Women and Gender Studies

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Dean: Dr. Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo

Department of Women and Gender Studies

Humanities Building, Room 315
(415) 338-1388
Email: wgsdept@sfsu.edu
Website: http://wgsdept.sfsu.edu/

Chair: Dr. Martha Kenney
Major Undergraduate Advisors: Leslie Quintanilla
Minor Undergraduate Advisor: Leslie Quintanilla
Graduate Advisor: Deborah Cohler
Graduate Coordinator: Deborah Cohler

Program Scope

Women and Gender Studies examines the importance of gender and feminism in relation to issues such as race, class, sexuality, labor, colonialism, and globalization. Students study how bodies, families, communities, and nations are gendered in specific cultural and historical contexts and investigate connections to their own lives, roles, and contributions. The expertise of the department lies in interdisciplinary, intersectional, and transnational studies of power. Students are taught to draw from a range of theoretical and methodological approaches in their study of women and gender. Courses consider global structures of power and histories of racism in relation to local, regional, national, and transnational feminist practices. The department provides analysis and debate of exciting works by feminists who confront and transform various institutions and arenas, including politics, law, non-profit groups, non-governmental organizations, health and medicine, sexuality, pedagogy, labor struggles, and cultural productions. The goals of the department include: the development of conceptual, analytic, and critical thinking skills in relation to gender and feminism in a transnational framework; the ability to integrate academic studies in women and gender studies into personal and professional goals; the development of skills to formulate and implement theoretically-informed political, cultural, and community action; the ability to analyze gender from an interdisciplinary perspective, using a range of methodological tools; an historical understanding of gender in relation to structural inequality, social movements, and labor struggles; and the ability to critically examine representation and cultural production through a feminist lens.

The Women and Gender Studies major requires at least 39 units, of which 30 must be at the upper-division level. Twelve units must be completed in the Women and Gender Studies core courses. Of the 27 elective units, 21 units of electives must be Women and Gender Studies courses and 6 units of electives may be taken in other departments upon advisement. Each student, with an advisor, creates their own program that reflects their goals and prepares them for the next step in their life, whether it be a career or further education.

The Women and Gender Studies minor is an 18-unit sequence well-adapted for combination with many existing majors. The 9 units of requirements, 6 units of stipulated electives, and 3 units of free electives provide a grounding in feminist perspectives and theory. It also provides an opportunity to acquire background on feminist issues in a number of given disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields (e.g., history, psychology, sociology, literature, cultural studies, ethnic studies, and so on). Students interested in pursuing this minor should see a WGS undergraduate advisor.

The Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies is interdisciplinary, enabling students to combine core and elective courses in Women and Gender Studies with electives in other departments and programs across the campus. The program focuses on women, gender, and feminism in transnational and multicultural contexts, preparing students to engage critically with analytical categories such as gender, race, sexuality, nation, class, labor, and able-bodiedness. Students complete their master’s degree with a culminating project of their own design working closely with an advisor. The degree enables students to pursue advanced study of the history, status, and contributions of women in different contexts, and the relationships among feminist theories, social/global structures, and the production of gender and sexuality.

Career Outlook

The Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary liberal arts degree that focuses on women and gender issues in literature, history, sociology, anthropology, cultural, and ethnic studies. The major provides the incentive, knowledge, and skills that prepare students for a variety of graduate programs; and for careers in traditional and alternative social and educational institutions, including non-governmental organizations that require expertise in women and gender issues. Some students have used the degree as a foundation for further work in areas such as teaching, counseling, journalism, law, social work, health, administration, advocacy, labor organizing, and community activism.

The Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies prepares students interested in non-profit and for-profit administration, teaching positions, health and wellness professions, and the pursuit of doctoral degrees in related fields. It enhances students' ability to participate in a range of organizations in the public and private sectors, particularly those addressing women and gender issues.

Professor

Deborah Cohler (2002), Professor in Women and Gender Studies. Ph.D. Brown University.

Kasturi Ray (2006), Professor in Women and Gender Studies. Ph.D. Brown University.

Associate Professor

Martha Kenney (2014), Associate Professor in Women and Gender Studies. Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz.

Assistant Professor

Leslie Quintanilla (2020), Assistant Professor in Women and Gender Studies. Ph.D. University of California, San Diego.

Major

Minor

Master

Explanation of Course Descriptions, Symbols, and Terms

WGS 105 Feminism and Self-Care: Perspectives and Practices (Unit: 1)

Intellectual engagement with an active practice of feminist self-care. Consideration of feminist scholars who have argued for the importance of embodiment and experiential learning in relation to self-care practices. May be repeated for a total of 2 units. (CR/NC grading only)

WGS 150 Women and Gender in U.S. History and Society (Units: 3)

Historical development of institutions and ideals and the evolution of economic, political, and social processes in the U.S. since colonization; roles and status of women.

Course Attributes:

  • U.S. History
  • D2: Social Sciences: US Hist.
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

WGS 160 Gender, Politics, and Citizenship (Units: 3)

U.S. political ideals, institutions, and processes; implications for gender-based contributions to public life.

Course Attributes:

  • U.S. Govt CA State Local Govt
  • D3: Social Sciences: US CA Gov
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities

WGS 200 Introduction to Women and Gender Studies (Units: 3)

Introduction to origins, purpose, subject matter, and methods of women and gender studies and the feminist perspectives on a range of social issues affecting women.

Course Attributes:

  • E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
  • D1: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 200SP Introduction to Women and Gender Studies - Spanish (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Heritage learners, native speakers, and learners of Spanish with intermediary proficiency are welcome. Course materials, discussions, and assignments will be in Spanish and may not be available in translation.

Introduction to origins, purpose, subject matter, and methods of women and gender studies and the feminist perspectives on a range of social issues affecting women. [Taught in Spanish]

Course Attributes:

  • D1: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 210 Introduction to Feminism and the State (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: GE Area A2.

Introduction to intersectional feminist engagements with state violence and community resistance. Racial, gendered, and geopolitical histories of state power in relation to creative and political movements. Topics may include voting, migration, war, policing, incarceration, and globalization. Skills include critical thinking, written expression, feminist analysis of creative, analytic, and empirical sources.

Course Attributes:

  • D1: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

WGS 220 Introduction to Feminist Disability Studies (Units: 3)

Introduction to key feminist disability theories; examines intersection of gender, sexuality, race, citizenship, with disability; considers key issues in feminist disability social activism.

Course Attributes:

  • C2: Humanities
  • Social Justice

WGS 280 Introduction to Feminist Science Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: GE Area A2.

Introduction to the feminist analysis of science, technology, medicine, and the environment, building scientific and cultural literacy necessary to address issues at the intersection of scientific inquiry and social justice.

WGS 300GW Gender, Race, and Nation - GWAR (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to Women and Gender Studies majors and minors; GE Area A2; WGS 200*, WGS 210*, WGS 220*, or WGS 280*.

Intersectional, transnational, and transdisciplinary analysis of women and gender. Topics include U.S. women of color feminisms and contemporary social justice movements. (Plus-minus ABC/NC grading only)

Course Attributes:

  • Graduation Writing Assessment

WGS 303 Feminist Artivism & Praxis (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Personal expression and self-definition through creative experience in various media: drawing, painting, photography, poetry, sculpture, and writing. Work of women artists, filmmakers, and poets.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

WGS 304 Gender and Popular Culture (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, and A3.

The question of representation; that is, the formation of culture in relation to women and gender. How women and gender are constructed, narrated, and represented in both written and visual cultures.

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 305 Women and Gender Studies Lecture Series (Units: 3)

Prerequisites for WGS 805: Graduate standing; or permssion of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 305: Upper-division standing; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

Lecture series provides a sampling of feminist perspectives on scholarship, research, and activism including presentations, film screenings, and academic lectures on current theories and topics in the field of Women and Gender Studies.
(WGS 805/WGS 305 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 355 History of Women in Latin America (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; GE Area E; or permission of the instructor.

History of the changing roles of women in Latin America from the colonial period to the present.
(This course is offered as HIST 355 [formerly HIST 535], WGS 355 [formerly WGS 535], and LTNS 533. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

WGS 400 That's Not What I Said: Feminism, Oral History, and Research Methods in Women and Gender Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4.

Review of the feminist challenge to positivism that launched women and gender studies as a field. Highlighting interdisciplinary, intersectional, and transnational methods and modes of analysis. Considers the politics of knowledge production and, as an extended example, discusses the historic use of oral history as a feminist method and practice. Readings and discussion will focus on the challenges of cross-cultural research and the possibilities of shared authority in the relationship between researchers and research subjects.

WGS 420 Native Genders and Feminism (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Introduction to Native genders and feminist theories, methods, and activism as developed within the United States and Canada with an overview of the field with a focus on emergent scholarship and political issues.
(This course is offered as AIS 420 and WGS 420. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

WGS 423 Geographies of Gender and Sexuality: Exploring Experiences, Identities, and Liberatory Possibilities (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; GE Areas A1, A2, and A3; or permission of the instructor.

Examine the intricate relationship between gender, sexuality, and geography. Explore gender and sexuality in the context of intimate personal geographies and experiences, as well as the places and spaces of everyday lives. Gain a nuanced understanding of how geography influences experiences, identities, and opportunities related to gender and sexuality by blending theory with real-world examples. Emphasis on understanding and challenging social and institutional constraints, as well as exploring intersectional approaches to activism and networks of care.
(This course is offered as GEOG 423 and WGS 423. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

WGS 440 Native Sexualities and Queer Discourse (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

A comparative, interdisciplinary, and socio-historical analysis of Native sexualities and gender constructions from indigenous centered perspectives. Examination of the complexity of Native sexualities, gender formations, and queer indigenous identity movements.
(This course is offered as AIS 440, SXS 440, and WGS 440. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 445 Gendered Borders: Latinas and Globalization (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Gender and globalization: moving society toward borderless economies with barricaded borders. Latinas struggle for fair wages, self-determination, and healthy families. Women living in the U.S. and Latin America adjusting to transnational reality.
(This course is offered as LTNS 445 and WGS 445. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • GE-F: Ethnic Studies
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 470 The Politics of Sex and Reproduction (Units: 4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Examination of the politics of sex and reproduction in the United States through policy, law, and theory. The role of the state on issues such as abortion, infertility, pregnancy, pornography, sex work, contraceptives, and procreative and non-procreative sex. Analysis of gender roles and the way conceptions of femininity and masculinity are written into U.S. law.
(This course is offered as PLSI 470, SXS 470, and WGS 470. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

WGS 485 Women and Media (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Analytic modes, including feminist, psychoanalytic, and economic criticism, to assess both how women are represented in mass media and the status of women employed in mass media.
(This course is offered as BECA 485 and WGS 485. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

WGS 505 Gender, Sexuality, and Latino Communities (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Introduction to the social organization of gender and sexuality in Latino communities; exploration of ways gender and sexuality are given specific cultural meaning among the pan-Latino population.
(This course is offered as LTNS 505 and WGS 505. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • GE-F: Ethnic Studies

WGS 511 Women and Violence (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, and A3.

Psychological and physical violence visited upon vulnerable populations, particularly women. Topics include relations between gender, race, class, nation, and violence; research, theories, and controversies within feminist anti-violence movements.

WGS 513 Gender, War, and Militarism (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Examine the literature, history, media, and theory, to analyze the gendered political, cultural, and ideological stakes of war and militarism.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 514 Women and the Prison Industrial Complex (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Incarceration of women and children in prisons, jails, juvenile, and mental institutions. Treatment on the basis of race, class, and ethnicity; reforms or alternatives to incarceration.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 515 Gender, Race, and Reproductive Justice (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Examine the mutually constitutive ways gender norms and racial knowledge are shaped; focus on the study of the history and politics of reproduction. Various state policies, programs, and laws aimed at controlling reproduction are examined.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

WGS 536 Gender, Globalization, and Women's Human Rights (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Critical examination of the historical and political rise of women's human rights as a national policy issue. Analyze the assumptions of how gender and race inform ideas of women's human rights and globalization.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 541 Women Writers and Social Change (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

The relationship between women's literature and women's participation, as activists and theorists, in movements for progressive social change.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 542 Gender and Popular Music (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

How music can restate and resist notions of gender, race, sexuality, and nationality. Music styles may include blues, jazz, folk, corridos, country, bhangra, disco, punk, rock, salsa, and hip-hop. Includes analysis of popular music in the U.S. and internationally.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

WGS 546 20th Century American Jewish Women Writers (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; ENG 216* or ENG 218* or equivalent; or permission of the instructor.

Exploration through novels, short fiction, and memoir the connections American women forge and the tensions they experience via encounters with self, family, Judaism, American society, and world history.
(This course is offered as JS 546, ENG 546, and WGS 546. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

WGS 551 Queer Literatures and Media (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Queer literature and media productions from a feminist and transnational perspective. An intersectional analysis of gender, race, class, sexuality, and citizenship to examine fiction, film, cultural, and historical texts.
(This course is offered as WGS 551 and SXS 551. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 554 Gender and Global Migration (Units: 3)

Prerequisites for WGS 754: Graduate standing; WGS 700; or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 554: Upper-division standing; WGS 200; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

Study of gender, migration, and labor. Causes, conditions, and challenges of displacement.
(WGS 754/WGS 554 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 561 Women, Ethnicity, and Social Movements (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, A3, and B4 or permission of the instructor.

Themes include inter-raciality and multi-ethnicity in the history, culture, and contemporary lives of women of color, including African American, Native American, Asian American, and Latina women.

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

WGS 562 History of African American Women (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Experiences of Black women under slavery, in their pioneering roles as industrial, domestic, and agricultural workers, and in their varied political, social, and educational roles from the 19th century to the present.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

WGS 563 Gender, Sexuality, and the Politics of Disability (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

How do gender, sexuality, and disability inform, enable, or prevent people's relationship to different forms of embodiment (including mobility and detention) in a transnational world? How do gender, sexuality, and disability intersect? Course texts may include film, cultural studies, political and social theory, and history.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Global Perspectives

WGS 565 Muslim Feminisms (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, and A3.

Examination of differences/similarities in women's lives in the Muslim/Arab world, including diaspora in Europe and North America, and minorities in the Arab Middle East. Includes issues of gender as relates to nationalism, religion, and culture.

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

WGS 566 Gender and Modernity in the Muslim and Arab Worlds (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, and A3.

Investigates implications of the project of modernity/modernization for gender and sexuality in the Muslim and Arab worlds. By interrogating dichotomies that oppose tradition to modernity, examines the multifaceted ways in which gender identities are produced historically.
(This course is offered as WGS 566 and RRS 566. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • GE-F: Ethnic Studies
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 578 Feminist Environmental and Climate Justice (Units: 3)

Prerequisites for WGS 778: Graduate standing; WGS 700; or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 578: Upper-division standing; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

Exploring environmental and climate justice theories, activism, and movements through feminist perspectives. Topics include transnational case studies in environmental racism and justice, ecology, health, climate crisis, decolonization, and other land/water struggles.
(WGS 778/WGS 578 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 580 Feminism and the Speculative: Another World is Possible (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: GE Areas A1, A2, and A3.

Draws on critical theory, science fiction, film, art, political action, and new media to investigate how imagining and inhabiting "other worlds" such as utopias, dystopias, alternate histories, imagined futures, can inform feminist thought, political activism, and cultural production.

WGS 582 Gaming from the Margins (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: GE Area A2.

Examine video games, video game communities, and the video game industry from feminist, queer, and abolitionist theoretical perspectives. Explore how video games contribute to experiences of identity, belonging, inclusion, and exclusion. Develop the skills to analyze popular and independent games and the tools to create games that reflect students' own stories, experiences, and values.

WGS 591 Critical Approaches to Transgender Health, Science, and Medicine (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: A 200-level WGS course or permission of the instructor.

Examination of transgender and nonbinary health, medicine, and science in the U.S. and transnationally. Exploration of practices defined as "trans health," and their circulation in science, health, medicine, and popular culture. Focus on transgender medicine, local and transnational health activist interventions, biomedical classifications, health policies and bureaucracies, and racialized and sexualized notions of health and health disparities.

WGS 593 Gender, Health, and the Environment (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

A transnational and intersectional approach to global environmental justice issues. Critically examine how extraction, manufacturing, agriculture, military, and waste industries affect human health. Foregrounding how indigenous communities and communities of color are affected by and resist environmental violence. Builds scientific and media literacy necessary to understand complex issues such as nuclear waste, water contamination, air pollution, and climate change.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Global Perspectives

WGS 595 Feminist Anthropology (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: GE Area A2.

Ethnographic, physical, anthropological, and prehistorical topics related to women. Theories on origins of the family, social structuring of sexuality, and changing sex and gender in modern societies.
(This course is offered as ANTH 590, CST 590, and WGS 595. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

WGS 602 Feminist Cultural Activism (Units: 3)

Prerequisite for WGS 802: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 602: Upper-division standing; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

The relationship between cultural production and social change. Focus on cultural activism media through gender, sexuality, and other historical norms to assess feminist implications of their modes of resistance. (Plus-minus ABC/NC [undergraduate] or plus-minus AB/NC [graduate]) [CSL may be available]
(WGS 802/WGS 602 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 612 Queer Theory (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1, A2, and A3; Women and Gender Studies majors and minors and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies minors; WGS 200; or permission of the instructor.

Examination of the field of queer theory: theoretical approaches to the history of sexuality, politics of normativity, race/sex intersections, links between queer theory and disability studies, transnational contexts, and native/settler/colonial politics.

WGS 621 Feminist Theories (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; WGS 200*; or permission of the instructor.

Analyze feminist theories and practices internationally and historically; examine theories of gender, race, class, sexuality, identity, community, modernity, and nation. Study the methods, histories, and implications of feminist thought in various academic, cultural, and political contexts.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

WGS 640 Race and Sexual Migration (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

Explore the experiences of contemporary migrants in the United States through the lens of sexuality. Emphasis on tracing the movement of individuals and ideas between regions with both official and unofficial borders. Review of recent scholarship on race, sexuality, and (im)migration.
(This course is offered as RRS 640, SXS 640, and WGS 640. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

WGS 645 Sex, Race, Lies, and Love in San Francisco (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or permission of the instructor.

San Francisco is well-known as a city where "anything goes" especially with regards to sexuality. From early days as a bustling mining outpost for fortune-seeking bachelors, the city quickly gained a reputation for its rowdy sexuality and questionable morality. Exploration of sexual freedom and gender identity demonstrations and declarations in San Francisco in relation to race and ethnicity. Emphasis on the issues of desire, power, and privilege through the disciplinary lenses of Ethnic Studies and Sexuality Studies.
(This course is offered as RRS 645, SXS 645, and WGS 645. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

WGS 690 Senior Seminar (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to Women and Gender Studies majors; WGS 200 or equivalent; WGS 300GW.

Focuses on enabling students to evaluate their learning progress by creating a portfolio which includes writing a paper analyzing their work. Students collaborate to produce a publication. (Plus-minus letter grade only)

WGS 698 Feminist Praxis and the Non-Profit Industrial Complex (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division WGS majors and minors with WGS 300GW* or permission of the instructor.

Community Service Learning course that applies questions and theories from feminist studies to the practice of community. Apply a critical feminist lens to understanding the non-profit industrial complex (NPIC) from the inside. Explore what it means to negotiate the NPIC and how we can practice community accountability. In-class work is coupled with internship work at an organization of the student's choosing. [CSL may be available]

WGS 699 Independent Study (Units: 1-6)

Prerequisite: ENG 114 or equivalent.

Special study in some aspect of feminism or women and gender studies, performed under department faculty supervision. Enrollment by petition. May be repeated for a total of 9 units.

WGS 700 Introduction to Graduate Study (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to Women and Gender Studies graduate students.

Origins and current status of women and gender studies as a field of knowledge. Relationships between gender and epistemology; feminist critiques and transformations of research methodologies. Identification of major works and issues in feminist scholarship.

WGS 710 Feminist Social Movements (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: WGS 700 or permission of the instructor.

Social stratification and the state; political marginalization of women. Egalitarianism in the legacy of women's participation in society. Colonial transformations and the politics/culture of resistance. Turning points in women's activism. Impact of race/class inequities.

WGS 712 Queer Theories (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: WGS 700 or permission of the instructor.

Examination of queer theory from a transnational feminist approach; production of sexuality within western epistemology; politics of sexual deviance and the racialization of sexual identities from socio-economic and cultural perspectives.

WGS 713 Intellectual Genealogies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: WGS 700 (may be taken concurrently) or permission of the instructor.

Specific issues, topics, or theoretical tendencies in current feminist discussion and debate; implications of theory for social practice.

WGS 720 Feminist Pedagogies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: WGS 700 or permission of the instructor.

Examines feminist critical education theories and praxis with a transnational lens. Topics may include history of the University and gender tactics of colonialism; intersectional analysis of disability studies; theory/praxis debates; pedagogies of the oppressed; and teaching transgression. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. (Plus-minus letter grade only)

WGS 754 Gender and Global Migration (Units: 3)

Prerequisites for WGS 754: Graduate standing; WGS 700; or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 554: Upper-division standing; WGS 200; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

Study of gender, migration, and labor. Causes, conditions, and challenges of displacement.
(WGS 754/WGS 554 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 778 Feminist Environmental and Climate Justice (Units: 3)

Prerequisites for WGS 778: Graduate standing; WGS 700; or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 578: Upper-division standing; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

Exploring environmental and climate justice theories, activism, and movements through feminist perspectives. Topics include transnational case studies in environmental racism and justice, ecology, health, climate crisis, decolonization, and other land/water struggles.
(WGS 778/WGS 578 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 798 Feminist Internship: Gender and the Nonprofit Industrial Complex (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisite: WGS 700 (may be taken concurrently) or permission of the instructor.

Supervised community service learning. Course topics include the analysis of gendered politics of volunteer labor, the nonprofit industrial complex, theory and practice binary, local and global contexts, and feminist transnational analysis. May be repeated for a total of 4 units. [CSL may be available]

WGS 802 Feminist Cultural Activism (Units: 3)

Prerequisite for WGS 802: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 602: Upper-division standing; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

The relationship between cultural production and social change. Focus on cultural activism media through gender, sexuality, and other historical norms to assess feminist implications of their modes of resistance. (Plus-minus ABC/NC [undergraduate] or plus-minus AB/NC [graduate]) [CSL may be available]
(WGS 802/WGS 602 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 805 Women and Gender Studies Lecture Series (Units: 3)

Prerequisites for WGS 805: Graduate standing; or permssion of the instructor.
Prerequisites for WGS 305: Upper-division standing; GPA of 3.0 or higher; or permission of the instructor.

Lecture series provides a sampling of feminist perspectives on scholarship, research, and activism including presentations, film screenings, and academic lectures on current theories and topics in the field of Women and Gender Studies.
(WGS 805/WGS 305 is a paired course offering. Students who complete the course at one level may not repeat the course at the other level.)

WGS 820 Feminist Research Methods (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Graduate standing; WGS 700; or permission of the instructor.

Social research and feminism. Analyze research studies, develop skills, and develop their master's projects. (Plus-minus letter grade only)

WGS 894 Creative Work Project (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: WGS 700; approval of the graduate major advisor, approval of Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Culminating Experience (CE) forms by Graduate Studies.

An original creative work. Projects must be described in a written document that summarizes the project's relation to other work in the area, its rationale, its significance, and its creative methodologies. ATC and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration. (CR/NC grading only)

WGS 895 Field Study Project (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: WGS 700; approval of the graduate major advisor, and approval of Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Culminating Experience (CE) forms by Graduate Studies.

A field study or applied research project resulting in a completed written work that includes the project's significance, objectives, methodology, and conclusions or recommendations. ATC and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration. (CR/NC grading only.)

WGS 896 Directed Reading - Culminating Experience Examination Preparation (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: WGS 700 and advancement to candidacy.

Research, writing and preparation for the M.A. Exam, in consultation with faculty on a specialized topic as well as standardized topics to include feminist theories, queer theories, social movements, embodiment and political economy emphasizing feminist lenses. (CR/NC grading only)

WGS 896EXM Culminating Experience Examination (Unit: 0)

Prerequisites: Restricted to Women and Gender Studies graduate students. Permission of the instructor and committee chair; completion of all other MA in WGS core courses.

Enrollment in 896EXAM required for students whose culminating experience consists of an examination only. Not for students enrolled in a culminating experience course numbered WGS 898, WGS 895, or WGS 894. ATC and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division. See a department graduate advisor. (CR/NC, RP)

WGS 898 Master's Thesis (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: WGS 700; approval of Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Culminating Experience (CE) forms by Graduate Studies; permission of graduate major advisor.

Intensive study of a topic or issue within the field of women and gender studies, culminating in a written thesis showing independent thinking, appropriate methodology and organization, clarity of purpose, thorough documentation, and relevant conclusions. Advancement to Candidacy (ATC) and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration. (CR/NC only)

WGS 899 Independent Study (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisite: Permission of graduate major adviser and supervising faculty member.

Study is planned, developed, and completed under the direction of a member of the department faculty. Open only to graduate students who have demonstrated ability to do independent work. Enrollment is by petition. May be repeated for a total of 6 units.