I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Introduction to Women’s Studies

2. Course Prefix & Number:
WMST 1400

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

In this course, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of women in the United States. Issues of race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and age will be important as we investigate and analyze the significance of gender in shaping women’s political, economic, legal and social experiences in the U.S.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

St. Cloud State University, GWS 201 Intro to Women's Studies, 3 credits
St. Cloud Technical and Community College, WMST 1300, 3 credits

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

 

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course fulfills a requirement for the following program(s):

Women's Studies Certificate

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Goal 7A - Human Diversity

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Demonstrate proficiency in writing about select women’s issues through research papers or case studies.
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Accurately discuss and compare family systems of women in diverse racial backgrounds in a class electronic discussion forum.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the diverse contributions of women in shaping political and social experiences in the U.S. by examining social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods MnTC Goal 5;
• Synthesize, analyze, and interpret data collaboratively on issues relating to women  MnTC Goal 5;
• Apply and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories of women’s oppression MnTC Goal 5;
• Develop and communicate alternative explanations or solutions about contemporary social issues as they relate to gender  MnTC Goal 5;
• Identify the development of and the changing meanings of group identities in gender and women’s studies MnTC Goal 7A;
• Explain the individual and institutional dynamic of unequal power relations in the workplace, in family life, and other institutions of contemporary society  MnTC Goal 7A;
• Describe and discuss the experience and contributions of the diverse groups of women that have shaped American society and culture, paying particular attention to how those groups have suffered discrimination MnTC Goal 7A;
• Recognize how “feminism” and “women’s movement” were used to combat gender inequality;
• Identify intersections of privilege and oppression;
• Define feminism and the some of the myths associated with it;
• Discuss sensitive and controversial topics pertaining to women's issues in the online environment using respectful, clear, and valuable dialogue; and
• Evaluate the relationship(s) between personal experiences and social conditions.  

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Why Women’s Studies?  Perspectives in the history of Women’s Studies
   • What is Women’s Studies?
   • How did Women’s Studies Come About?
   • Origins of Women’s Rights Activism in the U.S.
   • Myths Associated with Feminism
2. Systems of Privilege and Inequality
   • Difference, Hierarchy, and Systems of Privilege and Inequality
   • Institutions
   • Ideology and Language
   • Homophobia:  A Weapon of Sexism
   • White Privilege and Male Privilege
   • The Social Construction of Disability
3. Learning and Inscribing Gender in a Diverse Society
   • Biology and Culture
   • Gender Ranking
   • Learning Masculinity and Femininity
   • Social Construction of Gender
4. Sex, Power, and Intimacy in a Diverse Society
   • The Social Construction of Sexuality
   • The Politics of Sexuality
   • What is Bi-Sexuality
5. Family Systems
   • Definitions of Family
   • Institutional Connections
   • Power and Family Relationships
   • Partners as Parents:  Challenges Faced by Gays Denied Marriage
6. Resisting Violence
   • Rape
   • Battering and Physical Abuse
   • Date Rape
   • Human Rights & Sex Trafficking and Prostitution
7. State, Law, and Social Policy
   • Government and Representation
   • Women and the Law
   • Public Policy
   • The Criminal Justice System
   • The Military
8. Activism and Change
   • History of Activism
   • Future Visions
   • Women and Leadership
   • Beyond Backlas

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions