Course Catalog 2007-2008

Director: Professor Marlene Tromp (English and Women's Studies)

Associate Professor Toni King, Joint Appointment with Black Studies

Assistant Professor Isis Nusair, Joint Appointment with International Studies

Faculty: Professors Robin Bartlett (Economics), Bahram Tavakolian (Sociology/Anthropology); Associate Professors Suzanne Condray (Communication), Susan Diduk (Sociology/Anthropology), Barbara Fultner (Philosophy), Karen Graves (Educational Studies), Toni King (Women's Studies and Black Studies), Linda Krumholz (English), Sara Lee (Physical Education), Bernardita Llanos (Modern Languages), Gill Wright Miller (Dance), Kaye Rasnake (Psychology), Lyn Robertson (Educational Studies), Sandra Runzo (English), Joy Sperling (Art), Mary Tuominen (Sociology/Anthropology); Assistant Professors Lynn K. Gorchov (History), Amanda Gunn (Communication), Carla Ingrando (Religion), Isis Nusair (International Studies and Women's Studies); Amy Scott-Douglass (English), Jennifer Saunders (Religion), Anita Mannur (English); Academic Secretary Tiffany Horton

Mission Statement. The Women's Studies Program at Denison University takes its mission to be three-fold. We intend to foster a critical awareness of and intellectual sensitivity to content, method and real-life implications of the field:

First, to engage students in the intellectual content of the discipline: women's issues, the role of gender, and the relationship between gender and other politicized aspects of "identity," including race, class, age, religion, sexuality;

Second, to instill in students an appreciation of the holistic character of Women's Studies. Women's Studies scholarship is not just a question of content but also of method -- methods that are inflected by the interdisciplinarity of Women's Studies. Students explore how Women's Studies treats women's issues in different disciplines, such as literary studies, political science, sociology, communications, philosophy, biology, etc., as well as developing their understanding of these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective (i.e. one that takes into account and sees the interconnections between this array of disciplines).

Third, to show our students the real-life implications of their academic engagement. That is, we challenge students to see the relationship beetween theory and practice: to see how the academic study of women's issues and gender is informed by and has the power to transform real lives, both others' and our own.

Curricular Goals. Denison's Women's Studies faculty are dedicated to helping students develop rigorous analyses of culture, politics, ideas and text, as well as creative leadership skills. We hope to teach our students the history, analysis and practice of feminist scholarship, means of creative expression for their intellectual interests and concerns, and political service and activism.

To that end, we require our students to take an introductory course, "Issues in Feminism," a "Feminist Methods" course, and a "Feminist Theory" course, as well as a capstone experience that involves active community engagement and written response or a sustained research project.

These required courses in the major and minor should explore gender and justice issues, provide both the methods and information to conduct rigorous analysis, engage our students in ways that challenge them to take their thinking about the material into the world, and embody feminist pedagogy. The elective courses will do the same in the context of their field of study.

Students have the opportunity of participating in a variety of internships located throughout the country that acquaint them with women's issues. Students are encouraged to develop leadership skills by taking an active part in campus life, including projects developed by the program. Recent projects include a national grant application, a campus-wide study on violence, and a benefit concert.

The Women's Studies Program sponsors regular symposia on gender issues that include presentations by Women's Studies faculty as well as Women's Studies scholars from throughout the United States. With the support of the Laura C. Harris endowment, the Women's Studies Program has hosted internationally-renowned scholars like bell hooks, Gloria Anzaldua, Judith Butler, Mary Daly, Winona Duke and jazz musician and poet Joy Harjo. Program members also participate in the Great Lakes Colleges Association, which provides conferences for Women's Studies students and faculty.

Women's Studies majors are required to take a total of 32 credit hours. Many students double major in Women's Studies and another field. Students may sign up for a course either under the department number or under the Women's Studies number. Both numbers will count toward the Women's Studies major or minor. All courses except for WMST 101 will be at the 200 level or above. All Women's Studies majors must take the following:

One of the courses used to fulfill requirement (2), (3), or (4) must be a course cross-listed with Black Studies. The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one of the above requirements.

Women's Studies minors are required to take a total of 24 credit hours. All courses except for WMST 101 will be at the 200 level or above. All Women's Studies majors must take the following:

The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one of the above requirements.

Students are encouraged to consult with the Director of Women's Studies in making their choices.

Issues in Feminism (WMST-101).  This interdisciplinary course will examine some aspects of institutionalized sexism in contemporary America, such as differential role socialization and its consequences; legal inequalities; job discrimination; reproductive issues; and violence against women. Every woman's experience of sexism is mediated by her class, race, age, religion, sexual preference and so forth; therefore the diversity of women's experience is a key factor in our study. The class format will be primarily a lecture-discussion format and may include small group discussions. King, Nusair, Tromp. 4

Black Women's Lives (WMST-102).  The purpose of this course is to explore personal narrative and autobiography as texts of resistance in Black women's lives. The course will use the multiple genres of autobiography such as poetry, essay, short narrative, memoir and major autobiographical works to illustrate Black women's resistance to race, class, and gender subordination or other forms of marginalization and oppression in their lives and in society. These autobiographical texts will be paired with select readings from women's studies and black studies to provide students with the analytical tools to identify how these texts function as forms of personal, social, political or institutional protest. King. 4

Science, Sex & Gender (WMST-190).  Current research on sex differences in humans and animals has raised our awareness of bona fide variations in brain chemistry and function between males and females. How do these legitimate research findings compare with our stereotypes about gender differences? During the semester we will investigate several perspectives on sex and gender differences - from popular media sources to leading research. We will also investigate the role of women and men in science in a historical and modern context. Ultimately our goal is to blend our knowledge with our personal experiences to answer the question, "Is the study of science divided by sex and gender?" McKay. 4

Sex and Gender in Society (WMST-210).  This course compares and evaluates a variety of theories which attempt to explain the origins, persistence, and effects of sexual inequality in American society. In particular, it explores a number of settings: the family, the workplace, the political arena, religious activity, violence against women and face-to-face interactional contexts. Special attention is given to the ways in which race/ethnicity, class and sexual orientation shape gender experiences. Although its primary focus is American society, the course compares problems of sexual inequality in American society with other, quite different, societies in order to gain a comparative understanding of how discrimination, prejudice, and structural inequality, wherever they are found, create special problems for women. Throughout, the focus is on learning to use structural, historical, and theoretical information as guides to understanding social change and the choices facing women and men. This course from the Social Science division satisfies the Minority/Women's Studies requirement and has no prerequisite. Diduk, Tuominen. 4

Women in Music (WMST-220).  Historically, women have played an integral role in musical traditions around the world, although the extent of their contributions has only recently been recognized and studied in an academic context. This course from the Fine Arts division will trace the development and current state of women's roles in music in America, including twentieth-century art music composers, musicologists, teachers, and performers of classical and popular genres such as blues, jazz, country, gospel, rap, and rock. Staff. 4

Women in Literature (WMST-225).  Selected poetry and prose by women guide inquiries into writing and gender and into related issues, such as sexuality, history, race, class, identity and power. Krumholz, Runzo, Scott-Douglas. 4

First Feminists: British Women Authors to 1800 (WMST-226).  Study of poetry, plays, and prose of some British women authors who flourished from 1600 to 1800. The course focuses on the contributions of these women to the aesthetic and structural development of literary forms and genres as well as their contributions to social movements and feminist thought. Authors include Aemilia Lanyer, Margaret Fox, Katherine Philips, Margaret Cavendish, Aphra Behn, Delariviere manley, Sarah Scott, Ann Radcliffe, Fanny Burney, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Scott-Douglas. 4

Exploring Women's Spirituality (WMST-227).  This course explores writings on spirituality developed by women for the contemporary world. Students will be asked to compare the proposals made by women from diverse backgrounds in order to identify commonalities and to better understand reasons for differences. Each semester, several traditions will be examined in depth; possible traditions include Christian Feminist Spirituality, Goddess Spirituality, African American Womanist Spirituality, Lesbian Spirituality, Latin Spirituality and Women's Christian Spiritual Writings developed in Asia, Africa and South America. No first-year students. Ingrando. 4

Mediated Gender and Sex (WMST-229).  In this class we will critically examine and evaluate the cultural construction and representation of gender and sexuality in contemporary American mass media, and trace their development throughout the 20th century. We will focus on a variety of mass-produced commercial media texts, surveying television, magazines, advertising, and popular music. Although gender is the primary identity construction examined in this course, we will also pay close attention to other aspects of identity that define American women, such as ethnicity, class, and sexuality. We will investigate representational issues in relation to their political repercussions, and draw from a broad range of academic literature, including feminist television criticism, film theory, cultural studies, communication theory, and popular music criticism. Battles. 4

American Women's History (WMST-240).  This course surveys the history of women in the United States from 1870-1989. We will emphasize the experience of women of all races, classes and sexual orientations -- women who entered the paid labor force in increasing numbers by the turn of the century and non-wage earning women who performed work integral to the survival of their families. We will use political essays, popular culture and literature to map out the multiple views of women's role in American society. In particular, how have the "traditional" view of women (keeper of home and family) and the "progressive" view of women (career-oriented and independent) conflicted, converged and evolved over the past century? Cross listed with History 281. (Offered 2nd semester) Gorchov. 4

Women in Modern Europe (WMST-241).  This course from the Humanities division surveys the history of women in Europe from 1700 to the present. Topics covered include women in revolutions, the effect of industrialization on women and the family, changing views of sexuality, women's rights movements and socialism, the female experience in world wars, women under fascism and women in the welfare state. Staff. 4

Black Women and Organizational Leadership (WMST-265).  This class explores Black women's leadership orientation in organizations. Afrocentric and womanist frameworks are used to inquire about Black women's leadership in the context of their lives. In this course we explore and theorize Black women's use of communal and generative leadership orientations as well as their application of a multiple and oppositional consciousness. Organizational dilemmas stemming from their race, class, and gender, as well as the unique challenges Black women leaders face in creating a supportive life structure are examined. Finally, students will critique major leadership theories in light of what they have learned about Black women leaders. This course will be counted in the Humanities division. King. 4

Women and Western Religion (WMST-272).  An introductory course analyzing the historical experiences of women within Western religion and contemporary trends in feminist theological thought. Although the emphasis will vary, students will be asked to evaluate critically topics such as: how the Bible presents women, feminist reconstructions of Biblical texts, arguments that Christianity and Judaism are essentially sexist, feminist Christian and Jewish theological reconstructions and contemporary Western Goddess spirituality. Ingrando. 4

Women and the U.S. Economy (WMST-273).  This course from the Social Science division is an advanced economics course focusing on women in the labor force. Recent trends in women's labor force participation, occupational segregation and earnings are examined. Both Neo-classical and Radical theories are applied to these trends for possible explanation. Finally, numerous ways to intervene in the market on the part of government and private enterprises are studied to determine the most effective way to rectify observed market imperfections. Prerequisite: 201 or consent. Bartlett. 4

Cultural Studies in Dance (WMST-274).  This course from the Fine Arts division will frame Western social and concert dance as a complex political activity made public through various agendas of race, creed, national origin, sexuality and gender. Using a theory of assimilation, transmission and migration, students will meet a series of historical works and dance movements (disco, rave, etc.) while simultaneously being exposed to poststructuralist epistemology and feminist theory in order to analyze them. In this way, the course aims to teach ways of interrogating social practices surrounding dances in any culture from a Western academic perspective. Miller. 4

Philosophy of Feminism (WMST-275).  Feminism can radically challenge traditional ways of doing philosophy. In asking why women and women's experience seem to be missing from the tradition of philosophy, it implicitly questions philosophy's claim to objectivity, universality and truth. Thus, feminist criticism probes some of the most fundamental philosophical assumptions about our knowledge of and interaction with the world and other people. Are there philosophically significant differences between men and women? This course from the Humanities division examines this and other questions, emphasizing contemporary feminist discussions of epistemology, ethics and science. Satisfies General Education requirement in Minority/Women's Studies. Prerequisites: any 100-level course in Philosophy, one course in Women's Studies or consent. Fultner. 4

Gender, War and Conflict (WMST-276).  This course aims to make feminist sense of contemporary wars and conflicts. It analyzes the intersections between gender, race, class, and ethnicity in national conflicts. The class traces the gendered processes of defining citizenship, national identity and security, and examines the role of institutions like the military in the construction of femininity and masculinity. The course focuses on the gendered impact of war and conflict through examining torture, mass rape, genocide, and refugee displacement. It analyzes the strategies used by women's and feminist movements, to oppose war and conflict, and the gendered impact of war prevention, peacekeeping, and post-war reconstruction. The class draws on cases from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa. The class is interdisciplinary and gives equal weight to theory and practice while drawing on writings by local and global activists and theorists. Nusair. 4

History of Sexuality (WMST-281).  This course will explore the changing ways Americans have conceived of sexuality in the last 400 years. We will pay particular attention to how gender, race, and class have shaped sexuality. We will historically situate concepts of sexual desire, normative sexual behavior, and sexual identity by connecting the history of sexuality to the broader context of American history, including colonial settlement, slavery, Progressive Era reform, Cold War politics, and the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Gorchov. 4

Topics in Women's Studies (WMST-290).  Staff. 4

Cultural and Social Methods (WMST-298).  This course examines both scientific methods and social analysis based on empirical research and the interpretive strategies that have developed out of the humanities for understanding societies. It provides experience in the design and implementation of social and cultural research with a focus on women's studies. The course will examine the epistemological issues that underlie research in women's studies, the ethical and political questions involved, and the assumptions that shape various methods. Students will apply the methods learned to their own research projects. Prerequisite: One Women's Studies course or consent. King. 4

Interm Topic in WMST (WMST-299).  Staff. 3

Psychology of Women (WMST-301).  This course examines psychological research and theories about women's experiences. Topics include sex bias in psychological research, gender differences in personality and abilities, lifespan development, problems of adjustment and psychotherapy, women's health, female sexuality, and violence against women (rape and wife battering). The Women's Studies program will count this course as a Social Science experience. Hutson-Comeaux, Rasnake. 4

Women and the Arts (WMST-302).  This course will consider how women artists have expressed what goes into the building of a home. We will think about different settings (during peacetime, wartime, in various cultures with or without partnes and/or families), in different individual needs and tastes, and different genres for the recording of that expression. This will entail four kinds of considerations: First, we will read sections from Timeless Way of Building, Language of Landscape and House Thinking; then we will deconstruct those readings to explore issues addressed by feminist theory, issues like comparable worth, coming to voice, single-parenting. All the while we will look at those issues expressed in artworks by and about women -- paintings, dances, music, novels, short-stories, and finally over the course of the semester, we will create a work ourselves around a physical dwelling -- whether that means dressing a window, painting a wall, or making something physical happen within it. No dancing involved. (Offered every other year) Miller. 4

The Gendering of Self and Culture: Women in Latin American Arts (WMST-305).  This course will examine different forms of discourses by Latin American women writers, filmmakers and artists from the 60s to the present. The focus will be the analysis and discussion of the different cultural operations used by Latin American women to question and critically examine their cultural tradition and society. Llanos. 4

Transnational Feminism (WMST-306).  This class provides students with the ability to understand, critique, and comparatively analyze the politics of gender in transnational contexts. The course traces the development of feminist thinking and practice within national, regional and transnational contexts, and maps the political agendas of women's and feminist movements in various countries around the world. The course focuses on how feminism emerges in a particular context and the specific issues that galvanize women to act for change. The course explores the connections between feminism, colonization, nationalism, militarization, imperialism, and globalization, and analyzes the processes by which the agendas of women from the global north and south come together or clash. The course examines through specific examples from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa the concerns and challenges facing transnational women's and feminist movements today. The class is interdisciplinary and draws on writings by local and global activists and theorists. Nusair. 4

Feminist Theory (WMST-307).  This course examines various ways of understanding gender by looking at a variety of feminist theories. Theories studied may include psychoanalytic, feminist theory, cultural materialist feminist theory, etc. Particular consideration will be given to issues raised by multiculturalism, women of color, womanist perspectives, queer theory, class concerns and international feminist movements. The course will introduce students to a variety of theories to enable them both to recognize and use those theories in their research and social practice. Students will be encouraged to become reflective about their own theoretical stances and to consider how societies can move closer to justice for both women and men. Prerequisite: One Women's Studies course or consent. Miller, Tromp. 4

Democracy for All? Race/Ethnicity and Gender in America (WMST-311).  The course will examine theories of a democratic system which have been proposed by American scholars who have responded to the issues raised by those concerned about the opportunity for women and minorities to participate as full citizens in the American system. The focus on current democratic theories will examine models of institutions for nation state governance and for governance in daily life institutions, such as the family, school, workplace and local communities. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own models of responsive and ethically responsible democratic practices. Staff. 4

Families, Sexuality and the State (WMST-313).  In this course we analyze historical and contemporary patterns of family/kinship organization and the relationship of families to broader political and economic structures. We explore families and kinship from a cross-cultural perspective, as well as examine` the ways in which race/ ethnicity, economic status and sexuality shape family/ kinship structures in the contemporary U.S. We explore specific issues including women's paid and unpaid labor in families; families and welfare state policies; power and violence in families; changing family and kinship structures; ideologies of motherhood; birthing and reproductive technologies; and the impact of family structures and gender ideologies on women's political activism. These case studies will be analyzed in the context of anthropological and sociological theories of families, kinship, and gender relations, including feminist theories of the social construction of gender. This course satisfies the Minority/Women's Studies requirement. Prerequisite: 100 or consent. Tuominen. 4

Work and Society (WMST-315).  In this seminar we analyze historical and contemporary patterns of the organization of work. Using theoretical and ethnographic perspectives we analyze the work historically undertaken by members in various cultures and the relationship of work to broader political and economic institutions and processes. We analyze gender, racial/ethnic and class relations and how these shape work in the U.S., as well as cross-culturally. Prerequisite: 100 or consent. Tuominen. 4

Women in Sport (WMST-320).  This course is designed to give students a comprehensive look at women in sport: past, present and future. This course will examine and analyze the issues surrounding women and sport from historical, psychological, sociological, physiological, political and philosophical perspectives. Cross-listed with Physical Education. The Women's Studies program will count this course as a Social Science experience. (Offered one semester each year) Lee. 4

Gender and Change in Cross Cultural Perspective: Women, Development and Ecology (WMST-321).  Our foci in this course will be on the diverse ways in which rural women in emerging nations conceptualize and utilize landscape and resources, and on the effects of material changes in natural and social environments on the quality of gender relations, social life and community organization. The course will also look comparatively, but more briefly, at the experiences of women migrants and urban workers. We will consider the formulation and implementation of goals for economic and social change, such as sustainable agricultural development and rural cottage industries that may contribute to material well-being without damaging the natural environment, and we will examine how cross-cultural alternatives to Western conceptions of gender and ecology may serve as a basis for prospective changes within our own society. This course satisfies the Non-western Studies Requirement. Prerequisite: S/A 100 or consent. Diduk, Ranchod-Nilsson. 4

African-American Women's Literature (WMST-325).  Historical and contemporary African-American women's literature grounds an inquiry into black women's literary and intellectual traditions within the matrix of race, gender, class and sexual relations in the United States. This course will be counted in the Humanities division. Krumholz. 4

Women and Political Leadership (WMST-333).  The course will involve the development of a theoretical model for leadership that explores political leadership as a vocation for citizens in the United States. The course will explore basic political questions about authority, the appropriate use of power, community building, ethics and responsibility for self and others. About one-third of the course will involve introducing students to the logic of empirical inquiry -- especially qualitative methods -- so that they can design a leadership project that will involve the empirical study of leadership. Students will read biographies and autobiographies to examine leadership in concrete situations, and to develop their understanding of politics. Miller. 4

Special Topics (WMST-345).  Staff. 4

Directed Study (WMST-361).  Staff. 1-4

Directed Study (WMST-362).  Staff. 1-4

Independent Study (WMST-363).  Staff. 1-4

Independent Study (WMST-364).  Staff. 1-4

Queer Theory (WMST-379).  Queer Theory is more than simply pointing at a text, image, or act and identifying it as queer, but engaging in an intellectual and political practice that explores social constructs and their significance and that suggests new ways of thinking and acting. Be prepared to do a great deal of reading, to challenge your thinking and that of others, and do write in a rigorous intellectual environment. The course will focus on class discussions and presentations and will include a research paper. (Offered on a three year cycle) Tromp. 4

Topics in Women's Studies (WMST-390).  Staff. 4

Critical Pedagogy: Gender, Race and Class in U.S. Education (WMST-391).  Gender and race are central concerns throughout this course in its examination of current critical issues in US education. Readings are drawn primarily from the sociology of education. Particular attention is given to critical and feminist pedagogies. This course includes a two-hour commitment each week to service learning in a social service agency. Graves, Robertson. 4

Senior Research (WMST-451).  Staff. 4

Senior Research (WMST-452).  Staff. 4

Honors Project (WMST-461).  Staff. 4

Honors Project (WMST-462).  Staff. 4