DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN'S STUDIES
243 Humanities
Instructional Building; (949) 824-6406
E-mail: womensstudies@uci.edu
Jennifer
Terry, Department Chair
Faculty / Undergraduate Program / Graduate Program / Courses
UCI's Department of Women's Studies is dedicated to the study of women, gender, and sexuality in their complex articulation with race, ethnicity, class, religion, and nationality. The Department's goal is to foster critical and creative analysis of the various disciplinary perspectives—historical, political, economic, representational, technological, and scientific—that have constituted women, gender, and sexuality as objects of study. By emphasizing a rigorous interdisciplinary perspective in their teaching and research, the Women's Studies faculty seek to produce new knowledge about the social meanings of gender, race, class, and sexuality, and to equip students with a range of analytical and methodological skills.
The field of women's studies has developed at a phenomenal rate from a handful of student-initiated courses in the early 1970s to more than 600 programs in colleges and universities across the United States offering degrees at the B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. levels. UCI's Department of Women's Studies was founded as a program in 1975 and has grown significantly since that time. The Department offers a B.A. degree in Women's Studies, a minor in Women's Studies, a minor in Queer Studies, and a graduate emphasis in Feminist Studies.
Women's Studies provides a unique intellectual community for undergraduate and graduate students, where faculty and students share a commitment to interactive teaching and learning. Students work closely with faculty and the Department's academic coordinator to plan a coherent program of study and to anticipate work toward advanced degrees and a wide variety of career options.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
A degree in Women's Studies prepares students for the expanding opportunities available in graduate programs and in numerous careers in both the public and private sectors. As more women work, business and corporations find the need for increased knowledge about women, and the growth of women's organizations and agencies—at the local, national, and global levels—is creating new opportunities for graduates with specializations in Women's Studies. Graduates bring unique skills and knowledge to the professions of law, medicine, social work, teaching, counseling, and to government service, all of which increasingly require expertise on issues concerning women and gender. Students of Women's Studies develop critical and analytical skills which prove valuable in the full range of life choices.
The UCI Career Center provides services to students and alumni including career counseling, information about job opportunities, a career library, and workshops on resume preparation, job search, and interview techniques. In addition, the Women's Studies Office provides more specialized career counseling and information on graduate programs in Women's Studies and related fields.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE B.A. DEGREE IN WOMEN'S STUDIES
University Requirements: See pages 54-61.
School Requirements: See pages 253-254.
Departmental Requirements for the Major
A. Three introductory core courses: Women's Studies 50A, plus two selected from 50B, 50C, 60A, 60B, 60C.
B. Three advanced core courses: one each from the Women's Studies 100, 110, and 120 series.
C. Four elective advanced core courses selected from Women's Studies 139-168.
D. Two additional advanced elective courses selected from Women's Studies 170-190. Students may request, by petition, one lower-division course to count in this category. This course should be primarily centered on the study of women, gender, and/or feminism.
E. Women's Studies 197 (Senior Seminar in Women's Studies).
Residence Requirement for the Major: A minimum of five upper-division courses required for the major must be completed successfully at UCI.
Requirements for the Minor
A. Three lower-division courses selected from Women's Studies 50A, 50B, 50C, 60A, 60B, 60C.
B. Two upper-division courses selected from Women's Studies 100A, 100B, 100C, 110A, 110B, 110C, 120A, 120B, 120C, 139, 155, 156A, 156B, 157A, 157B, 158A, 158B, 165A, 165B, 165C, 165D, 165E, 165F, 166A, 167A, 167B, 168A, 168B.
C. Two advanced elective courses selected from Women's Studies 170-190.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: A minimum of four upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI. By petition, two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, provided course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.
The Women's Studies Department offers a minor in Queer Studies. Taking as a point of departure that sexuality is a complex historical and cultural phenomenon, Queer Studies examines this complexity, drawing upon methods from anthropology, art, art history, biology, history, literature, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. Interdisciplinary insights from area studies, cultural studies, critical legal studies, ethnic studies, gender studies, religious studies, science and technology studies, visual studies, and women's studies also enrich this area of study.
Requirements for the Minor
A. Two lower-division introductory courses: Women's Studies 20 plus one course selected from Women's Studies 50A, 50B, 50C, 60A, 60B, 60C, or Sociology 69 (when topics address the sociology of sexuality).
B. Two upper-division core courses: Women's Studies 157A and 157B.
C. Three upper-division courses selected from the following: Anthropology 129 (when topics address issues of sexuality and gender), 139 (when topics address issues of sexuality and HIV/AIDS); Drama 103 (when topics cover the representation of gays and lesbians in drama); English 105 (when topics cover issues of gays and lesbians in literature); Film and Media Studies 112 (when topics address issues of sexuality in representation and theory), 190 (when topics address issues of sexuality in representation and theory); History 146D, 146E, 169 (when topics address gender and sexuality in Latin America); Spanish 185 (when topics cover issues of sexuality in peninsular Spain and/or Portugal), 186 (when topics cover issues on sexuality in Latin American literature and culture); Women's Studies 100A, 100B, 100C, 110A, 110B, 110C, 120A, 120B, 120C, 165A, 165B, 167B, 168B, 190.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: A minimum of four upper-division courses required for the minor must be successfully completed at UCI. Two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, provided course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.
Graduate Emphasis in Feminist Studies
The Department of Women's Studies offers an emphasis in Feminist Studies, which is available to all graduate students at UCI. Satisfactory completion of the emphasis is certified by the Graduate Director of Women's Studies.
Admission to the Program
Admission occurs in spring and fall quarter. Following successful completion of either Women's Studies 200A or 200B, students are to apply by the third week of the subsequent quarter for admission to the emphasis. For complete information about application policies and procedures, refer to http://www.humanities.uci.edu/womensstudies/grad/ or contact the Graduate Director.
Emphasis Requirements
Minimum course work for the graduate emphasis in Feminist Studies consists of four courses: two core courses, Women's Studies 200A-B, a coherent sequence normally taken in consecutive quarters; and any two courses selected from the list of courses in Feminist Studies approved by the Graduate Director, as long as one of these is a graduate course in the student's own department or area of interest. In keeping with the interdisciplinary focus of this emphasis, it is highly recommended that the other be a course from a discipline outside that department or area. The course requirements for Ph.D., M.A., and M.F.A. candidates are the same.
For doctoral students, the qualifying examination and dissertation topic should incorporate Feminist Studies in a meaningful way. One member of the candidate's qualifying examination committee and of the candidate's dissertation committee is normally a member of the Women's Studies and affiliate faculty. There are no requirements concerning qualifying examinations or theses for M.A. or M.F.A. students.
Requirements for Completion
The completion of the emphasis will be noted by the Graduate Director upon (1) receipt and verification of completion of four graduate courses related to Feminist Studies and (2) a sample of work related to Feminist Studies, e.g., a substantial paper* (10-page minimum), video, or other creative work.
*The dissertation may be accepted in fulfillment of the second requirement when Feminist Studies is incorporated in a substantive way.
(Schedule of Classes designation: Womn St)
LOWER-DIVISION
INTRODUCTORY CORE COURSES
Courses of general interest for all students. No prerequisites. Designed to survey and to introduce methods and premises of interdisciplinary studies. Many of these courses fulfill part of the UCI general education requirement.
20 Introduction to Queer Studies (4). Study of sexuality from the perspective of lesbian, gay, queer, transgender scholarship spanning humanities, social sciences, arts. (IV, VII)
50A Gender and Feminism in Everyday Life (4). What is gender? Why does studying it matter? Explores how feminism has understood not only gender as a category of social analysis, but how gender structures personal identities, family, citizenship, work and leisure, social policy, sexuality, and language. (IV, VII)
50B Reproducing and Resisting Inequality (4). From bedroom to boardroom to voting booth to international division of labor, how are societal institutions and politics "gendered"? Examines relationships of gender, race, ethnicity, class, and region in sexual and reproductive experiences, households, education, work, and politics, including community activism. (IV, VII)
50C Gender and Popular Culture (4). An investigation of gender, race, and sexuality in film, TV, video, music, and advertising, with attention to the ways that popular culture shapes understandings of technology, national identities, leisure and work, historical memory, international communication, and multicultural representation. (IV, VII)
60A Gender and Science (4). Examines science from a variety of feminist viewpoints in order to explore how science influences everyday life. Special attention is given to the ways science shapes our understanding of gender, race, and sexuality. (III)
60B Gender and Law (4). Introduction to the relationship between gender, race, sexuality, and the law. Critical thinking about how law defines citizenship, political representation, and democracy, focusing on the history of legal reform undertaken in the name of women as a social group. (III)
60C Gender and Religion (4). Introduces the topic of religion in a feminist context by performing cross-cultural exploration of gender, authority, and faith in various traditions. Study includes (but is not limited to) writings of contemporary Jewish, Christian, and Muslim feminists. (III, VIII)
70 Special Topics in Gender (4). Topics cover issues which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
UPPER-DIVISION
Courses in which students gain experience in analysis, interpretation, and writing.
ADVANCED CORE COURSES
100: THEORY, KNOWLEDGE, CULTURE
100A Producing Feminist Knowledge (4). Explores alternative ways that feminist scholars frame research questions, conduct research or creative activity. Examines challenges that feminist scholarship poses to the academy and the challenges the academy poses to feminist scholars. Prerequisite: one course from Women's Studies 20, 50A, 50B, 50C, 60A, 60B, or 60C.
100B Feminist Theory (4). Introduction to historical traditions in theory and various conceptual frameworks informing Women's Studies' scholarship. Concepts include (but are not limited to) identity, representation, and political economy. Prerequisite: one course from Women's Studies 20, 50A, 50B, 50C, 60A, 60B, or 60C.
100C Key Concepts in Feminist Cultural Studies (4). Investigation of the theories and methods that inform the feminist study of culture. Focuses on the interpretation of the visual arts and literature created by, and predominantly for, women. Prerequisite: one course from Women's Studies 20, 50A, 50B, 50C, 60A, 60B, or 60C.
110: UNDERSTANDING POWER AND GENDER
110A Gender, State, and Nation (4). Examination of gender and sexuality in relation to the production of identities created through participation in state and nation. Examines complexity of relationship between feminism and nationalism, feminism and the state. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
110B Money, Sex, and Power (4). Examination of gender and sexuality in relation to the emergence of the modern world, modernity, and capitalism; commodification, circulation, and transnational exchanges relating to race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, and nationality. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required.
110C Producing Gender Transnationally (4). Examination of how ideas and formations of gender cross national and international boundaries; encounters between feminist and sexual identity movements; how terms such as "sex" and "gender" change meanings according to time and place. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
120: INTERPRETING BODIES AND PLEASURES
120A Modern Pleasures: Bodies and Practices (4). Focus on the theory and history of pleasure within academic disciplines as well as in social and cultural processes and networks. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required.
120B Image Problems: Stereotypes and Representations (4). Examination of scholarly approaches to gender stereotypes and politics of representation as they present possibilities for critical analysis and produce problems and limitations; how powerful ideas of gender intersect with other forms of social differentiation such as race and class. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VII)
120C Engendering Colonial Bodies (4). Examination of the production of gender and sexuality in the contexts of colonialism and modernization; representations of colonialist and nationalist struggles over gender and race; female bodies as sites of contestation. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
ADVANCED ELECTIVE CORE COURSES
139 Topics in Gender Studies (4). Various topics in gender studies. Includes issues of gender, culture, race and class, including issues of sexualities and social justice. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. Prerequisite: satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII)
155 Special Topics in Women's Studies (4). Designed to provide students with an opportunity to do advanced work in Women's Studies. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
156: GENDER AND RACE STUDIES
156A Race and Gender (4). Examines the roles and intersections of racism, sexism, and heterosexism in U.S. culture and society. Through history and literature, explores the process of immigration, colonization (of identity, language, and the body), and cultural interaction. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VII)
156B Gender, Race, and the Built Environment (4). Examination of the ways in which houses, buildings, streets, cities, and indeed all social spaces reveal cultural conceptualizations of gender and sexuality in relation to other social relations and processes. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VII)
157: QUEER STUDIES
157A Topics in Lesbian and Gay Studies (4). Explores issues in lesbian and gay studies from one or more of the following perspectives: theoretical, historical, legal, economic, political, sociological, and representation in the arts. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII)
157B Queer Lives and Knowledges (4). Explores the emergence and historical elaboration of non-normative sexual identities, practices, and communities; focuses on medical, legal, literary, aesthetic, scientific, and religious notions about homosexuality and appropriations and subversions of these notions by queer people. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required.
158: GENDER AND THE PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE
158A Gender and the Politics of Information (4). Investigates from feminist perspectives the challenges in the "information age" and its embedded gender and political dimensions. Examines the increasingly complex identification, evaluation, application, and transmission of information. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VII)
158B Defining Women of Color (4). Examination of women of color as a historical movement emerging as a result to anti-racist struggle in the late twentieth century; who counts as a woman of color, who is included and excluded, the advantages and limitations of this approach to racism. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VII)
165: GENDER AND SCIENCE
165A Gender, Biology, and Environmental Ethics (4). What is "nature" and how do we know and represent it? Introduces students to the history of "nature" produced within scientific knowledge, as well as historical developments. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. Same as Public Health 145.
165B HIV/AIDS (4). Explores HIV/AIDS from a feminist perspective focusing on cultural and political-economic analysis and representations of the disease both within the U.S. and globally. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
165C New Reproductive Technologies (4). Examination of representation, implication, and bioethics of new reproductive technologies in different cultures; effects of new reproductive technologies on identities and bodies. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required.
165D Gender and Science in Colonial India (4). Examination of British colonial policies and politics of science and gender in India; comparison of British India with other colonial contexts; importance of science for colonial rule and history of colonial science and technology. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
165E Gender and Cyberspace (4). How has gender and sexuality been produced in the cyberspace frontier during its brief but volatile history? Takes an interdisciplinary approach to this question that engages with debates in urban studies, history of science, anthropology, and political ecology. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required.
165F Gender and Technology (4). Using a variety of disciplinary methods, examines how various technological processes and products produce culturally complex meanings associated with gender and technology. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required.
166: GENDER AND RELIGION
166A Contemporary Issues in Gender and Islam (4). Exploration of lives of Muslim women in different cultural contexts; critical examination of various Islamic constructions and interpretations of gender, sexuality, and human nature. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
167: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GENDER
167A Militarism and Gender (4). Feminist approach to militarism, war, and political violence drawing on representations of women as both victims of and participants in military violence; effects of militarism on formations of gender; effects of military industrial complex on nationalism and identity. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
167B Sexual Traffic (4). Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the concept of "sexual traffic" as it impacts the formation of sexualized bodies and sexual subjects within and across national boundaries. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VIII)
168: GENDER AND CULTURAL STUDIES
168A Music and Audio Cultures (4). Examination of the significance of gender, power, and identity in music and audio cultures; changing technologies and connections to gender; political economy of music and audio cultures; representation of women in popular music; performance and reception across different cultures. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required. (VII)
168B The Politics of Style (4). Examination of the emergence of style and lifestyle in relation to gender and sexuality; analysis of subcultures, politics, and representation of style in relation to formation of social identities. Previous lower-division course work in Women's Studies is recommended, but not required.
ADVANCED ELECTIVE COURSES
170 Gender, Feminism, Literature, and Language (4). Topics cover issues in language and literature which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
171 Gender, Feminism, and History (4). Topics cover issues in history which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
173 Gender, Feminism, and Philosophy (4). Topics cover issues in philosophy which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
174 Gender, Feminism, and the Arts (4). Topics cover issues in the arts which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
175 Gender, Feminism, and the Media (4). Topics cover issues in the media which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
180 Gender, Feminism, and Anthropology (4). Topics cover issues which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
181 Gender, Feminism, and Cognitive Psychology (4). Topics cover issues in cognitive psychology which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
182 Gender, Feminism, and Economics (4). Topics cover issues in economics which relate to women and gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
183 Gender, Feminism, and Sociology (4). Topics cover issues in sociology which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
184 Gender, Feminism, and Political Science (4). Topics cover issues in political science which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
185 Gender, Feminism, and Social Sciences (4). Topics cover issues in social sciences which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
187 Gender, Feminism, and Social Ecology (4). Topics cover issues in social ecology which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
188 Gender, Feminism, and Science (4). Topics cover issues in science which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
189 Gender, Feminism, and Interdisciplinary Studies (4). Topics cover issues in interdisciplinary studies which relate to women or gender, or which are taught from a feminist methodological perspective. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
190 Topics in Queer Studies (4). Topics cover issues in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and arts that relate to critical inquiry of sexuality. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
197 Senior Seminar in Women's Studies (4) S. Students read advanced scholarship in Women's Studies and complete a major seminar paper. Prerequisites: open to majors only; satisfactory completion of the upper-division writing requirement or consent of instructor. (VII)
198 Directed Group Study (4). Special topics through directed reading. Paper required. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
199 Directed Research (1 to 4) F, W, S. Directed reading and research in consultation with a faculty member. Substantial written work required. Prerequisite: consent of sponsoring faculty member.
GRADUATE
200A Feminist Knowledge and Social Change (4). Provides a broad and introductory overview of Women's Studies and feminist knowledges, including key concepts, theoretical frameworks, disciplinary approaches and methods, and critical debates that have shaped the field. May be taken for credit twice.
200B Problems in Feminist Research (4). Colloquium on analytic approaches to interdisciplinary feminist research in Women's Studies and exploration of how feminist knowledges are produced in different academic disciplines. Prerequisite: Women's Studies 200A or consent of instructor. May be taken twice for credit.
201 Special Topics in Feminist Studies (4). Seminars on various topics in feminist studies. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
210A Graduate Feminist Theory (4). In-depth introduction to various theoretical frameworks that have and continue to inform scholarship in Women's Studies including (but not limited to) identity, representation, and political economy. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
260A Advanced Seminar in Feminist Studies (4). Graduate seminar covering various areas of research within Women's Studies as an interdisciplinary field. Recommended for advanced graduate students. May be taken for credit three times as topics vary.
290 Directed Research (2 to 12). Directed graduate study/research in Women's Studies. May be taken for credit for a total of 24 units.
399 University Teaching (4). Limited to Teaching Assistants. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be repeated for credit.