Introduction to Women’s Studies
Professor Susan Alexander
WOST 207 TR 5:00-6:15
This course will introduce students to key topics, concepts, approaches, and problems in Women's Studies as the field has developed over the past 40 years in the United States. We will focus on the lives, work, and beliefs of women in the United States but will adopt comparative and transnational perspectives at certain points. As part of the course, we will investigate the significance and meanings of gender at different periods in U.S. history and will explore the development of feminism and feminist theory. The ways in which race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and age shape experience, culture, ideology, and politics will be central areas of inquiry. We will also address the means through which women have resisted inequality and affected social and political change. This course will be interdisciplinary in its approach, meaning that we will read feminist essays from a wide range of disciplines, including cultural studies, economics, history, philosophy, political theory, psychology, and sociology. Gen Ed.
Independent Study
WOST 497
Ann Clark, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Phyllis Kaminiski, Frances Kominkiewicz, and Terri Russ are among the Women's Studies faculty willing to direct independent study projects. Students interested should speak first to the Women's Studies faculty member who will guide the project, then contact Professor Jennifer Zachman to formalize the proposal and ensure proper registration.
Internship
WOST 499
Practical off-campus experience in a Women's Studies related field at an approved site. Jointly supervised by a faculty member and a representative from the sponsoring agency. Open to junior or senior Women's Studies majors or minors who have taken at least two Women's Studies courses. Must be approved by Professor Zachman. Graded S/U. May be repeated for up to three hours. A reflection paper appropriate to the nature of the internship will be required.
Advanced Writing Proficiency
WOST 998
Senior Comprehensive
WOST 999
Anthropology of Women
Professor Erin Cressy
ANTH 346 MW 11-12:15
In Anthropology of Women we will analyze how gender, race, fear and violence impact the lives of women around the world. The role of women as leaders and activists in the face of such adversity will also be examined. We will focus on Rwanda, Iraq, and the United States. Information regarding The Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, two current hotspots of war and violence against women, will also be woven into our conversations.
Gender and Race Issues in Management
Professor Ujvala Rajadhyaksha
BUAD 329 TR 2:00-3:15
This course is intended to highlight challenges faced by persons who are not part of the dominant culture of management practice—namely, women and persons of non-Euro-American background—in their bid to advance in the managerial hierarchy. Topics in the course include: the changing nature of the workforce and its implications for management; barriers to the advancement of women in management; gender differences in managerial and communication styles; the glass ceiling; career breaks and re-entry in to the workforce; work-life balance and dual career issues; sexual harassment; working with diverse groups, including African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans and Arab Americans; and organizational pay-offs and challenges of pursuing diversity. Open to non-business majors.
Female Beauty: Discourse, Rhetoric and Theory
Professor Terri Russ
COMM 420 TR 12:30-1:45
This course will examine the cultural expectations and standards of female beauty as embodied and enacted through various discourses including: cultural, media, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Through studying the ways that female beauty is communicated through these discourses, students will come to a greater understanding of their own experiences of female beauty and formulate ways to move beyond and resist the dominant norms of beauty. The material will be approached from a feminist, critical perspective with theoretical readings from communication studies, feminist theory, and cultural studies, amongst other areas. Prerequisite: Jr. status or permission of instructor. THEORY
Major Literary Figures (British): The Brontës
Professor Laura Haigwood
ENLT 417 TR 2:00-3:15
We will read fiction by Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte, with particular attention to Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Additional reading in the Brontes' juvenilia, letters and journals will deepen our insight into these enduringly popular authors, their remarkable creative collaboration and their extraordinary artistic development. Critical and biographical readings will be selected to foreground women's issues, including the distinctive challenges faced by nineteenth-century British women writers. Course requirements: Two 5- to 7-page papers, occasional quizzes, a take-home final exam. Fulfills Gen Ed requirement; counts as an elective toward the Women's Studies minor; fulfills 18th/19th century requirement for ENLT/ENWR Majors and ENLT Minors.
History of Women in the U.S.
Professor Kelly Hamilton
HIST 324 TR 2-3:15
A study of how race, class, and gender come together to shape the identities of American women from Colonial times to the present. THEORY
Women in Africa and the Middle East
Professor Edith Miguda
HIST 383 T 6:00-8:30
This course will examine and provide a variety of perspectives for a comprehensive understanding of contemporary issues for women in the Middle East and African countries. At the core of this course is an exploration of the theoretical challenges to the discipline of history raised by feminist historical methods and theories, and how these inform new directions/interpretations and debates on contemporary history of women in Africa and the Middle East . The course will explore issues related to women’s engagement with religion—Christianity and Islam—politics, development, women’s movements, migration, and internationalism. In exploring the contemporary conditions of women's lives, the course will focus on the post-colonial period and women's contemporary struggle for economic and political empowerment, civic rights and equality both nationally and internationally. THEORY
The Quest for Human Rights
Professor Amy Cavender
JUST 301/POSC 301 MWF 1:00-1:50
This course will provide the students with an overview of the historical, theoretical and practical underpinnings that have shaped and continue to shape the development of human rights in both domestic and international arenas. We will discuss the origin of the human rights concept and how this idea has been crafted into international declarations, domestic law, and policies that enforce and monitor the human rights record of global, national and local communities. The class will also explore specific human rights issues concerning women, children, immigrants, refugees, the environment, and other topics.
Women’s Health
Professor Ella Harmeyer
NURS 222 MW 3:30-4:45
This class is designed to explore the concept of health and its significance for women. We will discuss the physical, emotional, social, and cultural factors that affect the health of women. Health promotion and healthy lifestyle choices are also a strong focus, along with women's responsibilities and leadership in health awareness. Non-nursing majors
Becoming Women: Religion, Sex, and Gender
Professor Phyllis Kaminski
RLST 362 MW 11:00-12:15
This course examines Christian theological positions about women and sexuality as these positions have functioned in history and have affected Church teaching on the role of women in society. It uses interdisciplinary, interfaith discussions to highlight the importance of constructive theological reflection on contemporary issues facing women. THEORY
Sociology of Families
Professor Mary Ann Kanieski
SOC 257 MWF 11:00-11:50
In this course, we will consider the various forms of families and their relationships to their social environments. For example, we will examine historical trends, economic pressures, and the impact of public policies. We will also consider life within families as we examine gender, childrearing, household labor, divorce, and family violence. Finally, we will always examine the ways in which family life varies because of gender, cultural differences, class position, race, and sexualities.
Gender and Law
Professor Carrie Erlin
SOC 330 TR 9:30-10:45
The goal of this course is to explore the intersection of gender and the construction, application, and outcomes of laws and policies (both civil and criminal) in our society, including a historical and prospective application of the sociological perspective on gendered legal systems.
Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality across the Lifespan
Professor Toni Henke-Wheeler
SW 341 W 6-8:30
This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to examine human sexuality and intimacy within a lifespan, relational context. Students will address these topics through knowledge of the biological, social, spiritual, and psychological aspects of relationships, sexuality, and intimacy. We will also explore populations-at-risk–namely, those who are experiencing issues with intimacy, sexuality, and relationships. Perspectives from feminist literature will be used to strengthen the analysis. Psychosocial issues are emphasized.
Family Violence and Sexual Abuse Issues
Professor Frances Kominkiewicz
SW 370 TR 9:30-10:45
This course introduces students to issues of family violence and sexual abuse across the lifespan. We will examine different types of family violence and sexual abuse, including domestic violence, international violence against women, courtship violence and date rape, sexual assault, cultural issues related to abuse, school violence and abuse, child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, abuse against parents, elder abuse, sexual harassment, and abuse among vulnerable populations. Ethics and values, as well as criminal justice issues regarding family violence and sexual abuse, are emphasized. The history, policy, effects, and practice regarding family violence and sexual abuse will also be examined. Students will have the opportunity to interact with local experts in the field.
