Quad Cities Campus

Minor in Women’s Studies: 18 s.h.

  1. WS 190: 3 s.h.
  2. WS 355: 3 s.h.
  3. WS Electives: 12 s.h.

Course Descriptions

WOMEN’S STUDIES (WS)

190 Introduction to Women’s Studies. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) An exploration of women’s roles and their status in society with insights gained from various disciplines including History, Sociology, Psychology, and Literature.

220 (Cross-listed with PHIL 220) Feminism and Ethics. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) A multicultural and comparative investigation of feminist issues in ethics and women’s contributions to moral theory. Not open to students with credit in PHIL 220.

265 Women and Creativity. (3) (General Education/ Humanities) This course explores some of the ways that women represent female experiences through creativity. Primary emphasis is on their contributions as producers and creators of various artistic forms. Prerequisite: WS 190 or permission of instructor.

285 (Cross-listed with SOC 285) Women: A Global Perspective. (3) (General Education/Social Sciences or Multicultural Studies) (Global Issues) This course emphasizes the voices of women across the globe from an interdisciplinary perspective. Special attention will be paid to women’s activism, the transnational feminist movement, and an examination of the category “woman” in the global context. Not open to students with credit in SOC 285. Prerequisite: WS 190 or SOC 100.

301 (Cross-listed with ENG 301) Women and Literature. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) The study of literature as an art practiced by women, with an examination of portrayals of women in literature. Not open to students with credit in ENG 301. IAI: H3 911D.

303 (Cross-listed with REL 303) Women in Religion. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) A cross-cultural, comparative, interdisciplinary investigation of the presence of women in shaping the religious cultures of the world. Not open to students with credit in REL 303. Prerequisite: one 100- or 200-level Religious Studies course or consent of instructor.

307 (Cross-listed with ENG 307) Issues for Women Writing. (3, repeatable to 6 for different topics) Reading, discussion, and writing focused on a particular social, cultural, or personal issue related to how and what women write. Not open to students with credit in ENG 307. Prerequisite: ENG 299 or WS 190, or consent of instructor.

310 (Cross-listed with AAS 310) Black Women in the Unites States. (3) A sociological analysis of the various social roles of Black women, including those of gender, education, occupations, and marriage and family, with some attention given to contributions and achievements. Not open to students with credit in AAS 310.

315 (Cross-listed with ANTH 315) Gender and Anthropology. (3) Exploration of cross-cultural ethnographies of variations in gender roles in economic, religious, and political domains. This course also addresses gender identity and gender diversity issues. Not open to students with credit in ANTH 315. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or consent of instructor.

316 (Cross-listed with COMM 315) Gender and Communication. (3) This course examines gender and gender-role differences and similarities in verbal and nonverbal communication and surveys several contexts in which sex differences in human communication occur. Not open to students with credit in COMM 315. Prerequisite: COMM 130.

317 (Cross-listed with HIST 317) Women in American History. (3) (General Education/ Multicultural Studies) A multicultural and historical survey of women in the United States, from 1500 to the present. Not open to students with credit in HIST 317. Prerequisite: HIST 105 or 106, or consent of instructor.

318 (Cross-listed with HIST 318) Women and Gender in European History. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) (Global Issues) A study of women and gender in Europe, from antiquity to the present, focusing on changes in culture, society, the economy, and politics. Not open to students with credit in HIST 318. Prerequisite: HIST 125 or 126, or consent of instructor.

321 (Cross-listed with HE 321) Women’s Health. (3) Provides information about how women can improve their chances of achieving and maintaining high-level wellness. Among the topics included are: prevention, early detection and treatment of health problems commonly occurring among women, contraception, pregnancy and childbirth, using the medical care system, and mental health. Open to male and female students. Not open to students with credit in HE 321. Prerequisite: junior standing.

330 (Cross-listed with ANTH 330) Sex and Gender in Archaeology. (3) The study of sex, gender, and power in archaeological investigations and theory, including cross-cultural comparison of gender and social differentiation in past societies. Changing perspectives on the roles of females in human evolution and prehistory are emphasized. Not open to students with credit in ANTH 330. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or 111 or WS 190, or consent of instructor.

335 (Cross-listed with POLS 335) Women and Politics. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) An examination of the changing role of women in American politics. Focus on women as participants in politics, public policies of concern to women, and feminist theories of political change. Not open to students with credit in POLS 335. Prerequisite: POLS 101 or 122, or permission of instructor.

336 (Cross-listed with AAS 336) Womanist Theory & Perspectives. (3) Introduction to African and African American women’s perspective, to enhance interest and understanding of the existing wide range of feminist scholarship in the U.S., and other feminine discourses pertaining to activism/contributions of Black women in Africa, the U.S., the Caribbean, and Europe. Not open to students with credit for AAS 336. Prerequisite: AAS 100 or AAS 145 or AAS/WS 310 or WS 190 or permission of instructor.

355 Introduction to Feminist Theory. (3) A study of the theoretical foundations of modern feminist theory. Writings of early feminists such as Sara Grimke, Mary Wollstonecraft, Harriet Taylor, Sojourner Truth, Anna Julia Cooper, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are explored for their impact on the development of feminist thought. BGS online writing course. Prerequisite: WS 190 and one additional Women’s Studies course, or permission of instructor.

357 (Cross-listed with PSY 357) Women and Work. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) Examination of major psychological issues encountered by women entering the workforce, including career choice, combining work and family life, leadership, and inequities. Not open to students with credit in PSY 357. Prerequisite: PSY 100.

360 (Cross-listed with SOC 360) Gender and Society. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) This course provides a sociological examination of theories of gender, socio-historical gender patterns, gender and American social institutions, social structure and gender, and crosscultural comparisons. BGS online writing course. Not open to students with credit in SOC 360. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or WS 190, or consent of instructor.

370 Women in Popular Culture. (3) (General Education/Multicultural Studies) A sociocultural study of stereotypes of women as portrayed in American popular culture with a particular emphasis placed upon the images of women of color. Prerequisite: WS 190.

391 Special Topics in Women’s Studies. (1–3, repeatable to 6) An in-depth investigation of special topics in the field of Women’s Studies. Prerequisites: WS 190 and permission of instructor.

395 (Cross-listed with ANTH 395) Gender, Race, and the Environment. (3) (General Education/ Multicultural Studies) Explores research, scholarship, and fictional ecofeminist works. Students will consider the influence of women, feminists, and ecofeminist writings on local and global environmental movements. Not open to students with credit in ANTH 395. Prerequisite: ANTH 110 or WS 190 or consent of instructor.

401 (Cross-listed with AAS 401) African American Women and Dance. (3) Black women in modern dance, 1930s to the present, including relationships between the lived experience of African American women and their contributions to U.S. performance culture. Choreographers and dancers whose works have changed contemporary movement will be explored. Not open to students with credit in AAS 401. Prerequisite: WS 190 or permission of instructor.

405 Women’s Spirituality. (3) This course will examine some of the predominant themes in women’s experience from a multicultural perspective as a means of understanding how women develop their spirituality. Prerequisite: WS 190 or permission of instructor.

410 (Cross-listed with SOC 410) Women and Poverty. (3) The poverty of women in the United States including factors of race, place of residence, and age are covered. Structural hierarchies that maintain poverty are examined from a sociological perspective. Not open to students with credit in SOC 410. Prerequisite: WS 190 or SOC 100 or consent of instructor.

415 (Cross-listed with POLS 415) Politics of Reproduction. (3) This course examines reproduction as an issue of public interest and considers how public and private interests can conflict regarding women’s ability to control their reproduction. Not open to students with credit in POLS 415. Prerequisite: WS 190 or permission of instructor.

420 (Cross-listed with AAS 420 and SOC 420) Race, Class, and Gender. (3) The course will examine issues of race, class, and gender in historical, cultural, and contemporary societal contexts. Not open to students with credit in AAS 420 or SOC 420. Prerequisite: WS 190, or AAS 100, or SOC 100; or permission of instructor.

430 (Cross-listed with SOC 430) Sociology of Women’s Health. (3) Uses sociological theories and research to examine the gendered experience of illness. Includes sociological analysis of medical knowledge about women’s health. Topics include medicalization of women’s health, the gendered hierarchy of professions, and feminist critiques of scientific research. Not open to students with credit in SOC 430. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or WS 190, or consent of instructor.

433 (cross-listed with PSY 433) Psychology of Gender. (3) Examines the psychological, social, and biological bases for societal-defined sex roles. The knowledge of these factors will assist students in recognizing and understanding the influence of gender on human experiences (i.e., behaviors, cognitions, emotions, physiology) and relationships. Not open to students with credit in PSY 433. Prerequisite: 9 s.h. of Psychology coursework, or graduate standing, or permission of instructor.

435 (Cross-listed with SOC 435) Women and Crime. (3) Theories of female criminality, patterns of female crime and victimization, women in corrections, and women as criminal justice practitioners are examined. Not open to students with credit in SOC 435. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or consent of instructor.

455 Feminist Theory & Practice. (3) The study of feminist theory and its impact on language, socialization, religion, science, politics, and economics. Writing Instruction in the Discipline (WID) course. Prerequisites: ENG 280; WS 355 or permission of instructor.

470 (Cross-listed with KIN 470) Gender and Sport. (3) Examines relationships between gender, sport, and physical activity. Gender is examined within the context of stereotypes and the structure/philosophy of sport and physical activity. Sport and physical activity are investigated as social institutions relative to cultural constructions of gender. Not open to students with credit in KIN 470. Prerequisite: WS 190 or permission of instructor.

491 Women’s Studies Honors Thesis. (1–4, repeatable to 4) An independent study project or paper to be supervised by two members of the faculty in Women’s Studies. Prerequisite: enrollment in the Honors Program; senior status.

494 (Cross-listed with BC 494 and ENG 494) Women and Film/Television. (3) An overview of women in film and television that considers the onscreen images of women as well as the positions of women working behind the scenes (with laboratory). Not open to students with credit for BC 494 or ENG 494. Prerequisites: ENG 180 and 280.

495 Third-Wave Cinema. (3) This course examines work of 21st century female filmmakers from feminist, “third-wave,” and “post-feminist” perspectives. Topics include cinematic representation of women’s roles in politics, religion, education, violence against women, beauty myth, racial and ethnic oppression, and arts in contemporary cinema. Prerequisite: WS 190 or consent of instructor.

497 Independent Study in Women’s Studies. (1–3, repeatable to 6) Individual readings and/or research on a topic within Women’s Studies. Prerequisites: WS 355 and permission of department chair.

499 Internship in Women’s Studies. (1–9, repeatable to 9) Supervised work in an applied occupational area related to women. Prerequisites: junior or senior status and permission of department chair.