Women's Studies Course Descriptions

The following course descriptions can be found in the ASU catalog. More specific course descriptions are available from the instructor during the semester a course is being offered. If you're interested in knowing what special topics courses might be offered in upcoming semesters, please contact Marie Drews (mdrews@gru.edu).

History, Anthropology, & Philosophy

WMST 4950/ ANTH 4950 Identity: Ethnicity, Gender, & Class

• This course examines the processes through which identities are culturally constructed and experienced. The focus is on key ideas and theoretical debates surrounding race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and class through a cross-cultural perspective. These identities intersect with each other and with other identities such as religious, educational, parental, etc.

WMST 4011/ HIST 4011 History of Women

• This course will examine the history of women in either a geographical or topical approach. It will examine the female role of mother, daughter, sister, and leader in a particular society, such as America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, etc. Or, the course will be centered on a particular cross-cultural topic, such as suffrage, family roles, leaders, religion, etc. In all cases, this course is intended to explore the paradox between the ideal woman and actual treatment of women in a given era, society, culture, or movement. Students taking the graduate level course will be required to complete additional work. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): HIST 1111 or 1112 or permission of instructor.

WMST 4021 /HIST 4021 Gender and Family History

• This is an in-depth look at the relationship between men and women with particular emphasis on their roles in the family. The course will look at childhood, marriage, work, and cultural practices in a particular period from antiquity to modernity. Primary and secondary sources will provide comparisons between men and women in both the elite and common sectors of society. Students taking the graduate level course will be required to complete additional work. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): HIST 1111 or 1112 or permission of instructor.

English & Foreign Languages

WMST 3310/ENGL 3310 Women's Literature

• An examination of a wide range of women writers, both classic and contemporary, with an emphasis on multicultural and/or multidisciplinary approaches. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1101-1102 or 1113-1114; HUMN 2001-2002; WMST 1101.

WMST 4310/ENGL 4310 Studies in Feminism

• A course which uses feminist scholarship to analyze selected texts and topics. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1101-1102 or 1113-1114; HUMN 2001-2002; WMST 1101.

Communications & Professional Writing

WMST 4120 /COMS 4120 Gender & Communication

• This course explores gendered communication patterns in a variety of contexts and examines how communication creates and reinforces gender. Theories that explain how culture shapes gendered communication and how gendered communication shapes culture will be examined. Prerequisite(s): WMST 1101; COMC 2010 or permission of instructor.

Psychology

WMST 3155/ PSYC 3155 Psychology of Gender

• This course will study the construct of gender and how it has been analyzed and investigated in psychology. A multi-cultural perspective will be adopted to examine historical and contemporary theories related to gender psychology. Prerequisite(s): WMST 1101, PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1103 or PSYC 1105 with a C or better.

Sociology, Criminal Justice, and Social Work

WMST/SOCI/CRJU 3336 Women, Crime & the Criminal Justice System

• A sociological analysis of women as criminal offenders, victims, and as workers in criminal justice fields. Examines how gender influences criminal law and the practices of criminal justice agencies. Covers historical perspectives on women and crime, the adequacy of contemporary criminological perspectives for explaining female criminality. Prerequisite(s): WMST 1101 or SOCI1160; SOCI 1101 or CRJU 1103.

WMST/SOCI/CRJU 4336: Gender and Victimization

• A sociological analysis of crime victims and victim-service agencies. Traces the historical development of the field of victimology. Examines the influence of gender on victimization experiences and practices of criminal justice and victim-service agencies.

WMST/SOCI/CRJU 4442 Gender & Society

• Sociological insights and concepts will be employed in observing, interpreting, and analyzing the social processes creating, reinforcing and changing gender roles and the statuses of women and men in society. Prerequisite(s): WMST 1101 and SOCI 1101 or SOCI 1103/PSYC 1103.

Women's Studies

WMST 1101 Introduction to Women's Studies

• Introduction to Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary course designed to provide a foundation for the women's studies minor. Instructors are encouraged to use methods and theories from fields such as communications, art, history, sociology, anthropology, literature, psychology, and women's studies to explore women's lives and experiences. Prerequisite(s): None.

WMST 2950/4950 Selected Topics

• Seminar in Women's Studies often conducted on an interdisciplinary basis. Prerequisite(s): None for the 2950 level course.

WMST 4990 Undergraduate Research

• A major research project exploring a specific topic in Women's Studies under the direction of a supervising instructor. Prerequisite(s): WMST 1101 and Permission of instructor.

WMST 4960 Undergraduate Research

• A service-learning experience based in an off-campus agency or organization. Under the supervision of a faculty member at Augusta State University and a supervisor at a cooperating agency or organization, a student completes specific tasks and acquires specific knowledge and skills related to an area of Women's Studies. Prerequisite(s): WMST 1101.