoretical and empirical materials on family life cycle, dating, sexual behavior, readiness for marriage, social change and emerging family styles. Prerequisite: SOC 101 or permission of instructor. Fall, odd years.