Women's Studies

Placement in meaningful volunteer projects in community organizations or schools, approved by instructor and supervised by site supervisor. Introduction to practical skills and knowledge required to serve as effective volunteers or tutors. Discuss specific problems in the community and investigate and carry out service projects to address them. Class will meet one hour per week on campus for reflection and discussion of community issues, and students will serve at least 3 hours per week in community agencies or schools.

Select one course from List A below

Select one course from List A below

Select one course from List A below

Select one course from List A below

Select one course from List A below

Chronicles the expression of U.S. women authors through readings in a variety of genres such as fiction, poetry, drama, and the essay. Explores works by authors of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds in an effort to understand the diversity of women's voices, especially in the 20th century.

Processes and theories of gender and communication; emergence of sexual identity and orientation in society; the power of language and stereotypes in private discourse and public dialogue; the impact of historical, social, ethical, cultural, and psychological factors on gendered communication in multiple contexts.

Critical examination of the historical and socio-cultural experiences of African American, Latinx/a, Asian American, Native American, Arab American, and Pacific Islander women through a feminist perspective. The course will study gender and how it intersects with race, ethnicity, nationality, class, sexuality, religion, and other systems of difference and power. The course will consider various issues related to how racism, capitalism, patriarchy, war, sexual violence, and other systems of power intersect to influence the lives of women of color in the United States, as they may relate to work, family, politics, identity, resistance and artistic expression. Students will also be introduced to Women’s Studies and the study of gender and sexuality

Introduction to novels, poems, plays, and essays about queer people, i.e., members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) community. Analysis of this literature in the context of the LGBTQ social and political movements of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries and evolving societal attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. Themes include coming out, developing a sense of queer pride and community, combating discrimination and anti-queer violence, maintaining family ties with sometimes supportive, sometimes hostile relatives, surviving the nearly universal queer childhood experience of bullying, struggling against internalized homophobia/transphobia and reductive stereotypes, understanding the intersection of sexuality, gender identity, and other identities, and sustaining queer relationships in a heteronormative society.

Health issues that affect women in contemporary American society. Exploration of current health concerns, legislation, medical practices, media, personal attitudes and behaviors that promote health and wellness. Emphasis on diversity of women’s health experiences and factors involved with both the population level health outcomes and individual decision-making. Focus of this course is on empowerment for primary prevention.

A survey of United States women's history from its pre-colonial, indigenous origins through the end of Reconstruction. Emphasizes the interaction and experiences of diverse racial/ethnic groups that include at least three of the following groups: African-Americans, Chicana/Latina Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Native Americans, and Middle Eastern Americans. Emphasis on (1) distinctively American patterns of political, economic, social, intellectual and geographic developments, (2) the interaction amongst and the experiences of diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups in American history, and (3) the evolution of American institutions and ideals including the U. S. Constitution, representative democratic government, the framework of California state and local government, and the relationships between state/local government and the federal government.

A survey of United States women's history from 1877 to the present with a special emphasis on the interaction amongst and the experiences of diverse racial/ethnic (African Americans, European Americans, Indigenous North Americans, Chicana/Latina Americans, Asian Americans, and Middle Eastern Americans), and socio-economic groups in American history. Includes analysis of (1) the U. S. Constitution as a living document in the context of historical change, and (2)significant issues related to California state and local governments.

An overview of the historical and contemporary political issues and concerns affecting the status and power of groups that have traditionally been politically and socially disadvantaged in the United States. These groups include, but are not limited to, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Latinx, LGBT, and Women. The political histories of each group from their arrival in the territory today known as the United States through modern times will be discussed. Students will analyze how group identity impacts the processes of democratic governance. Public policy issues (i.e. education, health, criminal justice) will be considered in light of their impact upon marginalized groups.

This course offers students a sociological analysis of the social construction of masculinity and femininity through history and cultures. Examines the debates on sex and gender and questions conventional gender assumptions and expectations. Students will have an opportunity to analyze the impact of economic and political change on gender expectations and practices. In this course students will analyze how institutions shape, enforce, and produce difference and inequality based on gender and sexuality, and they will also focus on how individuals are socialized and how they “do” and practice gender. In this course, students will also examine how the concept of gender changes as it intersects with race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality. Additionally, students are encouraged to incorporate their own sociocultural background and experiences to explain and analyze the influence of gender on their lives.