Women's and Gender Studies

Requirements for the Minor in Women's and Gender Studies
18 hours are required for the minor in women’s and gender studies, including WGST 325 and SOC 363. The remaining twelve hours may be chosen from ART 257; ENGL 322, 324; HIST 334, 392; PSYC 311, 330; SOC 302, 366; and any other appropriate courses, if approved by the women’s and gender studies program coordinator and the chair of the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, provided that no more than three courses from one department are counted toward the minor

Courses

WGST 325. Introduction to Women’s Studies: Images and Identities (3)
An interdisciplinary course in which the roles, images, and contributions of women of various races, classes, and cultures will be investigated from the perspectives of literature, the arts, and the social sciences.

ART 257. History of Women in Art (3)
A survey of women’s art production in Western Europe and the United States from 15th century to present. (Alternate years in rotation with ART 256)

ENGL 322. Women’s Literature (3)
A critical study of American and British women writers, which may examine the following themes: myths of the female, the woman artist, the female bildungsroman, love and friendship, communities of women, women and war, women’s place in the nation, and female spirituality. (Alternate years)

ENGL 324. Women’s World Literature (3)
A complement to ENGL 322. An introduction to women’s literature written by artists from across the globe (including Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America) that focuses on texts composed after 1900. (Alternate years)

ENGL 334. Southern Women’s Writings (3)
This course examines how modern and contemporary women writers represent and imagine the south in their texts — and, in doing so, how they illuminate the dynamic of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and sexuality within twentieth - twenty-first century southern society. This course can count towards fulfillment of the Southern Studies and /or Women’s Studies minor(s).

HIST 334. Women in American History (3)
This course will introduce students to major themes in American women’s history. It will examine the lives of women as workers, as family members, and as active participants in the public arenas of voluntary association and political activism. It will further explore the diversity of women’s experiences in terms of race, religion, class, and ethnic identity while also touching on the lives of specific notable women in American history.

HIST 392. Family and Gender in Chinese History (3)
This course explores the familial and gender roles that have dominated Chinese society since traditional times. Consideration will be given to the historical influence of Confucianism, and primary emphasis will be placed on the 20th century intellectuals who have sought to reform these traditionally conservative elements of Chinese society.

PSYC 311. Personality Development in Young Adulthood (3) (Prereq: PSYC 201; PSYC 310 recommended)
An applied course in personality derived from personality theories explaining young adulthood. Topics and issues of relevancy in this life stage are studied in-depth. Increased self-understanding is the objective.

PSYC 330. Human Sexuality (3) (Prereq: PSYC 201)
Sexuality is studied as a component of human behavior including such topics as biologically based behaviors, psychosocial influences, and communication within relationships. Informed decision-making is addressed within the contexts of respect, responsibility, and reality with sensitivity to diversity, moral values, and ethics.

SOC 302. Marriage and the Family (3) (Prereq: SOC 201 or consent of the instructor)
A sociology of the family, including those in other cultures. A functional study of marital problem-areas, including sexuality, parenthood, and aging.

SOC 363. The Sociology of Gender (3) (Prereq: SOC 201)
A sociological analysis of the development and role of gender in human society. The course addresses how gender is socially constructured and the key issues for men and women that emerge in diverse social environments such as the home and workplace and in educational, religious, and political institutions.

SOC 366. Social Movements (3) (Prereq: SOC 201 or consent of instructor)
A study of the general characteristics of social movements. Two or more particular movements such as the African-American movement, Third World national liberation movements, the women’s movement, and the ecology movement will be discussed. (Alternate years)

Visit campus

Call our office at 1-800-960-7583 to arrange a visit. We will be glad to set you up to visit with faculty and/or sit in on a class or stay overnight in a dorm.

>> Contact Your own Enrollment Expert

You have college enrollment experts ready to answer your questions. How can we help?