The study of women and gender has generated controversy since the earliest days of psychology. Historically, psychologists’ work focused on discovering differences between women and men—differences that were taken as evidence of men’s superiority and used to deny women access to privilege and power. In the past few decades, the feminist movement has shifted the focus to the lived experiences of people of all genders, the social construction of gender, the gendered nature of social institutions, and the way that gender intersects with race, class, sexuality, and other social dimensions. In this course, we will examine these and other themes in contemporary scholarship on the psychology of women and gender.

Intended Audience:

A formal background in psychology is not required, but it is helpful. At the very least, students should feel comfortable reading quantitative social science research.