Courses

In the past 30 years, Women's Studies has produced a compelling body of interdisciplinary and multicultural scholarship that has challenged traditional interpretations of history, experience, culture and even science. Women's Studies courses (offered in 16 academic departments) encourage students -female as well as male -to reconsider the diversity of women's experiences in the past and the changing roles of women and men today. Women's Studies at DePauw offers outstanding opportunities to develop critical thinking, interpretive and writing skills as well as the cultural knowledge necessary for a liberal education. Many of the nation's finest graduate schools offer advanced degrees in Women's Studies. Women's Studies majors find employment in the same broad range of fields as do graduates of other liberal arts disciplines. The Women's Studies major and minor offer students an opportunity to concentrate on an area of passionate interest while acquiring skills, and interrogating perspectives, from many different disciplines. Women's Studies majors complete an ambitious independent research project of their own design in the senior year. Students may choose to major in Women's Studies, or simply to take one or more courses in the field. Many students begin with Introduction to Women's Studies (WS 140), but one can begin almost anywhere: there is a range of courses cross-listed with traditional departments from which to choose. For minors, Feminist Theory (WS 340) serves as the capstone experience. Studying in an off-campus DePauw-sponsored or GLCA program, such as the Comparative Women's Studies Program in Europe, is encouraged for majors and minors. Appropriate courses from off-campus may be applied toward the minor or major upon approval by the director of Women's Studies.

Course Catalog

Requirements for a major

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Requirements for a minor

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Courses in Art History

Histories of Performance Art

This course explores the captivating history of performance art in the Americas. Since the early twentieth century, artists have turned to performance as an experimental mode of artistic production. They have used bodily movement, music and sound, costumes, and props to reimagine the forms, institutions, and audiences for art. What does it mean to "perform" art rather than to make an art object? We will take a hemispheric approach to this question, investigating how artists working in diverse contexts in Latin America and North America have used performance as an expressive and political form. For instance, we will analyze performance works made under dictatorial regimes in Argentina and Chile, amid the transnational feminist movement of the 1970s, and during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States. Among other topics, we will consider debates around performance documentation, the ethics of audience participation, and the critical use of the body by artists of color and queer and feminist artists. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Courses in Education Studies

Reimagining Sex Education

This course examines sex education, in its varying forms, from historical, philosophical, policy, and cultural perspectives. This includes an exploration of the ethical, epistemological, and political implications of sex education policy for the project of social justice education. It also aims to cultivate a deep understanding of gender, sexuality, and race in order to begin to reimagine what it means to be 'sexually educated'. We will begin with a careful consideration of formal, federal sex education policies in the US, including the historical and ideological contexts out of which these policies emerged, before considering the way the US's use of sex education aligns with its foreign interests. We will then explore alternative forms of sex education that already exist beyond schooling in order to ultimately engage in the imaginative work of rethinking what is possible for sex education in formal educational spaces.

Courses in Literature

Women and Literature: Advanced Topics

Designed for English majors and/or students with some background in Women's Studies. Topics will provide opportunities for in-depth analysis of women writers and gender literary analysis. Issues covered may include: images of women in literature; women's writing in historical/social context; feminist literature theory and literary criticism; intersections of race, class and gender; formation of the literary canon. May be repeated for credit with a different topic.

Courses in History

European Women's History

An examination of the cultural and intellectual roles of women in Early Modern Western Europe. In addition to surveying the women's traditional place in European society, this course also considers the work of exceptional women who argued against that role. Topics include the debate on the nature of women, women in power, witchcraft, women and science, women in revolutions and the education of women.

Women's Social and Political Movements

The varieties of female activism in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the topics covered are benevolence, abolitionism, women's rights, the movement for reproductive freedom, the social settlement movement, temperance, suffragism and anti-suffragism, labor organizing, civil rights, women's liberation and radical feminism.

Courses in Philosophy

Philosophy of Sex and Gender

An introduction to the principal views in the history of philosophy on the issues concerning the status of women, relationship between the sexes, sexual attitudes and orientations. First part of the class: the foundations of the Conservative View and reactions against them. Second part of the class: some problem areas, such as the desire for pleasure, homosexuality in society, pornography and whether there are unconscious libidinal mechanisms directing our lives.

Courses in Religious Studies

Genesis and Gender: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Readings

This course considers ways that interpretations of sacred texts influence religious perceptions of gender and social order. Christian readings of Genesis 1-3 are the main focus; yet attention is also given to understandings of Eve and Adam in Judaism and Islam. Interpretations of Genesis that historically and presently argue for the subordination of women to men forms a central theme of the course. A counter theme emerges as we consider alternative readings that have traditionally used Genesis 1-3 to argue for gender equality. We will also reflect on the ways in which a hierarchical reading of the text has served to legitimate the domination of groups such as African-American slaves. Texts range from the Gnostic gospels, Philo, the Qur'an, The Maelleus Maleficarum, Paradise Lost, The Bible Defense of Slavery, The Woman's Bible and "The Coming of Lilith."

Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Islam

This course examines women and gender in the Islamic tradition and Muslim societies. Through a variety of written and visual sources, it treats 1.) the history of women in Islam, 2.) the impact of the tradition on women's lives and gender categories, and 3.) the efforts of modern Muslims to challenge traditional gender definitions and create a useable past.

Courses in Anthropology

The Anthropology of Gender

This class explores anthropological theories of gender differences and inequalities in cross-cultural contexts. The course examines the role of kinship, reproduction, politics and economic systems in the shifting determinations of gender in various contexts. It also questions the meanings of masculinity, transsexual/transgender issues and the roles of women in global contexts. In this course, the various ways that anthropology has theorized and understood questions of gender are explored and made relevant to contemporary societies. Prerequisite: ANTH 151, sophomore standing or permission of instructor.

Anthropology of Reproduction in the Americas

This course examines the social and cultural constructions of reproduction, and how power in everyday life shapes reproductive behavior and its cross cultural meanings. Utilizing a hemispheric and ethnographic approach to reproduction, this course engages with examples from throughout the Americas, including but not limited to Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. The course is organized to address a reproductive spectrum including fertility, childbirth and parenting, as well as the roles and expectations for women and men in each of these stages of reproduction. Additional topics addressed are state intervention on fertility, technologies of reproduction, the cultural production of natural childbirth, the politics of fetal personhood, and the diverse reproductive health situations influenced by the intersectional nature of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality and class.

Courses in Sociology

Gender and Society

This course examines the role of gender systems in human societies. How do societies vary in the positions assigned to men and women? In the power and privileges accorded each sex? How do we acquire a gender identity? What are the consequences of sex-typing and sex-stratified societies? The role of religion, intellectual traditions, language, families and schools, economic organization, labor markets and the state is explored. The focus is on contemporary U.S. society and recent changes in gender relations. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing.

Sociology of Family

This course examines issues associated with family life, such as gender role socialization, sexuality, mate selection, the internal dynamics of relationships, domestic violence and marital dissolution. The course also considers the social implications of current trends in family life and the expanding definitions of family that include non-traditional relationships that have until recently lacked institutional legitimacy. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing.

Queer Theory/Queer Lives

An interdisciplinary exploration of the social and historical development of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) categories, identities and communities; the emergence and development of Queer Theory and its ability to deconstruct, de-politicize and extend beyond "LGBT"; the effect of interlocking systems of domination and control on queer lives, including sexism, racism, ethnicity and social class; and LGBT/Queer experiences within social institutions including families, marriage, law and the media. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or sophomore standing. May be crosslisted with W S 250, Queer Theory/Queer Lives.

Women, Health and Social Control

This course focuses on the intersection of health, illness and gender. It combines classic and contemporary feminist ideologies to explore how health and illness have been defined and experienced by different women across historical time and space. Considerable attention is paid to how conceptualization of women (and their bodies) as inferior has led to the medicalization and control of women's bodies. The course especially highlights the role of women's health movements in shaping how women's health is understood, embodied and contested. We start the course addressing theoretical frames for understanding gender and health, then assess contemporary women's health status. The course then loosely follows a life course approach in that we explore women's experiences with menstruation, sexuality, reproductive technologies, childbirth and menopause. Prerequisite: One course in sociology or permission of instructor.

Courses in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Reading Group in WGSS Topics

This course functions as a reading group centered on a specific theme of contemporary or historical relevance to the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality.

Introduction to WGSS

This course introduces some key issues in contemporary women's, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS) and provides a starting vocabulary and background in the field. Because WGSS is an interdisciplinary field, readings come from a number of different areas, including literature, history, philosophy, psychology and sociology.

Topics in Women's Studies

An interdisciplinary exploration of a particular theme, area, or period, with respect to issues of women and gender.

First-Year Seminar

A seminar focused on a theme related to the study of women. Open only to first-year students.

Sexuality, Culture and Power

An exploration of the diverse ways in which human sexualities have been conceptualized, molded, policed and transformed in particular cultures, social contexts, moral climates and political terrains. Investigated are how the seemingly personal and natural world of sexual desire and behavior is shaped by larger societal institutions (e.g., law, medicine, religion) and by cultural ideas. Also examined is how social categories that have primacy in a culture,(e.g., gender, race, class and age) are expressed in sexual ideas, behavior and politics. Prerequisites: SOC 100 or sophomore standing.

Queer Theory, Queer Lives

An interdisciplinary exploration of the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and intersexed people through historical, sexological, scientific and literary texts, media respresentations and autobiographies. We will examine scholarly and activist definitions of sexual identity, especially as these have intersected with race, class, gender, ethnicity and age, and discuss ways sexual desire often escapes, complicates or is mismatched with fixed gender roles and dominant cultural categories. We will also discuss the insight queer perspectives can bring to our understanding of masculinity and femininity, cultural constructions of the body, the social construction of heterosexuality, and the future of difference.

Women of Color in the U.S.

The course draws on the disciplines of history, sociology, anthropology and literary study to offer an in-depth look at the experiences and concerns of women of color, with an emphasis on hearing women's voices. The course is divided approximately in thirds: accounts of the experiences of various ethnic groups (e.g., African-American, Native American, Asian); issues facing women of color in the U.S. today (e.g., culture, the body, family, work); and theory. The class involves frequent writing (formal and informal), including a research paper and in-class presentations.

Transnational Feminisms

An interdisciplinary exploration gender and sexuality in a transnational context. We examine a variety of global processes, including colonialism and present-day capitalism and development studies; topics may also include military conflict, transnational ecofeminisms, and the use of art in developing solidarity across transnational feminist movements.

(New) Media & Marginalized Bodies

This course examines representations of marginalized bodies in media. We begin with an analysis of mediated presentations of marginalized groups over time, including theories associated with their coverage and its relative impact and representations over time. Within this syllabus and throughout the course, we will use the term (re)presentation to indicate both the presentation of bodies and the representation of culture and bodies. It is important to note the difference between these two interrelated and interconnected terms. Through a critical socio-historical lens, we will interrogate patterns, differences, and new forms of (re)presentation in media and new media.

Reimagining Sex Education

This course examines sex education, in its varying forms, from historical, philosophical, policy, and cultural perspectives. This includes an exploration of the ethical, epistemological, and political implications of sex education policy for the project of social justice education. It also aims to cultivate a deep understanding of gender, sexuality, and race in order to begin to reimagine what it means to be 'sexually educated'. We will begin with a careful consideration of formal, federal sex education policies in the US, including the historical and ideological contexts out of which these policies emerged, before considering the way the US's use of sex education aligns with its foreign interests. We will then explore alternative forms of sex education that already exist beyond schooling in order to ultimately engage in the imaginative work of rethinking what is possible for sex education in formal educational spaces.

Gender and Climate Justice

From the notion of 'carbon-heavy masculinities' (Alaimo 2016) to sexist and racist population control policies, gender is woven throughout the policies and ideologies that cause climate change. In this course, we will develop tools for analyzing climate crises through political, social, and economic lenses that take gender (and its intersections with race, class, nation, ability, species, and sexuality) seriously. We will center ecofeminist, environmental justice, decolonial and Indigenous scholars/activists as we think about how best to weather the changes. We will aim to be bold in thinking through not just reformist and technocratic solutions to mitigate the worst impacts of a rapidly changing climate, but will consider the revolutionary potential of doing things otherwise: what if justice means imagining new economic systems? Embracing more flexible and fluid gender and sexual identities? Making reparations for racial justice and bringing an end to the widening gap between the hyper-wealthy and the rest? Or decolonizing the nation by redressing land theft and confronting notions of private property and state authority altogether? As we work through the losses and immense potential of this moment, we will do so by building our learning community on the foundation of open, respectful communication, which helps us hone our writing and collaboration skills.

Gender and Climate Justice

From the notion of 'carbon-heavy masculinities' (Alaimo 2016) to sexist and racist population control policies, gender is woven throughout the policies and ideologies that cause climate change. In this course, we will develop tools for analyzing climate crises through political, social, and economic lenses that take gender (and its intersections with race, class, nation, ability, species, and sexuality) seriously. We will center ecofeminist, environmental justice, decolonial and Indigenous scholars/activists as we think about how best to weather the changes. We will aim to be bold in thinking through not just reformist and technocratic solutions to mitigate the worst impacts of a rapidly changing climate, but will consider the revolutionary potential of doing things otherwise: what if justice means imagining new economic systems? Embracing more flexible and fluid gender and sexual identities? Making reparations for racial justice and bringing an end to the widening gap between the hyper-wealthy and the rest? Or decolonizing the nation by redressing land theft and confronting notions of private property and state authority altogether? As we work through the losses and immense potential of this moment, we will do so by building our learning community on the foundation of open, respectful communication, which helps us hone our writing and collaboration skills.

Topics in Women's Studies

An interdisciplinary exploration of a particular theme, area or period, with respect to issues of women and gender.

Women, Culture and Identity

Drawing on work in sociology, psychology, and cultural and feminist studies, the course investigates how women from various ethnicities, socio-economic strata, and age groups make sense of gendered expectations, opportunities, and constraints. Particular emphasis is placed on the ways women encounter and resist circumstances they find limiting of their human potential. Prerequisites: WGSS 140 or permission of instructor. Cross-listed with SOC 332, Women, Culture and Identity.

Feminist Theory

This course focuses on contemporary feminist thought. Throughout the semester, students emphasize the relationship between feminist theory and feminist practice and ways in which feminism changes our fundamental understanding of the world.

Women, Health and Social Control

In this course, we will focus on the intersection of health, illness, and gender. This course combines classic and contemporary feminist and sociological ideologies to explore how health and illness have been defined and experienced for different women across historical time and space. There is considerable attention to how conceptualization of women (and their bodies) as inferior has led to the medicalization and control of women's bodies. We will especially highlight the role of women¿s health movements in shaping how women's health is understood, embodied and contested. We start the course addressing theoretical frames for understanding gender and health. We then assess contemporary women's health status. The course then loosely follows a life course approach in that we explore women's experiences with menstruation, sexuality, reproductive technologies, childbirth, and menopause. Prerequisites: one course in sociology or permission of instructor.

Feminist Inquiry

This course offers hands-on experience in the interdisciplinary field of Women's Studies. Students will survey research methods by reading excellent examples that show how various research methods have been applied; by reading about, and discussing, the practical details and the ethical issues involved in doing research; and by applying research methods themselves in class exercises and the undertaking of an individual project. Prerequisite: WGSS 140.

Educating Women

Women in Education is an interdisciplinary discussion of how girls and women have affected and been influenced by K-12 schooling and post-secondary education over the last 125 years. Drawing on the fields of education studies, sociology, women's studies, and history, we will examine areas such as the rise of co-education, the feminization of teaching, 'feminine' learning styles, and the impact of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and social class on women's aspirations, interactions, and experiences within learning institutions. Prerequisite: WGSS 140 or permission of instructor. Cross-listed with EDUC 350.

Women and the Internet

Although the Internet is a relatively new phenomenon, it influences our everyday interactions, perceptions of, and engagements with the world around us. We get our news, check our social media accounts, learn about others, and maintain relationships from the `safety' of our tablets, computers, and phones. The effects of the Internet on perceptions of self, of others, and on society extend beyond the 'pleasure' we receive through digital engagement. This course examines the potential perils and promise the Internet, and associated fields of study, have on women's lives. To better understand the a/effects of the Internet, we begin with a direct challenge to the concept of the digital divide, or the belief in a clear, tangible divide between 'offline' and 'online' worlds. We center the experiences of women, beginning with STEM and IT education (k-12, post grad), then move to the professional sphere to ascertain the ways education, access, and discourse interact and structure experiences, which allows one to complicate the construction of the Internet and various digital 'spaces' (e.g. Tinder/Bumble, Uber/DriveHer) This focus situates and explains the potential for hostility and engenders a socio-political-historical examination of digitally and non-digitally mediated fields.

Feminist Approaches to Environmentalism

Are women really closer to nature? Are women more deeply impacted by environmental degradation than men? Why do women make up the majority of the world's environmental activists? We will debate these questions and more as we consider how ecological narratives and practices are constructed at the intersections of gendered, raced, classed, and sexual identities. This course explores the work of artists, activists, and scholars to show how women and men have been at the forefront of struggles to reclaim their homes, communities and lands from patriarchal and (neo)colonial oppression. Topics include: ecofeminism, environmental racism and the environmental justice movement, queer ecologies, food politics, ecological economies, and eco-spiritual traditions. By the end of the term, you will be able to map some of the key debates in these fields and determine your own beliefs about philosophies and best practices for social-environmental justice.

Topics in Women's Studies

An interdisciplinary exploration of a particular theme, area or period, with respect to issues of women and gender.

Chicana Feminisms

This class addresses Mexican-American women's political mobilizations and social theories from the colonial era to the present. While the course centers on the philosophies, art, and literature of Mexican-American women and self-identified Chicanas, students are encouraged to develop comparative perspectives on the intersections of Chicana feminisms with the decolonial work of women across Latin America and the Caribbean, and to make connections between Chicana feminisms and other streams of feminism across the U.S.

Independent Study

Independent Study.

Women's Studies Senior Thesis

Required of all Women's Studies majors. Students design and carry out an original, interdisciplinary project or paper on a women's studies topic. The thesis is directed by the Women's Studies coordinator or other designated faculty member, and the candidate is interviewed by an interdisciplinary committee of three.

Senior Thesis Workshop

Any student, regardless of major, who is writing a senior thesis or project with a focus on women and/or gender is invited to sign up for this writing workshop. Students will exchange drafts and share strategies for research and revision. Pass/Fail.