Gender and Women's Studies

Alexandra M. Hill, Ph.D., German, and Geneviève Brassard, Ph.D., English, co-directors

The gender and women’s studies minor is a truly interdisciplinary academic experience designed to foster dialogue between the arts, humanities, and social sciences with the ultimate goal of greater understanding surrounding issues of identity and sexuality in their historical, ethical, theological, and socio-cultural contexts. The gender and women’s studies minor incorporates content reflecting both the study of women's experience specifically and the intersection of gender and culture more generally and encompasses all areas of human inquiry: the liberal arts, the social and natural sciences, engineering, nursing, education, law, business, medicine, and ministry.

Learning Outcomes for the Gender and Women’s Studies Minor

Students completing the gender and women’s studies minor should be able to: 

1. Demonstrate knowledge of how different disciplines understand and study gender.
   1. Articulate orally or in writing the lenses through which at least two disciplines understand gender.
   2. Articulate orally or in writing the methods used by at least two disciplines to study gender.
2. Demonstrate an awareness of the intersections between gender and variables such as sex, sexuality, race, class, age, ethnicity, religion, and nationality.
   1. Identify at least two variables that affect or are affected by gender.
   2. Articulate orally or in writing how at least two variables affect or are affected by gender.
3. Demonstrate the ability, using feminist scholarship, to critique ideological assumptions underlying social institutions and systems.
   1. Identify and explain gender-related assumptions underlying social institutions and systems.
   2. Critique orally or in writing societal assumptions underlying gender from a feminist lens. 

Capstone Experience

Students pursing the gender and women’s studies minor will end their study with a one-credit capstone experience. The departmental designation of this course will vary, but the number will always be 492. See each semester's course offerings or the minor’s two-year course schedule to find the upcoming capstone courses.

Requirements 

1. SW 357/SOC 357: Perspectives on Gender and the Body – 3 hours 

2. Students choose one of the following: – 3 hours

    PHL 314: Philosophy & Feminism

    THE 358/THE 458: Intercultural Feminist Theology 

3. Students choose three courses from the following list: – 9 hours

    CST 411: Communication across Barriers

    ENG 370: Studies in Women Writers

    ENG 401: Seminar in British Literature (when topic is "otherness")

    GRM 401: Multicultural Society in Germany

    GRM 405: German Women's Writing

    HST 321: Modern American Women's History

    PHL 412: Philosophy of Law

    POL 319: Politics and Identity

    SOC 339: Sociology of the Family 

    SOC 432: Gender & Violence

    SPN 350: Latin American Women's Voices

    SPN 430: Cervantes: Don Quixote and Beyond 

    SW 356/PSY 356: Perspectives on Human Sexuality

    THE 317/417: Trickery, Gender, Power, and Politics in the Bible 

    THE 331/431: Sexual Ethics   

    THTR 445: History of Fashion

4. Capstone Experience – 1 hour

CST 492, ENG 492, GRM 492, HST 492, PHL 492, POL 492, SOC 492, SPN 492, SW 492, or THE 492 Gender and Women's Studies Capstone.

Total Credit Hours: 16