Women's Studies

Courses

*WMNS 150 EARLHAM SEMINAR (4 credits)
Offered for first-year students. Topics vary. (ES)

*WMNS 303 WOMEN AND LITERATURE (4 credits)
An introduction to the study of literature by and about the lives of women, written in a variety of genres and periods, from a number of cultural traditions. Explores ways in which a study of a writer's ideas and techniques and a text's background (e.g., biography of the author, political climate, religious tradition) can lead to greater appreciation and understanding of a work, a writer, a reader and a time. A variety of critical points of view with particular attention to Feminist and Womanist theories. Prerequisite: An Earlham Seminar, an Interpretive Practices course or consent of the instructor. Also listed as ENG 303. (CP, D-D)

*WMNS 305 INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S STUDIES (4 credits)
An examination of women's lives, which looks at commonalities and differences and women's experience in terms of race, class, culture and sexual orientation. Examines public and private institutions and policies and offers an introduction to debates central to the field, including those regarding gender and its status as a "natural" or "socially constructed" element of human life. From an interdisciplinary perspective, encourages a self-conscious examination of epistemology and the use of the classroom as a laboratory for cooperative learning. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of the instructor. (D-D)

*WMNS 343 WOMEN IN GERMAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE (4 credits)
Critical reading of representative works. Focuses on the contributions of women to the literary life and cultures of German-speaking countries. Also explores myths and misconceptions regarding women by addressing questions of image and reality. Prerequisite: An Interpretive Practices course or consent of the instructor. Also listed as GER 343. (AY)

*WMNS 346 FEMINISM, ECOLOGY AND PEACE (3 credits)
Examines the ways in which contemporary social movements intersect both theoretically and practically. Departing from an historical perspective, students analyze the rise of science and modernity in Europe, tracing the spread of mechanistic thinking and economic development to the farthest reaches of the globe. Authors studied include deep ecologists, eco-feminists, social activists and cultural historians. Significant time devoted to group research on projects selected by the students. Also listed as PAGS 346. (D-I)

*WMNS 353 SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN SOCIETAL CONTEXT (4 credits)
An interdisciplinary examination of the causes and expressions of sexual violence in the U.S. with skill-building activities for advocates. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above and consent of the instructor. Also listed as PAGS 353. (W)

*WMNS 355 READINGS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY (3 credits)
Selected topics designed to give scope and gain appreciation for the diversity of issues and literature. Also serves as a counterpoint to U.S. and African American history by evaluation process by which black women's history is constructed. Also listed as AAAS 355 and HIST 355. (D-D) (AY)

*WMNS 357 WOMEN IN ANTIQUITY (3 credits)
A study of representations of women and the construction of gender in ancient Greek and Latin texts and art. Readings include works by Homer, Sappho, Aeschylus, Euripides and Aristotle as well as selections from secondary sources. Students complete a research project, possibly in collaboration with another student. Knowledge of a classical language is not required. Prerequisite: An Interpretive Practices course or consent of the instructor. Also listed as CLAS 357. (CP)

*WMNS 364 PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN (3 credits)
Examines psychological theory and research from a feminist perspective. Uses historical and developmental frameworks to explore how psychology has contributed to the meaning of gender in the lives of women and girls. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Also listed as PSY 364. (D-D)

*WMNS 367 WOMEN AND MEN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY (3 credits)
Surveys American social history from 1607 to the present, with a focus on the historical contours of female/male gender roles and the family. Topics include conception and roles of marriage, the family, child rearing and human development, work, leisure, education and sexuality. Analyzes the effects of war, racism, slavery, immigration, industrialization and consumerism, along with abolitionism, temperance, feminism, civil rights and other social protest movements. Prerequisite: An Interpretive Practices course, HIST 121 or 122, or consent of the instructor. Also listed as HIST 367 and POLS 367. (D-D) (AY)

WMNS 375 FEMINIST THEORIES (4 credits)
An interdisciplinary examination of major feminist theories with attention to the history of feminist thought. Emphasizes a diversity of perspectives and reflective consideration of the implications of theoretical frameworks for people's lives and experience. Among authors recently included: Daly, Chodorow, Lorde, Joseph, Eisentein, Gilligan, Mitchell, Ortner, Butler, Hooks, Lerner, Ruether, Rossi, Fox-Keller, Anzaldua, Hill-Collins, Lugones, Frye, Nicholson, Harding and Cooper. Prerequisite: WMNS 305.

*WMNS 468 ISSUES OF GENDER IN BIOLOGY (3 credits)
An exploration of the role of gender in the study of biology. Topics include a critique of the scientific method, objectivity versus subjectivity in methodology, the social structure of science, the history of women's participation in science, women as the object of scientific research and technological innovation, and alternatives in science and technology proposed and practiced by women. Readings provide a diversity of perspectives and provoke discussion. Prerequisites: BIOL 111, 112 and 226. Also listed as BIOL 468. (D-D) Offered twice every three years.

WMNS 481 INTERNSHIPS, FIELD STUDIES AND OTHER FIELD EXPERIENCES

*WMNS 482 SPECIAL TOPICS (3-4 credits)
Selected topics determined by the instructor for upper-level study. Examples of recent and future offerings include Women and the Civil Rights Movement, Women Writers and the Color Line, Lesbian Literature and Culture, Feminist Friendship, Asian Immigrant Women, Public Policy and Women, Feminist Ethics, Womanism and Toni Morrison, and Feminist Film. (D-D)

WMNS 483 TEACHING ASSISTANTS (1-3 credits)

WMNS 484 FORD/KNIGHT RESEARCH PROJECT (1-4 credits)
Collaborative research with faculty funded by the Ford/Knight Program.

WMNS 485 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
Investigation of a specific topic conceived and planned by the student in consultation with a faculty supervisor. Culminates in a comprehensive report prepared in the style of a thesis or research paper.

WMNS 487 SENIOR DEMONSTRATIVE PROJECT (2 credits)
Part of the Women's Studies Senior Comprehensive. Provides an opportunity to synthesize theoretical and practical experiences gained in the Women's Studies major and to demonstrate depth of understanding of a particular issue or problem to the larger Earlham community. Recent projects include organizing a lecture series on minority women's health issues; creating one-woman art shows; coordinating groups to explore different forms of artistic expression including poetry by women of color, collections of Jewish women’s writings and feminist choral singing.

WMNS 488 SENIOR CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE (4 credits)
Focuses on a question or theme selected by the instructor in consultation with the senior students. Provides an opportunity to integrate the breadth of Women's Studies experiences and to make plans for living out feminist goals in the future. Recent seminar topics include women and violence, the limits of language, reproductive technologies, abortion, postmodernism and working-class women. Prerequisite: WMNS 375.

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This page last updated: August 12, 2007