WMS Courses

Women’s Studies (Minor)

The Women’s Studies minor is comprised of 21 credit hours, six of which are fulfilled by the required WMS 1000 and WMS 4590 courses (3 credits each). The remainder of the minor consists of 15 credit hours consist of electives from courses listed or cross-listed as WMS, at least 3 credits of which must be in courses at the 3000 level or higher. Independent studies approved by the Coordinator of Women’s Studies are acceptable as electives in the minor credits.

WMS 1000 Women and Society: An Introduction to Women’s Studies 3.0

WMS 4590 Feminist Issues and Theories 3.0 Electives: Courses listed or cross-listed as

WMS, at least 3 credits of 15.0 which must be at the 3000 level or higher Total credits required to complete minor: 21.0

Women’s Studies Course Descriptions

WMS 1000 Women and Society: An Introduction to Women’s Studies 3 credits An introduction to the field of Women’s Studies which focuses on the social and psy­chological implications of gender differences as culturally defined. The course will examine past and present literature, social institutions, intellectual history, and the contributions of women to science, art, and other disciplines. Distribution Requirement: WEP. Offered Term I.

WMS 1205 Feminist Argumentation 1 credit An introduction to major feminist arguments from history and how to make your own feminist arguments in everyday conversation. WMS 1210 Women and Leadership 1 credit An introduction to the issues, research and practice of women in leadership.

WMS 1215 Wage Equality 1 credit An introduction to the issues surrounding race and gender wage inequality and an overview of the advocacy and activism for greater equality.

WMS 1220 Reproductive Rights 1 credit An introduction to the history of reproductive planning, and learning to advocate for reproductive rights.

WMS-HIS 1402 United States Women’s History to 1865 3 credits An introductory survey course exploring how racial, class, and regional differences shaped the lives of different groups of American women from the early seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries. Distribution Requirement: WEP.

WMS-ANT- Social Inequality 3 credits SOC 2010 Class will examine the processes by which social inequality is created and maintained in society. Will look at stratification based on gender, race, social class, sexual orientation, age, religion, and ability. Will look at inequality mainly within the context of the United States. Prerequisites: SOC 1010 or ANT 1040. Distribution Requirement: WEP. Offered Term I.

WMS-AMS 2015 Gender and Nature 3 credits Will introduce students to a selection of American writers, artists and naturalists whose work explores the relationship between the natural world, ways of understanding and relating to the natural world, and gender. Through the material covered in this course we will explore the ways in which the constructed ideas of “nature” and “gender” have been intertwined in American culture, how certain assumptions about the essential nature of women and men have shaped opportunities for women and men to explore, study and know the natural world, and how the gendering of nature has shaped discussions of environmental topics and issues. Distribution Requirement: WEP.

WMS-HIS 1403 United States Women’s History: 1865 to the Present 3 credits An introductory survey of the work and family roles of different groups of American women from the post-Civil War era to the present. This course also discusses the historical development of the modern feminist movement in the United States. Distribution Requirement: WEP.

WMS-HIS 2115 Women in Asia Pre-Modern 3 credits The principal goal of this course is to emphasize the value of comparative study for a meaningful understanding of different social and cultural traditions especially as they relate to the roles and status of women in Asia. This course will focus on the pre-modern period, a period that covers from the pre-imperial period of Confucius to the closing days of the dynastic system. Distribution Requirement: NWP. Meets WRTCourse Requirement. Offered Terms I and II.

WMS-HIS 2116 Women in Asia Modern 3 credits The principal goal of this course is to emphasize the value of comparative study for a meaningful understanding of different social and cultural traditions especially as they relate to the roles and status of women in Asia. This course will focus on the modern period, a period that covers from closing days of the dynastic system, through the period of Western imperialism, to the middle of the twentieth century. Distribution Requirement: NWP. Fulfills WRT-Course Requirement. Offered Terms I and II.

WMS-PSY 2150 Psychology of Women 3 credits This course takes a lifespan and thematic approach to the female experience. Topics include sexual dimorphism, childhood experiences, role identification, moral development, sexuality, motherhood, career options, aging, and the interplay of gender and psychological disorders. Prerequisites: Any of the following: PSY 1010, SOC 1010, or WMS 1000. WMS-ENG 2155 Contemporary Latina Literature 3 credits This is a course on the work of Hispanic women authors who write in English. Topics to be covered are: the construction of identity influenced by race, class gender and sexuality; bilingualism and the experience of immigration and exile; and feminist literature as activism.

WMS-PSY 2250 Global Perspectives of Sexual Health and Identity 3 credits Examination of global beliefs and practices linked to aspects of sexual health and well-being, including identity, beliefs, and practices. Theoretical lenses of psychology and transnational feminism applied. Influence of globalization on indigenous conceptions explored. Prerequisites: PSY 1010 or WMS 1000 or SOC 1010 or ANT 1040. Distribution Requirement: GLP.

WMS-PSC 2400 Women in U.S. Politics 3 credits The course examines women in contemporary American politics by first looking to the early foundations of feminist theory and a brief history of the women’s movement. It also examines the differences in behavior between the genders noted in much scholarly work in Political Science. The course concludes with an examination of the role of women in recent American campaigns and asks what the future holds for women in politics. Prerequisite: PSC 1040 or Permission of the Instructor. Offered as needed.

WMS-AMS 2410 Gender and Utopia in America 3 credits A study of the tradition of utopian thinking in American culture and how that tradition has dealt with questions of gender. Distribution Requirement: WEP. WMS-ENG 2450 The Brontë Sisters 3credits Is an introduction to the groundbreaking work of three British women writers: Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë. Focus on their novels, including Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey. The course emphasizes close reading and situating the novels in their nineteenthcentury contexts. It pays particular attention to gender and women’s experience. Distribution Requirement: WEP.

WMS-ANT 3040 The Anthropology of Gender 3 credits Discussion of the cultural construction of gender roles in simple, tribal, modernizing, and industrial societies; traditional gender roles and the impact of social and cultural change. Prerequisite: Any lower division Social Science course or permission of instructor. Distribution Requirement: NWP. Offered Terms I or II.

WMS-ENG 3075 Twentieth Century British Women Writers 3 credits A study of selected writings by twentieth century British women authors, with attention to prominent themes, contemporary theoretical issues, literary techniques and genres, and relevant cultural and historical contexts. Readings will vary, but they will included such authors as Virginia Woolf, Jean Rhys, Doris Lessing, Iris Murdoch, Angela Carter, A.S. Byatt, Pat Barker, Jeanette Winterson, and Zadie Smith. Readings may be supplemented with selected works of contemporary feminist theory and criticism and with the writings of relevant twentieth century pre-cursors, such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Charlotte Bronte. Prerequisite: WRT 1020 and one prior course in literature. Distribution Requirement: WEP. Offered Terms I and II.

WMS-SPA 3155 Contemporary Latina Literature 3 credits Contemporary Latina Literature investigates the literary expressions of women writers born in the US of Hispanic heritage and who write in English. It studies a variety of genres and a diverse range of Latina ethnic groups in the United States. Prerequisites: SPA 2040. Distribution Requirement: WEP. Offered Terms I and II.

WMS-SOC 3300 Gender and Society 3 credits The course will analyze the social construction of gender, looking at gender socialization, gender performance, social reproduction, and the role of social institutions in the maintenance of gender differences. Will also deconstruct basic binary ideas of gender using cross-cultural and historical material. Prerequisite: SOC 1010. Distribution Requirement: NWP. Offered as needed.

WMS-PHR 3333 Feminist Philosophy 3 credits This course serves as an introduction to feminist thought as it relates to philosophical questions. This course will be an historical and topical introduction with a focus on recent feminist thought in the United States and Europe. Prerequisite: WMS 1000. Offered Terms I and II.

WMS 4590 Feminist Issues and Theories 3 credits A capstone seminar which integrates the theories and ideas introduced in previous coursework in Women’s Studies. Will focus on feminist theoretical approaches and on major issues confronting women today, relating them to past history and future prospects. Offered Term II.