Course Descriptions - Gender and Women's Studies

This course introduces students to the foundations of Gender and Women Studies by examining the diversity of women's experiences throughout history and across cultures, races, ethnic groups and religions. From a social science/humanities perspective, we will explore how factors such as gender, gender identity and sexuality have been shaped by Western society.

This course will explore human trafficking within the context of social justice, human rights, and feminist perspectives. We will analyze the behavior of traffickers and the ways this crime affects our global economy. We will examine criminal justice, vulnerabilities of victims and types of trafficking and how communities are responding to this activity. Students will gain an overall understanding of modern-day slavery and the issues we face regarding this crime.

This course offers students the opportunity to explore the origins of gender identity. We will examine cultural assumptions about gender in the United States. We will also identify political and historical influences on our definitions and expectations about gender.

This course investigates the experiences of women in war. We will discuss the ways women have exercised agency in unequal power structures during times of war. We will examine the ways women have been excluded and marginalized in written history regarding war and military conflict.

This course examines the practices of incarceration in the United States from a feminist perspective. We will discuss the history, the politics, the economics and the ethics of incarceration. We will also review the ways the U.S. is different from other countries when it comes to imprisonment.

This course will introduce students to issues related to feminism around the world. We will analyze gender inequality cross-culturally. We will also examine efforts to accomplish social justice for women and girls worldwide.