Santa Clara University

WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES PROGRAM

 

Professor: Eileen Razzari Elrod
Associate Professors: Laura Ellingson (Director), Linda Garber
Assistant Professor: Sharmila Lodhia

 

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 re-quirements, students with a companion major in women’s and gender studies must complete the following requirements:

• WGST 101 or WGST 163 (advised in the junior year)
• WGST 102 (advised in the junior year)
• WGST 190 (senior year)
• WGST 197 (senior year)
• One WGST course from each of the following breadth areas:
• • Race/Ethnicity in the U.S.: WGST 14, 15, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115
  • Transnational/Global: WGST 11A/12A, 21, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128
  • Sexuality: WGST 33, 34, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139
  • Religious Studies: WGST 45, 46, 47, 48, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151
  • Elective: WGST 1A/2A, 50, 55, 56, 57, 58, 76, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 62/162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183
• 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
• 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 WGST 163 (advised in the junior year)
• WGST 190 (senior year)
• One course from at least three breadth areas plus any two additional WGST courses
• 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 and UPPER DIVISION COURSE LISTINGS are AVAILABLE in the Undergraduate Bulletin (PDF)