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Spring 2008 Course Descriptions *Graduate students may take 100-level undergraduate courses for graduate credit but must arrange this with the instructor. WSTU 120.10 (3) Introduction to
Women's Studies Pemberton A multidisciplinary examination of historical conditions, cultural norms, and social institutions that define women's status in Western culture. Experiences of girls and women in various racial, ethnic, class, and age groups. Alternative visions for women's (and by implication, men's) roles and status. (Required course for the Women's Studies minor and major.) Syllabus WSTU 120.11 (3) Introduction to
Women's Studies Morris We will examine the power of women's voices through narrative writing, moving from the personal to the political, looking critically at the technique of writing for an audience. How is women's truth-telling--about sexism, racism, abuse, success--received by readers? How do we choose to write our own memoirs, at different stages of remembering? WSTU 121.80 (3) Anthropology of
Gender Kelly Anthropological representations of
gender relations in "Other" cultures have provided important case
material for faminist theorizing of sex differences
and gender roles and statuses. How a cross-cultural approach can inform our
understanding of gender. Syllabus WSTU 125.10 (3) Varieties of
Feminist Theory Deitch As we sample a
selection feminist social and political thinkers from the 19th to the
21st century we will ask: How have Western legacies of Enlightenment,
Marxist, and Freudian thought influenced the development of feminist theory?
Is it useful to make distinctions between first, second, and third wave
feminisms? As feminist theory in the academy becomes increasingly
intellectually sophisticated and abstract, how can it remain useful in
developing strategies for social change and providing insight into the daily
life experience of diverse groups of women around the globe? How can
feminists of very different intellectual persuasions, not to mention differing
racial, ethnic, class, sexual, national and religious identities find common
ground for working together for change while recognizing and respecting their
differences? Prerequisite WSTU 001, 120 or permission of instructor. WSTU 136.80 (3) Chinese Women in
Myth, Lit. & Film Frost Taoists maintain that the early Chinese
"knew their mother and not their father." By late imperial
times, Chinese women had bound feet and possessed "three weapons:" words, tears and suicide. Today's WSTU 140.80 (3) Women in the This course will examine the experience of women in their social, economic, and political roles to understand how gender shapes experience. The exploration will include the impact of class, region, race, and ethnicity on women and on gender roles and the effect of the changes in women's roles on men. Syllabus WSTU 150.80 (3) Women and
Judaism Berner Beginning with an exploration of Jewish
women's history and legal status, we will focus on feminist theological
perspectives and Jewish women's spirituality as reflected in personal
writings, ritual, liturgy and midrash (biblical
interpretation and commentary). In this regard, the dialectic between
tradition and innovation will be examined. We will together explore
underlying meta-issues such as how the female and the feminine find their
place within Judaism, and how Jewish women engage with, challenge and embrace
Judaism. WSTU 170.10 (3) Women and War Morris
WSTU 170.12 (3) Discerning
Masculinities Lynch Why should we study the
dominant? Are masculinities always dominant? Why study this in women's
studies? All of these questions and more will be revealed in "Discerning
Masculinities." This class is an examination of the concept of
masculinities. We will explore the construction of masculinity across
the life course from family to work to school to sports and beyond showing
how it affects and is affected by people, institutions and society.
Masculinities are sets of diverse experiences based on race, class, gender
presentation, sexuality, occupation, physical "ability" and more.
This course challenges the participants to explore masculinity as a social
construct. Syllabus WSTU 170.13 (3) Athletics &
Gender Morris This course offers a unique look at the
legacy of women in American sports. How have attitudes toward women
athletes changed during the 20th century? What impact has Title IX had
on broadening opportunities? How does the media portray male vs. female
athletes? We will explore a full range of topics, including health
issues, Olympic scandals and sports marketing. WSTU 170.80 (3) Women In &
Beyond Global Prison Moshenberg
Women make up the
fastest growing prison population, globally and regionally. The WSTU 170.81 (3) Indian Dance &
Culture Devi Contact Theatre & Dance department for details. WSTU 181.80 (3) Women &
Western Religion Pemberton Using historical and theological
investigations of the image, experience, and role of women in a variety of
religious traditions (including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and goddess
spirituality), this class will examine women’s lives in
relationship to the sacred as expressed
in symbol, ritual, text, myth, and the realm of public discourse. In
seeking to derive a critical assessment of the roles of women and meanings of
femininity through the lens of gender, we will investigate such topics as the
dialectic of restriction and empowerment, the dichotomy between discourses
about women and women's observed practices in the realm of the religious,
dialogues (or lack thereof) between feminist movements and religious
communities, texts about and by women, women’s bodies and the
sacred, and feminist notions of
spirituality. Syllabus WSTU 183.80 (3) Practicum in
Women's Studies Deitch Directed internship and weekly seminar
meetings focused on making public policy in women's interests. Provides
graduate and upper-level undergraduate students with experience in
professional-level, policy-oriented field placements in public and private
organizations engaged in policymaking, education, political action, and
research related to women's and gender policy issues. Through weekly
seminar meetings, reading and writing, students analyze their placement
experience in a larger context, and relate theory to practice. Students
must apply by November 10, to participate in the Spring 2004 Practicum.
Applications are available in the WSTU office. Placement arrangements,
including a signed contract, must be approved before the Spring semester
begins. Permission of instructor required. (Graduate students should
register for WSTU 283). WSTU 195.10 (1-3) Undergraduate
Research By written permission only. Students interested should first submit a written proposal to the member of the faculty who will supervise the research. Please see the WSTU Director, Associate Director or relevant faculty member. Undergraduate courses in other
departments Please note:
We list here only the courses submitted to us by other departments.
Other departments may be offering other courses in the Spring which may count
toward the major or minor. Please consult an advisor. ANTH 154 Illness, Healing and Culture Miller Introduction to medical anthropology. What the record of human evolution and prehistory tells about human health; the epidemiology of health and illness; how different cultures define disease; understanding illness and healing systems cross-culturally; the political economy of illness; and the role of medical anthropology in health care and international development. ENGL 187 Asian American Literature How does a minority literature construct
its subjects as individuals in search of freedom, happiness, and meaning
while also performing the ongoing task of speaking for silenced communities
and reconstructing histories that have been rendered invisible?
Our readings will use stories of various kinds of desire, family formation,
and the search for origins to explore the invisible histories of American or
Western families and communities rooted in PSYC 150 Psychology of Sex Differences Forssell This course examines gender similarities
and differences in psychological characteristics and dispositions, such as
personality, social relations, emotional expression, and sexuality.
Social, environmental, cultural, contextual, and biological influences on
gender will be considered. SOC 175.10 Sociology of Sex and Gender Torres In this class, students apply
sociological insights (specifically about gender and race) to analyze film,
film being an important cultural product. American films can be read as
“narratives” about the beliefs we have regarding women and men,
non-whites and whites. So, this is not a class about film theory but
another way to understand, sociologically, U.S. society. Any student
with a background in sociology can do the kind of analytical work required. SPAN 140.10 Latin American Women Writers Vergara
This course reads critically well-established women writers (Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz) and those of more recent writers (such as Gioconda Belli, Julia Alvarez, among others) are discussed in relationship to feminist principles of criticism. *Undergraduates interested in taking graduate courses should be seniors and must have permission of the instructor. WSTU 225.10 (3) Contemporary
Feminist Theory Ramlow This class will address some of the more
recent theoretical approaches to issues that are central to women's lives
today throughout the globe and at home. Globalization is a key question for
feminists and we will examine debates surrounding work and capitalism,
slavery and trafficking of women, militarism, development, culture and
religion. In tandem, the course will also look at issues central to women in
the U.S. today, and develop analysis of concerns such as poverty, migration,
domestic labor, and constructions of public and private spheres that
ultimately challenge the division between the terms 'national' and
'international.' Syllabus WSTU 238.80 (3) Feminist Ethics and Policy
Implications Weiss WSTU 240.10 (3) Women and Public
Policy Examination of public policy with a gender perspective. Focus on both overarching gender analyses and specific policy issues such as reproductive rights, social welfare policies, child and dependent care, equal employment opportunity and domestic violence. Syllabus WSTU 270.10 (3) Sexuality &
Law Warbelow This course will explore
the ways in which the law has affected individuals
ability express their sexuality. The primary focus will be on
sexual orientation and issues such as marriage, adoption, voting rights,
sexual harassment, and military service. Syllabus WSTU 270.11 (3) Feminist Media
Theory Ramlow This course will consider the strategies
for and politics of filmic representations of physical differences. We will
be working with a variety of critical resources from disability studies,
feminist visual theory, and queer theory, to name a few of the approaches we
will take. We will engage with mainstream Hollywood films (from "Dark
Victory" (Goulding, 1939) to "Million Dollar Baby" (Eastwood,
2004)), independent films like "Murderball" (Rubin and Shapiro,
2005) and "Crash" (Cronenberg, 1996), and features and shorts made
by people with disabilities (such as, "F**ck the Disabled: The
Surprising Adventures of Greg Walloch" (Kabulio, 2001). We will consider
a wide range of film genres and periods in order to interrogate how film functions
in maintaining heteronormative and able-bodied cultural hierarchies, as
well as how film might function in opposition to, and resistant of, these
models of disability and gender management. Syllabus WSTU 270.80 (3) Women In &
Beyond Global Prison Moshenberg Women make up the
fastest growing prison population, globally and regionally. The United States
houses one of every three women prisoners in the world. What is that world,
and what lies beyond it? This course will examine the conjuncture of women,
incarceration, and globalization. We will consider incarcerated women, female
prison staff, female community – family – affiliation networks
associated with prisoners and inmates as part of neoliberal and alternative
maps and schema. WSTU 280.10 (6) Independent
Study Staff This course may be repeated for credit.
Written permission of sponsoring faculty member must be obtained prior to
registration. WSTU 283.10 (6) Practicum in
Women's Studies Deitch Same as WSTU 183.80, but WSTU 283.80 is
for 3 or 6 credits. WSTU 295.10 Independent Research
in Women's Studies Women's Studies M.A. students doing independent
research rather than a thesis should register for WSTU 295 not WSTU 280.
Arrangements must be made with the sponsoring faculty member prior to
registration. By written permission only. WSTU 299.10 (3) Thesis Research
WSTU 300.10 (3) Thesis Research
Graduate courses in other departments ENGL 236.10 Topics in Asian North American Literature CRN 96298 T 3:30-6 p.m. This course serves as an
introduction to Asian American Literature and its place in American
literature and Asian American Studies.
We will begin by discussing the political roots of the term
“Asian American” and how the editors of Aiiieeeee! anthology
and Elaine Kim first framed the field of Asian American literature. We will go back to the beginnings of
Chinese American immigration and the literature that arose from the
“exclusion era,” and the internments of the Japanese Americans,
study how Asian American literary studies was shaped by feminist criticism
and Asian American studies in the 1980s and studies in the nation and
postcolonialism in the 1990s. Finally,
we’ll consider recent representations of adoption and transnational
migration, and the usefullness of theories of narrative, genre, mourning, and
loss. Readings generally include
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and South Asian North American writers,
such as: Maxine Hong Kingston, David
Henry Hwang, John Okada, Monica Sone, Kim Ronyoung, Chang-rae Lee, Carlos
Bulosan, Bharati Mukherjee, Michael Ondaatje, Shyam Selvadurai. Additional
critics may include: King-kok Cheung,
Frank Chin, David L. Eng, Margaret Homans, Lisa Lowe, Rajini Srikanth, and
Sau-ling Wong. |