Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Courses | 2024-2025 Academic Catalog | SIU

(University Core Curriculum) (Same as FR 200) This course offers a study of the representation of women in 20th century French and Francophone literatures. The class will study female characters as they are represented in novels, short stories and essays of contemporary French and Francophone writers, and will analyze the development of women as characters from a psychological, sociological, and literary point of view. All readings and lectures are in English.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) This interdisciplinary and multicultural survey course covers important issues of women, gender and sexuality studies in the United States. Topics include language, media, education, family, labor, politics, literature, and the arts. Within each topic, issues of race, class, ability, and other intersecting aspects of identity are also addressed.

Credit Hours: 3

Course considers the experiences of people who identify as LGBTQ+ from a global perspective. Course topics include intersectionality, politics, activism, and cultural production. Students will ask how LGBTQ+ identities have their own specific histories and meanings. Prerequisite: WGSS 201.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) (Same as SOC 223) [IAI Course: S7 904D] Examines several theories on gender. Exposes patterns of gendered behaviors, gendered institutions, gendered expectations, and gender inequality. Uses a sociological lens to make sense of the gendered world and to examine the evidence that underlie scholarly arguments and perspectives.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum course) (Same as ENGL 225) [IAI Course: H3 911D] Examines the ways in which women are portrayed in literature, especially in twentieth-century novels, drama, short fiction, and poetry written by women. Prerequisite: ENGL 102 or ENGL 120. Satisfies University Core Curriculum Multicultural requirement in lieu of ENGL 205.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PSYC 233) (University Core Curriculum) The course examines how gender affects all aspects of our lives at the individual, societal and cultural levels. It will cover psychological theories and topics related to gender, and will examine issues of diversity, such as race/ethnicity, class, sexuality, disability, and age as they interact with gender.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as CI 227) (University Core Curriculum) [IAI Course: S7 902] This course will explore topics related to intimate relationships, including attraction, communication, dating, cohabitation, marriage and conflict. Study of changing patterns in family living throughout the family life cycle and the dynamic relationships within families. Students will critically evaluate current theory and research concerning the elements of family relationships.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) An applied experience, service-oriented credit in U.S. American diversity involving interaction with those exemplifying life experiences centering on women's issues, organizations, services, etc. Students should consult the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program staff to discuss placement options and supervision. Special approval needed from the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Director. Not for graduate credit.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) This course will explore the historical contributions of women and challenges they faced as they entered educational programs and careers in various fields of engineering, science, and technology. The course will also consider the current status of women in these fields.

Credit Hours: 3

This course will explore the contributions of women and challenges they faced entering politics, law, and business. The course will also consider the historical and current status of women in these fields. Emphasis varies by instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AFR 303I, MUS 303I) (University Core Curriculum) Explores traditional aesthetic processes of the blues as a mode of self expression. Examines the images/voices projected by vaudeville blues women (1920s/30s), along with various manifestations/extensions instrumental and vocal, musical, and literary-from fiction and poetry to jazz, R&B, and rap. In-depth analysis of blues music and literature.

Credit Hours: 3

This course will explore the contributions of women and challenges they have faced in the art world-visual, literary, media, and performance. The course will also consider the historical and current status of women in these fields. Emphasis varies with instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AD 307I) (University Core Curriculum) This interdisciplinary course examines women's lives as artists, visual representations of women, and issues of gender distinction in the history of Western art from the medieval period to the present. From perspectives that include social history and cultural anthropology as well as both traditional and feminist art history, the course considers the ways in which the experiences of women and opportunities available to them have historically differed from those of men. The course examines how such differences have affected the emphases, subject matter, and traditions of women's art as well as the ways in which women have been represented.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHIL 314) A survey of philosophical approaches to love, sex, and gender. A philosophical inquiry into the representation of love, sex, and gender, including materials that combine text, words, and images. The course studies an ancient philosophy text on love, a classical text of twentieth-century feminist philosophy, and critiques of feminism that draw on the life of gender, sexuality, and race. It questions the nature and possibilities of love.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as SOC 307) This course explores sexual diversity within different hegemonic heterosexual cultures, worldwide. Using insight from historical and sociological analysis, the contemporary development of social movements for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals and their oppositional forces is analyzed, and consequent cultural changes that have resulted from the confrontation of these forces are examined.

Credit Hours: 3

(University Core Curriculum) (Same as LING 320I) This course looks at language practices and men and women from different cultures in terms of how speech reflects and shapes their social identities. Perspectives from the fields of linguistics, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and communication studies will be used.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHSL 320) Comprehensive course examining the physiological basis of mammalian reproduction and the behavioral aspects of sexuality. Human sexuality and reproductive function is the primary focus. Topics include hormonal control, anatomy, ovulation, sexual response and behavior, fertilization, pregnancy, and parturition. Human specific topics include reproductive medicine, STDs, paraphilias, birth control and infertility. Prerequisite: BIOL 200A or BIOL 211.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PSYC 333) An examination of empirical evidence on the biological, psychological, and social functioning of women, describing women's roles, the genetic versus social determinants of women's behavior, and the implications for women's potential. Prerequisite: PSYC 102 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 324) Survey of women and gender history. Chronology and focal themes will vary with instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 356) This course will survey the role of women in US history from colonial times to the present. Students will be introduced to contributions made by women to US society, politics, and cultures.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 357) An introduction to the diversity of women's experiences as workers in the home, the household economy, and the labor market segregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 360) An examination of America's rural history from the 17th to the 20th century, focusing especially on social and economic relationships and attitudes, the role of ethnicity and gender, environmental and technological issues, agrarian radicalism, and governmental activities.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as CI 327) Study of changing patterns in family living throughout the family life cycle. Insights into common current family problems typical of each stage of the family life cycle. Prerequisite: CI 227 or WGSS 286 with a grade of C or better.

Credit Hours: 3

Consideration of a topic of interest in LGBTQ+ Studies not offered through regular course listings.

Credit Hours: 3

Film, literature, and media-based exploration of historical and contemporary texts that feature sex and scandal. Using relevant cultural and literary criticism, this class explores how "scandalous" sexualities have their own specific histories and deployments. Topics to be considered include the meaning of the word "scandal" and how different sexual relationships can appear "scandalous" in a given context. The course will question how sex and scandal intersect with race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, class, ability, and more.

Credit Hours: 3

Global study of transgender representation in film, media, literature, and performance. This course utilizes a cultural theory approach and draws from the work of scholars, activists, and artists within the areas of transgender, queer, feminist, and disability studies.

Credit Hours: 3

Critical examination of masculinity in a global context. The course will explore the constructed nature of masculinity at the intersections of race, sexuality, class, national, and religious identifications. Takes an interdisciplinary approach and includes texts from the fields of history, sociology, English, film and media studies, and the visual arts. Prerequisite: WGSS 201.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 406A) A discussion of the history of the family, creation of gender roles, and importance of sexuality from medieval times to the French Revolution.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 406B) From the French Revolution. A discussion of the history of family, creation of gender roles, and importance of sexuality from the French Revolution to the present. Fulfills the CoLA Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) requirement.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as SOC 407) Examines a range of social issues related to human sexuality and the interaction between sexuality and other social processes. Emphasis is on the relevant concepts, theories, and methods in the field of sexual studies, the social and historical construction of sexuality, and the ways in which social characteristics shape sexual behaviors and desires, sexual variation, including its causes and consequences, how basic social institutions affect the rules governing sexuality, the major moral and political controversies that surround sexuality, and the "dark side" of sexual life.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as ANTH 410L) How do humans become male and female in different societies? Can men become women and women become men? What other gender possibilities exist? Is male dominance universal? What are the sources of male and female power and resistance? Do women have a separate culture? What are the relationships between gender, militarism, and war? These and other questions will be examined in cross-cultural perspective.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PH 410) Provides detailed information on dimensions of sexuality; characteristics of healthy sexuality; anatomy and physiology; gender roles; relationships; sexually transmitted infections/diseases; contraceptive issues and concerns; sexual victimizations; and sexuality through the life cycle.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as CMST 415) An exploration of advanced theories and research in gender and sexuality from communication perspectives. Course may be repeated when topics vary.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AFR 416, CMST 416) Explore the roots, contemporary manifestations, and current embodiments of black feminist thought. Explore the works of black women to engage in critical thinking and thoughtful dialogue that positions the valuable knowledge, experiences, and perspectives of women of color at the center of inquiry while simultaneously discovering spaces for multicultural alliances. Prerequisite: CMST 301I or CMST 341 or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as ANTH 426 and LING 426) This course is designed for students who have had some exposure to gender studies. It will focus on readings in language and gender in the fields of anthropological and socio-linguistics. Issues to be addressed are the differences between language use by men/boys and women/girls, how these differences are embedded in other cultural practices, and the various methodologies and theories that have been used to study gendered communication.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 437) This course explores the social, political, and cultural history of lesbians, gay men, and other sexual and gender minorities in the United States from the turn of the twentieth century to the present. Themes to be taken up in the class include: the emergence of heterosexuality and homosexuality as distinct categories of identity; the intersection between sexual identity and identities of race, class, gender, and ethnicity; the relationship between homosexuality and transgenderism; the movement for gay liberation; the creation of lesbian and gay urban and rural subcultures; representations of homosexuality in popular culture; anti-gay backlash; and AIDS.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as POLS 438) The course is an advanced seminar in public law with a focus on gender, law, and society. The course will engage with issues in feminist legal practice and the development of legal theories regarding gender. We will interrogate the relationship between theory and practice and the ways in which feminist jurisprudence has taken shape in the dynamics of this relationship. POLS 114 and 230 recommended prerequisites.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as CIN 469) Course discusses aspects of the aesthetics, history, theory, and politics of media representations of gender and sexuality. Cultural texts from one or a combination of media forms, genres, historical periods, and platforms will inform the historical and theoretical consideration of media representations of gender and sexual variation with a special interest on their bearings upon the present moment. May be repeated if topics vary.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as SOC 423) Examines social science theory and research on gender issues and contemporary roles of men and women. The impact of gender on social life is examined on the micro level, in work and family roles, in social institutions, and at the global, cross-cultural level.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as POLS 456) An advance course examining gender systems and women's situations across cultures and countries. This course also studies the impact globalization has had on gender issues by looking at women's activism at international and transnational levels. Topics covered include women's political representation, gender and culture, women's social movements, gender and development, and gendered policy issues.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 448) This course explores the history of gender and the family in the United States from the late 19th century to the present. Themes to be explored include: the family and the state, motherhood, race and family life, and the role of the "family" in national politics.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHSL 450) Advanced, comprehensive course intended to supplement and expand the critical examination of topics covered in PHSL 320, Reproduction and Sexuality. The objectives of this class are to examine the physiological and behavioral basis of human reproduction and sexuality. Examining how humans reproduce from a physiological perspective including all aberrations and clinically relevant dysfunctions, as well as, the spectrum of human sexual behaviors including typical and atypical sexual behavior, paraphilias, and diversity of human relationships. Prerequisite: PHSL 320.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as MUS 450A) Explores the creative contributions of women in music, examining women's participation across a range of genres, cultural/geographic areas, and time periods. Restricted to junior/senior/graduate music major or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AFR 452A and MUS 452A) Examines the tradition of "uppity" women's blues from the so-called "classic" blues singers of the 19th century (Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, etc.) to the contemporary blues of Saffire, Denise LaSalle and others. Explores ways blues women challenge conventions of gender and sexuality, racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia. Restricted to junior/senior/graduate music major or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHIL 446A) A general survey of feminist theory and philosophical perspectives.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHIL 446B) A special area in feminist philosophy explored in depth, such as Feminist Ethics, French Feminism, Feminist Philosophy of Science, etc.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as PHIL 446C) Explores the work of one or more specific women philosophers, for example Hannah Arendt, Simone DeBeauvoir, etc.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as RTD 464) The purpose of this course is the creation of short and long form audio documentaries by students, regardless of production background. It will introduce students to basic production techniques and diversity considerations during the making of a documentary. This course uses qualitative methods to investigate an issue or document an event, with an emphasis on observation and interview techniques. Topics will explore the role of gender, race, ethnicity, and class during the planning, gathering, and production stages of the documentary. Course open to non-majors. Lab fee: $55.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 465) Comprehensive survey of sexuality from the early modern period to the present. Examines social trends, politics, and cultural debates over various forms of sexuality. Students will engage in discussion, research, and writing. Emphasis varies by instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as EAHE 470) Seminar designed to provide students with a strong grounding in the field of college student sexuality and sexual identity, covering the lived experiences of U.S. college students, the construction of sexualized collegiate identities through U.S. history, and how institutions of higher education have attempted to regulate, control, and (intentionally as well as inadvertently) effect college student sexuality.

Credit Hours: 3

A readings-based seminar covering theories and concepts of masculinity as demonstrated by collegiate men in the United States. The readings in this course cover cultural as well as identity elements of what being a "college man" means (and how that definition has changed over time and contexts). The readings cover historical, theoretical and empirical research on collegiate men and masculinity. Prerequisite: WGSS 403 or consent of the instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as CCJ 460 and SOC 461) A study of women as offenders, as victims, and as workers in the criminal justice system.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as HIST 489) Following an introduction to the question of women in Islamic law and Islamic History, this course will examine the changing status and experiences of women in a number of Middle Eastern countries in the 20th century, focusing on Egypt, Iran, and Turkey. Major themes will include legal, social, and political rights, participation in social and economic life, cultural and literary production, and recent secular and Islamist women's movements.

Credit Hours: 3

Supervised readings in selected content areas of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Special approval needed from the instructor and Director of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Credit Hours: 1-6

Concentration on a topic of interest not offered through the regular course listings.

Credit Hours: 1-6

This course will heighten and strengthen student's awareness of the roles and responsibilities of women as outlined in the sacred writings and scriptures of various world religions and as carried out in various cultures around the world.

Credit Hours: 3

Exploration of a research project under the supervision of a faculty member having graduate faculty status. The project must result in a written research report, which is filed with the Director of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Restricted to senior standing. Special approval needed from the instructor and Director of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Credit Hours: 2-6

This course gives students the opportunity to serve the community through direct engagement with organizations and services that center issues of gender and sexuality. The setting may be in one's own field of study or in general content areas recognized by the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. Students will devise their service plan in communication with the Coordinator of the WGSS program. Prerequisite: WGSS 201.

Credit Hours: 1-3

A synthesizing experience for individuals minoring or interested in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. This course will reflect a synthesis of student learning to include an overview of feminist methodologies to be explored as a ground for a final project that can be a research paper, community service experience, or creative project. This project will be formulated, implemented, reflected upon, and written about. This course can serve as a mini-capstone experience for WGSS students. Syllabus and topics will vary according to student and instructor interests. Prerequisite: WGSS 201 or special approval from the Director of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Credit Hours: 3

Advanced study of a topic of interest in LGBTQ+ Studies not offered through regular course listings.

Credit Hours: 3

Supervised readings in selected content areas in LGBTQ+ studies. This is a capstone, synthesizing experience for students in LGBTQ+ studies. Prerequisite: WGSS 201.

Credit Hours: 3