Introduction to Women’s Studies
WOST 207
Professor Astrid Henry
TR 3:30-4:45
This course will focus on the lives and work of American women, the significance and meaning of gender at different periods in American history, and the development of U.S. feminism and feminist theory. Central to this course will be the ways in which race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and age and generational location shape women’s experiences and the various socio-political meanings of gender in the U.S. 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
Susan Alexander, Ann Clark, Laura Haigwood, Astrid Henry, and Phyllis Kaminski 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 Henry 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 minor who have taken at least two Women's Studies courses. Must be approved by Professor Henry. Graded S/U. May be repeated for up to three hours. A reflection paper appropriate to the nature of the internship will be required.
Women and Success
ENLT 275
Professor Max Westler
MW 2:00-3:15
This course will deal with the nature of success from a woman’s perspective. We’ll be considering a diverse selection of materials: literary as well as historical texts, films and songs, critical and polemical essays, and documentary evidence drawn from the most recent sources. Required work will include a mid-semester and a final examination, and three short papers each exploring from a different perspective the subjects of success and/or women at work.
Women and Film
ENLT 367
Professor Mary Kate Goodwin-Kelly
T 6:00-9:00
This course is designed to engage students in the study of women and U.S. film culture. Our critical efforts will focus on the ways that gender and sexuality, as well as race, ethnicity and class, affect film representation, spectatorship and authorship. Over the course of the semester, we will consider various topics including Hollywood studios’ marketing strategies, stardom, censorship, the politics of skin color, and “the ethics of responsibility” as it relates to film and filmmaking. Our exposure to and analysis of particular film texts will also prompt our consideration of thematic issues related to girlhood, body image, mother-daughter relationships and motherhood. THEORY
Women, Mystery, Detection
ENLT 373
Professor Laura Haigwood
MW 11:00-12:15
This course offers a general introduction to the detective fiction and mystery genres, emphasizing both women characters and women authors. We'll begin with classic detective stories by Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, then turn to Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and P.D. James. To introduce the American hard-boiled detective, we will study Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler before turning to Sara Paretsky's more recent, feminist detective, V.I. Warshawski. The course will conclude with police procedurals, including a second novel by P.D. James and the first “Prime Suspect” mini-series. Throughout the course, we will consider how the development of the genre reflects changing social and historical context, with particular attention to the changing roles of women.
20th Century U.S. Women’s History
HIST 390, section 01
Professor Carol Meaney
T 6:00-8:30
Prerequisite: HIST 324
Women in Mathematics
MATH 272
Professor Colleen Hoover
M 6:00-8:30
This course will focus on the lives, times, and work of notable women in mathematics from Hypatia to Noether. We will also study recent history of American women in mathematics and the societal and cultural influences which cause women to leave mathematics at all levels. Students in turn assume leadership of discussion. Prerequisite: three college mathematics courses.
Women’s Health
NURS 222
Professor Ella Harmeyer
T 6:00-9:00
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
Women and Sexuality
RLST 362
Professor Phyllis Kaminski
MW 3:00-4:15
This course examines theological positions about women and sexuality historically and in contemporary society. We will begin by examining what Scripture and Tradition have said about women and human sexuality. This fundamental anthropology has shaped theological reflection on such topics as creation, sin, grace, salvation, and the Christian community. It has resulted in church teaching on "the dignity and vocation of woman" that idealizes women and constructs their understanding of themselves. As historical agents, however, even as women have internalized the sex/gender roles given them, they have also discovered wisdom from within the tradition. Using this wisdom, and in dialogue with worldwide communities of women, feminist theologians are exploring how race, ethnicity, sex/gender, class, age, figure into women's religious understandings. Because this is a religious studies/women's studies class, readings will include traditional theological texts, a spectrum of feminist theological writings, as well as selections from other disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and literature. We will end with an interfaith, interdisciplinary discussion of issues surrounding women, justice, and sexuality. The goal of the course is to understand traditional positions in the light of contemporary insights and contemporary issues in the light of Christian principles. Prerequisite: RLST 101 and second Gen Ed. THEORY
Reading and Interpreting Hebrew Bible Prophets
RLST 390
Professor Stacy Davis
TR 11:00-12:15
This course is a study of the fifteen prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible, written from the 8th century BCE to approximately the 4th century BCE. The books will be read in conversation with contemporary work on methods of biblical interpretation, with a sustained emphasis on the theory and practice of feminist biblical criticism. No prior knowledge either of the Hebrew Bible or feminist criticism is necessary. A number of prophetic books describe the relationship between humankind and God in gendered terms; God is the long-suffering but frustrated husband trying to maintain a relationship with his sexually unfaithful wife, Israel. The texts present God with two alternatives—either God continues to plead with Israel to forsake her lovers or God allows her lovers to assault her and leave her for dead. Such patriarchal language and imagery present a challenge to embodied women who live in communities that call the Bible a sacred text. Feminist critics argue that no text is objective; in other words, no text contains the absolute truth. Therefore, all texts have something to say about God’s character as described by the men who wrote the biblical texts and speak of God in male terms. The task of feminist critics is “to read behind what men have written. We must deal with texts that are not ours, texts that were not written for us or by others like us" (Fewell 1999: 270). This task will raise for us a number of questions about who/what God is, how humans ought to relate to God, “appropriate” and “inappropriate” ethical behavior, and what it means to say that God rewards good and punishes evil (the theory of divine retribution).
Marriage and the Family
SOC 257
Professor Mary Ann Kanieski
Sec 01: MWF 1:00-1:50
Sec 02: MWF 2:00-2:50
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.
Social Stratification: Issues in Class, Gender, and Race
SOC 360
Professor Susan Alexander
TR 2:00-3:15
This course identifies and investigates general principles of stratification, various theoretical explanations by which inequality emerges and is maintained, the relationship between class and other forms of inequality in the United States (namely, gender, race, and sexual orientation), and variations among the social classes. Through a reading of qualitative materials based upon field research methods, the course focuses on the particular role of women in each socioeconomic class and compares the roles of women in various classes. The goal is to enhance the student's understanding concerning both stratification in general and the interrelationship among class, gender, race, and sexual orientation in the United States. Prerequisite: SOC 153 and SOC 200, or WOST 207. THEORY
