Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Group of females supporting each other in an embrace

 

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) engages feminist practice and theory to further the understanding and analysis of gender and sexuality from a range of disciplinary perspectives. The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies’ curriculum facilitates critical thinking, student and faculty engagement, and an awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures and experiences by developing competency in feminist activism, theory, and methods.


WGSS Minor Goals

The WGSS minor will be able to demonstrate achievement in the following:

  • Identifying and defining fundamental principles, generalizations, or theories related to the study of women, gender and sexuality;
  • Applying feminist theories and methods to multiple academic disciplines and texts as well as to experiences beyond the classroom;
  • Analyzing and critically evaluating global and national perspectives and representations related to women, gender and sexuality;
  • Engaging with communities, from the local to the global, through feminist activism and scholarship;
  • Developing a clearer understanding of and commitment to personal values;
  • Developing skill in expressing oneself orally and in writing.

Not every WGSS course will address all the above learning outcomes; students completing the minor will demonstrate their competency in these six areas through the completion of their final capstone/portfolio course.

 

Program Requirements

Students must declare the minor by completing the Minor Declaration form and submit it to the Center for Academic Advising (CC 242) and meet with the WGSS Minor Coordinator and/or their preceptor to discuss course selection and progress.

All WGSS courses are open to any student at Stockton University. A WGSS minor is awarded to those undergraduate students who complete the following:

  1. Women, Gender, and Sexuality (GAH 2358/1039 or GSS 2358), a four-credit course which serves as an introduction to the study of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and to feminist scholarship and activism.
  2. Three Elective Courses (12 credits of study), which must come from courses that are approved by the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies faculty and based in feminist theory. See below for a list of approved courses. A range of elective courses are offered each semester.
  3. Seminar in Feminist Theory (GIS 3614), a 4-credit course focusing on primary source readings in feminist theory. Course covers how humans create, interpret and evaluate knowledge claims about the world.
  4. WGSS Capstone-Portfolio (WGSS 4800), a one-credit course that serves as the culmination of students WGSS course of study. This course is usually taken in the student’s penultimate or final semester, and after completing or concurrently with GIS 3614.

Please note that we are not always able to offer both Women, Gender and Society, and Seminar in Feminist Theory every semester, thus students will need to plan ahead with their preceptors to be sure they can meet the requirements in a timely manner.

 

WGSS Courses

Course descriptions for the offerings listed below appear with other courses of the same acronym online. Not all Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses are included in the list below. Students wishing to transfer an elective should contact the coordinator or their preceptor. Students should work with their preceptor to select from the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offerings each semester. These can be viewed on the list of courses for Interdisciplinary Minors offered each term which is posted online prior to pre-registration.

Core Courses:

  • GAH 2358 or
  • GSS 2358 Women, Gender, and Sexuality (4 credits) or
  • GAH 1039 Women, Gender, and Sexuality (Freshman Seminar)
  • GIS 3614 Seminar in Feminist Theory (4 credits)
  • WGSS 4800 Ethnic, Minority, Gender Studies (1 credit)

Elective Courses:

  • ANTH 3355  Anthropology of Men and Women
  • CRIM 3757  Women and Criminal Justice
  • GAH 1044  Women and the Bible
  • GAH 1051  The Body Across Disciplines
  • GAH 2122  Women’s Lives
  • GAH 2280  Witches
  • GAH 3109  Women, Minorities and the Mass Media
  • GAH 3121  African-American Women Writers
  • GAH 3202  Gay and Lesbian Literature
  • GAH 3205  Queer Autobiographies
  • GAH 3206  Race & US Culture
  • GAH 3617  Meanings of Motherhood
  • GAH 3635  U.S. Women’s Movements
  • GEN 2235  Gender Equity in Sports
  • GEN 2306  Women and Health
  • GIS 3648  Gender and Violence in Film and Society
  • GIS 3658  Women and Genocide
  • GIS 3672  Slave Narrative Revisited
  • GIS 3725  Women in Law, History and Literature
  • GIS 4602  Sex, Power, Conflict
  • GIS 4622  The Geography of Women
  • GIS 4648  Women in Leadership
  • GIS 4656  Documenting Hemings and Jefferson
  • GNM 1031  Gender Issues in Computing
  • GSS 2106  Women, Science & Technology
  • GSS 2161  Perspectives on Sexuality
  • GSS 2181  History of Childbirth in America
  • GSS 2181  History of Childbirth in America
  • GSS 2310  Sex Discrimination and the Law
  • GSS 2337  Gender and Aggressive Behavior
  • GSS 2648  Sexual Assault: Victims and Perpetrators
  • GSS 3104  Language and Power
  • GSS 3601  Gender and Work
  • GSS 3618  Sport, Media and Gender
  • GSS 3640  Sexuality, Crime, and Criminal Justice
  • HIST 2169  American Jewish Women
  • HIST 3618  Global Feminism Seminar
  • LANG 4248  Spanish Women Writers
  • LITT 2140  Literature by Women
  • LITT 2145  Family in American Literature
  • LITT 3311  19th Century American Women Writers
  • LITT 3316  Contemporary American Women Writers
  • LITT 3624  Queer American Literary Traditions
  • PHIL 3613  Feminist Philosophies
  • POLS 3612  Women and the Law
  • PSYC 3602  Psychology of Gender
  • PSYC 3605  Psychology of Eating Disorders
  • PUBH 2300  Focus on Women’s Health
  • SOCY 2111  Women and Social Action
  • SOCY 2642  Homosexuality in Film
  • SOCY 2315  Gender and Sexuality
  • SOCY 2320  Sociology of Gender
  • SOCY 2640  Sexuality and Society
  • SOCY 3678  Popular Culture, Tough Women

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you have any questions about the minor, then please contact the current coordinator: 

Coordinator: 

Dr. Betsy Erbaugh
Office: G-208
Elizabeth.Erbaugh@stockton.edu 
609-652-4639