Women's and Gender Studies

Greensboro College offers both an academic interdisciplinary minor in Women's and Gender Studies and a campus-wide Women's and Gender Studies Program. (See minor requirements and course description below.)

Women's and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary minor that examines the importance of gender and sex as categories of analysis in our world. Women's and Gender Studies courses emphasize the ways in which gender and sex have been constructed and represented across time and in different cultures. Drawing from a variety of disciplines, Women's and Gender Studies reflects the liberal arts emphasis on making connections among different areas of inquiry and exploring new perspectives. Students explore how gender and sex intersect with race, socioeconomic status, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, religion, age, and physical ability to produce relative differences in power. By focusing on ways in which power and privilege have shaped what constitutes knowledge, the Women's and Gender Studies curriculum offers students the ability to think critically and communicate clearly about social inequities. Both in and out of the classroom - through coursework and involvement with the Greensboro community - Women's and Gender Studies students develop an awareness not only of their own identities, but also of their varied roles in our changing society.

Curriculum Requirements
(For those choosing to minor in Womens' and Gender Studies.)

(Complete descriptions of all requirements, including general education requirements, may be found in the Academic Catalog.)

Minor Requirements

A minor in Women's and Gender Studies includes at least 20 semester hours.

Required Courses:

WGS 2009     Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies                            4

Additional option for focused study:

Course Descriptions

(Descriptions of courses offered by other departments may be found in the Academic Catalog.)

WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES  (WGS)

WGS 2009  Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies (4)

This course is designed to introduce students to the interdisciplinary field of Women’s and Gender Studies. Students will use feminist and gender theories to explore the influence of gender identity in daily life and the ways in which power structures social, economic, and family relationships. Throughout the term students will examine the intersection of sex and gender with race, class, national origin, ethnicity, age, ability, sexuality, and religion through readings by women and men in different multicultural and global contexts. Topics may include gender and media, the economic status of women, and gender roles in the work place. The course may be team-taught. Satisfies Global Perspective General Education requirement.   Counts toward the Women’s and Gender Studies minor.  Offered every spring semester.

WGS 2029  Gender and Film  (4)

This course will examine representations of women and men in the film industry from both historical and contemporary perspectives, with a special emphasis on issues of genre and spectatorship. Critical and theoretical writings from a variety of disciplines, including film and cultural studies will be utilized as tools for analysis.  Counts toward the Women’s and Gender Studies minor.  Offered periodically based upon student need.

WGS 3509  Feminist and Gender Theories  (4)

This course examines the diverse perspectives of feminist and gender theories, tracing genealogy of contemporary feminisms from the late eighteenth century to the present. Students explore the most influential debates and issues within feminist thought and the ways in which feminist theories critically analyze conceptions of women and gender relations within political, social, and cultural contexts. The course studies feminisms from and interdisciplinary approach. Prerequisite: At least one Women’s and Gender Studies course or permission of the instructor. Counts toward the Women’s and Gender Studies minor.  Offered fall 2009.

WGS 3809  Internship in Women’s and Gender Studies  (1-4)

This course provides the opportunity for the upper-level student to translate theoretical knowledge into positive social action and serve the larger community. Up to four semester hours of internship may be applied to meeting minor requirements. Prerequisite: WGS 2009. Written approval of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program Director is required.  Counts toward the Women’s and Gender Studies minor. Offered every semester. 

XXX 4509  Women’s and Gender Studies Component  (1-2)

The Women’s and Gender Studies component is an independent project in a non-Women’s and Gender Studies course. The component involves additional readings in the area of Women’s and Gender Studies, the completion of a research or creative project, and an oral or visual presentation. Students may earn a maximum of two credits per component. Written approval of the Women’s and Gender Studies Director is required.  Students will register for this course as an independent study, using the prefix of the discipline in which the component is being done.   Counts toward the Women’s and Gender Studies minor.