Santa Clara University

WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES PROGRAM

Associate Professors: Laura Ellingson, Eileen Elrod, Linda Garber (Program Director)

The Women’s and Gender Studies Program brings together scholars and scholarship on women and gender, areas that have come to occupy an increasingly important place in a number of disciplines in the last quarter century. Areas of inquiry include the participation of women in social and cultural production; the construction of gender and its role as a constitutive element of social, political, economic, and legal structures; feminist theory, and the development of ideas about femininities, masculinities, and sexualities. Gender is examined as it intersects with class, sexuality, ethnicity, disability, age, and nationality. The program organizes several public events throughout the year focused on gender issues, including lectures, symposia, films, and informal gatherings. Many of these programs are produced in collaboration with other academic departments, student groups, and the University’s centers of distinction.

The Women’s and Gender Studies Program provides an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to understanding the social and cultural constructions of gender that shape the experiences of women and men in society. The curriculum offers a solid foundation in women’s and gender studies, facilitating graduate study and careers involving gender justice concerns and preparing students for leadership roles in diverse workplaces and communities. Women’s and Gender Studies offers a minor and a companion major; a student must declare a primary major in another discipline (e.g., history, biology, or English) and a second companion major in women’s and gender studies.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR

In addition to fulfilling University Core Curriculum and primary major requirements, students with a companion major in women’s and gender studies must complete the following requirements:

• WGST 101 or ENGL 125 (advised in the junior year)
• COMM 111G (advised in the junior year)
• WGST 190 (senior year)
• WGST 197 (senior year)
• One course from each of the following breadth areas:
  • Race/Ethnicity in the U.S.: ENGL 69, ENGL 158G, ETHN 141, ETHN 154, ETHN 156, SOCI 153
  • Transnational/Global: ANTH 88, ECON 135, ENGL 153, FREN 113, HIST 143, HIST 150, POLI 127 (women and law topic only), SOCI 135, WGST 11,12
  • Sexuality: BIOL 28, CLAS 141, ENGL 67, ENGL 122 (with sexuality topic only), ENGL 153, ENGL 156, HIST 133, HIST 177, PHIL 131D, THTR 167
  • Religious Studies: RSOC 41, RSOC 168, RSOC 170, SCTR 26, SCTR 165R, TESP 79, TESP 131, TESP 139R, TESP 175
  • Elective: ANTH 90, ANTH 157, ARTH 188, CLAS 185, CLAS 186, CLAS 187, COMM 101A, COMM 108A, DANC 66, DANC 166, ENGL 68, ENGL 125, ENGL 132G, ENGL 135G, ENGL 152, ENGL 168, HIST 84, HIST 113, HIST 119, HIST 136, HIST 181, HIST 182, FREN 174, FREN 182, FREN 183, FREN 184, GERM 183, ITAL 182, PHIL 4A, PHIL 115, POLI 154, SOCI 152, SOCI 157, THTR 151, THTR 167, WGST 50, WGST 76, WGST 198, WGST 199
• Three courses in an emphasis area using one of three options: student’s primary major, thematic emphasis (e.g., ethnic studies, sexuality studies, performance/ visual culture studies), or a traditional discipline outside student’s primary major
• At least eight of the 12 courses must be upper division
• Courses taken to satisfy the University Core Curriculum or primary major requirements may also count toward the major
• Attend two events per year sponsored or co-sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and prepare a one- to two-page reflective analysis of each event due in the program office within a week of the event

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR

Students must fulfill the following requirements for a minor in women’s and gender studies:

• WGST 101 or ENGL 125 (advised in the junior year)
• WGST 190 (senior year)
• One course from at least three breadth areas plus any two additional courses (approved for the WGST major)
• At least four of the seven courses must be upper-division courses
• Courses taken to satisfy the University Core Curriculum or primary major requirements may also count toward the minor
• Attend two events per year sponsored or co-sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and prepare a one- to two-page reflective analysis of each event, due in the program office within a week of the event

LOWER-DIVISION COURSES: WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES (WGST)

WGST 11A./12A. Cultures and Ideas I and II
A two-course sequence focusing on a major theme in human experience and culture over a significant period of time. Courses emphasize either broad global interconnections or the construction of Western culture in its global context. Courses may include civilization and the city; explorations, migrations, and nations; empires and rights; slavery and unfreedom; and other topics. Considers how women’s lives from diverse global regions are shaped by the political, economic, and social structures that surround them; areas of inquiry include perspectives on representation, globalization, and displacement, citizenship and rights, bodies and sexuality, and environmental justice. The second quarter of this two-course sequence includes an experiential learning component. (4 units each quarter)

WGST 50. Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies
Examines gender in the lives of women and men, using an interdisciplinary approach to analyze the effects of societal institutions and processes. Particular attention is paid to the development and dynamics of gender inequality; intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality; and the social construction of gender. (4 units)

WGST 76. Violence Against Women
Interdisciplinary study of U.S.-based women in the context of the institutionalization of violence and its impact across civic life. Areas of violence research such as campus, domestic, sexual assault, harassment, and stalking will be addressed in the context of the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality. (4 units)

UPPER-DIVISION COURSES: WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES

WGST 101. Feminist Theory
Examines historical and contemporary feminist theories with the goal of understanding the multiplicity of feminist frameworks for thinking about sex, gender, and oppression. (5 units)

WGST 190. Senior Seminar
Seminar focused on critical questions within the interdisciplinary field of women’s and gender studies. Course will consider connections between the field and feminist politics/activism in the larger community. Restricted to seniors with a major or minor in women’s and gender studies. (5 units)

WGST 197. Capstone Project
Seminar led by the WGST Program director provides an opportunity for WGST majors writing their capstone projects to discuss their work in progress. Course required for (and restricted to) WGST majors working on their capstone projects. May be repeated for credit. (1–5 units)

WGST 198. Internship
Directed internship in local organizations addressing gender and/or sexuality issues. Open to qualified WGST majors and minors with permission of instructor. (1–5 units)

WGST 199. Directed Reading/ Research
Independent projects undertaken by upper-division students with a faculty sponsor. To receive credit, the student must submit a formal written proposal and have it approved by the sponsoring faculty member and the program director. The proposal must be submitted before the end of the previous quarter and must meet University requirements for independent study credit. (1–5 units)