For questions or more information, please contact Dr. Sarah Whitney, Associate Teaching Professor of English and Women's Studies, at [email protected] or 814-898-6325.

Required Course

  • WMNST 001 (DF) Introduction to Women's Studies
    The introductory course defines terms such as patriarchy and feminism and provides conceptual frameworks for the causes and effects of women's subordination, as well as their contributions to society. Race and class issues as they intersect gender are also examined. Images of women and men in psychology, the arts, philosophy, history, religion, and the sciences are among the subjects individual instructors may emphasize.

Supporting Course

  • WMNST 400 (DF) Feminist Theory
    This course examines perspectives that feminist and gender scholarship have brought to the study of history, literature, economics, law, politics, and art. The relationship between theory and practice is a major consideration throughout the course. Prerequisite: WMNST 001

Electives

  • ELISH 487 (DF) Women Poets
    Feminist theory provides a framework for considering distinctions between the poetry of men and women. The course emphasizes the various cultural and aesthetic contexts (usually outside the mainstream although parallel to it) which contribute to those differences.
  • ENGL 490 (DF) Women Writers and Their Worlds
    Is there such a thing as a distinctively female imagination, with a symbolic language of its own? Emphasis is given to feminist critical and theoretical responses; texts and works are studied to determine how contemporary women writers fit into a long tradition of women's fiction.
  • HSTRY 109 (DF) Gender and History
    Throughout history, the gender roles of males and females have defined the terms of a symbiotic relationship. Changes in the behavior of members of one sex have always necessitated compensatory adjustments in the activities and attitudes of the other. HSTRY 109 traces this process from prehistory to the dawn of the modern feminist movement in the early modern period.
  • PSY 170 (DF) Psychology of Women
    Issues of female psychology that have been neglected by mainstream psychology are examined, and the influence of sex and gender on behavior, cognitive abilities, and socio-emotional relations is explored. Theoretical perspectives on sex and gender are also considered.
  • PSY 472 (DF) Psychology of Gender
    Theories and research on biological, psychological, and social differentiation of females and males.
  • RUS 130 (DF) Women in Russian Literature
    This is a survey of Russian characters and writers from the medieval period to the present. It focuses on the changing role of women writers and characters in Russian society and in the literary tradition.
  • SPCOM 455 (DF) Gender Roles in Communication
    This course explores how different languages of men and women contribute to miscommunication and how theoretical and practical approaches to similarities and differences in their languages can promote a better understanding of both the verbal and nonverbal viewpoints.
  • THEA 207 (DF) Gender and Theatre
    A study of theatre practice and dramatic literature as formed by issues of gender, race, and ethnic background, this course also gives attention both to theatre practitioners and to images of gender in theatrical productions.
  • WMNST 003 (DF) Introduction to Women, the Humanities, and the Arts
    An overview of scholarly research and theory pertaining to women and gender in the humanities and the arts, this course also clarifies how major cultural definitions of gender shape women's aesthetic expression.
  • WMNST 005 (DF) Introduction to Women in Science, Technology, and Engineering
    The experiences, achievements, and status of women in the sciences are examined. The course takes a cross-cultural approach, emphasizing great women scientists worldwide.
  • WMNST (BLST) 101 (DF) The African-American Woman
    The course provides an overview of the activities and status of African-American women and examines their experiences and achievements.
  • WMNST (BLST) 102 (DF) Women of Color: Cross-Cultural Perspective
    This course studies women's work, gender, and autonomy in different cultures, and examines ethnocentric views that portray minority cultures as "primitive" and "underdeveloped." The ways women have made changes in their lives in different cultures and the effect these changes have on the dominant group are explored and critiqued.
  • WMNST (COMM) 205 (DF) Women, Minorities, and the Media
    The course provides a multicultural and feminist perspective on how the historical dominance of media production by a few giant corporations affects public perceptions, reinforcing racism and sexism.
  • WMNST (ENGL) 194 (DF) Women Writers
    Do women write differently from men? Are there "female" or "feminine" writing styles that differ from the male tradition in literature? English 194 is an introductory course in literature written by women. The course studies the ways that writing by women both intersects and differs from mainstream literature.
  • WMNST (LIR) 136 (DF) Women, Minorities, and Employment
    This course provides analytic tools to understand issues most relevant to women and minorities in the American employment system. The material covered deals with women and non-White minorities and the historical, social, economic, legal, and political dimensions of their participation in an employment system largely not under their control.
  • MANGT 442 Managing Diversity
    This case-oriented course provides an overview of the history of women and minorities in the U.S. workforce, an overview of labor economics related to each group, and discussions of advanced cases examining contemporary management situations related to cultural diversity. Each major minority group will be examined in detail as part of the course content. Students will conduct independent and group studies of small minority groups represented in the workforce. The course will teach several frameworks for examining diversity issues and resolving conflicts.