Women’s Studies
(Interdisciplinary Studies major and minor)
Office: W343 Thompson Hall
(716) 673-3893
Email: robledij@fredonia.edu
Ingrid Johnston-Robledo, Coordinator
Women's Studies Program Office
Office: 171A Fenton Hall
(716) 673-3158
E-mail: wstudies@fredonia.edu
Website: http://www.fredonia.edu/womensstudies/
Women's Studies is the recognition and examination of the social construction of gender and its grouping with class, race, age, ethnicity, nationality and sexual identity.
Students majoring in Women's Studies will: become more knowledgeable about the way gender informs our social, economic, political and cultural lives; widen their perspective on how gender intersects with national and global issues; develop an appreciation for the connection between education and social responsibility; and demonstrate knowledge of interdisciplinary feminist research methodologies.
The academic core of the Women's Studies program focuses on:
- an interdisciplinary approach to the concept of gender as a social construct;
- a critical and cultural analysis of female experiences through work in feminist theory;
- race, ethnicity, nationality, class, age and sexual identity as central categories of analysis.
- historical considerations
- the production of feminist literature and visual culture
Student Organizations and Activities
The Women's Student Union (http://www.fredonia.edu/womensstudies/) provides opportunities for students to program special events, participate in relevant off-campus activities, and sponsor activities to raise awareness of women's and gender issues on campus and in the community.
Women's History Month, co-sponsored by WSU and Women's Studies, brings a diverse array of speakers and performers to campus in March to celebrate women's contributions and discuss contemporary issues facing both women and men. An annual Women's Studies Fall Gathering showcases recent scholarship in women's studies by affiliate faculty.
An annual Undergraduate Conference on Women and Gender celebrates student research in women's studies and gender-related areas. Student winners present summaries of their work in a recognition ceremony and receive The Dean's Award for Excellence in Research on Gender. Other annual events include the Women Take Aim Film Series, participation in the V-Day Initiative, Take Back the Night, and Women, Rock and Soul, a fundraiser for the Women's Studies scholarship. The Jeanette McVicker Women's Studies Scholarship is awarded each year to a Women's Studies major or minor who demonstrates both academic excellence and involvement in feminist activism.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Major in Women's Studies
Completion of the interdisciplinary major requires a minimum of 36 credit hours. Up to 12 hours of transfer credit can be applied to the major, based on approval by the director. Students declaring the major in Women's Studies may use past courses retroactively after consultation with the director. Three (3) credit hours of independent study can be counted in the major.
Required Courses: (21 credit hours)
Introduction to Women's Studies |
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Psychology of Women |
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Feminist Theory |
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Sex and Gender |
A course on women writers and/or women visual artists (e.g., (WOST) 203/205/304/340)
American Women |
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or |
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Race and Ethnicity |
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Women's Studies Portfolio (taken concurrently with 401) |
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Feminist Practice |
Elective Courses: 15 credit hours. At least one course from each of the following three lists. Within each category, students should take no more than one course from each departmental prefix (other than WOST). When a course is counted in the core, it cannot also be counted as an elective.
1) Gender and Culture:
Black Art and Visual Culture |
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American Indian Literature |
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American Identities |
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Language and Society |
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U.S. Consumer Culture |
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Chicana Writers and Visual Artists |
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Women in Art |
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Latina Literary and Cultural Studies |
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Women Writers |
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American Women |
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African American Women's History |
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Black Women Writers |
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Ethnicity and Race |
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French Women Writers |
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Women in French Literature |
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Special Topics |
2) Gender and Society:
Social Problems |
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Social Class and Inequality |
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Family Violence |
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Women in the Economy |
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Women in Politics (special topics course) |
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Social Welfare Policy |
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Human Sexuality |
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Psychology of Women |
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Women, Health, and Society |
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Gender and Communication |
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Special Topics |
3) Gender in a Transnational World:
Cultural Anthropology |
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AIDS and STDs |
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Intercultural Communication |
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Non-Western Literature |
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Globalism (special topics course) |
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Cross-Cultural Psychology |
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Population and Society |
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Law and the World |
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Women and Film |
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Special Topics |
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Independent Study (can be applied to one of the above categories, with director's approval) |
