Gndr, Sexuality, & Wms Stdies: Intro to GSWS

Introduction to the field of gender, sexuality, and women's studies. Topics include key theoretical approaches to conceptualizing gender, sexuality, and power; how gender and sexuality are policed; and the relationship between gender, sexuality, and other social categories. Credit not awarded for both GSWS 1500 and GSWS 1010.

Open to degree and PACE students

The goal of this course is to introduce you to the interdisciplinary filed of gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. This class aims to provide you with the tools needed to think critically about gender and sexuality. This course will explore the history and development of feminism and its intersections within the disciplines connected to gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. Some of these disciplines we will explore this semester connected to GSWS include, but are not limited to women’s studies, feminist studies, gender studies, sexuality studies, masculinity, LGBTQ, Queer, transgender, intersectionality, and critical race studies. This class cannot do everything, but should be seen as a starting point in your GSWS education. Course Objectives This course aims to help students better understand: • The ways in which gender and sexuality are connected to systems of power; • The ways in which race, ethnicity, and class inform and shape sexual and gender expressions, identities, communities, expectations, and politics; • The “nature vs. nurture” debate, i.e., whether gender, sexuality, and gender identity are biologically determined or socially constructed (preview: this may be a false dualism here and likely these are not as oppositional as we often may think); • The various ways that heteronormativity, compulsory heterosexism, and cissexism manifest themselves in contemporary U.S. culture; • And provide a basic vocabulary for conceptualizing, theorizing, and doing gender, sexuality, and women’s studies

Participation/In class activities Group Cultural Artifact Presentation 20% 15% Weekly writing assignments 25% Mid Term Exam 20% Final Exam 20% Total 100%