Women’s and Gender Studies (WMST)
Women’s and Gender Studies is distinguished by its interdisciplinary nature. The two central goals of Women’s and Gender Studies at Bucknell University are the examination of history, society, science, and culture from feminist theoretical perspectives, and the strengthening of analytical thinking and inquiry through special attention to women’s experiences, the construction of femininity and masculinity, the relations between women and men, and the differential power structures that create these social categories. The major and minor in Women’s and Gender Studies are designed to provide the breadth of exposure, critical perspective, and research tools necessary for understanding the social construction of gender in its relation to race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, disability, and age both in the past and present. The program of study frames questions of gender and feminisms in ways that connect the local to the global and promote an understanding of the relations of power among nations and cultural constituencies.
A major in Women’s and Gender Studies at Bucknell University may provide the first stage for graduate work in a number of disciplines. (Some departments at Bucknell offer courses at the graduate level in Women’s and Gender Studies.) It also offers a background for careers in local and state agencies addressing the needs of girls and women, and in fields such as journalism, law, medicine, international affairs, teaching, and personnel management, as well as in public and private corporations.
Major in Women's and Gender Studies
The minimum requirement for a major in Women’s and Gender Studies is eight courses. No more than two 100-level courses may count toward the major. Students majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies must distribute their courses as follows:
| Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Introduction to Feminist Theory in Practice 2 | ||
| Feminist Philosophy 2 | ||
| Select one of the following with a global focus: | 1 | |
| Passion/Perversion: Japan Film | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in South Asia | ||
| Global Feminism and Religion | ||
| Religions of the African Diaspora | ||
| Women and Development | ||
| Dance and Culture | ||
| Gender and Geography | ||
| Topics in Spanish | ||
| Select one of the following courses with a focus on the United States: | 1 | |
| Southern Exposure | ||
| Contemporary Religion: Race, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Queer Studies | ||
| Gender, Race and Poverty | ||
| Queering Christian Thought | ||
| Economic History of Women in the United States | ||
| Mating and Marrying in America | ||
| Women and the Penal System | ||
| Black Feminisms | ||
| Unsettling Memories | ||
| Three courses from the Women's and Gender Studies approved course list selected in consultation with a Women's and Gender Studies adviser | 3 | |
| Advanced Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies 3 | ||
| 1 | The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies urges majors to take WMST 150 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies as early as possible in their major coursework, as this requirement is designed to introduce students to a number of important subject areas that may be studied in greater depth in subsequent courses. This course includes formal instruction in information literacy within the major. |
| 2 | The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies urges majors to take WMST 220 Introduction to Feminist Theory in Practice or WMST 230 Feminist Philosophy/PHIL 230 Feminist Philosophy relatively early in their major coursework, as this requirement is designed to introduce students to a number of theoretical developments in the field that will be explored further in subsequent courses. These courses include formal instruction in writing within the major. |
| 3 | WMST 400 Advanced Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies serves as the Culminating Experience (CE) for majors. Organized on a “workshop” model, the seminar will focus on the production of an independent research project by each student, with common readings on the practice of feminist scholarship. The seminar will take students through the steps of defining a question, producing an extensive bibliography and literature review on the topic, constructing an argument of their own that is grounded in feminist theory, and supporting it with evidence drawn from primary or secondary materials. Students will develop and give formal presentations of their projects. |
Women’s and Gender Studies majors may participate in the honors program, subject to the general guidelines of the University Honors Council. Applications should be made to the Women’s and Gender Studies Coordinating Committee, after selecting an honors adviser from among the Women’s and Gender Studies faculty.
Women’s and Gender Studies Course List
The following courses are approved for the Women’s and Gender Studies major and minor.
| WMST 150 | Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| WMST 208 | The Red Brush: Women Writers in Imperial China | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 211 | Women In Judaism | 1 |
| WMST 212/ENLS 211 | Southern Exposure | 1 |
| WMST 214 | Sex, Lies and Capitalism | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 219 | Contemporary Religion: Race, Gender, and Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST 220 | Introduction to Feminist Theory in Practice | 1 |
| WMST 221/EAST 222 | Passion/Perversion: Japan Film | 1 |
| WMST 222 | Queer Studies | 1 |
| WMST/ECON 224 | African Women & Social Action | 1 |
| WMST/ENLS 225 | Modernism on the Margins: Race, Class and Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST/ENLS 226 | Prince-Pimp/Princess-Pornstar | 1 |
| WMST 227 | Race and Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST/PHIL 230 | Feminist Philosophy | 1 |
| WMST 231/PSYC 232 | Psychology of Women | 1 |
| WMST/ANTH 232 | Gender and Sexuality in South Asia | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 233 | Global Feminism and Religion | 1 |
| WMST/UNIV 234 | Transformative Dialogue and Social Justice | 1 |
| WMST/ECON 236 | Gender, Race and Poverty | 1 |
| WMST/CLAS 237 | Ethnicity, Gender, and Identity in Antiquity | 1 |
| WMST/POLS 238 | Women and Politics | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 239 | Queering Christian Thought | 1 |
| WMST/IREL 242 | Sex, Gender and Family during the Age of Empire | 1 |
| WMST/IREL 244 | Global Feminisms | 1 |
| WMST 245/CLAS 235/RELI 243 | Dying for God: Martyrs and Monks | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 248 | Religions of the African Diaspora | 1 |
| WMST 251 | Women and Development | 1 |
| WMST/ECON 253 | Gender and Migration | 1 |
| WMST/POLS 254 | Sex and Social Order | 1 |
| WMST/ENLS 263 | Sex and the Single Heroine | 1 |
| WMST 270 | Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| WMST/ANTH 271 | Dance and Culture | 1 |
| WMST/UNIV 274/RELI 275 | BU in Cape Town, South Africa. Addressing the Legacy of Apartheid through Social Justice Initiatives | 1 |
| WMST/EDUC 290 | Gender Issues in Education | 1 |
| WMST 318/ECON 319 | Economic History of Women in the United States | 1 |
| WMST 320 | Independent Studies | 1 |
| WMST/GEOG 324 | Geographies of Identity | 1 |
| WMST 325/HUMN 320 | History of Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST/SOCI 328 | Mating and Marrying in America | 1 |
| WMST/SOCI 332 | Women and the Penal System | 1 |
| WMST 333 | Black Feminisms | 1 |
| WMST/CLAS 334 | Women in Antiquity | 1 |
| WMST/ENLS 370 | Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| WMST/UNIV 371 | Dance, Culture and Politics | 1 |
| WMST 390 | Honors in Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| WMST 400 | Advanced Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| ANTH 270 | Sexuality and Culture | 1 |
| ANTH 315 | Sex and Sexualities | 1 |
| ARTH 201 | Renaissance Women:Gender and Sexuality | 1 |
| CLAS 250 | Topic in Classics (Sexuality and Eros in Antiquity) | 1 |
| CLAS 350 | Seminar on a Classical Topic (Women in the Ancient World) | 1 |
| ENLS 211 | Southern Exposure | 1 |
| ENLS 228 | Gender and Sexuality in America | 1 |
| ENLS 315 | Unsettling Memories | 1 |
| ENLS 370 | Seminar in 19th-century English Literature (Nineteenth-century Women Writers; Literature of Flirtation) | 1 |
| ENLS 393 | Seminar in Contemporary Drama (Feminism and Theatre) | 1 |
| FREN 220 | Women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Pre-Revolutionary Women) | 1 |
| FREN 395 | Seminar in French Studies (Women's Cinema) | 1 |
| FREN 395 | Seminar in French Studies (Ecrivaines Francophones) | 1 |
| GEOG 323 | Gender and Geography | 1 |
| GRMN 318 | Contemporary German Cinema | 1 |
| HIST 238 | Witchcraft and Magic in Europe | 1 |
| HIST 246 | Medieval Heresies and Heretics | 1 |
| HIST 247 | Topics in European History: 20th Century World Wars (Witches, Wenches, and Wives) | 1 |
| HIST 257 | Women and Revolution | 1 |
| HIST 258 | Topics in Women's and Gender History (Notions of Gender in Early Modern Europe) | 1 |
| HIST 279 | Topics in the History of Science and Medicine (Sex, Race, Science) | 1 |
| HIST 330 | European History (Fairy Tales as Historical Documents) | 1 |
| HIST 370 | History of Science and Medicine (Early Modern Body) | 1 |
| HUMN 330 | Studies in Autobiography | 1 |
| MUSC 213 | Women in Music | 1 |
| POLS 290 | Topics in Politics (Gendering International Relations) | 1 |
| PSYC 306 | Trauma Psychology | 1 |
| PSYC 373 | Psychology of Race and Gender | 1 |
| SOCI 241 | Marriages and Families in the 21st Century | 1 |
| SOCI 309 | How Holocausts Happen | 1 |
| SOCI 328 | Mating and Marrying in America | 1 |
| SPAN 295 | Topics in Spanish (Escritoras Hispanoamericanas) | 1 |
| SPAN 322 | Modern Spanish Literature (Spanish Women Writers) | 1 |
| SPAN 326 | Spanish Literature and Society of the 19th Century (Gender and Sexuality in Modern Spain) | 1 |
Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies
The minor in Women’s and Gender Studies requires five courses:
| WMST 150 | Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| Select one of the following courses with a global focus: | 1 | |
| Introduction to Feminist Theory in Practice | ||
| Passion/Perversion: Japan Film | ||
| Feminist Philosophy | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in South Asia | ||
| Global Feminism and Religion | ||
| Religions of the African Diaspora | ||
| Women and Development | ||
| Dance and Culture | ||
| Gender and Geography | ||
| Topics in Spanish | ||
| Select one of the following courses with a focus on the United States: | 1 | |
| Southern Exposure | ||
| Contemporary Religion: Race, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Queer Studies | ||
| Gender, Race and Poverty | ||
| Queering Christian Thought | ||
| Economic History of Women in the United States | ||
| Mating and Marrying in America | ||
| Women and the Penal System | ||
| Black Feminisms | ||
| Unsettling Memories | ||
| Two courses from the Women's and Gender Studies approved list | 2 | |
No more than two of the five courses for the minor may share a departmental designation other than WMST.
Study off campus and/or abroad is strongly encouraged for both majors and minors in Women’s and Gender Studies. Internships and field experience also are possible for course credit but should be planned and approved at least six months in advance of the semester in which they are to be taken.
Students wishing to declare a Women’s and Gender Studies major or minor should contact a Women’s and Gender Studies adviser.
Women’s and Gender Studies Course List
The following courses are approved for the Women’s and Gender Studies major and minor.
| WMST 150 | Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 211 | Women In Judaism | 1 |
| WMST 212/ENLS 211 | Southern Exposure | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 219 | Contemporary Religion: Race, Gender, and Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST 220 | Introduction to Feminist Theory in Practice | 1 |
| WMST 221/EAST 222 | Passion/Perversion: Japan Film | 1 |
| WMST 222 | Queer Studies | 1 |
| WMST/ECON 224 | African Women & Social Action | 1 |
| WMST 225/ENLS 224 | Modernism on the Margins: Race, Class and Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST 226 | Prince-Pimp/Princess-Pornstar | 1 |
| WMST 227 | Race and Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST/PHIL 230 | Feminist Philosophy | 1 |
| WMST 231/PSYC 232 | Psychology of Women | 1 |
| WMST/ANTH 232 | Gender and Sexuality in South Asia | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 233 | Global Feminism and Religion | 1 |
| WMST 234 | Transformative Dialogue and Social Justice | 1 |
| WMST/ECON 236 | Gender, Race and Poverty | 1 |
| WMST/CLAS 237 | Ethnicity, Gender, and Identity in Antiquity | 1 |
| WMST/POLS 238 | Women and Politics | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 239 | Queering Christian Thought | 1 |
| WMST 242 | Sex, Gender and Family during the Age of Empire | 1 |
| WMST 244 | Global Feminisms | 1 |
| WMST 245/CLAS 235/RELI 243 | Dying for God: Martyrs and Monks | 1 |
| WMST/RELI 248 | Religions of the African Diaspora | 1 |
| WMST 251 | Women and Development | 1 |
| WMST/ECON 253 | Gender and Migration | 1 |
| WMST/POLS 254 | Sex and Social Order | 1 |
| WMST/ENLS 263 | Sex and the Single Heroine | 1 |
| WMST 270 | Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| WMST/ANTH 271 | Dance and Culture | 1 |
| WMST 274/RELI 275 | BU in Cape Town, South Africa. Addressing the Legacy of Apartheid through Social Justice Initiatives | 1 |
| WMST/EDUC 290 | Gender Issues in Education | 1 |
| WMST 214 | Sex, Lies and Capitalism | 1 |
| WMST 318/ECON 319 | Economic History of Women in the United States | 1 |
| WMST 320 | Independent Studies | 1 |
| WMST/GEOG 324 | Geographies of Identity | 1 |
| WMST 325/HUMN 320/ENLS 394 | History of Sexuality | 1 |
| WMST/SOCI 328 | Mating and Marrying in America | 1 |
| WMST/SOCI 332 | Women and the Penal System | 1 |
| WMST 333 | Black Feminisms | 1 |
| WMST/CLAS 334 | Women in Antiquity | 1 |
| WMST/ENLS 370 | Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies (Nineteenth-centurey Women Writers, Literature of Flirtation) | 1 |
| WMST/UNIV 371 | Dance, Culture and Politics | 1 |
| WMST 390 | Honors in Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| WMST 400 | Advanced Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies | 1 |
| ANTH 270 | Sexuality and Culture | 1 |
| ARTH 201 | Renaissance Women:Gender and Sexuality | 1 |
| CLAS 250 | Topic in Classics (Sexuality and Eros in Antiquity) | 1 |
| CLAS 350 | Seminar on a Classical Topic (Women in the Ancient World) | 1 |
| ENLS 228 | Gender and Sexuality in America | 1 |
| ENLS 315 | Unsettling Memories | 1 |
| ENLS 370 | Seminar in 19th-century English Literature (Nineteenth-century Women Writers, Literature of Flirtation) | 1 |
| ENLS 393 | Seminar in Contemporary Drama (Feminism and Theatre) | 1 |
| FREN 220 | Women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Pre-Revolutionary Women) | 1 |
| FREN 395 | Seminar in French Studies (Ecrivaines Francophones) | 1 |
| FREN 395 | Seminar in French Studies (Women's Cinema) | 1 |
| GEOG 323 | Gender and Geography | 1 |
| GRMN 318 | Contemporary German Cinema (Contemporary German Cinema ) | 1 |
| HIST 238 | Witchcraft and Magic in Europe | 1 |
| HIST 246 | Medieval Heresies and Heretics | 1 |
| HIST 247 | Topics in European History: 20th Century World Wars (Witches, Wenches, and Wives; Women in Early Modern Europe) | 1 |
| HIST 257 | Women and Revolution | 1 |
| HIST 258 | Topics in Women's and Gender History (Notions of Gender in Early Modern Europe) | 1 |
| HIST 279 | Topics in the History of Science and Medicine (Sex, Race, Science) | 1 |
| HIST 330 | European History (Fairy Tales as Historical Documents) | 1 |
| HIST 370 | History of Science and Medicine (Early Modern Body) | 1 |
| HUMN 330 | Studies in Autobiography | 1 |
| IREL 200 | International Relations: Topics/Issues (Sex, Lies and Capitalism) | 1 |
| MUSC 213 | Women in Music | 1 |
| POLS 290 | Topics in Politics (Gendering International Relations) | 1 |
| PSYC 306 | Trauma Psychology | 1 |
| PSYC 373 | Psychology of Race and Gender | 1 |
| SOCI 241 | Marriages and Families in the 21st Century | 1 |
| SOCI 309 | How Holocausts Happen | 1 |
| SOCI 328 | Mating and Marrying in America | 1 |
| SPAN 295 | Topics in Spanish (Escritoras Hispanoamericanas) | 1 |
| SPAN 322 | Modern Spanish Literature (Spanish Women Writers) | 1 |
| SPAN 326 | Spanish Literature and Society of the 19th Century (Gender and Sexuality in Modern Spain) | 1 |
Upon graduation, Women’s and Gender Studies majors will:
- Cultivate knowledge of women’s lives, historically and in the present, in the U.S. and in other cultural contexts.
- Develop analytical facility with key Women's and Gender Studies concepts, including gender, sexuality, sexism, patriarchy, intersectionality, privilege and oppression.
- Cultivate knowledge of the range of, and key debates in, feminist theory.
Courses
WMST 150. Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Interdisciplinary introduction to the major theories, themes, methodologies, and issues of women's and gender studies.
WMST 208. The Red Brush: Women Writers in Imperial China. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
In this course we explore the writings of Chinese women from the 1st to the early 20th centuries, and discuss the changing social and historical contexts within which these women wrote, and the obstacles these women writers had to overcome in order to ensure that their voices were heard. Crosslisted as EAST 208.
WMST 211. Women In Judaism. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Survey of Jewish texts and films that focus specifically on women or use feminine imagery; considers feminist and historical-critical interpretations of the evolving role of Jewish women. Crosslisted as RELI 211.
WMST 212. Southern Exposure. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Twentieth-century literature of the American South. Probes the legacy of a culture that celebrated honor, but was built on slavery. Crosslisted as ENLS 211.
WMST 214. Sex, Lies and Capitalism. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
In this course – as we explore global patterns of inequality – we will rethink our habitual definitions of gender, race, sexuality, class, and human. This course employs feminist, queer, and critical race theory to investigate the myths, or socially-useful lies, that are essential to the functioning of global capitalism. Crosslisted as IREL 214.
WMST 219. Contemporary Religion: Race, Gender, and Sexuality. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Through historical, political, and sociological analysis, this course will study how sexuality, race, and gender issue are affecting contemporary religious thought. Crosslisted as RELI 219.
WMST 220. Introduction to Feminist Theory in Practice. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Explore the broad range of work that lays the intellectual and theoretical groundwork for contemporary feminist theory and politics, while providing student opportunities to experience such work critically through service learning experiences in the community. Prerequisite: WMST 150 or permission of the instructor.
WMST 221. Passion/Perversion: Japan Film. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3,Other:3
A discussion class in which numerous modern Japanese films are used to explore the representation of desire, both passionate and perverse. WARNING: explicit sexual content. Crosslisted as EAST 222.
WMST 222. Queer Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Fall Semester; Lecture hours:3
This course examines social construction frameworks for analyzing contemporary sexualities, gendered identities, and the discourses and practices that maintain them. It introduces students to queer theory and its application to a variety of political and cultural fields.
WMST 224. African Political Economy. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Analysis of topics in films and novels by Ousmane Sembene: pre-colonial history, colonialism, post-colonial independence, racial and gender oppression, worker exploitation, religious conflict, and modernization. Prerequisite: ECON 103. Crosslisted as ECON 224.
WMST 225. Modernism on the Margins: Race, Class and Sexuality. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Exploiting the exclusionary nature of "High Modernism," this course highlights literature on the margins of modernism, revealing literature's political investment in race, class, and sexuality. Crosslisted as ENGL 239.
WMST 226. Prince-Pimp/Princess-Pornstar. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:1
This course employs media studies to examine the role cultural texts - fairy tales, advertisements, music videos - play in shaping and reflecting gender roles and sexuality.
WMST 227. Race and Sexuality. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the constructions of and intersections between race and sexuality. It also investigates the ways that these identities/locations have informed understanding of inequality in the U.S. Crosslisted as AFST 227.
WMST 229. Women, Power and Politics. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course focuses on tools and concepts of gender analysis, the history of women’s movements, and issues such as work and family, sexuality, race and class, violence, health, leadership, politics, the military, and the arts. Open only to students in the Bucknell in Washington, D.C., program.
WMST 230. Feminist Philosophy. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
An examination of feminist philosophy primarily as it occurs in the U.S. from the late 18th century to the present. Prerequisite: PHIL 100 or WMST 150 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as PHIL 230.
WMST 231. Psychology of Women. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Considers experiences of girls and women, gender differences, attitudes toward women, and issues of particular concern to women such as domestic violence, body image, and sexual assault. Crosslisted as PSYC 232.
WMST 232. Gender and Sexuality in South Asia. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Explores issues of gender and sexuality in South Asia, primarily India and Sri Lanka. Topics include marriage, family, life cycle, religion and nationalism. Crosslisted as ANTH 232.
WMST 233. Global Feminism and Religion. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This course examines the relationship between developments in feminist thought and movements in various parts of the world and the array of religious ideologies and practices in those societies. Crosslisted as RELI 233.
WMST 234. Transformative Dialogue and Social Justice. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Students will explore the impact of systems of power at interpersonal, community, cultural, institutional and societal levels. Employing forms of dialogic communication designed for people to communicate across social, cultural and power differences, students will explore their own and other groups’ experiences, also identifying actions to address social justice issues. Crosslisted as UNIV 234.
WMST 236. Unemployment and Poverty. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
A study of the causes of unemployment and poverty in the United States and policies to generate full employment and eliminate poverty. Prerequisite: ECON 236 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ECON 236.
WMST 237. Ethnicity, Gender, and Identity in Antiquity. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Ancient Greek and Roman perceptions, both social and biological, of gender (including sexuality) and ethnicities. Includes discussion of the social position of women and other marginal members of society in antiquity. Crosslisted as CLAS 237.
WMST 238. Women and Politics. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3
An analysis of women and politics generally with specific focus on feminism and its relationship to political discourse and political action. Crosslisted as POLS 238.
WMST 239. Queering Christian Thought. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the relationship between queer theories, sexuality studies, and Christian theology. In addition to the concepts of gender, race and sexuality, it offers a survey of major topics in Christian thought, including God, love, justice, sin, and salvation. Crosslisted as RELI 239.
WMST 240. Cape Town, South Africa. Coping With the Legacy of Apartheid: Social Justice in Theory and Practice. 1 Credit.
Offered Summer Session Only; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces students to the historical, cultural, and economic factors that have been part of South Africa's apartheid past, offering them opportunities to explore and learn more about the varied steps taken by South Africans to move beyond the harsh realities of legal apartheid. Course counts as Integrative Perspectives.
WMST 241. Women in Chinese Literature. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This course examines various modes of representation of women in Chinese literature to understand China's literary past from a women-centered point of view. Crosslisted as EAST 241.
WMST 242. Sex, Gender and Family during the Age of Empire. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Despite their brutally violent nature, European empires were imagined as families consisting of European colonials and their “native” subjects. This course examines widow burning; imperialism and motherhood; mixed race families; European children and their colonial caregivers; British feminism; matriarchy and Islam; sexuality and the imperial archive; and imperial violence. Crosslisted as IREL 242.
WMST 243. Gender, Policy and Practice. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course focuses on gender-based policy and practice in relation to select social problems in the U.S. and globally (e.g., violence, trafficking, health, education, poverty, labor migration). This course is only open to students in the Bucknell in Washington, D.C., program.
WMST 244. Global Feminisms. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The course investigates the often conflicting meanings for the term “feminism” that cut across international feminist politics, academic debates and the local/global politics of place and identity. Crosslisted as IREL 244.
WMST 245. Dying for God: Martyrs and Monks. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Early Christians were attracted to dramatic narratives of suffering--whether about spectacular deaths in the arena or extreme self-denial in the desert. This course explores the world of martyrs and monks and considers how ancient ideals about pain, gender, and sexuality continue to influence Christian thinking about holiness and sainthood. Crosslisted as CLAS 235 and RELI 253.
WMST 248. Religions of the African Diaspora. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This course examines the historical development of African-derived or African-inspired religions in the African diaspora, including in the United States. It also examines the expansion and appropriation of major world religions into particular African diaspora communities. Crosslisted as RELI 248.
WMST 249. Women in Horror. 1 Credit.
Offered Summer Session Only; Lecture hours:3
This course aims to give students a specialized experience examining films of a particular type, from a particular genre. Students will explore questions surrounding the definition and development of horror cinema and its unique generic conventions, the role(s) of women within that genre. Crosslisted as UNIV 249.
WMST 251. Women and Development. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course examines the relationship between women and development, as an ideological, economic, political, and social enterprise. Crosslisted as ANTH 251.
WMST 253. Gender and Migration. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Role of gender in internal and international migration flows; economic restructuring; state policies; transnational domestic laborers and sex workers; and migration effects. Prerequisite: ECON 103. Crosslisted as ECON 253.
WMST 254. Sex and Social Order. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Analysis of connections between sex and social structure to determine how our understanding of sexuality is implicated in our political system, economy, and cultural ideology. Crosslisted as POLS 254.
WMST 263. Sex and the Single Heroine. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to the 18th-century novel, focusing on issues of gender, sexuality, and class, in a wide range of novels and contemporary conduct books. Crosslisted as ENLS 263.
WMST 266. Women Writing/Writing Women: Literature and Feminist Theory. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An introduction to feminist thought with a special emphasis on the way in which women theorize their gender through writing and the way gender intersects with other identity categories such as race, class, and sexuality in literature.
WMST 270. Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
A course on special topics of interest to faculty members, offered occasionally. Subject varies.
WMST 271. Dance and Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An exploration of dance as a cultural practice. Topics include: the body and movement; gender and sexuality; race and ethnicity; colonialism and nationalism; aesthetics, ritual and healing; globalization; representation. Crosslisted as ANTH 271.
WMST 273. Women Writing Culture. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the genre of ethnography as it has been used to examine women's lives and issues of gender around the world.
WMST 274. BU in Cape Town, South Africa. Addressing the Legacy of Apartheid through Social Justice Initiatives. 1 Credit.
Offered Summer Session Only; Lecture hours:3
This course introduces students to the historical, cultural, and economic factors that have been part of South Africa's apartheid past, offering them opportunities to explore and learn more about the varied steps taken by South Africans to move beyond the harsh realities of legal apartheid. Course counts as Integrative Perspectives. Crosslisted as RELI 275 and UNIV 274.
WMST 275. South Africa: Social Entrepreneurship. 1 Credit.
Offered Summer Session Only; Lecture hours:15
The course examines the legacy of apartheid and the role of social entrepreneurship in transforming communities. Students are placed in community organizations in nearby townships. May be crosslisted as ECON 270, MGMT 270, OR PSYC 270. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
WMST 290. Gender Issues in Education. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
An examination of how gender affects the teaching-learning process with an emphasis on theory, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. Prerequisite: EDUC 201 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as EDUC 290 and EDUC 690.
WMST 318. Economic History of Women in the United States. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Examination of the history of women in the U.S. economy, with particular attention to racial-ethnic and class differences among women. Prerequisites: ECON 256 or ECON 257 or ECON 258 or ECON 259 and permission of the instructor. Preference given to ECON and ECMA majors. Crosslisted as ECON 319.
WMST 320. Independent Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3; Repeatable
Independent study supervised by Women's and Gender Studies faculty member. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
WMST 324. Geographies of Identity. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Who are "we"? Seminar considers role of space in constituting society around the world. Explores nationalism, globalization, multiculturalism, citizenship, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, disability. Crosslisted as GEOG 324.
WMST 325. History of Sexuality. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
A cross-cultural and interdisciplinary examination of the signification of sexuality in literature, philosophy, scientific discourse, and the visual arts. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as HUMN 320 and ENLS 394.
WMST 328. Mating and Marrying in America. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This is a course on changing patterns in American courtship (dating), marriage, and family life from the 20th to the 21st century. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as SOCI 328.
WMST 332. Women and the Penal System. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the interface between inequality, crime, punishment, and justice, with an emphasis on women in the United States; the course is populated by both Bucknell students and incarcerated students at a nearby women's prison. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as SOCI 332.
WMST 333. Black Feminisms. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
This course explores the context, development, and outcomes of black feminists in the United States during the second half of the 20th century. Crosslisted as WMST 633.
WMST 334. Women in Antiquity. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3
Seminar-style examination of the lives of women in antiquity both real and imagined, as attested in a variety of ancient media. Crosslisted as CLAS 334. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
WMST 341. Transnational Queer Identities. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
This course examines, critiques, and interrogates notions of what is Queer as constructed in, and through, France and North America. Readings and discussions in English. Crosslisted as UNIV 341.
WMST 370. Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Advanced course on special topics of interest to faculty members, offered occasionally. Subject varies.
WMST 371. Dance, Culture and Politics. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
An exploration of dance as cultural and political practice. Topics include: colonialism; the politics of tradition; gender, ethnicity, and nationalism; dance and violence. Prerequisites: not open to first-year students or students who have taken ANTH 271 or WMST 271 Dance and Culture. Crosslisted as UNIV 371.
WMST 390. Honors in Women's and Gender Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Individual, special projects supervised by instructor, culminating in honors thesis. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
WMST 3NT. WMST Non-traditional Study. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies; Repeatable
Non-traditional study in WMST. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
WMST 400. Advanced Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
The seminar will focus on the production of an independent research project by each student, with common readings on the practice of feminist scholarship. Students will develop and give formal presentations of their projects. Prerequisites: open to seniors, juniors by permission, WMST 150 and WMST 220 or WMST 230/PHIL 230.
Faculty
Professor: Coralynn V. Davis
Associate Professor: Susan A. Reed (Chair)
Assistant Professor: Thelathia Nikotris Young
Visiting Assistant Professors: Erica Delsandro, Scott St. Pierre
Coordinating Committee: Coralynn V. Davis (Women's and Gender Studies), Erica Delsandro (Women's and Gender Studies), William F. Flack (Psychology), Sheila M. Lintott (Philosophy), Collin McKinney (Spanish), Emma Gaalaas Mullaney (International Relations), Anna Paparcone (Languages, Cultures & Linguistics-Italian), Susan A. Reed (Women's and Gender Studies), Scott St. Pierre (Women's and Gender Studies), B. Ann Tlusty (History), Thelathia Nikotris Young (Women's and Gender Studies)