Fall 2012 Course Descriptions
WMST 200: Issues in Feminism Prof. Jennifer Logue Wednesdays, 6:00-8:50 PMOver the course of this semester, we will explore feminism(s) from a number of different perspectives, focusing on the history of the women’s movement, key components of different feminist theories and activist strategies. We will revisit a number of larger questions throughout the semester: What is at stake in the nature vs. nurture debate? How are taken for granted categories like, “normal,” “natural,” “masculine” and “feminine” invested with power? What does it mean to think of concepts and identities as socially constructed? How can we define various modes of feminism? How has feminist thought and practice shaped society over time and how is feminism evolving to respond to the concerns of the twenty-first century?
We will take a multidisciplinary approach to our study of feminism, touching on issues of philosophy, science, law, politics, education, and popular culture. You’ll find that there are no easy answers to any of the issues that we’ll discuss and that, indeed, there is rarely a definitive “feminist response” to the issues and problems we’ll encounter.
Attributes: Social Sciences-Breadth, Fine Arts & Humanities Distrib, Social Sciences Distribution, United States Cultures-Exp, Intergroup Relations
WMST/PSYCH 305: Psychology of Gender Tuesdays and Thursday, 12:30-1:45 PMThis course looks at the psychological and cultural history of gender, changing sex roles, socialization, sexuality, issues related to mental health, stereotyping, and cognition.
Attributes: Social Sciences-Breadth, Social Sciences Distribution, United States Cultures-Exp, Intergroup Relations
WMST/SOC 308: Women, Gender, and Society Instructor: Elizabeth Stygar and Staff Section 1: Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:00-4:15 PM Section 2: Mondays, 6:00-8:50 PMThis course examines the concept of gender from the sociological perspective. Thus, we will be looking at the social causes and consequences of breaking gender into rigid dichotomies. We will focus on how society’s organization results in different treatment for women and men and how this different treatment often times benefits men at the expense of women. Society’s structure imposes different rules, regulations and benefits on men and women. Thus, our main objectives are twofold. First, we will analyze the ramifications society’s organization has for women and men. Second, we will expose how problematic it is to assume that all men and all women are alike.
Attributes: Social Sciences-Breadth, Social Sciences Distribution, United States Cultures-Exp, Intergroup Relations
WMST/ENG 341: African American Women’s Writing Prof. Candice Love Jackson Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:15 PMPoems, novels, short stories, essays, dramas, autobiography, and other texts by African American women writers during various periods from Colonial to Contemporary times.
Attributes: Humanities-Breadth, Fine Arts & Humanities Distrib, United States Cultures-Exp, Intergroup Relation
WMST/SOC 391: Marriage and Family Section 1: Prof. Flo Maatita Mondays, 6:00-8:50 PM Section 2: Elizabeth Stygar Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 AM-12:15 PMIn this course we will examine the family as an institution that shapes and “is shaped” by society. We will focus on marriage and the family in U.S. society. We will also discuss behavioral change including gender roles; dating and mate selection; love and intimacy; alternative family forms; communication/conflict; and divorce/remarriage. We will locate the family within a socio-cultural framework—understanding the social forces that influence the family. Our course is designed to understand the family (as public and private) and its relationship with other social institutions found in contemporary American society.
Attributes: Social Sciences-Breadth, Social Sciences Distribution
WMST/POL 441: Women in Politics in America Prof. Carly Haden-Foster Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:30-2:45 PMWe will examine a broad range of subjects related to women and politics: women’s political behavior and activism, feminist political theory, women running for and serving in public office, women’s roles in creating public policy, and ways that women are affected by public policy. In general, we will investigate ways that gender operates as an organizational structure in the US political system. Most of the course will focus on contemporary political realities for women in the US, but we will also examine women’s politics in historical and international contexts.
Attributes: Social Sciences-Breadth, Social Sciences Distribution, United States Cultures-Exp, Intergroup Relations
WMST/ENG 478: Studies in Women, Language, and Literature: Wildreness vs. Providence in Contemporary American Poetry Prof. Allison Funk Thursdays, 6:00-8:50 PMThe poet Louise Bogan wrote in her poem “Women”: “Women have no wilderness in them, / They are provident instead, / Content in the tight hot cell of their hearts / To eat dusty bread.” Do you agree or disagree? Have the conflicts and choices for women changed since Bogan wrote her poem in the 20th century? Do the poets of our time suggest that women are still torn between taking risks and staying at home to provide for others? In this course, we’ll explore the implications of Bogan’s provocative idea as we read contemporary poetry written by American women.
Attributes: Humanities-Breadth, Fine Arts & Humanities Distrib, United States Cultures-Exp, Intergroup Relations
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Spring 2012 Course Descriptions
WMST 200: ISSUES IN FEMINISM
Prof. Catherine Seltzer
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:45
Over the course of this semester, we’ll explore feminism from a number of different perspectives, focusing on the history of the women’s movement, the key concepts of feminist theory, and the role of activism in American culture. We will find ourselves regularly revisiting a number of larger questions: How can we define various modes of feminism? How has feminist thought and practice shaped American society over the last seventy-five years? How is feminism evolving to respond to the concerns of twenty-first century men and women?
WMST/SOC 308: WOMEN, GENDER, and SOCIETY
Instructor: Elizabeth Stygar
Section: 001: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00-9:15
Section 002: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45
This course examines the concept of gender from the sociological perspective. Thus, we will be looking at the social causes and consequences of breaking gender into rigid dichotomies. We will focus on how society’s organization results in different treatment for women and men and how this different treatment often times benefits men at the expense of women. Society’s structure imposes different rules, regulations and benefits on men and women. Thus, our main objectives are twofold. First, we will analyze the ramifications society’s organization has for women and men. Second, we will expose how problematic it is to assume that all men and all women are alike.
WMST/SPC 331: GENDER and COMMUNICATION
Prof. Joanne Cattafesta
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45
This course is designed to provide you with opportunities to examine the dynamic and interactive relationship between gender and communication in contemporary society. The overall goal of this course is to familiarize you with concepts, theories and research to explore how gender “works” within various social contexts and the role communication plays in this process. This course is both lecture and activity/discussion-based and requires you to work independently and collectively in helping each other learn.
WMST350/IS 350: WOMEN IN SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Prof. Carly Hayden-Foster and Prof. Tricia Oberweis
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45
This course will examine women’s interactions with the law from multiple perspectives. We will study legal responses to women who violate laws, laws intended to protect women, and laws intended to regulate women’s behavior. We will also examine women’s roles in shaping laws.
WMST 352/IS 352: WOMEN IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
Prof. Nancy Ruff and Prof. Allison Thomason
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:15
In this course we will study the history, representation, literature, social lives, and political roles of women in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Biblical World, Greece, and Rome. We will integrate methodology from history, art history and archaeology, literary studies, and women’s studies to analyze the documents, artifacts, and literature produced by, for and about women in these important pre-Classical and Classical civilizations. We will not only study the lives of individual “famous” ancient women such as Nefertiti, Cleopatra, Sappho and Livia, but also the accomplishments, treatments and roles of women as a social group within each ancient civilization. We will also seek themes of similarity and difference in the lives of ancient women across cultures and time.
WMST 441/POLS 441: WOMEN and POLITICS IN AMERICA
Prof. Carly Hayden-Foster
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00-12:15
In this course we will examine a broad range of subjects related to women and politics: women’s political behavior and activism, feminist political theory, women running for and serving in public office, women’s roles in creating public policy, and ways that women are affected by public policy. In general, we will investigate ways that gender operates as an organizational structure in the US political system. Most of the course will focus on contemporary political realities for women in the US, but we will also examine women’s politics in historical and international contexts.
WMST 451/EPFR 451: GENDER and EDUCATION
Prof. Jennifer Logue
Tuesdays, 5:30-8:15
In this course we will examine gender as a social construct, critically analyzing the ways that social inequalities are reproduced and resisted in schools, popular culture, and other social institutions. We will consider the ways in which gender intersects with other aspects of identity including race and sexuality in educational settings and explore their larger social and global implications. We will consider issues such as adolescent culture, school policies on sex education, harassment, and bullying with a particular focus on how gender and sexuality are fundamental bases of social inequality. Readings, lectures, assignments and discussions will examine how gender is fashioned, resisted, reformed, and continually in process.
WMST/HIST 455: Women in Islamic History
WMST 473/ART 473
Prof. Katherine Poole
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10:00-10:50
This course introduces students to women artists throughout history and the
ideological issues critical to understanding the history of women in the arts.
Its examines the social and cultural context in which women artists worked as well as the ways that women have been represented in art throughout the ages. Although the main focus will be women as image makers and as subject matter, the course also will occasionally consider art commissioned by women.
WMST 478/ENG 478: STUDIES IN WOMEN, LANGUAGE and LITERARTUE
Prof. Nancy Ruff
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45
This section of the course examines the role of women as subject, author and audience of western literature written from 800 BC – 1500 AD. The course aims to provide a broad view of the nature of women’s lives, thoughts and accomplishments in these early times as portrayed through their writings as well as menís. We will also read some historical works for context and feminist commentary.
