Gender/Sexuality & Women's Std (GSWS)

An exploration of significant questions and concepts, beliefs and creative visions, theories and discoveries in Gender, Sexuality, and Womens' Studies for first-year students. Although topics vary, the courses also seek to improve students’ communication skills beyond the written word.

An exploration of a specific topic in Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies. A grade of C- or better fulfills the COLL 150 requirement. Although topics vary, the courses emphasize academic writing skills, reading and analysis of texts, and discussion.

An interdisciplinary exploration of sex and gender differences; race and class-based differences and divisions among women; feminist epistemologies and practices. Topics include feminist histories, gender development, body images/representations, "women’s work," activisms/subversions. Seminar format and weekly forum.

This course on feminism and digital culture covers topics that include video games, online misogyny, sex-segregation in digital labor, interactive art, robotics and body modification, and how human- computer interaction reflects questions of intersectional identity. The themes of the course emphasize embodiment, agency, mediation, and difference.

This course provides an introductory examination of LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer) studies. The class will primarily focus on the development of LGBTIQ experiences and activism in the U.S., but will also examine LGBTIQ issues in a few other regions of the world. We will explore topics such as film, literature, media; sexology and the history of sexuality; civil and human rights; marriage equality and family; queer theory and politics; and HIV/AIDS.

A study of a topic in some aspect of feminist scholarship.

The class examines the ethical values and interpretations of political engagement, environmental protection and development of three feminist women activists, two Indian and one American, and all internationally reknown for working for the environment and human rights in India: Vandana Shiva, Arundhati Roy, and Martha Nussbaum.

A study of women’s involvement in sport, the meaning of this participation and the social ramifications of women’s inclusion in and exclusion from sport. Fulfills the Social Science requirement for the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies major/minor.

An interdisciplinary course designed to acquaint students with the prevalent conceptual models and research methods used in feminist scholarship. Students will develop research projects based on the methodologies studied, and will present their findings at the end of the course. Fulfills either the Social Science or the Humanities requirement for the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies major/ minor, and the major computing proficiency requirement for the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies major.

This course investigates contemporary sexual politics including: representations of "Woman" and what women have been doing about them; postmodern "gender bending" in theory and practice; relationships among identity constructs such as gender, race, and sexuality; what happens when women aren’t "nice." Fulfills either the Social Science or the Humanities requirement for the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies major/minor.

An in-depth study of a topic in some aspect of feminist scholarship. Check with Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies for topic descriptions.

An in-depth study of a topic in some aspect of feminist scholarship. Check with Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies or the registration bulletin for topic descriptions. Fulfills the Humanities requirement for the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies major/minor.

An in-depth study of a topic in gender and international issues. Check with the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program for topic descriptions.

An in-depth study of a topic in LGBTQ issues. Check with the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program for topic descriptions.

An in-depth study of a topic in gender and race/ethnicity issues. Check with the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program for topics descriptions.

Women have made great gains in our society over the past several decades. Nevertheless, there continues to be a need for targeted examination of the questions and conditions that shape how women engage in leadership. The goal of this course is to provide a forum for women to learn more about themselves as leaders, and to discuss personal and social issues faced by women generally as they seek to lead lives of meaning and purpose. Students meet with speakers from the College, its alumni, and the community to address these topics.

An in-depth examination of contemporary feminist theories in relation to various disciplines of the humanities and social sciences as they interface with complexities of difference raised by issues of gender, race, class, and sexuality. Fulfills either the Humanities or the Social Science requirement for the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies minor.

Study of historical and contemporary representations of gender and sexuality in popular culture, with a focus on the production, consumption, and reception of texts.  Primary texts may include new media, film, television shows, magazines, popular fiction, and/or music. Topics vary from semester to semester.

For majors who have completed most of their requirements and who have secured approval of the instructor(s) concerned.

Students will work individually or in teams as directed by a faculty member.  They will develop important research skills that are difficult to acquire in a traditional classroom setting.  Examples include coding data, creating and modifying databases, reviewing manuscripts for publication, writing grant proposals, and developing research for preliminary drafts of manuscripts for publication. The W&M Credit Hour Policy requires courses to engage students for at least 45 hours of in-person faculty instruction, consultation, and outside work for each 1 credit offered. In this course, students will engage in the equivalent amount of work through faculty consultation or direct instruction and outside research activities.

In-depth study of a specialized topic relevant to Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies. Work in this course will reflect senior-level research. Check with Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies or the registration bulletin for topic descriptions.

This course will focus on the status and treatment of women in and under the law. It will be organized around the themes of women and work, women and the family, and women and health. Foundations for discussion will include readings of cases, legislation, historical and social science materials and jurisprudential work. Fulfills the Social Science requirement for the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies major/minor.

This seminar and performance-based course explores the possibilities of “queer/ing” in a sample of Asian theatre and performance contexts, in and against the violence of colonialism, nationalism, and globalization. Theatre and performance offers a lens to think through the politics and gender, sexuality, class, kinship, race, religion, nation, and/or genre, and the creation of alternative worlds in and beyond Asia. Theoretical texts, critical studies, plays and performances are drawn from India, Pakistan, Japan, China, Singapore, Philippines and other areas of Southeast Asia, while also considering performances in diaspora, and other cross-border movings. Students both study and research the critical and creative labor being performed (often) by queer and trans folk in Asia and its diasporas, while also engaging in their own performance-making toward queer, trans and feminist worldings.    

Students admitted to Honors study in Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies will be enrolled in this course during both semesters of their senior year. Each candidate will be responsible for: (a) formulating a program of study in consultation with a faculty advisor; (b) submission by April 15 of an Honors essay; (c) satisfactory performance in an oral examination on the subject of the Honors essay.

Students admitted to Honors study in Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies will be enrolled in this course during both semesters of their senior year. Each candidate will be responsible for: (a) formulating a program of study in consultation with a faculty advisor; (b) submission by April 15 of an Honors essay; (c) satisfactory performance in an oral examination on the subject of the Honors essay.