Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies courses
Director of undergraduate studies: Maria Trumpler, 319 WLH, 432-0309, maria.trumpler@yale.edu
FACULTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM OF WOMEN'S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES
Professors Julia Adams (Sociology), Elizabeth Alexander (African American Studies), Carol Armstrong (History of Art), Hannah Brueckner (Sociology), Alicia Schmidt Camacho (American Studies), Jill Campbell (English), Hazel Carby (African American Studies, American Studies), Kang-i Sun Chang (East Asian Languages & Literatures), George Chauncey (History), Kamari Clarke (African American Studies, Anthropology), Deborah Davis (Sociology, East Asian Studies), Ronald Eyerman (Sociology), Glenda Gilmore (History), Jacqueline Goldsby (African American Studies, English), Inderpal Grewal (American Studies, Anthropology, Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), Dolores Hayden (School of Architecture, American Studies), Margaret Homans (English, Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), Marcia Inhorn (Anthropology, Global Affairs), Jennifer Klein (History), Marianne LaFrance (Psychology, Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), Mary Lui (American Studies, History), Barry McCrea (Comparative Literature, English), Kobena Mercer (History of Art, African American Studies), Joanne Meyerowitz (American Studies, History), Priyamvada Natarajan (Astronomy), Sally Promey (American Studies, Institute of Sacred Music), Frances Rosenbluth (Political Science), Cynthia Russett (History), William Summers (Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry), Emilie Townes (African American Studies, Religious Studies), John Treat (East Asian Languages & Literatures), Michael Warner (English), Laura Wexler (American Studies, Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies)
Associate Professors Moira Fradinger (Comparative Literature), Terri Francis (Film Studies, African American Studies), Janet Henrich (School of Medicine), Deb Margolin (Adjunct) (Theater Studies), Karen Nakamura (Anthropology), Naomi Rogers (History of Science, History of Medicine), Sarah Weiss (Music)
Assistant Professors Jafari Allen (African American Studies, Anthropology), Rene Almeling (Sociology), GerShun Avilez (African American Studies), Crystal Feimster (African American Studies), Joseph Fischel (Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), Marcus Hunter (Sociology), Kathryn Lofton (American Studies, Religious Studies), Alyssa Mt. Pleasant (American Studies, History), Sam See (English)
Senior Lecturers Geetanjali Singh Chanda (Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), Becky Conekin (History), Ron Gregg (Film Studies), Maria Trumpler (Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies)
Lecturers Melanie Boyd (Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), Kathleen Cleaver (African American Studies), Mikaela Rogozen-Soltar (Modern Middle East Studies), George Syrimis (Hellenic Studies), Rebecca Tannenbaum (History)
Genders and sexualities are powerful organizing forces: they shape identities and institutions, nations and economies, cultures and political systems. Careful study of gender and sexuality thus explains crucial aspects of our everyday lives on both intimate and global scales. The scholarship in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is interdisciplinary and wide-ranging, drawing on history, literature, cultural studies, social sciences, and natural science to study genders and sexualities as they intersect with race, ethnicity, class, nationality, transnational processes, disability, and religion.
Students majoring in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies take a series of core courses, develop an individual area of concentration, and write a two-term senior essay. The program encourages work that is interdisciplinary, intersectional, international, and transnational. Individual concentrations evolve along with students' intellectual growth and academic expertise. Recent examples of concentrations include literature and queer aesthetics; transnational feminist practices; the intellectual history of civil rights activism; AIDS health policies; gender, religion, and international NGOs; women's health; food, sexuality, and lesbian community; and gender and sexuality in early education.
Requirements of the major Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies may be taken either as a primary major or as one of two majors. The major requires twelve term courses, including one gateway course, one intermediate course, one transnational perspectives course, one methodology course, the junior sequence, and the senior sequence. The area of concentration consists of at least five courses, the majority of which should be drawn from program offerings. Courses for the area of concentration may also fulfill the requirements in transnational perspectives and methodology. Substitutions to the major requirements may be made only with the written permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
Gateway course The gateway courses (WGSS 110, 111, 115, 120, and 200) offer broad introductions to the fields of women's, gender, and sexuality studies. Potential majors should aim to take a gateway course during the freshman or sophomore year.
Intermediate course There are two intermediate courses: Globalizing Gender (WGSS 295) and Introduction to LGBT Studies (WGSS 296). Majors are encouraged to take both but need take only one, preferably after the gateway course and prior to the junior sequence.
Transnational perspectives course Ideally, each student's course work engages a broad diversity of cultural contexts, ethnicities, and global locations. Such study illuminates the links among nations, states, cultures, regions, and global locations. Most students take several classes that focus on genders and sexualities outside the U.S. context; majors are required to take at least one. (WGSS 295 cannot fulfill both the transnational perspectives and the intermediate requirements.)
Methodology course Given its interdisciplinary nature, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies necessarily relies on a wide range of methodologies: literary criticism, ethnography, visual analysis, historiography, and quantitative data analysis, among others. Each student is expected to acquire competence in at least one methodology relevant to his or her own concentration and planned senior essay. In preparation for the senior essay, students are advised to complete the methods requirement in the junior year.
Junior sequence The two-term junior sequence consists of Feminist and Queer Theory (WGSS 340) and Junior Seminar: Theory and Method (WGSS 398). All students must take both courses. (Individualized alternatives are found for students who study abroad during the junior year.)
Senior sequence and senior essay The two-term senior sequence consists of the Senior Colloquium (WGSS 490), in which students begin researching and writing a senior essay, followed by the Senior Essay (WGSS 491), in which students complete the essay. The senior essay is developed and written under the guidance and supervision of a WGSS-affiliated faculty member with expertise in the area of concentration. Students are expected to meet with their essay advisers on a regular basis.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR
Prerequisites None
Number of courses 12 term courses (incl senior req)
Specific courses required WGSS 340, 398
Distribution of courses 1 gateway course; 1 intermediate course; 1 transnational perspectives course; 1 methodology course; 5 electives in area of concentration
Senior requirement Senior colloq and senior essay (WGSS 490, 491)
