Women's Studies
Faculty
Jamey Piland, Associate Professor of Communication (Program Chair)
Faculty members from various disciplines contribute to the program.
Description
Trinity offers an interdisciplinary minor in women's studies designed to support the academic life and scholarship of both students and faculty as they investigate and research the status of women in every field of academic inquiry.
The discipline of women's studies was founded upon the integration of intellectual inquiry and social practice. Students in the program are strongly urged to combine feminist theory with practical applications of their scholarship. The Women's Studies Program strives for a broad and complex understanding of the female experience in a global context.
Trinity has been committed to the advancement of women since its founding. The university's general education curriculum expresses this commitment and emphasizes the value of an interdisciplinary, collaborative education. Using cross-cultural and multi-racial perspectives, the Women's Studies Program explores women's lives, labor, and arts; it examines the politics of gender, and it studies the history of gender roles as well as representations of those roles in different media. Focusing on the interaction of class, race, gender, and sexuality, it analyzes the relations of power in various cultures, and it provides students with a basic structure of ideas, a framework for analyzing the fundamental shift in understanding arising from a systematic retrieval of history and from women's changing awareness; the program also investigates strategies for social change.
The program offers a minor in women's studies to students in the College of Arts and Sciences and supports all of Trinity's undergraduate majors as well as individualized and interdisciplinary majors. Courses that meet general education requirements may also count toward the minor. The introductory course should be taken in the spring of the student's second year or the fall of the third year.
The Women's Studies curriculum offers students skills such as critical thinking, writing, research, and social activism. Students will find these skills are necessary for a wide range of academic disciplines. A minor in Women's Studies prepares students for careers in many fields, including research, policy, government and nonprofit agencies, publishing, international affairs, education, and advocacy.
Minor Requirements
Required Courses (6 credits)
BOTH of the following courses:
WST 240 Introduction to Women's Studies
WST 240 Introduction to Women's Studies
Provides a basic structure of ideas for examining questions of gender differences in history, culture, and contemporary society. Students learn central concepts and research methods in women's studies and use them to examine such topics as family, religion, work, gender, sexuality, and social change.
3 credits
WST 440 Senior Seminar in Women's Studies
WST 440 Senior Seminar in Women's Studies
Creates a synthesis of the student's studies in the field and deepens skills in women's studies research, critically presenting, analyzing, and assessing concepts, methods, and data. The topics reflect the most current research in the field. Students take a central role in conducting the seminar, and each one is responsible for an independent research project.
3 credits
Prerequisite: WST 240
Elective Courses (12 credits)
TWO courses chosen from among:
WST 250 Women in Popular Culture
WST 250 Women in Popular Culture
Explores the cultural images and realities of contemporary women and their lives. Print, film, television, short fiction, and artifact will be used to document cultural rates.
3 credits
WST 301 Women, Peacemaking, and Nonviolence
WST 301 Women, Peacemaking, and Nonviolence
Considers the theoretical foundations of non-violence and explores the application of these principles with reference to the experiences and history of women.
3 credits
WST 368 Women and Leadership
WST 368 Women and Leadership
Explores women's leadership issues at the intersection of race, class, and gender. Key themes include the relational aspects of leadership, authenticity, identity and power, and the voice of leadership.
3 credits
WST 369 Women and Community Change
WST 369 Women and Community Change
Explores women's roles in U.S. history from the perspectives of women activists. Examines women's impact on social, political, and cultural change in the U.S. including movements for economic justice, race relations, sexual identity, peace, gender equality, public health, and social welfare. Formerly WST 369 Women and Community Change
3 credits
WST 400 Internship in Women's Studies
WST 400 Internship in Women's Studies
Requires students to perform nine hours of volunteer work each week in an internship in advocacy groups, non-profit organizations, and federal or D.C. government agencies that advance women's interests. Studies include required readings, journal writing, construction of an ethnography, and compiling and annotating a bibliography.
3 credits
Prerequisite: WST 240
TWO courses chosen from among:
COM 388 Gender and Communication
COM 388 Gender and Communication
Explores theory and methods for examining communication and gender roles. Topics include gendered communication, gender and media, family communication, gendered violence, gender and education, and gender and institutions.
3 credits
FLC Seminar II
Gen Ed Capstone Seminar
Prerequisite: Com 201 or permission of the instructor
COM 450 Women In Organizations
COM 450 Women In Organizations
Focuses on the dynamic relationship among gender, power, race, sexuality and class in women's organizational lives. Provides an in-depth exploration of critical feminist theory and research in organizational communication. Emphasis is on the perspectives of diverse women in multiple contexts. Topics include Women in Leadership, Sexual Harassment and Feminist Organizational Theory.
3 credits
FLC Seminar II
ECON 223 Women in the Economy
ECON 223 Women in the Economy
Applies the theory of the household and investment in human resources to female labor force participation, marriage, family formation, sex discrimination, women's education choices, and government policies affecting the economic status of women. Formerly ECO 375 Women in the Economy.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and ECON 102 or permission of the instructor
FLC Area V
ENGL 277 Women Warriors in Film and Fiction
ENGL 277 Women Warriors in Film and Fiction
Examines representations of the figure of the female warrior, from the Amazons to G.I. Jane, in fiction, film, drama, and television. Formerly ENG 218 Women Warriors in Film and Fiction.
3 credits
ENGL 371 Women in Fiction
ENGL 371 Women in Fiction
Studies the representation of women in fiction by women writers of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Formerly ENG 362 Women in Fiction.
3 credits
ENGL 373 African American Women Writers
ENGL 373 African American Women Writers
Examines the history and images of African Americans, especially women, in selected works by African American women writers ranging from Zora Neale Hurston to Toni Morrison. Formerly ENG 363 African American Women Writers.
3 credits
ENGL 377 Women in Contemporary American Film
ENGL 377 Women in Contemporary American Film
Examines the stereotypical images of women in contemporary American film, including images of the Madonna, the temptress, the witch, and the virgin. Formerly ENG 365 Women in Contemporary American Film.
3 credits
ENGL 378 African American Women in Film
ENGL 378 African American Women in Film
Considers the images of African Americans presented in film and especially in the work of African American actors, directors, screenwriters, and producers. Formerly ENG 369 African American Women in Film.
3 credits
ENGL 434 Novels of Jane Austen
ENGL 434 Novels of Jane Austen
Analyzes the novels of Jane Austen and selected filmed adaptations to evaluate the ways in which the novels comment on gender and ideology and contribute to the evolution of the novel as a genre. Formerly ENG 347 Novels of Jane Austen.
3 credits
ENGL 435 The Bronte Sisters
ENGL 435 The Bronte Sisters
Analyzes the novels of Anne Bronte, Charlotte Bronte, and Emily Bronte; their links to biography; and their exploration of women's lives and roles, with consideration of intertextuality as evidenced in the works of film directors, poets, and novelists which turn on the Bronte sisters themselves and their works, such as Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea. Formerly ENG 447 The Brontë Sisters.
3 credits
ENGL 477 Seminar on Alice Walker
ENGL 477 Seminar on Alice Walker
Considers the literary works of Alice Walker. Formerly ENG 326 Seminar on Alice Walker.
3 credits
FNAR 247 Women in Music History
FNAR 247 Women in Music History
Explores the history of women in music from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. The course includes reading in primary sources and study of recent research on women as performers, composers, publishers, producers, educators, and patronesses. Students explore both recorded and live performances of music by women. Formerly MUS 252 Women in Music History.
3 credits
General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area II
FNAR 321 Women Artists
FNAR 321 Women Artists
Examines the history of women in the arts from the Middle Ages to the present day and the social conditions which influenced their art. Artists included are: A. Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Georgia O'Keeffe, Judy Chicago and others.
3 credits
General Education Capstone Seminar
HIS 245 Women, Work, and Family in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
HIS 245 Women, Work, and Family in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
Examines the contrast between the images of women, both positive and negative, and the reality of women's lives in medieval and early modern Europe. Topics include women's role in the family, women's work, women and medicine, women's legal standing, life in the convent, the role of noble women, the education of women, and women's spirituality.
3 credits
HIS 344A African American Women's History
HIS 344A African American Women's History
Explores the history of African American Women from the years of slavery to the present, emphasizing their influence in the creation of African American culture. Topics include the experience of African American women as workers, as individuals in their communities, as intellectuals, and as leaders in reform movements and political organizations.
3 credits
HIS 393 Women in US History to 1900
HIS 393 Women in US History to 1900
Explores women's experience in United States culture from the colonial period to 1900. Topics include the diversity of women's cultures and the impact of this diversity on family, work, and socialization; women's legal and political standing; and the conflicts among women exemplified in religious, ethnic, class and racial difference.
3 credits
HUMR 301 Seminar: Perspectives on Gender
HUMR 301 Seminar: Perspectives on Gender
Approaches the concept of gender from the standpoints of psychology and sociology. Specifically, the topics of socialization, language and communication, sexuality and the media, and work and the family will be addressed in an interdisciplinary fashion. Emphasis will be placed on synthesis and integration, while applying course material to real-world events. Note: This may count as a PSYC, SOCY, or HUMR course. Formerly HRE 301.
3 credits
FLC Seminar II
Prerequisites PSYC 101 and SOCY 100
PHIL 237 Women and Philosophy
PHIL 237 Women and Philosophy
Presents a theoretical framework for examining the significance of gendered perspectives on history, culture, and contemporary society and examines the philosophical voice of woman in the classical, medieval, and modern accounts of human nature. Formerly PHI 250 Women and Philosophy: A Critique.
3 credits
FLC Area III - Philosophy Cluster
POLS 211 Women and the Law
POLS 211 Women and the Law
Examines Supreme Court rulings, as well as federal and state statutes and court decisions affecting women. Topics include women and employment, sexual harassment, and legal issues involving pregnancy and privacy rights. Formerly PSC 328 Women and the Law.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
POLS 299 Honors Seminar: The Political Lives of Women
POLS 299 Honors Seminar: The Political Lives of Women
Explores the interaction of women and the political system through a variety of life story forms, including biographical and autobiographical writing and film. Particular focus is placed on the cultural, ethical, and gender contexts of women's political lives. Formerly PSC 310 The Political Lives of Women.
3 credits
FLC Area V
Prerequisites: Admission to the Honors Program and POLS 120 or higher level political science course
PSYC 161 Women: Developmental and Multicultural Perspectives
PSYC 161 Women: Developmental and Multicultural Perspectives
Emphasizes the experiences of women in theories and research which provide a framework for examining adult development. An interdisciplinary and multicultural approach is used which stresses the interrelatedness of psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors in human growth. Central issues of identity, interpersonal relationships, productivity, gender roles, self-concept, and adaptation to transition are explored. Formerly PSY 241 Women: Developmental and Multicultural Perspectives
3 credits
FLC Area V
PSYC 261 Psychology of Gender Roles
PSYC 261 Psychology of Gender Roles
Studies theories and relevant research on the development of gender roles and the impact of gender roles on self-impression formation, achievement, interpersonal relations, and sexuality. Other topics include an analysis of gender stereotyping, the influence of biology, the concept of androgyny, and the reciprocal qualities of gender roles. Formerly PSY 205 Psychology of Gender Roles.
3 credits
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 or permission of instructor
SOCY 333 Women and Third World Development
SOCY 333 Women and Third World Development
Examines insights that the feminist perspective brings to the issues of development, challenging the assumption that ""integrating women into development"" will solve problems caused by plans and policies that neglect women. This course is meant to be a guide to recent thinking and literature about women and development, and to the feminist critique of these. The course focuses on multinationals, rural development, and food production, including appropriate technology and income generation, health, migration, education, and communication. Formerly SOC 310 Women and Third World Development.
3 credits
SOCY 341 Women, Men, and Complex Organizations
SOCY 341 Women, Men, and Complex Organizations
Develops the student's understanding of sex and gender as organizational variables: the ways in which the structure and processes of organization reflect power relations that are interlaced with dominant forms of gender relations. Attention is given to a broad range of personal, social, and organizational influences that shape gender identity and behavior and the way in which gender behavior affects organizational behavior. Formerly SOC 368 Women, Men, and Complex Organizations.
3 credits
RST 225 Religion and Women
RST 225 Religion and Women
Examines the nature of the feminist critique of religion, but especially as this relates to the Christian tradition. The course looks at the way classic symbols (e.g., God, Christ, redemption/salvation) have traditionally been construed and studies the creative new meanings being found in these symbols that originate in theological reflection on women's experience. Special attention is given to the most recent contributions of African American and Hispanic women theologians as well as women theologians from the developing world.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs Area
FLC Area III
* Other courses may be approved by the Program Chair. The Women's Studies Program usually publishes a list of approved courses offered each semester.
Program Policies
Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the minor.
CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the minor.
Grades in Required Courses:
Students are required to earn a grade of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses counted to fulfill requirements for the minor.
Pass/No Pass:
With the exception of internships, courses fulfilling minor requirements may not be taken pass/no pass.
Senior Assessment:
In order to complete a minor in women's studies, students must take WST 440 Senior Seminar in Women's Studies
WST 440 Senior Seminar in Women's Studies
Creates a synthesis of the student's studies in the field and deepens skills in women's studies research, critically presenting, analyzing, and assessing concepts, methods, and data. The topics reflect the most current research in the field. Students take a central role in conducting the seminar, and each one is responsible for an independent research project.
3 credits
Prerequisite: WST 240
that includes a comprehensive assessment.
Study Abroad:
Students may meet minor requirements with courses taken during study abroad.
TELL Policy:
The Women's Studies Program supports and encourages Trinity's TELL Program. Students applying for experiential learning credit should consult with the program faculty.
Transfer Credits:
Transfer credit from appropriately accredited institutions of higher learning may be counted for minor requirements, dependent on program review and approval.
Course Descriptions
WST 210 Gender, Creativity and Music
WST 210 Gender, Creativity and Music
Present gender as a category of analysis in order to examine stereotypes, ideologies and codes which shape and limit women's activities and roles in the visual and performing arts. Topics include the study of female narrative and agency, visual images, use of the body and creation of music and lyrics. Examples will be drawn from a variety of styles and periods such as the 13th century mystic Hildegard of Bingen and 20th century performance artist Laurie Anderson.
3 credits
WST 211 Rockin' Women: American Popular Song
WST 211 Rockin' Women: American Popular Song
This course explores the music and lyrics created by women and examines the impact of these on American culture. Blues, jazz, country, soul, rock'n roll, R&B, rap and hiphop in the 20th century will all be considered. Texts will include audio, video and print examples; students will be encouraged to explore their particular interests in class presentations.
3 credits
WST 240 Introduction to Women's Studies
WST 240 Introduction to Women's Studies
Provides a basic structure of ideas for examining questions of gender differences in history, culture, and contemporary society. Students learn central concepts and research methods in women's studies and use them to examine such topics as family, religion, work, gender, sexuality, and social change.
3 credits
WST 250 Women in Popular Culture
WST 250 Women in Popular Culture
Explores the cultural images and realities of contemporary women and their lives. Print, film, television, short fiction, and artifact will be used to document cultural rates.
3 credits
WST 252 Women in Television
WST 252 Women in Television
Examines a variety of topics involving women and television - both in front of and behind the camera - from image to image maker. Active participation in deconstructing programs and gaining skills in active viewing is included.
3 credits
WST 301 Women, Peacemaking, and Nonviolence
WST 330 Questioning the Archetypes
WST 330 Questioning the Archetypes
Identifies the cultural and psychological meanings of the ideal or stereotypical constructs of femininity: the Goddess, the Beautiful Temptress, the Madonna, the Welfare Queen, the Earthy Mother, the Aunt Jemima, the Barbie and others.
3 credits
WST 350 Women's Studies: Independent Study
WST 365 Seminar on Human Sexuality
WST 365 Seminar on Human Sexuality
Explores the biological, neuropsychological, social, and moral dimensions of human sexuality in order to examine the connection between our gendered embodiment and our person through the concept of human agency.
3 credits
WST 368 Women and Leadership
WST 368 Women and Leadership
Explores women's leadership issues at the intersection of race, class, and gender. Key themes include the relational aspects of leadership, authenticity, identity and power, and the voice of leadership.
3 credits
WST 369 Women and Community Change
WST 369 Women and Community Change
Explores women's roles in U.S. history from the perspectives of women activists. Examines women's impact on social, political, and cultural change in the U.S. including movements for economic justice, race relations, sexual identity, peace, gender equality, public health, and social welfare. Formerly WST 369 Women and Community Change
3 credits
WST 400 Internship in Women's Studies
WST 400 Internship in Women's Studies
Requires students to perform nine hours of volunteer work each week in an internship in advocacy groups, non-profit organizations, and federal or D.C. government agencies that advance women's interests. Studies include required readings, journal writing, construction of an ethnography, and compiling and annotating a bibliography.
3 credits
Prerequisite: WST 240
WST 403 Feminist Criticism
WST 403 Feminist Criticism
Focuses on several schools of feminist criticism and theory. Serving as an introduction to feminist theory and criticism, the course will introduce students to some of the theories and theorists that serve as a foundation for understanding current feminist thought. We will explore the evolution and historical development of feminist criticism and will place ourselves as feminist scholars in this tradition. To emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of feminist scholarship, we will also explore several of the disciplines to which feminist criticism has been and can be applied. Students will have the opportunity to apply the feminist theories to their appropriate disciplines.
3 credits
Prerequisite: WST 240
WST 410 Public Ldership Educ Network
WST 440 Senior Seminar in Women's Studies
WST 440 Senior Seminar in Women's Studies
Creates a synthesis of the student's studies in the field and deepens skills in women's studies research, critically presenting, analyzing, and assessing concepts, methods, and data. The topics reflect the most current research in the field. Students take a central role in conducting the seminar, and each one is responsible for an independent research project.
3 credits
Prerequisite: WST 240