Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary program which draws on the strength of many departments on campus. This means that you can fulfill some of your collegiate requirements by taking courses that count towards the major/minor in Women's Studies. Check our list of courses below, if you have any questions, contact the director, Debra Rodman, at drodman@rmc.edu.
We distinguish between women's studies courses which focus exclusively on issues of women and gender, elective courses which focus at least half of their material on issues of women and gender, and related courses which are of related interest to women's studies.
WOMEN'S STUDIES COURSES
ARTH 219 - Images of Women in Ancient Art This course is a survey of art, from the Paleolithic until the Renaissance, with a special emphasis on images of women in various roles, particularly motherhood. All early cultures (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Classical Greece and Rome, Byzantium and Renaissance Italy) have produced images of women for diverse reasons: from fertility symbols to icons of religious belief, from symbols of beauty and lust to icons of purity and chastity. The course will survey these images as they reflect both the style of art and the role of women in the cultures and time periods. The visual images will be supplemented by brief selections from contemporaneous literature. Three hours. Ms. Fisher.Back to top
ARTH 240-Women in the Arts-This course examines the role of women in Western art in regard to the production, promotion and consumption of art from the Renaissance to the Modern era. Topics to be discussed will include the constraints often placed upon women as active participants in the public sphere, the education of women artists and their professionalization, the critical reaction to their work, artistic couples, and the role played by women as patrons of the arts. Three hours. Ms. Terrono.Back to top
BIOL 136/HONR 225 - Discovering Women in the Biological Sciences
This course will examine the contributions of women to the scientific discovery of major principles in various biological fields. Basic biological principles in the various fields will be introduced, and biographies/autobiorgraphies and scientific publications of women working as scientists in those fields will be studied. The course will also explore the history and politics of women's involvement in biology and examine how science has viewed women. The status of contemporary women scientists and the difficulties they have encountered will be investigated. Laboratories will parallel biological topics covered in class. Partially fulfills the collegiate requirement in laboratory science as a Life Science course, and counts on the major/minor in women's studies. Three class hours and three laboratory hours each week. Four hours. Ms. Falls. Back to top
ENGL 271 - Writing Women's Lives
Writing by and about women across time and geography. The course examines both literature and feminist literary criticism to explore a range of topics, including how expectations of women's and men's roles have affected women's access to and practice of writing, how differences of culture, race, sexuality and nationality register in women's texts, how women writers see themselves in relation to various literary traditions, and how distinguishing women's writing as a separate field poses both advantages and problems for the study of literature. Three hours. Ms. Holliday. Back to top
ENGL 418 - Commonwealth Women Writers
A study of selected modern works written in English by women in the nations of the British Commonwealth. Among the writers studied will be Margaret Laurence, Margaret Atwood, L.M. Montgomery, Alice Munro, Marian Engel, Joy Kogawa, Michelle Cliff, Merle Hodge, Jean Rhys, Buchi Emecheta, Bessie Head, Nadine Gordimer, Christina Stead, Elizabeth Jolley, and Helen Garner. Offered every fourth year. Three hours. Mr. Sheckels. Back to top
FLET 205 - Women in Antiquity
Although almost all of Greek and Roman literature was written by men, many works treat or concern women, sometimes as realistic figures but more often as symbols. This course will examine the image of women in classical literature from Archaic Greece to Imperial Rome. For purposes of comparison and discussion, the social and historical realities will be considered as well. Same as CLAS 205. Three hours. Ms. Gilmore. Back to top
FLET 271 - Women in French Literature: 17th to 20th Centuries
An examination of the various ways in which women (both writers and literary characters) have seen themselves and have been seen in a male-dominated society. The readings will include the works of such women as Madame de Sevigne, Madame de LaFayette, Madame de Stael, George Sand, Colette, Simone de Beauvoir, and Marguerite Duras, as well as works whose central characters are women, including Laclos' Liasons Dangereuses, Flaubert's Madame Bovary,and Mauriac's Therese Desqueyroux. Formerly FREN 271. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Staff. Back to top
FLET 272 - Women in French Film
This course, open to students from all academic backgrounds, will provide an introduction to film analysis and will focus on the representations of women (as heroes, mothers, lovers, mad women, etc.) in French films of the last 40 years. The course will also examine the work of several important French women film directors. Over the course of the term, students will become familiar with distinctive aspects of French film styles, with French vs. American representations of women, and with the cultural context and content of the selected films. Counts towards the women's studies minor or major, the film minor, and the French major. Prerequisite for French credit: FREN 251-252. Same as FREN 272. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Additional class meetings in French for French majors who will earn four credit hours. Staff. Back to top
HONR 225 - Discovering Women in the Biological Sciences
This course will examine the contributions of women to the scientific discovery of major principles in various biological fields. Basic biological principles in the various fields will be introduced, and biographies/autobiorgraphies and scientific publications of women working as scientists in those fields will be studied. The course will also explore the history and politics of women's involvement in biology and examine how science has viewed women. The status of contemporary women scientists and the difficulties they have encountered will be investigated. Laboratories will parallel biological topics covered in class. Partially fulfills the collegiate requirement in laboratory science as a Life Science course, and counts on the major/minor in women's studies. Three class hours and three laboratory hours each week. Four hours. Ms. Fall. Back to top
PHIL 225 - Women's Nature
A philosophical and psychological inquiry into the concept of women's nature. Topics include genetic determinism, moral development, Freud's views of sexuality, poronography and race, and gender and culture in feminist theory. This course may be applied to the psychology major as a related course. Offered in alternate years Three hours. Ms. Turney. Back to top
PHIL 308 - Feminist Theory
Critical examination of contemporary theories in feminism according to a variety of discourses on difference. Topics include: the politics of sexuality, black feminism, feminist theories of knowledge and reality, marginality, and Post-Colonial theory. Interdisciplinary readings, seminar format. Prerequisite: At least one course in women's studies or consent of instructor. Recommended: One course in philosophy. Offered in alternate years Three hours. Ms. Turney. Back to top
PSYC 135 - Psychology of Gender
The overall purpose of this course is to examine how gender affects human psychological development and the development of systems. These systems range from family to education and industry. Biological, psychosocial, cognitive, emotional and interpersonal aspects of gender are examined within the context of lifespan development and the cultural dynamics of race and class. Students will use critical analysis skills to examine gender theory, research, and stereotypes and roles. This course also challenges students to utilize introspective skills to reflect on the influence of gender in their own lives. Three hours. Staff. Back to top
RELS 271 - Women and Religion
An examination of the pertinent biblical texts and documents of the Judeo-Christian tradition that relate to the issue of women and religion. A careful inquiry will be made into the roots and the range of the dominant model that has informed Western culture with respect to this concern and alternative patterns of experience will be suggested. Particular attention will be given to the formative role of language in the shaping of attitudes. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Area Three: Religion and Culture. Not open to freshmen. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Staff. Back to top
SOCI 340 - Gender, Sex and Society
This course offers a sociological and anthropological analysis of the status of women in the U.S. and cross-culturally. Special emphasis is placed on the role culture and socialization play in determining women's interaction patterns and society's response to them. The course will use an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the social sciences and the humanities to determine how women develop cultural, sociological, and historical realities. Prerequisites: Any 200 level course in sociology or consent of instructor. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Mr. London. Back to top
WMST 101 - Introduction to Women's Studies
This course offers an interdisciplinary, team-taught examination of issues that are significant in influencing women's lives. Participants examine women's roles under a variety of social conditions. Consideration of such seemingly disparate areas as sport, religion, education, and science function as the background against which both differences and similarities between women are brought into relief. The primary goal of this examination is to consider explanations for the representations of women that emerge in these areas. Concepts central to feminist theory are introduced as preparation for continued work in women's studies. This course is a requirement for both the major and minor in women's studies. Three hours. Ms. Rodman. Back to top
WMST 102 - Women, Race, and Class
This introductory class examines the importance of differences linked to gender, race, and class in shaping men's and women's lives, using a cross-cultural and historical perspective. How these three systems of oppression intersect and structure the opportunities and constraints of people's lives, how they are incorporated into the cultural construction of individual and national identities, as well as how they are reproduced will be considered. The course will focus primarily on historical and contemporary cases in North and South America. Partially fulfills the collegiate requirement in social science through WMST and counts on the major/minor in women's studies. Three hours. Ms. Rodman. Back to top
WMST 202 - Sex and Culture
This course is meant to be an introduction to the fundamentals of human sexuality while accentuating a cross-cultural perspective on human sex as well as the categories of gender in various cultures worldwide. This course reviews important themes in human sexuality and covers interdisciplinary materials in order to introduce essential subjects for the college student, such as the anatomical, physiological, and emotional aspects of sexuality; also sexually transmitted diseases, sex on campus, variations in sexual behavior, and sexual health. Also through additional readings and ethnographic material, the course will critically situate North American ideas of sexuality by emphasizing a culturally relative perspective on sex and gender. Three hours. Ms. Rodman. Back to top
WMST 250 - Women in European History
Did women have a Renaissance? Have the great events and movements of European history affected women in the same ways as men? Were women too busy giving birth and caring for children and homes to have a role in, or an effect on, European history? In this course we will survey Europe from the Middle Ages to the present to answer these questions and discover women's place in European history. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Ms. Watkinson. Back to top
WMST 271 - Gender and Education
This course examines issues of gender equity of the American education system from early childhood education through higher education. Some topics to be addressed are: gender and curriculum, instructional strategies, professional roles, and extra-curricuar activities. The impact of gender and education on minority groups will be explored. Students will be actively engaged in group projects, observations, as well as in class learning activities. Field trips and/or speakers are planned to offer historical perspectives on the issues of gender and education. Offered as needed. Three hours. Ms. Davis. Back to top
WMST 281 - Women and Work Cross-Culturally
In this course, we will consider the contribution women have made inside and outside the home to different types of economies/societies, both industrial and non-industrial. We will discuss how women's status is affected by these various societal arrangements and by the process of capitalist expansion. Finally, we will examine how gender, class and race/ethnicity hierarchies interact in historically specific contexts with regard to work in the United States and in Latin America. Partially fulfills the collegiate requirement in social science through WMST and counts on the major/minor in women's studies. Three hours. Staff. Back to top
WMST 282 - Women and Development
This course is designed to analyze the impact of changing development strategies on the lives of women in the Third World and especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as to see how women have responded to these strategies. One major aim of the course is to examine how colonialism and later development policies have affected the status of women, and to examine critically the goal of the "integration of women in development." Differences of ethnicity/race, sexual orientation, age, and classs will be taken into consideration. Partially fulfills the collegiate requirement in social science through WMST and counts on the majors/minors in international studies and women's studies. Three hours. Staff. Back to top
WMST 300 - Topics in Women's Studies Research
The main goal of this course is for students to prepare a research proposal for their capstone project. The research itself will be conducted the following semester under WMST 301. Projects may be interdisciplinary in nature, should reflect a student's area of interest and/or enhance preparation for graduate study. Senior status. Students may select a field research topic or a library research project in a specialized area in contemporary research in women's studies. One hour. Staff. Back to top
WMST 301 - Women's Studies Research Project
Students who have prepared a research proposal for WMST 300 actually conduct the research and write up a report paper in consultation with a faculty member with expertise in the area of interest of the student. The final research paper will be presented to members of the women's studies program by the end of the term in which the research is conducted. Three hours. Staff. Back to top
WMST 308 - Comparative Feminist Theories
This course will explore the different kinds of feminist theories produced by a variety of thinkers both inside and outside academia. The course will stress the interdisciplinary character of women's studies and the diversity of thought within feminist inquiry. Prerequisite: WMST 101 or consent of instructor. Counts on the major/minor in women's studies. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Staff. Back to top
WMST/INST 326 - Gender and Change in the Maya Diaspora
This course explores the diversity of women�s familial, political, economic, and social realities in the Maya Diaspora. Particular attention will be given to the shifting gender and cultural patterns from pre-colonial times to the present. Through ethnographic readings, films, and class activities, the course will examine the concept of diaspora, the processes of cultural change, resistance, and retention, and the role that gender plays in these processes. Counts on the majors/minors in international studies and women studies. Same as INST 326. Three hours. Ms. Rodman. Back to top
WMST 347 - Women and Film
This course is designed as an introduction to feminist film criticism, theory, and film making. It examines both the images of women in classic cinema as well as films made by women and various feminist film making strategies. The first part of the course is devoted to introducing students to the field of film analysis and to examining the representation of women on screen. In the second half of the course, we will look at different manifestations of feminist film making ranging from the traditional to the experimental, addressing issues of race/ethnicity and sexuality in addition to those of gender. We will also look at women as consumers of films, dealing thus with the reception aspect of cinema and gender. Works include films by American and European (German, French, Dutch) film makers. Offered every third year. Three hours. Ms. Eren. Back to top
WMST 361 - Gender Issues in Communications
After surveying the conceptual foundations of gender, the course surveys research on gender differences in verbal and non-verbal communication. Then, the course considers these differences within contexts such as the family, friendship, intimate relationship, school politics, and various workplaces. Finally, the course considers how mass media communications (television, movies, music, advertising) affect societal and personal definitions of gender. Throughout the course, the relationships among gender, power, and communication are stressed. Sophomore status. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Ms. Conners. Back to top
WMST 450- Field Studies in Women's Studies
This course provides an opportunity for interested students to gain practical experience withthe application of women's studies principles and methodologies through field placement with an appropriate community agency or non-governmental organization. Prerequiste: three hours of upper level women's studies, WMST 300, and permission of the instructor. One term only. Senior Women's Studies majors. Three hours. Program faculty. Back to top
WMST 455- Internship in Women's Studies
Students in this course are placed in a community agency or non-governmental organization and follow an arranged set of readings relevant to their internship experience with their instructor and site supervisor. Senior or junior status. Prerequisite: six hours of upper level women's studies and permission of the instructor. Application required. Three hours. Program Faculty. Back to top
ELECTIVE COURSES
ENGL 308 - The Late Middle Ages
A variety of literature from the 12th through 15th centuries, including manuals, romances, visionary works, letters, tale collections, and mythical treatises. The course will explore how literary works are transmitted from one culture to another and how they change to accommodate different traditions, values, and audiences. Works studied include Yvain, the Inferno, the Decameron and the Canterbury Tales. Prerequisites: 211. (Students who have passed ENGL 385 cannot take ENGL 308) Offered alternate years. Three hours.Ms. Goodwin. Back to top
ENGL 337 - Introduction to African-American Literature
A survey of writing by African-Americans from the 18th to 20th centuries, covering early texts, poetry and speeches, narratives of slavery and escape, abolition, the Reconstruction era, the Harlen Renaissance, the Black Arts movement and contemporary black writers. Prerequisite: ENGL 251 or 252. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Ms. Holliday. Back to top
ENGL 367 - Post-1950 Canadian and Australian Literature
An intensive survey of the modern English literature written outside of the United Kingdom and the United States. The first semester of this course focuses on Canada and Australia. Among the writers studied are Margaret Laurence, Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies, Miles Franklin, Thomas Keneally, and Patrick White. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Mr. Sheckels. Back to top
ENGL 368 - Post-1950 African and Caribbean Literature
An intensive survey of the modern English literature written outside of the United Kingdom and the United States. The second semester of this course focuses on Caribbean nations such as Jamaica and Trinidad and African nations such as Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. Among the writers studied are V.S. Naipaul, Derek Walcott, Jean Rhys, Wole Soyinka, Nadine Gordimer, and Ngrugi ws Thiong'o. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Mr. Sheckels. Back to top
FLET 227 - The New German Cinema
This course is designed for both German majors and general FLET students. We will study content and form/techniques of ca. 12 films of the period between 1966 and 1990; the major directors, who are known for thier exploration of and experimentation with the film medium, include Alexander Kluge, Rainer Weiner Fassibinder, voker SChondorff, Margarethe von Trotta, Helma Sanders-Brahms, Wim Wenders, Werner Heroz, Helke Sander. The study of and discussion of these films will introduce students to the basics of film analysis and give them an overview of an important phase in history of modern German film, exposing them to cultural and political issues that faced Germany in the Cold War era. Offered every third year. Four hours. Ms. Eren. Back to top
PHIL 280 - Philosophy of Science
This course examines science as a distinctive way of approaching the world with a unique methodology associated with truth. How is this view of science to be justified? What are its historical orginis? Particular attention to the characterization of scientific objectivity and the views of knowledge and reality this entails. Topics include: logic and probability; rationality and irrationality, science and gender, relativism, objectivity and truth. Readings are primarily contemporary. Offered every third or fourth year. Three hours. Ms. Turney. Back to top
PHIL 305 � Philosophy of Emotion
Traditional conceptions of objectivity devalue the influence of emotion in rationality. This course examines a variety of approaches to thinking that insist on the importance of feeling. Topics include: emotion as a kind of judgment, self-deception and the problem of self-knowledge, mind-body dualism, and the politics of emotion. Readings from cognitive psychology, ethics and moral psychology, cultural anthropology and feminist theories of knowledge. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or consent of instructor. Speaking-intensive. Offered every third or fourth year. Three hours. Ms. Turney.
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PHIL 412 - 20th Century European Philosophy
This course focuses on the work of several important 20th-century philosophers in different traditions: Existential Phenomenology (Sartre, Heidegger, or de Beauvoir), Logical Positivism (Ayer or Carnap), the Philosophy of Language (Wittgenstein), Structionalism and Post-Structualism (Piaget, Foucault, and the New French Feminists). Prerequisite: Two courses in philosophy or consent of instructor. Once every second or third year. Three hours. Ms. Turney. Back to top
PSYC 180 - Prejudice, Privilege, and Social Transformations in South Africa
Co-taught by a professor of psychology and a professor of sociology, this course studies race issues, prejudice, and discrimination, especially in the South African context. Special emphasis will be placed on learning about the privileges or advantages that come with being white in both American and South African society. South Africa provides an ideal learning environment for students interested in studying race issues because the last decade has marked truly miraculous change in the “rainbow nation.” It has gone from being a nation steeped in struggle, revolt, and oppression be learned about the nature of oppression in historical, political, legal, economic, social and psychological context by studying in and about South Africa during this remarkable period of transition. This is an exclusive, travel course. Students will spend approximately two weeks in Johannesburg, South Africa and surrounding areas. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Ms. Klaaren. Back to top
RELS 275 - Liberation Theology
An examination of the development and expression of liberation theology through the study of representative writings emerging from current liberation movements (Blacks, Feminist, Latin American); theological and ethical resources on which they draw; the delineation of unresolved problems such as the liberation of oppressors and viable forms of political and social transformation. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Area Three: Religion and culture. Offered every three years. Three hours. Mr. Ross. Back to top
RELS 375 - Religion and Sexuality
Religion and Sexuality � An exploration of the theological dimension of human sexuality and how differing faith perspectives understand issues in sexuality. Concerns that face individuals and how these are framed through religious experience will be examined. Issues include the role of women in the church, AIDS, pornography, family life education, homosexuality, and abortion. Area Three: Religion and Culture. Three hours. Staff.
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SOCI 212 - Sociology of the Family
This course analyzes the structure and functions of the family, with emphasis on the changing nature of the family in our society. Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of family structures and to analyze values underlying family dynamics and change. Not open to students who have passes SOCI 412. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Mr. London. Back to top
SOCI 241 - Racial and Ethnic Relations
This course presents the major concepts and methods developed for gaining insight into dominant-minority relations. It considers the past and present positions of ethnic and racial minorities in historical and cross-cultural perspective. Offered every year. Three hours. Ms. Chesser. Back to top
SOCI 260 - Health, Healing and Gender in Ghana
This travel course provides an introduction to non-Western medical systems and how these articulate with Western systems in an attempt to develop an understanding of alternative beliefs and practices about health, illness and healing in Ghana, as well as to the role played by gender in each system and their articulation. Representative topics covered include: the role of traditional medicine in health care delivery; the roles of international organizations in health and their activities in global and Ghanaian health development; the health impact of regional and global economics. The role played by gender in each of these areas will be examined, as well as maternal and child health and the impact of gender on health, human rights. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Ms. Gill. Back to top
RELATED COURSES
ENGL 322 - The 18th Century Novel
An examination of the novel as it gradually developed into a major literary genre. The course considers the formative shorter fiction by Aphra Behn, Delariviere Manley, Jane Barker, Daniel Defoe, Penelope Aubin, Eliza Haywood, Mary Davys, Elizabeth Singer Rowe and the later more developed novels by Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, Frances Sheridan, and Fanny Burney. Three hours. Offered alternate years. Mr. Sheckels.
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ENGL 390 - Literary Criticism
Literary Criticism � An historically organized introduction to theoretical and practical criticism, emphasizing the New Criticism and later twentieth-century approaches to literature such as psychoanalytic, feminist, New Historical, and post-colonial criticism and those rooted in the thoughts or Bakhtin and Foucault. Three hours. Mr. Sheckels.
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PHIL 363 - Social and Political Philosophy
A consideration of the justification of political authority, fundamental social principles and the social policies that follow from them. Issues considered include: anarchism and political authority, freedom, justice and equality, rights, as well as such contemporary social controversies as reverse discrimination, free expression and censorship, property rights, and social welfare. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy (PHIL 212 recommended) or consent of instructor. Speaking intensive. Once every second or third year. Three hours. Mr. Beatty. Back to top
PSYC 165 - Aggression
This course examines aggression, particularly human aggression, from an interdisciplinary perspective. It analyzes the varieties, causes, and functions of aggressive behavior from the perspectives of learning theory, psychodynamic theory, and social psychology and from the biological perspectives of ethology and sociobiology. It also seeks to identify means of preventing unwarranted or excessive aggression. Topics may include dominance, territoriality, interspecific aggression, family abuse, community violence, enemy images, war, and terrorism. (Same as IDIS 165). Three hours. Mr. Wessells.
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PSYC 327 - Peace Psychology
As noted in the UNESCO Charter, war begins in the minds of people. By extension, peace must also begin in the minds of people. This course will examine the psychological processes that lead to war or peace, defined broadly to include not only the absence of war but also the creation of an equitable, just, sustainable social order. The course will challenge students to analyze the connections between individual and systematic processes and to think in an informed, critical manner in regard to psychological issues of peace. The course will examine topics such as positive and negative peace, peacemaking and peace building, ethnic conflict, misperceptions in international conflict, the psychology of negotiation and meditation, peace education, gender and peace, psychology and human rights, peace activism, and mental health in global context. Prerequisites: PSYC 200 and PSYC 300. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Mr. Wessells.
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SOCI 215 - Introduction to Anthropology
This course is an introduction to physical and cultural anthropology, with an emphasis on the diversity of cultures. The cultures studied range from preliterate to industrialized. Three hours. Mr. London. Back to top
SOCI 241 - Racial and Cultural Minorities
This course presents the major concepts and methods developed for gaining insight into dominant-minority relations. It considers the past and present positions of ethnic and racial minorities in historical and cross-cultural perspective. Three hours. Mr. Dennis. Back to top
SOCI 317 - Social Stratification
This course is an analysis of the structure and dynamics of systems of social stratification. Within the framework of classical and contemporary theories of social stratification (Marx, Weber, Pareto, Mills, and others), students consider the following topics: patterns of wealth distribution, power and prestige, and the sociologist�s methods of measuring these patterns; patterns of social mobility and change; the impact of inequality on society; and the future of inequality in American society. Other special topics may also be considered. Offered alternate years. Three hours. Mr. Dennis. Back to top