Current Course Offerings

An introduction to the history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome through a consideration of the role and status of women in the classical world. Lectures with slides will be supplemented by readings of ancient texts in translation, in addition to textbook assignments.

Crosslisted ast CLC 103

Online 1
Instructor: K. Hame

Exploration of the growing body of research available from many disciplines (humanities, social sciences, sciences) for the study of women and men in the United States and abroad. Investigation of femininity and masculinity and the intersection of gender with other categories of identity.

In-Person

Section 1
Instructor: P. Gordon
TTH 1-2:15, SRC 113

Section 2
Instructor: P. Gordon
TTH 2:30-3:45, Luckday RC 113

Section 3 -
Instructor: O. Njoku
TTH 9:30-10:45 AM, Music 156

Section 4 -
Instructor: T. Starkey
MW 1-2:15 PM, Luckyday 113

Section 5 -
Instructor: M. Oyindamola
MW 2:30-3:45, Luckday 113

Section 6 -
Instructor: T. Starkey
TTH 11-12:15, TBD

Online and Independent Study

Online 1
Instructor: E. Venell

OnHy 1
Instructor: J. Enszer
W 1-1:50 PM, Zoom

Online 2
Instructor: E. Venell

Online 3
Instructor: E. Venell

Online 4
Instructor: A. LaGrotteria

Online 5
Instructor: A. LaGrotteria

Online 6
Instructor: A. LaGrotteria

Online 7
Instructor: J. Venable

Online 8
Instructor: J. Venable

Online 9
Instructor: J. Enszer

Online 10
Instructor: D. McCarthy Howard

Online 11
Instructor: D. McCarthy Howard

Independent Study Sec 4
Instructor: E. Venell

This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of queer and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) studies with a particular focus on the queer south. This course examines the historical and social contexts of personal, cultural and political aspects of queer/LGBT life, and it explores LGBT liberation movements in relation to families, religion, laws, and society using intersectional lenses that consider gender, ethnicity, race, class, and ability. We consider the status, roles, and experiences, of lesbians, gay men, bisexual, and transgender people, using a variety of sources from fields such as anthropology, history, literature, sociology, southern studies, and women’s studies. Through the readings, discussions, and assignments, students develop critical analytical skills to consider social change movements with particular attention to how sex, gender, race, class, sexuality, sexual orientation, and other systems of power shape people’s everyday lives.

Online 1
Instructor: J. Enszer

Section 1
Instructor: P. Gordon
TTh 9:30-10:45, Bishop 102

A study of gender roles within traditional and popular culture. The specific content of the course may vary in different semesters. Possible emphases might include women in the arts, women in film, women in the media, and women in popular culture.

Section 2
Instructor: S. Illinskaya
TTH 1-2:15 PM Bryant 207
Topic: The Art of Becoming: Gender and Safe Space

How do public spaces shape our sense of self ? What makes a place feel safe and empowering? What makes it feel awkward and threatening? Do we have power to shape public spaces?

 In this course we will focus on artistic theories and practices of place-making. Why do artists venture outside their traditional spaces (art galleries and museums)? What are they trying to achieve? Does an aesthetic gesture really have the power to change anything? 

 We will examine several case studies that illustrate the gendered nature of public spaces, uncover their invisible stories, and propose a possible transformation. Our theoretical grounding will come not only from the assigned weekly readings but also audio and visual sources, as well as individual and group original research required for written assignments.

Online 1
Instructor: A. LaGrotteria
Topic: Contemporary US Feminist Literature

This Gender Studies course explores complexities of human identities and relationships as they are portrayed in contemporary US novels. Of particular interest are the ways in which power, privilege, oppression, empowerment, and resistance are demonstrated in the novels. Using intersectional feminist theory as a supplemental lens, we will pay particular attention to characters’ positionalities (i.e., race, gender, class, sexuality, region, and more). Students will be asked to frame their own experiences with identities, relationships, and feminism in relation to the novels and supplemental theoretical pieces.

Online 2
Instructor: D. McCarthy Howard
Topic: Race, Gender, and Music

Often defined as “the universal language,” music has long held a reputation for its ability to cross borders, both literal and figurative. Until the 20th century, however, little attention had been given to the ways in which judgments of “good” versus “bad” music were influenced by perceptions of race, gender, sexuality, and other categories of identity. In this course, we will begin by understanding the ways in which music shapes our world, as well as how music can be shaped by subjectivities and biases. Through case studies of classical, hip-hop, country, punk, K-pop, reggaeton, and other genres, we will examine the ways in which issues of identity in music impact both musicians and audiences. We will read texts from musicology and ethnomusicology, gender and women’s studies, and ethnic studies as examples of how scholars from multiple disciplines write and engage with themes of race, gender, and sexuality in conversation with music. The semester will culminate in the presentation of an interdisciplinary final project that explores themes of music and identity alongside the student’s own interests.

IS Section 32 Independent Study
Instructor: E. Venell
Queer Cinema

IS Section 13 Independent Study
Instructor: A. LaGrotteria

This course examines the social meanings of masculinity and men's lives. Students will study men's movements as well as the "crisis of masculinity" and the costs and benefits of patriarchy for men.

Crosslisted as SOC 324

Section 1
Instructor: B. Paola
MWF 2-2:50 pm, Bishop 101

Exploration of the micro-level and institutional intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality as articulated by African-American women intellectuals from the 19th century to present with particular emphasis on social scientific theory and methodology. Topics include: early black feminist thought; comparisons of black and white women's feminisms; third-wave black feminist thought; sexuality, the body, and hip-hop.

Section 1
Instructor: J. Skipper
MWF 11-11:50 AM, Lamar 555

Theories in Gender is an interdisciplinary course encompassing works from feminist theory and other theoretical and methodological frameworks commonly used in Gender Studies, such as social construction theory and intersectionality. Feminist writers and thinkers have developed a multiplicity of theories to explain sex and gender, but feminist theory is not limited to these concepts. Feminists also theorize race, identity, sexuality, embodiment, work, citizenship, activism, and gendered positions in the family, the workplace, and society. Theories in Gender invites students to explore feminist theories in the context of the historical moments and intellectual traditions to which they relate. 

Online 1
Instructor: J. Enszer

Students will study the ways in which the South has been constructed through depictions of sexuality, especially forms of sexuality deemed marginal, perverse, and dangerous.

Crosslisted as S ST 350.

Online 1
Instructor: E. Venell

This course examines representations of femininity, masculinity, and sexuality across different modes of film practice in the history of popular US cinema, with specific attention to how these representations intersect with race, ethnicity, nation and class. Using analytical approaches from gender and sexuality studies, film and media studies, and cultural studies we will investigate the ways in which popular US cinema critically engages in the historical, social, and cultural construction of gender and sexuality. This course teaches basic concepts of film analysis so that students can apply them to the films we watch.

Online 1
Instructor: L. Delassus

Online 2
Instructor: L. Delassus

This course teaches students to examine and analyze how representations of gender and sexuality have or have not changed over time. This exploration will include theoretical readings and analysis of television, film, music & music videos, broadcast and print journalism, magazines, advertising, social media, comic books, graphic novels, anime, user-generated online content, and online gaming.

Online 1
Instructor: K. Cozart

Framing Gender, Selling Sexuality

This class will explore the intersections of gender, sexuality, and mass communications, specifically professional journalism and marketing communications. The course will use historical case studies and theories from Mass Communications and Gender Studies to explore the impact that gender and/or sexuality play in topics such as news coverage of political and policy decisions, shifting public opinion, marketing campaigns, and product development.  We will be reaching beyond stories and images to assess their meaning and long-term impacts on society. 

iStudy Sec 11
Instructor: K. Cozart

Queering Television

Beginning with Norman Lear’s portfolio of shows from the 70s on and continuing through to streaming shows such as Sense8, Clean Slate, and One Day at a Time (a modern reboot of a Norman Lear show), this course will explore the characters, shows, moments, and directors/producers/creators that queered or changed television. Students will contemplate issues of gender, sexuality, sexual freedom, aging, intersexuality, changing social norms, and more. 

Students survey behavioral, psychological, and physiological research on human sexuality.

Crosslisted as PSY 360

Section 1
Instructor: C. Smith
TTH 9:30-10:45, Peabody 209

This course is a study of the images of women in British and American literature. Content will vary. May be repeated once for credit with instructor approval.

Crosslisted as ENG 385

Section 1
Instructor: J. Harker
MWF, 1-1:50

Women’s Fiction and Romantasy

Ever since the rise of the novel in the 18th century, male critics and authors have been anxious about the women readers and writers who dominate publishing, then and now.  Whether it is Nathaniel Hawthorne bemoaning the “damned mob of scribbling women” or Jonathan Franzen disparaging the literary taste of Oprah’s Book Club, there is a consistent panic about the preferences and proclivities of women readers: usually summed up in a dismissive phrase, “women’s fiction,” vaguely associated with romance, sentimentality, and melodrama.

In this course, we will investigate the idea of “women’s fiction,” starting with the Gothic and courtship novels, and continuing to the present moment of “romantasy.” We will combine readings from authors (like Maria Edgworth, Jane Austen, E.D.E.N Southworth, Toni Adeyemi and Casey McQuiston) with feminist literary criticism on “women’s fiction” and studies of women’s book clubs and  fanfiction. The class will require weekly journal response, short papers, and a final research project on a romantasy of your choosing.

This class examines environmental issues through the lens of gender and its intersections with race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, and nationality.

Online 1
Instructor: J. Venable

This course examines the representation of masculinity within American dramas of the 20th and 21st centuries, primarily by writers native to or working in the United States.

Crosslisted as THEA 426

Online 1
Instructor: P. Williams

This course examines the history of the struggle for equality in U.S. politics and culture.

Section 1
Instructor: W. Smith
MWF 2-2:50, Bishop 106

Through readings, discussions, and writing workshops, students will focus on the methodology of gender studies, the specificity of language, and the structure of an academic essay in a variety of disciplines.

Note: This course only offers one credit.

Section 1
Instructor: P. Gordon
Meeting time will be determined after students have enrolled.