Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Minor Requirements
2023 - 2024 Catalog
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor
A minor in women's, gender, and sexuality studies requires completion of 21 credits. In meeting the requirements of this interdisciplinary minor, a student may not use more than nine credits that are also used to meet the requirements of any other major or minor.
- Introduction: WGSS 120, preferably completed by the end of the sophomore year
- Intermediate theory course: either WGSS/LIT 210, WGSS 220, or WGSS/PHIL 244; or WGSS 295, when appropriate; preferably completed after WGSS 120
- Distribution: 12 credits selected from the following, with at least one course from each of the two areas. Additional courses may be used when the topic is relevant and the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Committee approves.
- Social and Natural Sciences: BIOL 255; CBSC 213, 262, 269; ECON 246, 251; POL 255; 280, and WGSS 296; and when appropriate, ECON 295, POL 292, SOAN 291, WGSS 180, 403 (when topic is social or natural sciences), WGSS 451 (when the internship is at an agency that deals with public policy)
- Humanities and other disciplines: ARTH 365; CLAS 210; DANC 240; ENGL 254, 264 (WGSS 264), 312, 313, 316, 356, 359; HIST 206, 211, 219, 228, 237, 257, 258, 261, 275, 285; LIT 210 (WGSS 210); LJS 345; PHIL 242 (WGSS 242), 244 (WGSS 244), 246 (WGSS 246), 254 (WGSS 246); REL 132, 215, 246, 284; SPAN 323; THTR 250; WGSS 210 (LIT 210), WGSS 235 (PHIL 235), 242 (PHIL 242), 244 (PHIL 244), 246 (PHIL 246), 254 (PHIL 254), 264 (ENGL 264), 295, 310; and, when appropriate, ENGL 250, 293, 295, 299, 392, 393, 394, 395; FREN 331, 397; HIST 229, 269; LATN 326; LIT 180, 295; REL 195, 295; SPAN 295, 397, and 398; WGSS 180, 403 (when topic is in humanities), WGSS 451 (when the internship is at an agency that deals with the arts, history, or other humanistic issues). Students may also count WGSS/LIT 210, WGSS 220, or WGSS/PHIL 244 towards the humanities distribution once they have taken another intermediate-level theory course.
- Capstone experience (preferably after the completion of all other requirements): WGSS 396 or another relevant individual study, senior thesis, or honors thesis in the student's major approved by the program committee.
- Introduction:
- WGSS 120 - Introduction to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An interdisciplinary introduction to the academic study of women, gender, and sexuality. We read the work of scholars who are trying to make sense of the complicated ways in which gender intersects with other power structures such as race, class, sexuality, and nationality. The course first introduces several key terms in gender and queer studies including intersectionality, social constructivism, oppression, and heteronormativity. Using these terms, we then further analyze topics such as the family as a social institution, gender in the workplace, beauty norms, gendered violence, the history of feminist and queer activism, and gender and queer identity in immigration law. Assignments encourage students to analyze their other academic pursuits, as well as the non-academic environments in which they live, including thinking critically about their own experiences in contemporary society. The course provides a foundation in feminist analysis for students who wish to complete a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. It is also appropriate for students at any level who are seeking a more systematic understanding of how gendered dynamics shape the subjects of their major studies or the practices of their daily lives.
preferably completed by the end of the sophomore year
- Intermediate theory course:
- WGSS 210 - Representations of Women, Gender and Sexuality in World Literature
(LIT 210)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as LIT 210. This course examines a plethora of literary texts chosen from across historical periods from antiquity, through early modern times, to the modern and postmodern era and across several national traditions and cultural landscapes. Its main intellectual objective is to sensitize students to the ways in which women and gender have been represented in literary texts of various genres and to help them develop specific analytic skills in order to discover and evaluate the interconnections between the treatment of women in society and their artistic reflections in works of literature.
- WGSS 220 - 21st-Century Feminism: Where Are We Now?
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Where it used to be considered a liability, the word feminist is now proudly claimed by pop stars and emblazoned on t-shirts. What has changed, and what should we make of this popular feminism? Does it herald a new age of equal rights, or does it threaten to undermine the progress that 20th-century feminists worked so hard to secure? Looking exclusively at texts published after 2000, this course surveys a wide range of feminist issues, including intersectionality, body positivity, sexual assault, trans feminism, popular feminism, feminist "merch", the 2016 election, and the future of feminism.
- WGSS 244 - Feminist Social and Political Philosophy
(PHIL 244)
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as PHIL 244. This course critically examines the gender norms that pervade our identities, govern our everyday behavior, and organize our social life. Questions addressed may include: What is gender? In what ways does it affect the quality of people's lives? Is gender difference natural? Is it valuable? Can it contribute to, or interfere with, human flourishing? Can a gendered society be just? What can any of us do to promote good relations among people of different genders?
- Distribution:
- Social and Natural Sciences:
- BIOL 255 - Reproductive Physiology
Credits 3 Prerequisite BIOL 111 and BIOL 113 An examination of sex as a biological phenomenon with consideration of the genetic (chromosomal), embryological, endocrine, and neurological bases of sexual development, differentiation, and identity.
- CBSC 213 - Development of Human Sexuality
(PSYC 213)
FDR SS3 Credits 4 Prerequisite CBSC 113 or PSYC 113 This course examines the fundamentals of the development and practice of sexuality in the human being and the historical, psychological, and psychosocial aspects of human sexuality from childhood to old age. The course covers major theories of the development of sexuality in heterosexual, gay, and lesbian people. Students also explore how sexuality itself may be "constructed" as a result of culture, media, and gender. Primary source material as well as popular media depictions of sexuality are examined. Students engage in the creation of a comprehensive sexual education program which involves contact with parents, teachers, and experts in the field.
- CBSC 262 - Gender-Role Development
(PSYC 262)
Credits 3 Prerequisite CBSC 113, CBSC 250, or WGSS 120 This course provides the student with an overview of gender-role development: How do children learn to be boys and girls? What role do biological factors play in different behaviors of boys and girls? Does society push boys and girls in different directions? We discuss children's evolving ideas about gender, and what can be done to change these ideas (or whether they need to be changed at all). Through the examination of these questions and issues, the course introduces students to the major theories of gender-role development, the research methods used to measure children's gender-role behaviors and attitudes, and the current research in the field.
- CBSC 269 - Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination
(PSYC 269)
Credits 3 Prerequisite CBSC 114 and CBSC 250 This course examines cognitive and affective processes involved in stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Causes and social implications of prejudice involving various stigmatized groups are examined. Participants focus on attitudes and behaviors of both perpetrators and targets of prejudice that likely contribute to and result from social inequality.
- ECON 246 - Caste at the Intersection of Economy, Religion, and Law
FDR SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent Same as REL 246. Social stratification touches every aspect of life, and South Asia's traditional caste structure is a special case: this highly complex, strictly-adhered-to system has been religiously legitimized and criticized over a 3,000-year history, and is nowadays seen as being at odds with the modern world. Yet it remains a crucial factor in social identity, economic roles, legal status, and religious practice. This course offers a 360-degree survey of caste both historically and in practice today in Nepal. The course addresses four themes, respectively providing for each a combination of historical background, social scientific analysis of the modern situation, and direct field experience for the students.
- ECON 251 - Women in the Economy
Credits 3 Prerequisite ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A Students explore how economic theory and analysis can be applied to examine the multiple roles that women play in our society. In particular, we examine linkages and changes in women's human capital, marriage, fertility, family structure, and occupation and labor supply decisions in the post-World War II era. We also investigate the magnitude and causes of the gender wage gap. We assess how much of the gender wage gap can be explained by education and occupational choice, and how much appears to be due to discrimination. We also learn about {and try to explain} the differences in labor-market outcomes for women with and without children. Finally, we access the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy and single motherhood.
- POL 255 - Gender and Politics
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite POL 100, POL 105, or POL 111 This course investigates the gendered terms under which women and men participate in political life. Attention is given to the causes of men's and women's different patterns of participation in politics, to processes that are likely to decrease the inequalities between men's and women's political power, and the processes by which society's gender expectations shape electoral and institutional politics. The different effects of gender on the practice of politics in different nations are compared, with a special emphasis placed on advanced industrial democracies.
- SOAN 261 - Campus Sex in the Digital Age
FDR SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution Credits 4 This class explores how the cell phone has impacted hooking up and dating at college, with particular attention to Washington and Lee University as a case study. We discuss the development of campus sexual culture in America and the influence of digital technology on student sociality. Students use open-source digital research tools to analyze data they collect on the mobile apps they use to socialize with each other on campus. As a digital humanities project, students work in groups to post their analyses on the class WordPress site.
- SOAN 280 - Gender and Sexuality
FDR SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution Credits 3 This class will investigate gender and sexuality cross-culturally. We will give special consideration to biology, cultural variation, intersectionality, and power. The class will be structured around a collaboration with Project Horizon, a local organization that provides education and programming to address the pervasive problem of domestic and sexual violence. Students will volunteer their time there, as well as produce programming ideas for healthy sexual culture on our campus.
- WGSS 296 - Social Science Topics in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Credits 3 Prerequisite Depending on the topic, WGSS 120 or instructor consent A topical seminar that focuses on an interdisciplinary examination of a singular theme and/or geographic region relevant to the overall understanding of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, such as Men and Masculinities. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
and, when appropriate:
- ECON 295 - Special Topics in Economics
Credits 3-4 Prerequisite ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102 Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and are announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major. Prerequisites may vary with topic. Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years.
- POL 292 - Topics in Politics and Film
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 4 This course examines how film and television present political issues and themes.
- SOAN 291 - Special Topics in Anthropology
Credits 3-4 A discussion of a series of topics of anthropological concern.
- WGSS 180 - FS: First-year Seminar
Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar.
- WGSS 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A course which permits the student to follow a program of directed reading or research in an area not covered in other courses.
- WGSS 451 - Internship
(when the internship is at an agency that deals with public policy)
Credits 1 Prerequisite instructor consent Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Professional development through an external, on-site internship. Requires at least 45 hours of work over no fewer than four weeks. May be repeated for a maximum of three degree credits toward the university limit of nine credits. Students may only register for one WGSS internship per summer.
- BIOL 255 - Reproductive Physiology
- Humanities and other disciplines:
- ARTH 365 - Women, Art, and Empowerment
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This seminar explores female artists from the late 18th century through the present, whose depictions of women have directly challenged the value system in art history that has traditionally privileged white heterosexual male artists, audiences, collectors, historians, curators, etc. Lectures, discussions, and research projects address multicultural perspectives and provide a sense of feminism's global import in a current and historical context.
- CLAS 210 - Sex, Gender and Power in Ancient Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 An examination of literature in various genres (poetry, philosophy, drama, and history) in an attempt to understand the diverse ways in which Greeks and Romans conceived of gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. We also interrogate the power dynamics that underpinned these conceptions. Readings include primary sources from antiquity (e.g., Homer, Euripides, Plato, Plautus, Livy, Ovid) as well as secondary sources that explore sex, gender, and power in both ancient and modern contexts. The course examines several influential works composed in Greek and Latin between the 8th century BCE and the 1st century CE. Alongside poems and philosophical writings that were originally conceived of as literary projects, we also examine plays, historical works, and even some inscriptions, all of which come down to the present as literature, although many may not have been conceived as such. The boundaries of "literature" is an ongoing topic of inquiry throughout the term.
- DANC 240 - Contemporary Modern Dance History
FDR HA Credits 3 This course is a study of the manifestations of American modern dance from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Students explore the relationship between dance and developments in U.S. culture and study the innovators of the art form and their techniques, writings, and art works through readings, video and lectures.
- ENGL 254 - I Heart Jane: Austen's Fan Cultures and Afterlives
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement In the 20th and 21st centuries, Jane Austen has attained a celebrity that far exceeds the recognition she enjoyed during her lifetime. The fan culture that now surrounds Austen, her spunky heroines, and her swoon-worthy heroes rivals that of Star Wars or Harry Potter. Austen enthusiasts meet for book club, wear Regency costumes, convene for tea, and throw balls with period-appropriate music and dance. All of this mooning over Mr. Darcy, however, could easily be the object of Austen's own satire. Mercilessly lampooning silliness and frivolity, "dear Jane" was more inveterate cynic than hopeless romantic. How, then, did Austen transform from biting social satirist to patron saint of chick lit? Beginning with three of Austen's novels, and then turning to the fan cultures surrounding Pride and Prejudice, this course examines the nature of fandom, especially its propensity to change and adapt the very thing it celebrates. What does it mean to be a fan? Is there such a thing as an "original" or authorial meaning of a text? What do Austen's fan cultures say about both the novels themselves and the society that appropriates them?
- ENGL 264 - The Body Electric: Queer Theory, Film, and Text
(WGSS 264)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Queerness is inextricable from visual and textual representation as production and as reception. This course is an introduction to the nexus of queer theory, film, and text. We will analyze and interpret select films, as well as literary works that serve as inspirations behind cinematic adaptations, through methodologies grounded in LGBTQI2+ studies. We will also situate films, texts, and theories in history and queer the visual and textual archives. Our itinerary is organized around a set of critical keywords: closet, innocence, friendship, villain, tragedian, nature, body, horror, identity, history, camp, filth, nurture, Orient, fetish, desire, wound, death, love, sex, family, meet cute, and futurity.
- ENGL 312 - Gender, Love, and Marriage in the Middle Ages
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A study of the complex nexus of gender, love, and marriage in medieval legal, theological, political, and cultural discourses. Reading an eclectic range of texts--such as romance, hagiography, fabliau, (auto)biography, conduct literature, and drama--we consider questions of desire, masculinity, femininity, and agency, as well as the production and maintenance of gender roles and of emotional bonds within medieval conjugality. Authors include Chaucer, Chretien de Troyes, Heldris of Cornwall, Andreas Capellanus, Margery Kempe, and Christine de Pisan. Readings in Middle English or in translation.
- ENGL 313 - Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 This course considers the primary work on which Chaucer's reputation rests: The Canterbury Tales. We pay sustained attention to Chaucer's Middle English at the beginning of the semester to ease the reading process. Then we travel alongside the Canterbury pilgrims as they tell their tales under the guise of a friendly competition. The Canterbury Tales is frequently read as a commentary on the social divisions in late medieval England, such as the traditional estates, religious professionals and laity, and gender hierarchies. But despite the Tales' professed inclusiveness of the whole of English society, Chaucer nonetheless focuses inordinately on those individuals from the emerging middle classes. Our aim is to approach the Tales from the practices of historicization and theorization; that is, we both examine Chaucer's cultural and historical contexts and consider issues of religion, gender, sexuality, marriage, conduct, class, chivalry, courtly love, community, geography, history, power, spirituality, secularism, traditional authority, and individual experience. Of particular importance are questions of voicing and writing, authorship and readership. Lastly, we think through Chaucer's famous Retraction at the end" of The Canterbury Tales, as well as Donald R. Howard's trenchant observation that the Tale is "unfinished but complete." What does it mean for the father of literary "Englishness" to end his life's work on the poetic principle of unfulfilled closure and on the image of a society on the move?"
- ENGL 356 - Whitman vs Dickinson
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 In this seminar, students read two wild and wildly different U.S. poets alongside queer theory about temporality. Since we are discussing queerness in the past, present, and future, we will also consider 2lst-century reception of 19th-century literature and history, and students will participate in a Nineteenth-Century Poetry Slam.
- ENGL 359 - Literature by Women of Color
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 This course focuses on the intersection of race and gender as they meet in the lives and identities of contemporary women of color via literature: African-Americans, Native Americans, Chicanas, Asian-Americans, and mixed bloods, or 'mestizas.' Our readings, discussions and writings focus on the work that coming to voice does for women of color, and for our larger society and world. Students read a variety of poetry, fiction, and autobiography in order to explore some of the issues most important to and about women of color: identity, histories, diversity, resistance and celebration. Literary analyses-i.e., close readings, explications and interpretations-are key strategies for understanding these readings.
- HIST 206 - Gender & Sexuality in Modern Europe
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course investigates the history of Europe from the late 18th century to the present day through the lens of women's lives, gender roles, and changing notions of sexuality. We examine how historical events and movements (industrialization, the world wars, etc.) had an impact on women, we look at how ideas about gender shaped historical phenomena, such as imperialism and totalitarianism. We also consider the rise of new ideas about sexuality and the challenge of feminism.
- HIST 211 - Scandal, Crime, and Spectacle in the 19th Century
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course examines the intersection between scandal, crime, and spectacle in 19th-century France and Britain. We discuss the nature of scandals, the connection between scandals and political change, and how scandals and ideas about crime were used to articulate new ideas about class, gender, and sexuality. In addition, this class covers the rise of new theories of criminality in the 19th century and the popular fascination with crime and violence. Crime and scandal also became interwoven into the fabric of the city as sources of urban spectacle. Students are introduced to text analysis and data mining for the humanities.
- HIST 219 - Seminar: The Age of the Witch Hunts
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite at least sophomore class standing This course introduces students to one of the most fascinating and disturbing events in the history of the Western world: the witch hunts in early-modern Europe and North America. Between 1450 and 1750, more than 100,000 individuals, from Russia to Salem, were prosecuted for the crime of witchcraft. Most were women and more than half were executed. In this course, we examine the political, religious, social, and legal reasons behind the trials, asking why they occurred in Europe when they did and why they finally ended. We also explore, in brief, global witch hunts that still occur today in places like Africa and India, asking how they resemble yet differ from those of the early-modern world.
- HIST 228 - Women in Russian History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Students read many accounts by and about Russian women to gain an understanding of how Russian women have been affected by wars, revolutions, and other major events and, simultaneously, how they have been agents of change from the beginnings Russian history up to the present.
- HIST 237 - Gender and Sexuality in Latin America
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course examines how gender and sexuality shaped Latin American history from the late colonial period to the current day. Class materials cover themes such as femininity, masculinity, queerness, machismo, and transgender experiences that intersect with topics of nation-building, suffrage, racial equality, religion, authoritarian governments, and revolutions. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will learn about regional patterns as well as specific case studies. Students will study gender-related laws that highlight local developments as well as regional conversations about gender and sexuality, culminating in a gender code group project.
- HIST 257 - History of Women in America, 1609-1870
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An examination of women's social, political, cultural and economic positions in America through the immediate post-Civil War. Changes in women's education, legal status, position in the family, and participation in the work force with emphasis on the diversity of women's experience, especially the manner in which class and race influenced women's lives. The growth of organized women's rights.
- HIST 258 - History of Women in America, 1870 to the Present
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 A survey of some of the major topics and themes in American women's lives from the mid-19th century to the present, including domestic and family roles, economic contributions, reproductive experience, education, suffrage, and the emergence of the contemporary feminist movement. The influence on women's roles, behavior, and consciousness by the social and economic changes accompanying industrialization and urbanization and by variations in women's experience caused by differences in race, class, and region.
- HIST 261 - Women and Slavery in the Black Atlantic
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 From the 16th century to the 19th century, over 12 million Africans were shipped to the New World. Of those who survived the Middle Passage, fewer than 500,000 arrived in the United States; the vast majority were dispersed throughout the Caribbean and South America. The experiences of enslaved women, as well as the relationships between free and enslaved women, are as diverse as the African diaspora. Given the broad geographical scope of Africans' arrivals in the New World, this course offers a comparative examination of women and slavery in the Black Atlantic. Topics for consideration include black women's gendered experiences of slavery, white women's roles in slave societies, and women abolitionists. Students also examine how African and European conceptions of gender shaped the institution of slavery in the New World. Particular attention is devoted to slavery in West Africa, Barbados, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States.
- HIST 275 - African Women in Comparative Perspective
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 In this course, we will widen our appreciation of African Women's experiences, including history, legal and socio-economic status, religious and political roles, productive and reproductive roles, and the impact of colonialism and post-independence development and representation issues. The course will move across time and space to examine the aforementioned in pre-colonial, colonial and 'post'-colonial Africa. We will begin with the question: What common beliefs/images about African women did/do Euro-Americans share?
- HIST 285 - Seminar: The Yin and Yang of Gender in Late Imperial China (10th-19th centuries)
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Relations between men and women are the basis of any human society, but the exact nature and interpretation of these relations differ from time to time and from place to place. The concepts of Yin (female) and Yang (male) were integral to the theory and practice of Chinese gender relations during the late imperial period, influencing marriage, medicine and law. This course examines the historical significance of late-imperial gender relations across these, and other, categories from both traditional and modern perspectives.
- LJS 345 - Mass Atrocity, Human Rights, and International Law
FDR HU Credits 4 Prerequisite Junior or senior standing This course is designed to benefit students with an interest in law school and/or international relations and also those with no plans to pursue law school or international relations work but who are keen to catch a view of both of these areas. This interdisciplinary course reflects upon the place of law and justice in societies that have endured or inflicted systemic human-rights violations. Among the examples we study are Germany, the former Yugoslavia, Japan, Czech Republic, Poland, Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq, Uganda, Cambodia, Syria, South Africa, Congo, ISIS, Sierra Leone, and the United States. A related aim is to consider what sorts of legal responses are suitable to deal with perpetrators of mass atrocity. Individuals commit the acts that cumulatively lead to mass atrocity, but the connived nature of the violence implicates questions of collective responsibility. While our instinct may be to prosecute guilty individuals, are other responses more appropriate? What do victims and their families want?
- REL 132 - Hinduism
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys Hindu religious traditions with a focus on the many ways in which Hindus visualize and talk about the divine and its manifestations in the world through mythic stories, use of images in worship, explanations of the nature of the soul and body in relation to the divine, and the belief in human embodiments of the divine in Hindu holy men and women. Topics include: the religious meanings of masculine and feminine in the divine and human contexts; the idea of local, family, and 'chosen" divinities; and differing forms of Hindu devotion for men and women.
- REL 215 - Female and Male in Western Religious Traditions
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An investigation of views about the body, human sexuality, and gender in Western religious traditions, especially Judaism and Christianity, and of the influences of these views both on the religious traditions themselves and on the societies in which they develop. The course focuses on religion and society in antiquity and the Middle Ages, but also considers the continuing influence of religious constructions of the body and sexuality on succeeding generations to the present.
- REL 246 - Caste at the Intersection of Economy, Religion, and Law
FDR SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent Same as ECON 246. Social stratification touches every aspect of life, and South Asia's traditional caste structure is a special case: this highly complex, strictly-adhered-to system has been religiously legitimized and criticized over a 3,000-year history, and is nowadays seen as being at odds with the modern world. Yet it remains a crucial factor in social identity, economic roles, legal status, and religious practice. This course offers a 360-degree survey of caste both historically and in practice today in Nepal. The course addresses four themes, respectively providing for each a combination of historical background, social scientific analysis of the modern situation, and direct field experience for the students.
- REL 284 - Gender and Sexuality in Islam
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 How have issues of gender and sexuality in Medieval and Modern Islamic societies been debated across the Middle East, South Asia, and the West? Students examine scholarly and public discussions of gender and Islam, and they build a vocabulary in which to talk about women. queer, and intersex history as they concern Muslim societies and their foundational sources in their regional and historical contexts.
- SPAN 323 - Golden Age Spanish Women Writers
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 A study of the comedia and the novela corta and the manner in which the secular women writers inscribe themselves within and beyond these genres. Close reading and discussion of representative works that may include the short stories and plays by MarÃa de Zayas, Ana Caro, Leonor de Meneses, Mariana de Carvajal, and Angela de Azevedo.
- THTR 250 - Women in Contemporary Theater
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course explores the contemporary theater scene, investigating its plays, playwrights, directors and actors. The representation of women in theatrical art, as well as the unique contributions of contemporary women as artists, theorists and audiences, provides the principal focus of study. Traditional critical and historical approaches to the material are complemented by play reading, play attendance, oral presentations, writing assignments, journal writing and the creation of individual performance pieces.
- WGSS 210 - Representations of Women, Gender and Sexuality in World Literature
(LIT 210)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Same as LIT 210. This course examines a plethora of literary texts chosen from across historical periods from antiquity, through early modern times, to the modern and postmodern era and across several national traditions and cultural landscapes. Its main intellectual objective is to sensitize students to the ways in which women and gender have been represented in literary texts of various genres and to help them develop specific analytic skills in order to discover and evaluate the interconnections between the treatment of women in society and their artistic reflections in works of literature.
- WGSS 242 - Social Inequality and Fair Opportunity
(PHIL 242)
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as PHIL 242. An exploration of the different range of opportunities available to various social groups, including racial, ethnic and sexual minorities, women, and the poor. Topics include how to define fair equality of opportunity; the social mechanisms that play a role in expanding and limiting opportunity; legal and group-initiated strategies aimed at effecting fair equality of opportunity and the theoretical foundations of these strategies; as well as an analysis of the concepts of equality, merit and citizenship, and their value to individuals and society
- WGSS 244 - Feminist Social and Political Philosophy
(PHIL 244)
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as PHIL 244. This course critically examines the gender norms that pervade our identities, govern our everyday behavior, and organize our social life. Questions addressed may include: What is gender? In what ways does it affect the quality of people's lives? Is gender difference natural? Is it valuable? Can it contribute to, or interfere with, human flourishing? Can a gendered society be just? What can any of us do to promote good relations among people of different genders?
- WGSS 246 - Philosophy of Sex
(PHIL 246)
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as PHIL 246. This course explores questions related to contemporary conceptions of sexuality and its proper role in our lives. Questions addressed include: What is the purpose of sex? Are sexual practices subject to normative evaluation on grounds of morality, aesthetics, and/or capacity to promote a flourishing human life? We consider the relation between sex and both intimacy and pleasure, viewed from the perspective of heterosexual women and men, and gay men and lesbians. What are our sexual practices and attitudes toward sex? What should they be like?
- WGSS 254 - Philosophy of the Family: Beyond Tradition
(PHIL 254)
FDR HU Credits 3 This course considers philosophical issues raised by family as a social institution and as a legal institution. Topics addressed include the social and personal purposes served by the institution of family, the nature of relationships between family members, the various forms that family can take, the scope of family privacy or autonomy, and how family obligations, mutual support, and interdependency affect individual members of families.
- WGSS 295 - Humanities Topics in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Credits 3 Prerequisite Depending on the topic, WGSS 120 or instructor consent A topical seminar that focuses on an interdisciplinary examination of a singular theme and/or geographic region relevant to the overall understanding of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, such as Hispanic Feminisms. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
and, when appropriate (topic is humanities):
- ENGL 250 - Medieval and Early Modern British Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement This course is a survey of English literature from the Early Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. We read works in various genres--verse, drama, and prose--and understand their specific cultural and historical contexts. We also examine select modern film adaptations of canonical works as part of the evolving history of critical reception.
- ENGL 293 - Topics in American Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Studies in American literature, supported by attention to historical contexts. Versions of this course may survey several periods or concentrate on a group of works from a short span of time. Students develop their analytical writing skills in a series of short papers.
- ENGL 295 - Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Students in this course study a group of works related by theme, by culture, by topic, by genre, or by the critical approach taken to the texts. Involves field trips, film screenings, service learning, and/or other special projects, as appropriate, in addition to 8-10 hours per week of class meetings.
- ENGL 299 - Seminar for Prospective Majors
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement and an English course numbered between 201 and 295 A study of a topic in literature issuing in a research process and sustained critical writing. Some recent topics have been Detective Fiction; American Indian Literatures; Revenge; and David Thoreau and American Transcendentalism.
- FREN 331 - Etudes thématiques
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 3 French courses numbered between 200 and 299 This course gives students a general knowledge of the evolution of French literature and ideas over the centuries through the study of one main theme. Recent offerings include: L'Exil; Regards sur la ville; Le dépaysement; Le voyage dans la literature française; L'esprit critique au XVIIIe siècle.
- ENGL 392 - Topics in Literature in English before 1700
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A seminar course on literature written in English before 1700 with special emphasis on research and discussion. Student suggestions for topics are welcome.
- ENGL 393 - Topics in Literature in English from 1700-1900
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A seminar course on literature written in English from 1700 to 1900 with special emphasis on research and discussion. Student suggestions for topics are welcome.
- ENGL 394 - Topics in Literature in English since 1900
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A seminar course on literature written in English since 1900 with special emphasis on research and discussion. Student suggestions for topics are welcome.
- ENGL 395 - Topics in Literature in English in Counter Traditions
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A seminar course on literature written in English in an area of counter traditions-- with special emphasis on research and discussion. Student suggestions for topics are welcome.
- FREN 397 - Séminaire avancé
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 3 French courses numbered between 200 and 299 The in-depth study of a topic in French literature and/or civilization. Recent offerings include: La Littérature francophone du Maghreb; La littérature Beure; La France sous l'occupation; Les femmes et l'écriture au XVIIe siècle; Les écrivains du XXe siècle et la diversité culturelle; L'affaire Dreyfus. Students are encouraged to use this course for the development of a personal project. May be repeated for degree credit when the topics are different.
- HIST 229 - Topics in European History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A course offered from time to time depending on student interest and staff availability, on a selected topic or problem in European history.
- HIST 269 - Topics in United States, Latin American or Canadian History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A course offered from time to time, depending on student interest and staff availability, on a selected topic or problem in United States, Latin American or Canadian history.
- LATN 326 - The Poetry of Ovid
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite LATN 202 or LATN 300 placement Readings from the masterpieces of Ovid's poetry, including one or more of the following: The Metamorphoses (a grand mythological epic), The Fasti (festivals and the Roman calendar), The Heroides (fictional letters written by mythological heroines, Ars Amatoria and Amores (love poetry) and Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto (his poetry from exile).
- LIT 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar.
- LIT 295 - Special Topics in Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement A selected topic focusing on a particular author, genre, motif or period in translation. The specific topic is determined by the interests of the individual instructor.
- REL 195 - Special Topics in Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A course offered from time to time in a selected problem or topic in religion.
- REL 295 - Special Topics in Religion
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A course offered from time to time in a selected problem or topic in religion.
- SPAN 295 - Special Topics in Conversation
Credits 3-4 Prerequisite SPAN 162, SPAN 164, or SPAN 200 placement Further development of listening and speaking skills necessary for advanced discussion. Acquisition of both practical and topic-specific vocabulary. Appropriate writing and reading assignments, related to the topic, accompany the primary emphasis on conversational skills. Recent topics include: Hispanic Cinema and La Prensa.
- SPAN 397 - Literature of Spain Seminar
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 220 and SPAN 275 A seminar focusing on a single period, genre, motif, or writer. The specific topic will be determined jointly according to student interest and departmental approval.
- SPAN 398 - Spanish-American Seminar
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite SPAN 240 and SPAN 275 A seminar focusing on a single period, genre, motif, or writer. Recent topics have included "Spanish American Women Writers: From America into the 21st Century," "20th Century Latin America Theater," and "Past, Memory, and Identity in Contemporary Argentina's Cultural Products." May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- WGSS 180 - FS: First-year Seminar
Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-year seminar.
- WGSS 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits 3 Prerequisite instructor consent A course which permits the student to follow a program of directed reading or research in an area not covered in other courses.
- WGSS 451 - Internship
(when the internship is at an agency that deals with the arts, history, or other humanistic issues)
Credits 1 Prerequisite instructor consent Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Professional development through an external, on-site internship. Requires at least 45 hours of work over no fewer than four weeks. May be repeated for a maximum of three degree credits toward the university limit of nine credits. Students may only register for one WGSS internship per summer.
- ARTH 365 - Women, Art, and Empowerment
- Capstone experience (after the completion of all other requirements):
- WGSS 396 - Advanced Seminar in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Credits 3 Prerequisite WGSS 120 and at least junior class standing This course provides an opportunity for advanced students to explore in detail some aspect of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
or another relevant individual study, senior thesis, or honors thesis in the student’s major approved by the program committee.
12 credits selected from the following, with at least one course from each of the two areas. Additional courses may be used when the topic is relevant and the Women's and Gender Studies Committee approves.