WGS 296 - Social Science Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies

Credits: 3
When Offered: Offered when interest is expressed and faculty resources permit.

Topics for Fall, 2009:

WGS 296A: Sexual Assault Prevention Workshop (3). This seminar, the result of a W&L student proposal, seeks to interrogate the systematic nature of sexual violence against women, the role it plays in establishing and enforcing women’s subordination in society, and the way its prevalence affects women’s experiences. It also seeks to address sexual misconduct at W&L, where our community holds itself out as committed to honor, integrity, and civility. First, students study dominance theory and the role it assigns to sexual violence in maintaining gender hierarchy, as well as some strategies used successfully by other colleges to prevent sexual assault. Next, students explore further the risk factors for sexual assault and identify any factors that may be unique to W&L by first creating an investigative plan and then collecting data from and interviewing members of the W&L community. Final projects include developing a student-driven strategy aimed at preventing sexual assault at W&L and presenting this strategy in an open W&L community forum. Bell

WGS 296B: Gender in East Asia (3). This course explores ways in which gender is constructed in East Asia and how it affects and is affected by social, political, and economic factors. Our primary goal is to learn similarities and differences between gender in the U.S. and in Asia. Mikanagi