Gender Studies (GEN) Courses < Wabash College Academic Catalog

GEN-101 Introduction to Gender Studies

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of gender studies by exploring questions about the meaning of gender in society. The course will familiarize students with the central issues, questions and debates in Gender Studies scholarship by analyzing themes of gendered performance and power in law, culture, education, work, health, social policy and the family. Key themes may include but are not limited to the relationship between sex and gender, the legal and social workings of the private / public distinction, the way that disciplinary practices code certain behaviors as masculine or feminine, the intersection of gender with race and ethnicity, the gendered structure of power, the tension between difference and equality, the production and circulation of gender expectations in the media, and the contested role of the law in achieving equality. By course end, students will understand central themes and debates in the field of gender studies, demonstrate a facility with basic terms and concepts of the field, apply methods of analyzing gender to society and to their own life experiences and communicate effectively about these issues in writing and speech
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts, , History/Philosophy/Religion, Global Citizenship, Justice, and Diversity

GEN-200 Special Topics

Topics vary with each scheduled offering. Refer to Student Planning's section information for descriptions of individual offerings, and applicability to distribution requirements.
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 0.5-1

GEN-204 Introduction to Philosophy: Nature

This course will serve as an introduction to philosophy by examining the ways philosophers have used nature historically to justify the social order: by identifying essences that prescribe roles, legitimating social hierarchy by dividing the world between what is closer to nature and what overcomes or surpasses nature, distinguishing between good and natural actions and bad and unnatural ones, and distinguishing between culture and the material of culture. This course will examine the philosophical positions behind these claims and critiques of these positions. The course will take up the example of gender at various places across the semester to think about the implications of various conceptions of nature in the history of philosophy. Students are discouraged from taking more than one course numbered 109 or below.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: History/Philosophy/Religion, Global Citizenship, Justice, and Diversity
Equated Courses: PHI-104

GEN-205 Fatherhood

An introduction to the psychological research into issues surrounding fatherhood. Topics to be covered include the role of fathers in children's development, the effect of being a father on adult development, men's views on fatherhood, the effect of fatherhood on romantic relationships, and balancing work and home life.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Behavioral Science
Equated Courses: PSY-105

GEN-206 World Cinema

The course will survey non-Hollywood international movements in the history of cinema. It will explore issues of nation, history, culture, identity and their relation to questions of film production and consumption in contemporary film culture. Emphasis will be placed on major directors, films, and movements that contributed to the development of narrative cinema internationally. The course will investigate a variety of genres and individual films, paying close attention to their aesthetic, historical, technological and ideological significance. For example, African cinema introduces themes of colonialism, resistance and post-colonial culture, while the New Iranian Cinema articulates problems of politics and censorship within a new national film culture.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts, Global Citizenship, Justice, and Diversity,
Equated Courses: THE-204

GEN-207 Gender & Communication

As a culture, we often take gender for granted. Yet, our ideals of gender and sexuality are shaped and influenced by communicative practices and mass-mediated representations. This class examines this process, exploring the question, "How does rhetoric influence my understanding and practice of gender and sexuality?" In pursuing answers, students will develop relevant theoretical vocabularies and pay particular attention to the role of power and historical contexts.
Prerequisites: none
Credit: 1
Distribution: Literature/Fine Arts, Global Citizenship, Justice, and Diversity,
Equated Courses: RHE-360

GEN-261 Special Topics in Gender Studies: DIV 1