2018-2019 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2018-2019 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Women’s and Gender Studies Minor


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study

Women’s and Gender Studies Overview


Clark launched its Women’s Studies program in 1979. In spring 2006, the university approved the Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) major. The WGS major provides students with a solid foundation in women’s studies and gender analysis, introduces them to a range of disciplinary approaches to women and gender, and helps them to develop an area of specialization within the field. Courses stress the importance of social ideas and relationships such as those shaped by gender, ethnicity, race, and class to better understand individual and collective experiences, past and present.

The WGS Program is supported by more than forty affiliated faculty from the humanities, social sciences, visual and performing arts, management, and the sciences. Students wishing to declare a major or minor in WGS should schedule a meeting with one of our affiliated faculty, or meet with the WGS Director to select an adviser. Because of the interdisciplinary program structure, students are required to minor in another field (or are strongly encouraged to double major) in order to reinforce connections with existing majors. For more information, please visit the Women’s and Gender Studies Program website.

 

Minor Requirements


Women’s and Gender Studies minors must take a minimum of six (6) WGS courses. The minor requirements are distributed over three components as follows:

  • One Core Course in Women’s and Gender Studies:
      
  • Four Elective Courses carrying a WGS attribute, with at least two courses at the 200-level. It is recommended that these include both social sciences and humanities courses. 
  • One Advanced Research or Internship Credit selected in consultation with a WGS adviser. The research credit may be taken as an advanced research seminar or directed study designed around a special project, and may overlap with a capstone course required for the student’s minor or second major with the approval of the other department. Internships must be organized through Career Services for academic credit.

 

Core Courses


The Core Courses in Women’s and Gender Studies introduce students to the fundamental questions and concepts of the field, past and present. Students should aim to take WGS 110 - Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies early in the program to define their topical areas of interest and guide advanced course selection.

 

Elective Courses


WGS minors must take four (4) Elective Courses, with at least two courses at the 200-level.

Elective Courses are intended to expose students to a breadth of disciplinary perspectives on women and gender studies. WGS Elective Courses are taught by WGS affiliates in the Departments of English; Geography, History, International Development and Social Change; Language, Literature and Culture; Management; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; and Visual and Performing Arts. It is recommended that students choose Elective Courses from both the social sciences and humanities.

* Note that special topics or capstone courses in other departments may carry a WGS attribute when the topic is relevant to Women’s and Gender Studies (for example, PSCI 289 - Advanced Topics in International Relations - Capstone Seminar). Always check the course grid for the titles of advanced topics and capstone seminars each semester.
 

Research Course


All WGS majors and minors must take one Research Course. The research requirement may be satisfied by (1) taking an advanced research capstone seminar  offered in WGS or offered by another department, taught by a WGS faulty affiliate, (2) an Independent/Directed Study (WGS 299) designed around a special project supervised by a WGS faculty affiliate, or (3) a one-credit academic internship (WGS 298). Students may register for WGS 298 Internship, WGS 299 Directed Study, or the designated course number assigned by the department hosting the advanced research seminar or capstone course.

The Research Course is intended to be a culminating research or practical experience that allows students to apply their knowledge and skills gained through WGS courses, and should be directly related to the student’s WGS Specialization or topical areas of interest. Students should plan to complete their research course during their junior or senior year, and must request pre-approval from their faculty adviser.

* Note that special topics or capstone courses in other departments may carry a WGS attribute when the topic is relevant to Women’s and Gender Studies (for example, PSCI 289 - Advanced Topics in International Relations: Gender and Conflict - Capstone Seminar). Always check the course grid for the titles of advanced topics and capstone seminars each semester.

Women’s and Gender Studies Faculty


Program


María Acosta Cruz, Ph.D.
Michael Addis, Ph.D.
Belén Atienza, Ph.D.
Denise Humphreys Bebbington, Ph.D.
Parminder Bhachu, Ph.D.
Michael Butler, Ph.D.
Cynthia Caron, Ph.D.
Ed Carr, Ph.D.
Eric DeBarros, Ph.D.
Gino DiIorio, M.F.A.
Jody Emel, Ph.D.
Patricia Ewick, Ph.D.
Rachel Falmagne, Ph.D.
Anita Fábos, Ph.D.
Odile Ferly, Ph.D.
William Fisher, Ph.D.
Ellen Foley, Ph.D.
Beth Gale, Ph.D.
Abbie Goldberg, Ph.D. - Director
Janette T. Greenwood, Ph.D.
Betsy P. Huang, Ph.D.
Esther Jones, Ph.D.
Lisa Kasmer, Ph.D.
Thomas Kuehne, Ph.D.
Nina Kushner, Ph.D.
Deborah Martin, Ph.D.
Deborah Merrill, Ph.D.
Jacque Micieli-Voutsinas, Ph.D.
Heather Silber Mohamed, Ph.D.
Meredith Neuman, Ph.D.
Nicole Overstreet, Ph.D.
John Palella, Ph.D.
Jennifer Plante, M.A.
Amy Richter, Ph.D.
Juan Pablo Rivera, Ph.D.
Heather L. Roberts, Ph.D.
Laurie Ross, Ph.D.
Marianne Sarkis, Ph.D.
Srinivasan Sitaraman, Ph.D.
Valerie Sperling, Ph.D.
Andrew Stewart, Ph.D.
Rosalie Torres Stone, Ph.D.
Ora Szekely, Ph.D.
Shelly Tenenbaum, Ph.D.
Robert D. Tobin, Ph.D.
Alice Valentine, M.A.
Kristen Williams, Ph.D.
Kristina Wilson, Ph.D.

Research


Sarah Buie, Ph.D.
Judith DeCew, Ph.D.
SunHee Kim Gertz, Ph.D.
Dianne Rocheleau, Ph.D.
Virginia Mason Vaughan, Ph.D.
 

Emeriti


Margaret Arndt, D.B.A.
Sarah Buie, M.F.A.
Marcia Butzel, Ph.D.
Carol D’Lugo, Ph.D.
Judith DeCew, Ph.D.
Cynthia Enloe, Ph.D.
SunHee Kim Gertz, Ph.D.
Susan Hanson, Ph.D.
Serena S. Hilsinger, Ph.D.
Fern Johnson, Ph.D.
Dorothy Kaufmann, Ph.D.
Sharon Krefetz, Ph.D.
Virginia Mason Vaughan, Ph.D.
Dianne Rocheleau, Ph.D.
Robert Ross, Ph.D.
Paul Ropp, Ph.D.
Barbara Thomas-Slayter, Ph.D.
 

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study