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Gender and Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on feminist explorations of the intersecting ways in which gender, sexuality, race-ethnicity, class, and nationality inform lives and illuminate social, cultural, and political life. Course work is grounded in scholarship about gender and women in different historical eras and geographic regions. Courses emphasize the manner in which gender, as a symbolic system that relies on constructions of masculine and feminine difference, helps to constitute social, cultural, political, and economic processes and institutions. Courses also explore how gender and gender inequalities are constituted by and through social, cultural and political processes. Course materials challenge the idea of homogeneity in ideology, politics, or status among women and address the ways in which at various times, and often concurrently, gender is challenged and reproduced by individuals. Gender and Women's Studies courses are categorized in three ways: (1) "Program" courses are interdisciplinary, taught wholly within the Gender and Women's Studies Program, and carry a GAWS course number. These courses focus on the study of women, gender, and sexuality using feminist theories and methodologies. They explore not only what women have in common but also how different social locations (including class, nationality, ethnicity, race, and sexuality) shape their varied identities and experiences. They also explore the construction of masculinities and femininities in particular historical, geographical, and cultural contexts. (2) "Discipline-focused" courses are classes taught by faculty whose primary appointment is in another department or program. They are listed under a course number from the originating department or program. These classes usually address the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality within the context of a particular discipline (such as History or English). Many of them also explore how feminist scholarship is reformulating research questions and analyses within that discipline. (3) "Related" courses are listed under a course number from the originating department or program. These are courses in which substantive attention is given to issues concerning women, gender, and/or sexuality but such issues may not be the primary focus of the class. Major. Students wishing to declare a Gender and Women's Studies major should select a faculty advisor who is a member of the GAWS Program Committee or see the Program Director. In consultation with the advisor, students should propose a program of study. The form must be signed by the advisor and the Director of the Gender and Women's Studies Program, and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the student. The Gender and Women's Studies major consists of a minimum of 30 credits of course work, with nine credits maximum at the introductory level. No more than 10 credits may normally be transferred. Students interested in a double major should be aware that discipline-focused or related courses can count toward majors in both GAWS and the department or program of origin. In addition, the following requirements and recommendations will normally apply. Sixteen credits of the major will be the following required courses: 1. GAWS 100: Introduction to Gender and Women's Studies (three credits), normally taken by the end of the sophomore year. 2. GAWS 300: Feminist Research Methodologies (three credits), or a methodology course offered in another department that complements the major. Students should confer with their advisor to determine the most appropriate course to fulfill this requirement. The aim should be to find methods that will help the student to conduct high quality, ethical research that is also cognizant of the latest issues and debates within feminist epistemology. Introductory level methodology courses are normally not considered appropriate. 3. GAWS 301: Practicum in Gender and Women's Studies (three to four credits), normally taken by the end of the junior year, or equivalent work that has received prior approval for Practicum exemption. 4. 400-level seminar offered by the program (four credits). 5. One other program course (three to four credits), of which a designated 200-level or 300-level feminist theory course is strongly recommended. The remaining 14 credits of the major will be comprised of program, discipline-focused or related courses. Six credits of the 14 must be program or discipline-focused. The remainder may be taken from the list of related courses. No more than six of the 14 credits can be at the introductory level. Other Oberlin courses not designated in the catalog as GAWS, disciplined-focused or related courses, may be permitted to count toward the major. To request such permission, students must submit a Request Form and a class syllabus to the Director of Gender and Women's Studies. If such changes are approved, the Director will send written notification to the Registrar. Students declaring Gender and Women's Studies as their second major should file a declaration no later than the second semester of their junior year. Minor. Students wishing to minor in GAWS are advised to consult with the Director of GAWS and to declare their minor before the end of the junior year. Proposals for minors will be reviewed and approved by the director. Students may obtain a minor in GAWS by accumulating 15 credits according to the following guidelines: 1. GAWS 100 (three credits). 2. At least three additional credits in program courses. 3. The remaining credits earned in other Gender and Women's Studies courses (program, discipline-focused or related). At least 9 of the 15 credits must be above the introductory level. No more than five credits may be transferred toward the minor. It is recommended that students include fieldwork relevant to Gender and Women's Studies, for example, the ExCo course in Women's Health or SAST, the GAWS Practicum, or a GAWS-related Winter Term project. Honors. Senior GAWS majors may conduct independent, original research under the supervision of an advisor, normally drawn from the Gender and Women's Studies Program Committee. Students are expected to prepare a substantive project or research paper and make a public presentation on their research and its relationship to relevant feminist scholarship. Students who qualify for Honors and wish to undertake an Honors project should consult with the Gender and Women's Studies Program Director no later than the beginning of the second semester of their junior year. Winter Term. When faculty members who teach GAWS courses are on duty for Winter Term, they sponsor GAWS-related Winter Term projects in their areas of interest. Many other faculty who teach discipline-focused or related courses may be asked to sponsor GAWS Winter Term projects. Other Resources. Other campus resources that supplement the academic offerings in Gender and Women's Studies include student organizations such as the Edmonia Lewis Center for Women and Transgender People and the Women's Collective at Baldwin. The Oberlin College Library has a core of feminist periodicals and reference materials on women and gender in addition to the resources of the general collection. Ms. Jessica Grim is the resource librarian for Gender and Women's Studies.
100. Introduction to Gender and Women's Studies 3 hours 1.5HU, 1.5SS, CD, WR First and Second Semester. This course examines basic analytical constructs and key issues in the field of feminist knowledge. It provides an introduction to the variety of experiences across cultures through critical examination of gender in combination with race, class and sexuality. Classroom discussion is central to the feminist pedagogy of this course. Enrollment Limit: 25. Ms. Germain, Ms. Hasso 215. African American Women's History 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR First Semester. A general survey of the history of Black women from colonial times to the present. The course will examine the uniqueness of the Black female experience through the lens of the intersection of race, class and sex in American society. The course studies the lives of Black women from slavery through reconstruction, northern migration, the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement, and on to the development of a contemporary Black feminism. Primarily an historical treatment. The course includes literature and political commentary from Black women writers and activists. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 20. Identical to AAST 215. Ms. Brooks 220. Feminist Political Theory 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR Second Semester. This class is an introduction to the history of feminist theory, predominantly from the European and American traditions. In it, we will explore a range of feminist theories, ideas, and political commitments from the early development of liberal feminism to Marxist and socialist feminisms to the Second and Third Waves. We will consider the development of feminist ideas over time, in response to changing conditions, paying special attention to issues of equality and difference. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Germain 233. Gender, Social Change, and Social Movements 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR First Semester. This course focuses on theoretical debates about processes of social change and social reproduction at the individual, cultural, and social movement levels, with particular focus on gender identities and status. Attention will be paid to how the "modernity/tradition" construct, and race, class, nation, and sexuality (as "differences" and as sources of inequality) impact these debates and influence definitions of self and representations of others. Prerequisite: GAWS 100, introductory course in Sociology or Politics, or consent of instructor. Identical to SOCI 233. Notes: Priority given to Gender and Women's Studies and Sociology majors. Closed to first-year students. Enrollment Limit: 30. Ms. Hasso 238. Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East and North Africa 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR Next offered 2005-2006. 241. Living with the Bomb 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR Next offered 2005-2006. 300. Feminist Research Methodologies 3 hours 3SS, CD, WRi First Semester. This course traces the historical and dialectical impact of feminist epistemologies on disciplines of the social sciences and humanities. We will explore feminist approaches to research practices including oral history, case studies, archival research, visual and literary criticism, survey/content analysis, and field work. Throughout the semester, each student works on an individual research proposal that incorporates interdisciplinary methods and includes a literature review. Prerequisite: GAWS 100 or consent of instructor. Priority given to GAWS majors. Enrollment Limit: 25. Ms. Hasso 301. Practicum in Gender and Women's Studies 3-4 hours 3-4SS, CD First Semester. Students will volunteer for 4 to 8 hours weekly in a local feminist or social service agency. Readings and discussions will include activist strategies for accomplishing social change, grassroots principles of community organization, and the structure and division of labor in nonprofit organizations. We will discuss the intersections between feminist theory and organizational practices in order to examine how feminist ideals of participatory process and consensus can be utilized. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 16. Ms. Kahn 321. Black Feminist Thought: An Historical Perspective 4 hours 4SS, CD, WR Second Semester. Identical to AAST 321. For description, please see "African American Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Brooks 330. Global Feminisms 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR Second Semester. This interdisciplinary course examines feminisms worldwide. The course is organized to address feminisms as individual processes, collective practices, and organized movements. It will also address the impact of local, national, and international structures on feminisms, and the ways in which international economic and political inequalities have complicated gender debates. This course meets the feminist theory recommendation for majors. Not open to first years. Priority to GAWS majors. Enrollment Limit: 20. Ms. Germain 406. Seminar: Gender and the State in the Middle East and North Africa 4 hours 4SS, CD, WRi Second Semester. This seminar will study the gender implications of the relationship between states and religious authorities and movements in 20th century Middle East and North Africa. While "civil" laws (addressing work, education, and politics) are often gender egalitarian, personal status or family laws are usually not. Important for the purposes of this seminar is why this relationship varies in different states. Students are required to write a research paper based on a historical case study. Consent of instructor required. Identical to SOCI 406. Note: Priority to Gender and Women's Studies and Sociology majors. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Hasso 407. Seminar: Picturing War: American Visual Culture, Militarization, and Crises of Identity 4 hours 4HU, CD, WRi Next offered 2005-2006. 408. Seminar: The Politics of Sentiment: Family, Class, and Gender 4 hours 4SS, CD, WRi First Semester. This seminar will explore different familial forms, ties of kinship, and affection as historically located social phenomena. We will examine how ideals of sentiment shape family forms that are themselves integrally linked to gender, race, class, and nation. Questions will include: what is sentiment? And how does it operate both historically and individually? This seminar will address both theoretical issues about sentiment and case studies—from colonial Algeria and Java to the U.S.—which investigate the formation of identities and the politics of sentiment in these varied contexts. Consent of instructor required. Note: Priority given to GAWS majors. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Germain 500. Honors 4 hours 4EX To be arranged. Consent of instructor required. 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours 1-3SS To be arranged. Consent of instructor required.
The following courses may be taken to fulfill the Gender and Women's Studies major and minor requirements. Students should register for these courses using the number in the department or program of origin. African American Studies (AAST) 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology 248 Resistance and Voice: Literature of the African American Diaspora 347 Going Home Coming Home: Caribbean Literature Anthropology (ANTH) 304 Language, Gender and Sexual Identities Art (ARTS) 325 Women and the Visual Arts in 19th Century Europe 417 Modern Seminar: Crossing Boundaries: Gender Performance in Modern Art Classics (CLAS) 219 Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome Comparative American Studies (CAST) FYSP 146 HIV/AIDS in America 201 Latinas/os in Comparative Perspective 211 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Identities 311 Militarization of American Daily Life 321 Transnational Sexualities: National Borders, Global Desires 401 Capstone Seminar: Queer Geographies East Asian Studies (EAST) FYSP 141 The Writings of Women in Japanese Culture English (ENGL) 265 Anglophone Literatures of the Third World 302 Medieval Women Writers 304 Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare: Gender, Race, and Empire 355 The Word and the World: American Women Writers, 1830-1930, and Contemporary Feminist Cultural Criticism 361 Post-colonial Women's Narratives 369 BodyLore 391 George Eliot and Virginia Woolf German Language and Literatures (GERM) 433 -Selected Authors, Works, Themes (Senior Seminar) 20th-Century German Women Authors Hispanic Studies (HISP) 322 Visions of Mexican Women 426 Latin American Literature and the Narratives of the Perverse History (HIST) 213 Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe 229 Gender and Modern Europe, 1789-1989 237 Women in Jewish Society, Antiquity to Modernity 265 American Sexualities 270 Latina/Latino Survey 316 The Body as Historical Subject 322 Women and Power in 19th-Century America 344 Colloquium: Gender, Marriage, and Family in China 350 Women in Modern Japan, 1868 to the Present Jewish Studies (JWST) 237 Women in Jewish Society, Antiquity to Modernity Politics (POLT) 213 The Political Economy of Gender in Advanced Capitalism 335 Gender and Political Theory Psychology (PSYC) 224 Psychology of Gender Religion (RELG) 108 Introduction to Religion: Women and the Western Traditions 247 Feminist Ethical Issues 261 Gender Theory and the Study of Religion 262. Feminist Religious Thought in Multicultural Perspective 263 Roots of Religious Feminism in North America 365 Religion and the Body 366 Feminist Interpretations of Evil Rhetoric and Composition (RHET) 112 Queering the Reel Russian (RUSS) 328 Literature and the Woman Question in 19th-Century Russia Sociology (SOCI) FYSP 163 -She works hard for the money: Women, Work, and the Persistence of Inequality 235 Gender Stratification 236 Sexualities and Society 326 The American Family: Comfort, Conflict and Criticism 436 Seminar in Sexualities and Collective Action 450 Seminar: Race, Gender, Sexuality and Identity Theater and Dance (THEA) (DANC) 230 Autobiography and Performance 271 Special Topics in Gender Performance: Queer Acts
The following courses may be taken to fulfill some of the Gender and Women's Studies major and minor requirements. Students should register for these courses using the number in the department or program of origin. No more than eight credits in Related Courses may count toward the major. Anthropology (ANTH) Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Art (ARTS) 068 Problems in Media and Performance Classics (CLAS) 210 Greek and Roman Mythology Creative Writing (CRWR) 227 Asian Pacific American Writing Economics (ECON) 320 Labor Economics 321 Poverty and Affluence English (ENGL) 256 The Making of American Literary Culture/The Making of America— Writing in the 19th Century 264 Coming to America 386 Narrating the Nation Hispanic Studies (HISP) FYSP 152 Questioning Reality: The North and South American Fantastic History (HIST) FYSP 125 American Mixed Blood 327 Borderlands Politics (POLT) 202 American Constitutional Law 219 Work, Workers, and Trade Unions 301 Seminar: Constitutional Law: The First Amendment 315 Seminar: Future of Organized Labor 317 Seminar: The Transformation of the Welfare State Psychology (PSYC) 205 Psychology of Close Relationships Sociology (SOCI) 215 Contemporary Asian American Experience |
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