what kinds of things do you learn in a womens and gender course

by Marquise Hilpert 6 min read

Women’s and Gender Studies majors learn to identify, articulate and analyze subtle, as well as overt, cultural practices that promote and even institutionalize specific notions around gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation.

Students learn about gender, sexual difference, masculinity and femininity. Courses examine the intersections of gender with race/ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic class, ability levels, sexuality, and additional dimensions of difference.

Full Answer

Who should take women and gender studies classes?

What I Learned in the Women and Gender Studies Class. I have a very vivid memory of discussing my classes to my mother before this first semester began, and whenever I listed off my Women and Gender Studies class I remember my mother asking me, “What do you think you are going to learn about in there?”.

What are some good topics for a gender and sexuality course?

Why major in women’s&Gender Studies?

What do students learn about gender and sexuality?

The Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Minor

Interested in the cultural constructions of sexuality and gender? The cross-disciplinary minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSX) may be the best choice for you! Take specific WGSX courses or explore some experimental classes from other disciplines.

Experience the diversity of a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Interested in the cultural constructions of sexuality and gender? The cross-disciplinary minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSX) may be the best choice for you! Take specific WGSX courses or explore some experimental classes from other disciplines.

How to do gender studies?

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: 1 Understand and engage with central debates in the field of Women's and Gender Studies. 2 Define and apply basic terms and concepts central to this field. 3 Apply a variety of methods of analyzing gender in society, drawing upon both primary and secondary sources. 4 Apply concepts and theories of Women's and Gender Studies to life experiences and historical events and processes. 5 Communicate effectively about gender issues in both writing and speech, drawing upon Women's and Gender Studies scholarship and addressing a public audience.

Why is academic integrity important?

Academic integrity is the foundation of all scholarship, because being able to trace how our ideas have developed in relation to other people's theories, research, and evidence, as well as our own, is what ensures the soundness of our research. Thus, university communities have a collective investment in ensuring that the practices of academic integrity are thoroughly learned and carefully practiced.

What is an oral presentation?

Each student will do one oral presentation, an analysis of a current event relating to class readings and lectures / discussions. Students will work in pairs to research and present an interpretation of a current event news article of their choice pertaining to the week's topic.

Who said "We take our stand on the solidarity of humanity, the oneness of life, and the unnaturalness

"We take our stand on the solidarity of humanity, the oneness of life, and the unnaturalness and injustice of all special favoritisms, whether of sex, race, country or condition." - Anna Julia Cooper

What do students learn about gender?

Students learn about gender, sexual difference, masculinity and femininity. Courses examine the intersections of gender with race/ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic class, ability levels, sexuality, and additional dimensions of difference. Faculty bring knowledge from a variety of disciplines to bear on problems that face diverse people in different places and circumstances.

What do women's and gender studies majors learn?

Women’s and Gender Studies majors learn to identify, articulate and analyze subtle, as well as overt, cultural practices that promote and even institutionalize specific notions around gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation.

What does Dean Boocker mean by "making knowledge matter"?

In his message to the students in the College of Arts and Sciences, Dean Boocker explains the importance of "making knowledge matter." We believe that means helping you develop useful, real-world skills alongside the sense of fulfillment and enrichment that a major in Women's & Gender Studies can provide.

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Course Description

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"We take our stand on the solidarity of humanity, the oneness of life, and the unnaturalness and injustice of all special favoritisms, whether of sex, race, country or condition." - Anna Julia Cooper "Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustaina…
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Course Objectives

  • Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Understand and engage with central debates in the field of Women's and Gender Studies. 2. Define and apply basic terms and concepts central to this field. 3. Apply a variety of methods of analyzing gender in society, drawing upon both primary and secondary sources. 4. Apply concepts and theories of Women's …
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Required Readings

  • Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. 1892. Taylor, Verta, Nancy Whittier, and Leila J. Rupp, eds. Feminist Frontiers. 9th ed. McGraw Hill Humanities, 2011. ISBN: 9780078026621. Schneir, Miriam, ed. Feminism in Our Time: The Essential Writings, World War II to the Present. Vintage Books, 1994. ISBN: 9780679745082. For further detail on these and additional readings…
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Course Requirements

  • Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, as a CI-H subject, conforms to the following guidelines: Communication-intensive (CI) subjects in HASS require, by the end of term, at least 5,000 words of writing divided among 3–5 assignments. (The font is 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced with one-inch margins; one page equals 250 words.) At least one major assignm…
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Attendance / Participation / Homework Assignments / Classroom Community

  • To foster a sense of intellectual community, this course is structured in a format that blends lecture and discussion. It is crucial that students come to class on time, with required texts, well prepared to offer thoughtful responses to the assigned readings. To be effective as class participants, students need to complete reading and writing tasks by the assigned dates. A vital, …
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Three Major Assignments

  • Each student will be responsible for submitting three major writing assignments over the course of the semester. Each essay should be typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font, with one-inch margins; one page equals 250 words. Essay assignment prompts will be distributed at least two weeks in advance of the due dates. Each essay should demonstrate understanding …
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Current Event Analysis: Oral Presentation

  • Each student will do one oral presentation, an analysis of a current event relating to class readings and lectures / discussions. Students will work in pairs to research and present an interpretation of a current event news article of their choice pertaining to the week's topic. Your task is to make connections between concepts presented in an assigned reading(s) and lecture…
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Reflection Assignment: Women's and Gender Studies Event

  • Students are asked to attend one Women's and Gender Studies (WGS)-related event (lecture, film, reading) during the semester and write a short piece (250–500 words or 1–2 pages) reflecting on this event and its relationship to course content. (WGS-related events will be announced in class.) This exercise will be due two weeks after the WGS event.
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Writing Objectives

  • Throughout the semester, I will encourage student writers to: 1. Address an intelligent, public audience in a graceful style, providing key information necessary to understand an argument. 2. Develop ideas in an interesting, original and coherent manner. 3. Support arguments with appropriate evidence and use and cite sources thoughtfully and correctly. 4. Employ clear, conci…
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Writing Center; Writing and Communication Resources

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