2015-2016 University Catalog archived
Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS)
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The Program in Women’s and Gender Studies is an academic program that bridges existing disciplines; that is based in sound, scholarly theory; and that is quintessentially interdisciplinary. The goal is to expand the areas of traditional focus, thereby providing students with a fresh perspective. Students from all majors are exposed to literature of gender and feminism and are prepared to return to their major courses of study ready to contribute differently. Students gain a new perspective into their various disciplines of study and a new view of their world, while acquiring knowledge of a flourishing area of scholarship.
A minor in Women’s and Gender Studies is available. While only certain regular courses are listed below as meeting the requirements of the minor, many other courses across the curriculum study women within the context of the various disciplines and in interdisciplinary ways. Students may petition the program committee to include other relevant courses in the program requirements.
Program Head: Robin Le Blanc
Core Faculty
First date is the year in which the faculty member began service as regular faculty at the University. Second date is the year of appointment to the present rank.
N. Melina Bell, Ph.D.—(2005)-2011
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Alexandra R. Brown, Ph.D.—(1987)-2001
Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Bible
Ph.D., Columbia University
Jenefer M. Davies, M.F.S., M.A.L.S.—(2006)-2014
Associate Professor of Dance
M.F.A., George Washington University
M.A.L.S., Hollins University
Megan Fulcher, Ph.D.—(2004)-2012
Associate Professor of Psychology
Ph.D., University of Virginia
Genelle C. Gertz, Ph.D.—(2003)-2010
Associate Professor of English
Ph.D., Princeton University
Sascha L. Goluboff, Ph.D.—(1999)-2013
Professor of Cultural Anthropology
Ph.D., University of Illinois
Robin Le Blanc, Ph.D.—(1998)-2008
Professor of Politics
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
Ellen C. Mayock, Ph.D.—(1997)-2008
Ernest Williams II Professor of Romance Languages
Ph.D., University of Texas
Deborah Miranda, Ph.D.—(2004)-2013
John Lucian Smith Jr. Term Professor of English
Ph.D., University of Washington
David Robert Novack, Ph.D.—(1976)-1988
Professor of Sociology
Ph.D., New York University
Domnica V. Radulescu, Ph.D.—(1992)-2003
Edwin A. Morris Professor of Romance Languages
Ph.D., University of Chicago
Roberta H. Senechal, Ph.D.—(1988)-2007
Professor of History
Ph.D., University of Virginia
Florentien Verhage, Ph.D.—(2008)-2008
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Ph.D., McGill University
Lesley M. Wheeler, Ph.D.—(1994)-2006
Henry S. Fox Professor of English
Ph.D., Princeton University
Julie A. Woodzicka, Ph.D.—(2000)-2012
Abigail Grigsby Urquahrt ‘11 Term Professor of Psychology
Ph.D., Boston College
Women’s and Gender Studies Courses
Courses relevant to the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies are as follows:
The following courses may also meet program requirements when the topic is appropriate:
Interdisciplinary Minor
WGS 120 - Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies and Feminist Theory
FDR: HU
Credits: 3
This course introduces students to the fields of feminist theory and women’s and gender studies by focusing on key theoretical concepts and surveying a range of topics that have been central to the academic study of women and gender. Such topics are likely to include the family as a social institution, gender in the workplace, beauty norms, violence against women, the history of feminist activism, and/or women’s achievements in traditionally male-dominated fields such as sports, art, science, or literature. Students learn to approach such topics using gender as an analytical tool that intersects in complex ways with other categories of social power, such as race, class, and sexuality. The course is interdisciplinary in approach and presents a plurality of feminist perspectives in order to offer a rich understanding of the development of feminist thought over the past several decades. Course assignments encourage students to use such thought to analyze their other academic pursuits, as well as the non-academic environments in which they live, including thinking critically about their own experiences as women and men in contemporary society. Staff. Planned Offering: Winter
WGS 150 - Women in Sport
Credits: 4
In this course, students use feminist theories and women’s studies to examine many aspects of women’s participation in sport in the United States. Students examine a range of topics including women’s achievements in sport; Title IX and associated arguments for and against its implementation; social and cultural influences on women’s participation; gender stereotypes associated with sport; and the role of the media in reinforcing gender-based stereotypes. Staff. Planned Offering: Spring
WGS 180 - FS: First-year Seminar
FDR: Offered occasionally. Each first-year seminar topic is approved by the Dean of The College and the Committee on Courses and Degrees. Applicability to FDRs and other requirements varies.
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: First-year standing. First-year seminar. Topics vary with term and instructor.
Fall 2015 topic:
WGS 180: FS: Gender and Sport (3). First-Year Seminar. Prerequisite: First-year class standing. This course introduces students to the fields of feminist theory and women’s and gender studies by acquainting students with key theoretical concepts of the discipline, while exploring how the social practices and representations of sport are influenced by the gendered social framework within which they occur. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students learn to use gender as an analytical tool that intersects in complex ways with other categories of social power, such as race, class, and sexuality, focusing on the domain of sport. A central aim of the course is to encourage students to think critically about the relationship between their identities and their participation in sports, academics, and other pursuits, and their experiences as women and men in contemporary society. (HU) M. Bell. Fall 2015
WGS 235 - The Second Sex: Beauvoir on the Power of Gender
(PHIL 235) FDR: HU
Credits: 4
Sixty years after its initial publication, The Second Sex is as eye-opening and relevant as ever. Simone de Beauvoir’s masterpiece weaves together history, philosophy, economics, biology, and a host of other disciplines to analyze the Western notion of “woman” and to explore the making and the power of gender and sexuality. The Second Sex is an important philosophical and political document about inequality and enforced “otherness.” Referring to the history of philosophy, new developments in existential thought, and drawing on extensive interviews with women, Beauvoir synthesizes research about women’s bodies and psyches as well as their historic and economic roles. Verhage. Planned Offering: Spring 2016 and alternate years.
WGS 295 - Humanities Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: Depending on the topic, WGS 120 or instructor consent. A topical seminar that focuses on an interdisciplinary examination of a singular theme and/or geographic region relevant to the overall understanding of Women’s and Gender Studies, such as Hispanic Feminisms. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff. Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and faculty resources permit.
WGS 296 - Social Science Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: Depending on the topic, WGS 120 or instructor consent. A topical seminar that focuses on an interdisciplinary examination of a singular theme and/or geographic region relevant to the overall understanding of Women’s and Gender Studies, such as Men and Masculinities. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and faculty resources permit.
WGS 396 - Advanced Seminar in Women’s and Gender Studies
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: WGS 120, junior or senior standing, or instructor consent. This course provides an opportunity for advanced students to explore in detail some aspect of women’s studies. Specific topics may vary and may be determined, in part, by student interest. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff. Planned Offering: Offered when interest is expressed and faculty re-sources permit.
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