Gender and Sexuality Studies (GENS)
GENS 200 INTRO TO GENDER STUDIES (3 credits)
An interdisciplinary encounter with the contemporary study of gender and its new paradigms for investigating the human condition. Weekly guest lectures addressing gender theory contributions to disciplines such as religious studies, philosophy, literature, history, music, political science, anthropology, sociology, education, the sciences, and mathematics.
GENS 205 GENDER AND SOCIETY (4 credits)
Comparison of historically and culturally situated conceptualizations of gender, gender identity, and gender inequality. Significance of gendered meanings and their symbolic representation in society and social institutions regarding distributions of social, economic, and political power. (Listed as GENS 205 and SOAN 205)
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
GENS 267 INTRODUCTION TO US WOMEN'S HISTORY (4 credits)
Survey of U.S. women's history from the pre-contact period through the present. Emphasis on the diversity of women's experiences based on region, class, sexuality, race, and ethnicity. Course themes include: how understandings of proper gender roles fluctuated and with what consequences, the changing nature of women's work, women's participation in politics, and how medical knowledge (or lack thereof) critically shaped women's lives. (Listed as GENS 267 and HIST 267)
(U.S. PLURALISM, VITAL PAST)
GENS 280 UNDERSTANDING FAMILIES (4 credits)
Examines the family as a social institution, both domestically and globally. Addresses historical and cultural perspectives, with emphasis on family diversity, variations in family form and life style, and the interdependence between family and other institutions. Analysis of major family issues, as well as forces for change in the family. (Listed as GENS 280 and SOAN 280)
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
GENS 300 WOMEN WRITERS (4 credits)
Examination of literary works by women writing in English across the globe. Study of the relationship between dominant literary traditions and the politics of gender as a source of constriction and aspiration. Exploration of the impacts of race, class, religion, nationality and sexual orientation upon conceptions of the female. Close reading, literary analysis, and exploration of feminist theory. May be repeated once for credit with a different topic. Students who earned credit for ENGL 300 may not enroll in this course. (Listed as GENS 300 and LITR 300)
Prerequisites: INQS 125.
(CREATIVE STUDIES, GLOBAL PLURALISM)
GENS 318 HISTORY OF WOMEN IN LATIN AMERICA (4 credits)
Examination of the history of women in Latin America from the Conquest to the present. Emphasis on a series of concepts, institutions, and factors that have influenced the lives of Latin American women, and how women have reacted to and shaped these experiences. Special attention to the study of race and class, along with gender, as major categories of analysis. (Listed as GENS 318 and HIST 318)
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or above.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, VITAL PAST)
GENS 322 GENDER AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF EAST ASIA (4 credits)
Historical development of Confucian, Buddhist, and other beliefs shaping conceptions of femininity, masculinity, and social status in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Effects of imperialism and globalization on diverse notions of progress and human rights. (Listed as GENS 322 and HIST 322)
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or above.
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, VITAL PAST)
GENS 332 GENDERED COMMUNICATION (3 credits)
Current scholarship and controversies in communication and gender research. The interdependence of gender, communication, and culture including ways concepts of gender are created and affirmed or challenged by communication. Focus on live experience within U.S. culture through interactive course format. (Listed as COMM 332 and GENS 332)
(INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM)
GENS 342 WOMEN IN RELIGION (4 credits)
Examination of the depictions of women and roles that women play in selected religious traditions. May focus on the depiction of women in a religious tradition's sacred literature or the practices and roles of women in particular historical or contemporary religious contexts. Special attention to primary source materials. (Listed as GENS 342 and RELS 342)
(ULTIMATE QUESTIONS)
GENS 350 SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES AND HISTORIES: PERFORMING GENDER & SEXUALITY (4 credits)
Selected comedies and histories in their historical and critical context. Emphasis on comedy as a dramatic form and questions of gender and sexuality as they are represented through performance. Students who earned credit for ENGL 350 may not enroll in this course. (Listed as GENS 350 and LITR 350)
Total Course fees: $40.00
Prerequisites: INQS 125 or consent of instructor.
(CREATIVE STUDIES, VITAL PAST)
GENS 353 TOPICS IN WOMEN'S RHETORIC (3 credits)
Women's public discourse, including significant female speakers in political, social, and religious contexts. The role of women's public discourse in the process of social change through topics such as Rhetoric of the Women's Movement 1770-1920, Women's Public Voices 1960 to present, and Women's Political Campaign Discourse. May be repeated once for credit with different content. (US or GP or IS or VP depending on topic). (Listed as COMM 353 and GENS 353)
(GLOBAL PLURALISM, INDIVID/SYSTEMS/SOCIETIES, U.S. PLURALISM, VITAL PAST)
GENS 355 MUSIC, GENDER, AND DISSENT (3 credits)
A study of art and popular music to create awareness and inform attitudes about the role of gender in music. Topics include the contributions of performers and composers who resist cultural norms, characterizations of gender in music literature, current gender ideology, past and present cultural values and barriers affecting the full participation of these musicians in the field. (Listed as GENS 355 and MUSC 355)
(CREATIVE STUDIES, GLOBAL PLURALISM)
GENS 361 GENDER, SEXUALITY AND THE BODY (4 credits)
Gender, sexuality, and the body as focus for both independent and interrelated areas of scholarship using several theoretical perspectives; examination of ethnographic materials from a wide variety of cultural contexts. (Listed as GENS 361 and SOAN 361.)
GENS 480 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
Student investigation of special interests or research based on detailed statement of intent and a letter of support from the sponsoring faculty member.
GENS 485 SENIOR SEMINAR (2 credits)
Capstone course for the gender studies minor. Synthesis and application of ideas presented across the curriculum through discussion and field work. Group study and discussion of contemporary problems, research issues, and ideas in gender studies.
GENS 487 INTERNSHIP (1-3 credits)
Student participation in an organization whose activities relate to gender studies.
Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing. Approval of Gender Studies Coordinator Required.
(EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING)