Upcoming Courses (Fall 2010)Women Today (WOS 225) This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the field of women’s studies. You will learn about historical and contemporary experiences of oppression and privilege, which affect women and men’s lives on a daily basis. The readings include both classic and recent statements about gender and feminism, race, class, sexuality, and nationality from a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives. A large section of this class demonstrates how to apply theoretical ideas towards positive social and personal change. I will discuss and encourage you to discuss these connections. There are no prerequisites, and students from all majors are encouraged to enroll. Intellectual Roots of Western Feminism (WOS 305) The course examines the major issues and themes that have historically been included in feminist theorizing about women’s situation and experiences, including: ethical foundations, the origins of patriarchy, feminist epistemology, education, body issues, issues of difference, religion, civil rights, and psychological development. Chronologically, the course examines texts from the Enlightenment (Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Woman) through Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. This is an approved Lesbian Studies (WOS 350) This course is an investigation into the meanings attached to lesbian existence. The course will examine historical, sociological, anthropological, scientific, political, and cultural constructions of lesbian existence, including the language used to frame that existence. The course will also explore the intersections of lesbian identity with other theories of identity, including theories of gender, class, race, ethnicity, age, and nationality. This is an approved Interdisciplinary course. Women Artists (ARH 419) This course introduces students to a wide spectrum of art produced by women artists from the Renaissance through the 21st century. This does not imply that women produced no art before then, but that extant works or documentation has not survived. A brief survey of art from Antiquity through the Middle Ages allows us a glimpse of the rich artistry of a matriarchal society that flourished until about 4000 years ago. The textbooks were chosen as a starting point for further class discussion and research into the lives and art of women until the present time. Medieval Women’s Culture (LIT 329) This is an interdisciplinary study of writings by medieval women and their contribution to the development of medieval culture. Approved interdisciplinary (I) and writing emphasis (W). Women in Music (MHL 312) This class is an introduction to the study of women, gender, and music in western culture. In it we will examine the historical conditions in which women have exercised musicianship as composers, performers, patrons, and teachers of music; read feminist music criticism and apply it to the analysis of compositions composed by women; explore musical representations of gender difference and sexuality; and consider gendered constructions of music and the role that they play in the creation of personal identities. Class discussion, integrated listening assignments, and written work will emphasize the development of critical listening and analytical skills as a means of developing a fuller appreciation and a clearer understanding of the music most traditionally associated with gender issues. Psychology of Women (PSY 365) This course offers an in-depth study of women’s behavior and experience, including exploration of the determinants of women’s actions, thoughts, and feelings, and implications for creating change. The course is writing emphasis and therefore includes a focus on developing students’ writing abilities.
KEY OBJECTIVES FOR STUDENTS: Gain exposure to feminist psychology, its key terms and concepts.
Explore the psychological underpinnings and implications of sexism.
Understand the intersection of sexism with other oppressions, such as racism and classism.
Consider what is common and what is unique about women’s behavior and experience across diverse circumstances.
Acquire a working knowledge of psychological models for conceptualizing the psychology of women, such as Oppression-Focused, Cognitive, Biological, and Social Learning.
Learn about how psychologists study women’s lives.
Integrate the above-outlined components into small group and class discussions, class presentations, field work, written exams, and written analyses.
Develop skill in writing formal analyses and informal journal entries on issues related to the psychology of women. Gender, Labor, and Globalization (SOC 366) Through critical reading and thinking, study and reflection, discussion and writing, and active class participation, we will analyze how the experiences of international care and sex workers change mainstream definitions of work, family, immigration, and globalization. We will examine the following theories and topics: 1. Intersectionality theory to study gender and other social constructs such as race, nation, sexuality, and class; 2. Workings of race, gender, class, and nation: the push and pull factors of feminized immigration; 3. Public work and private work 4. Emotional labor and the commodification of care and sex 5. Exploitation and the global exchange of emotion, care, love, and sex 6. Citizenship: rights, protection, and responsibilities 7. Social, political, and economic “solutions” and problems, such as guest worker programs and workers’ experiences of exploitation 8. Worker resistance, advocacy, and transnational union organizing Race and Gender in American Theatre (THA 250) In this course we take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of race and gender through American theatre. This course draws on theories, texts, and methods from fields of theatre, film studies, sociology, women’s studies, race studies, literary studies, and psychoanalysis. As is necessary for any discussion of race, we also consider the roles of nationality and class in American theatre; and, as is necessary for any discussion on gender, we also consider the roles of sexual orientation and queer identity. Further, by the end of the course we will understand why these various identity categories can only be fully understood when considered in relationship to each other, through what is known as intersectionality. In other words, we can never truly understand racism in America without also understanding sexism, and visa versa. We will also understand why theatre has been and continues to be so important to the study and expression of identity.