WGS 1824: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Women’s and Gender Studies. Students examine materials from disciplines such as anthropology, art, art history, biology, history, language and literature, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology in order to study the relations between women and men as social groups, and the ways in which gender inequality intersects with other inequalities of class, race, sexuality, age, ability, nation, etc. The course provides an introductory survey of masculinity and femininity as social and cultural constructs, but pays special attention to the roles and experiences of diverse groups of women.

Why take it?

This course is relevant to the professional development of students from all majors. Students will enhance their skills in critical thinking, cultural awareness, communication, problem-solving, and ethical reasoning. Students will learn how to critique and contest exclusive structures, challenge assumptions that legitimate inequality in their own lives, and extend their practices of inquiry and creativity.

WGS 1824 fulfills an elective in the Leadership and Social Change, Peace Studies and Social Justice, and Visual Arts and Society Pathways minors.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course fulfills Pathways requirements in Critical Thinking in the Humanities, Reasoning in the Social Sciences, and Intercultural and Global Awareness.