Spring 2007

Women's Studies Spring 2007 courses

Introduction to Women's Studies
WOST 207
Professor Amanda Littauer
TR 3:30-4:45
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 effected 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.

Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies
WOST 290, section 01
Professor Astrid Henry
TR 11:00-12:15
This course will provide an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) studies. We will explore the historical, sociological, cultural, psychological, political, literary, artistic, and philosophical foundations of LGBTQ studies. We will study the emergence and transformation of LGBTQ identities, cultural practices, and political movements within the broader context of changes in social constructions of sexuality, as well as cultural, social, political, and economic transformations. Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the ways in which gender, race, ethnicity, and class have shaped same-sex sexuality in different historical periods, with an emphasis on the United States. The aim of this course is to consider not only how individuals experience same-sex sexuality or transgress gender norms, but also how same-sex sexuality leads people to form communities and social movements. We will investigate the ways different cultural conditions sanction–in both senses, to restrict or make possible–the development of sexual identities and differences in order to understand the construction of gender and sexuality in society at large.

Western Women Traveling in India
WOST 290, section 02
Professor Joy Evans
W 5:00-5:50 (1 credit)
This one credit course will explore the interconnections between Western women traveling in India today with the legacy of women travelers since the nineteenth century. The course will highlight the cultural constructions of gender, race, power, and privilege. Students who are planning to study abroad on Saint Mary's Semester Around the World program will particularly benefit from the course as someassignments will specifically focus on personal preparation for travel in India. However, enrollment is open to any student. By the end of the course, students will be ableto: 1) recognize the historical themes, which influence the current context for Western women traveling in India; 2) understand and critique the politics of gender and travel in India;3) honestly examine personal attitudes toward India and motivations for traveling to India; and 4) develop strategies for healthy cultural immersion andcultural sensitivity. This course draws on writings by both Western and Indian theorists, as well as Western women's travel journals. Course offered as both WOST 290 and ICS 290

International Women's Movements in the Twentieth Century
WOST 390
Professor Edith Miguda
MW 3:30-4:45
This class aims to provide students with the ability to understand, critique, and comparatively analyze the politics of the international women's movement. The course will trace the multiple ways in which women have organized to improve their lives in a variety of geopolitical settings, and explore the ways in which women's organizing in different contexts has shaped and been shaped by international women's movements. The course will explore the connections between feminism, colonization, nationalism, militarism, imperialism, and globalization and map the political agendas of women's and feminist movements in various
countries around the world. Through case studies from the global South and the global North, concerns and challenges facing the international women's and feminist
movements in the 21st century will be discussed. The class is interdisciplinary and draws onwritings by local and international activists and theorists. THEORY Course offered as both WOST 390 and HIST 390

Independent Study
WOST 497
Susan Alexander, Ann Clark, Laura Haigwood, Astrid Henry, Amanda Littauer, and Catherine Pittman 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.

Anthropology of Women
ANTH 346
Professor Erin Cressy
MW 11:00-12:15
This course examines issues that impact women in cultures across the globe. Specific attention to gender, race, and war will focus our discussion this semester. We will consider the impact of cultural and social factors on the construction of gender and race, the effect of war and violence on women and children, and the role of women as social and political leaders and activists. Examples will be drawn from the Rwandan genocide as well as women's experiences in Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, the Sudan, and Boznia & Herzegovina. Possible books include: Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, by Immaculee Ilibagiza; The Other Side of War: Women's Stories of Survival and Hope, by Zainab Salbi; Between Two Worlds: Escape From Tyranny–Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam, by Zainab Salbi; and, as a specific study of race and gender in the United States, Beyond the Whiteness of Whiteness: Memoir of a White Mother of Black Sons, by Jane Lazarre. Assessment will consist of exams, papers, homework and in class activities.

Cyberfeminism_Creativity_Connectivity
ART 390
Professor Krista Hoefle
MWF 1:00-2:40
Using contemporary cybertheory and cyberpunk fiction as a foundation, students will be exploring the tools and techniques of new media through the lens of cyberfeminism. In the creation of digital art works through projects and assignments, we will be exploring the key issues of cyberfeminism, namely: the position of women working in technological disciplines; the unique experiences of women within technoculture; and the gendering of various technologies. Students will be introduced to a variety of digital media technologies and tools in their web-based creative projects, including but not limited to: website construction,
generative/software art, gaming, hypertexts/textual aesthetics, podcasting, etc. Readings and projects will be augmented by lectures related to contemporary cyberfeminist artists presented through their videos, images of their work, websurfing, in-class and virtual discussions. This course is open to students from all disciplines. THEORY

Gender and Race Issues in Management
BUAD 329
Ujvala Rajadhyaksha
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. Topicsin 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. Prerequisite: BUAD 221 or permission of instructor

History & Criticism of Public Address
COMM 302
Professor John Pauley
MWF 9:00-9:50
This course focuses on the principles of public communication. These concepts are illustrated by examining the communicative acts of others. Particular attention is given to the public speaking of women and challenges or obstacles women face in the arena of public communication.

Novel Women
ENLT 341
Professor Tom Bonnell
TR 9:30-10:45
This course charts the origins and progress of the predominant literary form of the last 250 years: the novel. Women have played a key role in this genre from the very start. Not until the development of the novel did women become so broadly influential as writers, and their burgeoning numbers as readers were crucial to the market for the new form. In light of these facts, it is not surprising that so many novels of the eighteenth century center on women characters and, consequently, women's concerns. As we focus on these characters and concerns, we will situate our discussions in the wider contexts of literary history and life in the eighteenth century. Texts will include: Austen's Persuasion; Behn's Oroonoko; Burney's Evelina; Defoe's Moll Flanders; Lennox's The Female Quixote; and others.

Reading Whiteness
ENLT 390
Professor Astrid Henry
TR 2:00-3:15
What does it mean to be white in the United States? Who is white? What is white privilege? How has whiteness been defined as a racial, cultural, and legal category? This course will explore these questions through introducing you to the diverse range of work being done in critical whiteness studies, a new academic field that examines the meaning of whiteness and white privilege. We will begin the course by reading texts that historicize the concept of whiteness as a racial identity in the U.S., tracing its cultural and legal meanings to the formation of the country and the institution of slavery. Building on this history, we will then read a wide range of texts across academic disciplines that address the meaning of whiteness and white privilege in the contemporary United States. Our readings will include autobiographies, as well as essays from cultural studies, history, legal theory, philosophy, political science, and sociology. This course is also offered in tandem with ICS/COMM 390, "Performing Whiteness." Enrollment in both courses is encouraged but not required.

The Brontes
ENLT 417
Professor Laura Haigwood
MW 11:00-12:15
In this course, we will study the novels of 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 Bronte children's elaborate juvenilia and other unpublished writingswill deepen our insight into these popular authors, their remarkable creative collaboration and their extraordinary development. Critical and biographical readings will beselected to give particular attention to women's issues and the role of women in nineteenth-century literature.

History of Women in the U.S.
HIST 324
Professor Amanda Littauer
TR 9:30-10:45
Over the past four decades, the field of women's history has emerged, developed, andtransformed within the U.S. academy. Informed by feminism and feminist theory, historians of American women first strove to show that (mostly racially and economicallyprivileged) women have influenced important historical events and processes. In the late 20th century, historians broadened their perspectives to include women of color, immigrants, lesbians, and working-class women. Most recently, historians have reformulated dominant narratives of U.S. women's history in light ofthe striking diversity of their subjects. They have also considered the ways in which historically changing social categories position gendered subjects in relation to social power. This course will introduce students to this dynamic and engaging field of intellectual inquiry. Our major goals in this course will be to explore the histories of women in the United States from a multicultural perspective and
to relate those histories to larger themes in U.S. history. In the whirlwind of the survey format, we will begin with 17th-century Native American women and gender systems and will end in the 21st century. We will employ tools from feminist theory in order to analyze categories ofrace, gender, nation, sexuality, and class as constitutive elements of American women's identities and social status. Readings will consist of articles by historians as well as primary source documents. Students will develop skills in primary source analysis, historical writing, and critical interpretation. By the end of the course, students should feel comfortable with the methodologies and vocabularies of U.S. women's history and should feel better prepared to investigate the gendered world of their own times. THEORY

Modern European Women
HIST 370
Professor Kelly Hamilton
TR 2:00-3:15
In this course, we will focus on the everyday lives of ordinary women in Modern Europe. They lived through some extraordinary times. We will be reading firsthand accounts of the lives of women in the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution and urbanization of Europe in the nineteenth century, and the Resistance and Holocaust in the twentieth century. The class will be taught as a seminar, incorporating group work and classdiscussion, and participation will be a major part of the grade.

International Women's Movements in the Twentieth Century
HIST 390
Professor Edith Miguda
MW 3:30-4:45
See description for WOST 390 above. Course offered as both WOST 390 and HIST 390

Quest for Human Rights
JUST 301
Professor Amy Cavender
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
NURS 222
Professor Ella Harmeyer
TR 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

Psychology of Child and Family
PSYC 304
Professor Rebecca Stoddart
MW 2:00-3:15
This course expands upon Developmental Psychology (301), examining the changing ecology of children's development and ways of supporting children in contemporary family systems. The course focuses on the effects on children of the following systems: dual career families, divorce, single parent and blended families, the role of the father, and daycare. The course is organized as a seminar with assigned readings from texts and journal articles. Students will be asked to develop and administer a survey, and to write and present a short literature review on a topic of interest. Prerequisite: Psyc 301 or permission of the instructor.

Sociology of Families
SOC 257
Professor Mary Ann Kanieski
Sec 01: MWF 9:00-9:50
Sec 02: MWF 10:00-10:50
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.

Sexuality, Intimacy, and Relationships Across the Lifespan
SW 341
Professor JoAnn Burke
M 6:00-8:30
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
SW 370
Professor Fran Kominkiewicz
MWF 10:00-10:50
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 visit agencies working with abuse and will have the opportunity to interact with local experts in the field. Prerequisite: SW 202, SW 235, Psyc156, or permission of instructor.