100. Women's Issues. Open to all undergraduates. (2). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no credit.
In this introduction to contemporary women's issues, students meet in a small discussion group. In each group, students develop norms which enable collaborative learning about a range of topics including: images of women, gender role socialization, violence against women, race and ethnicity, sexuality, women's health, and movements for social change. Attendance is mandatory at first two meeting of class.
150. Humanities Seminars on Women and Gender. (3).
(HU).
Section 003 – Fairy Tales and Gender. (First year students only).
Walter Benjamin says that fairy tales teach children to greet the difficulties of everyday life with high spirits and courage.
Is this true? Or do they teach something else? Did Snow White
and the Prince live happily ever after? What is the moral of "The
Snow Queen"? What are the class and gender assumptions that
drive Little Red Riding Hood into the forest or Rapunzel into
her tower? This will not be a course about sentimentalizing Cinderella.
We will look at stories by the Brothers Grimm, Charlotte BrontÎ, Virginia Wolf, Ann Sexton, Carson McCullers, Jamaica Kincaid, Walt Disney, and Madison Avenue. While we will think about villains
and vampires, heroes and heroines, magic and marvels, we will
also investigate the gendered component of fairy tales and examine the mythic apparatus of a wide range of texts, including A
Room of One's Own and Annie John. (Yeager)
Section 004 – Victorian Women. For Fall Term, 1996, this section is offered jointly with History 197.002. (Israel)
151. Social Science Seminars on Women and Gender. (3).
(SS).
Section 002 – Sex Discrimination and the Law. (First year students
only). What is sex discrimination? What legal recourse exists
for victims of sex discrimination in the U.S. today? This course
will begin to answer these questions by investigating theoretical
writing and litigation on such issues as sexual harassment, domestic
violence, affirmative action, rape, hate speech, and pornography.
Students should leave this class with a basic understanding of
two pieces of legislation key to sex discrimination litigation
(i.e., the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964), as well as improved critical thinking, writing, and speaking skills. Grades will be based on in-class participation, weekly short written assignments, a take-home midterm exam, and a final "moot court" project. (Hackett)
210/Amer. Cult. 170/Hist. 170/UC 170. New Worlds: Colonialism and Cultural Encounters. First-year students only. (4). (Introductory Composition).
See American Culture 170. (Karlsen)
211/UC 182/Hist. of Art 211. Gender and Popular Culture. (3). (HU).
See History of Art 211. (Simons)
220/Nursing 220. Perspectives in Women's Health. (3). (SS).
In this course we will examine women's health issues, across the lifespan, from feminist and sociocultural perspectives. It will explore the social construction of women's sexuality, reproductive options, health care alternatives, and risks for physical and mental illness. Attention will be paid to historical, economic, and cultural factors which influence the physical and psychological well-being of women. (Contratto)
240/Amer. Cult. 240. Introduction to Women's Studies. Open to all undergraduates. (4). (HU). (This course meets the Race and Ethnicity Requirement).
Designed as an introduction to the new feminist scholarship on women. This course is an interdisciplinary course which acquaints students with key concepts and theoretical frameworks to analyze women's condition. We will explore how women's status has changed over time, but we will concentrate on the situation of contemporary American women. The course will not only provide students with an analysis of women's oppression, but will suggest strategies for ending sexual inequality.
243/Amer. Cult. 243. Introduction to Study of Latinas in the U.S. (3). (HU). (This course meets the Race and Ethnicity Requirement).
See American Culture 243. (Koreck)
270. Women and the Law. (3). (SS).
"Women and the Law" covers selected topics in American constitutional and statutory law which have a special effect on women. The class focuses on ideals of sex equality and how they are incorporated into the American legal system. Topics usually covered include constitutional equality, employment discrimination, family law, rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, reproductive rights, pornography, and women in poverty.
315/English 315. Women and Literature. (3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of 6 credits.
See English 315.
342. Gender and Society: Hierarchies in Social Organization.
WS 240 or permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – History of Sex and Sexuality in US. This seminar
is designed to introduce students to the field of inquiry known
as the history of sexuality. In particular, we will examine the
shifting and contested meanings of sex and sexuality in the area that now constitutes the United States. This course takes as its
subject both the emergence of "sexuality" as a category
of human experience and the negotiation of sexual matters in circumstances
where sex and identity itself may not have been salient. (Johnson)
Section 002 – Urban America, 1775-1800: Class and Culture/Race and Gender "Up Close" and Inescapable. For Fall Term 1996, this section is offered jointly with History 396.003. (Smith-Rosenberg)
345. Third World Women. WS 240 or permission
of instructor. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – Gender and Power in Latin America. Gender is
a crucial aspect of the organization of inequality throughout
Latin America. This course explores the relationship between the
construction of identities, gender, and power in Latin America.
We will examine how gender representations are constructed, assumed
and contested in a variety of sites, including the "new"
social movements, the intersection of militarization and repression
with masculinity, the integration of Latin America into a new
phase of the global economy, and the media and telenovelas
("soap operas"). In each of these sites, implicit understandings
of gender (and other axes of difference such as class, ethnicity
and racial categories) are evoked and inscribed. During the term, we will discuss these processes using a wide range of multidisciplinary
materials. (Koreck)
346. African-American Women in Context. WS 240. (3). (SS).
This course explores the variations and continuities in A-A women's lives within and across defined historical and community contexts. Of particular interest is the intersection and centrality of community, family, and work in the lives of A-A women and the role of culture and history is shaping their experiences. (Hunter)
350. Women and the Community. WS 240 or the equivalent; and permission of instructor. (4). (Excl). (EXPERIENTIAL).
Section 002. Combines a 5-hour-per-week community work experience
with a theoretical analysis of women's status and roles in society.
Three hours of classroom work focus on volunteerism, community
and organizational analysis, sexism in the workplace, gender roles
and socialization, feminist activism, and empowerment. (Kineke)
361/Film-Video 361. Women and Film. (3). (Excl).
See Film and Video Studies 361. (Studlar)
371/Hist. 371. Women in American History Since 1870. (4). (Excl).
See History 371. (Palmieri)
418/Poli. Sci. 418. Women and the Political System. Two courses in political science or permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
See Political Science 418. (Lin)
419/Psych. 411. Gender and Group Process in a Multicultural Context. One course in women's studies or psychology. (3). (SS).
This course will provide an introduction to theories of group dynamics that illuminate stages of group development and productivity. It will include teaching and practice of group facilitation skills. The course will combine theoretical presentation with an experiential learning model; material discussed and modeled in class will be applied in home-based groups with opportunities for skill practice and feedback. (Kardia)
420. Group Facilitation in Women's Studies. WS 419 and permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
Students study interpersonal and small group dynamics in general, and as these vary with group composition. The prerequisite course, (WS 419, Gender and Group Process in a Multicultural Context), provides the theoretical basis for this course. Students apply knowledge and expertise gained in WS 419 by facilitating small groups. (PI ONLY)
430/Amer. Cult. 430. Feminist Thought. WS 240 and one 340-level course, or permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
This course will explore a variety of theoretical approaches to thinking about sex, gender, and power. Focusing on feminist theory of the last 30 years, we will examine the major bodies of thought, including liberal (Friedan, French), radical (Millett, Daly), lesbian (Rich, Nestle), Marxist/socialist (Eisenstein, Barrett), psychoanalytic (Mitchell, Irigarary), and African-American feminism (Hooks, Walker). We will also address the challenges posed recently by both "post-feminism" (a theory that questions the continued need for a feminist politics) and the men's movement. Most of the material for this course will be in the form of theoretical essays, though we will also deal with several novels and films. (Egger)
447/Soc. 447. Gender Roles and Status. (3). (SS).
See Sociology 447. (Martin)
481. Special Topics. WS 240 or permission
of instructor. (1). (Excl). Degree credit is granted for a combined
total of 7 credits elected through WS 480, 481, 482, 483, and 484.
Section 001 – Gender and Educational Leadership. The demand for gender equality and equal representation of women in all spheres
of activity has become an important issue all over the world.
Participation of women, especially in higher education, is fundamental
to promoting the status of women. Numerous studies examine access
to higher education in terms of socio-cultural norms: values and prejudices, political and economic factors, rights and responsibilities, ideologies, sex role perceptions, legal factors, constitutional
protections, legislation government policy, and curriculum content
and design. This seminar will address and debate these through
presentations of relevant research data and the underlying theoretical
constructs. (Indiresan)
Section 002 – Private Life in Russia From Medieval Times to Present. For Fall Term, 1996, this section is offered jointly with REES 405.001. (Kennedy)
483. Special Topics. WS 240 or permission
of instructor. (3). (Excl). Degree credit is granted for a combined
total of 7 credits elected through WS 480, 481, 482, 483, and 484.
Section 003 – Women in Prison: Gender and Crime Among Blacks and Latinas. For Fall Term, 1996, this section is offered jointly
with American Culture 410.002.
(Jose)
The Program in Women's Studies offers several options for independent study/directed reading.
Directed Reading. Women's Studies 385, 386, 387 (1-3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
Offer advanced Women's Studies students an opportunity to purpose independent, interdisciplinary projects.
385 has prerequisites of Women's Studies 100 or 240, one 300-level Women's Studies course, and permission of instructor. 386 has prerequisite of Women's Studies 385. 387 has prerequisite of Women's Studies 386.
441. Honors Research Tutorial. (1). (Excl). (TUTORIAL).
Prerequisite: Women's Studies 240. Prepares second term junior Women's Studies concentrators to write an Honors thesis. Students choose a thesis topic before beginning this tutorial. They then work independently with an appropriate faculty member to develop the research skills specific to their topics (e.g., analytic, library, or computer skills). By the end of the term students should have a well-defined research design and the skills to carry it out. Requirement: a short written thesis prospectus.
490 and 491. Honors Thesis. (2-4). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
Prerequisite: Senior Honors Women's Studies concentrators. Provides Women's Studies Honors concentrators an opportunity for independent study under close supervision from their faculty advisor while preparing an Honors thesis.
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