UWM Undergraduate Catalog 2009-2010
College of Letters and Science
Women's Studies
- College of Letters and Science
- Center for Women's Studies
- Course of Study: Major
- Course of Study: Minor
- Faculty and Staff
- Courses: Women's Studies (WMNS)
Gwynne Kennedy, Associate Professor of English, Director
Women's Studies is an academic discipline that critically evaluates gender from an interdisciplinary perspective and challenges many traditional assumptions and theories about women that have excluded them from positions of power. It examines the practice and expression of gender in different societies and at different historical moments; it explores the various origins and articulations of gender differentiation; it traces the influence of gender expectations on individuals and it studies the interactions of gender and other differences in social, political, and cultural contexts. The feminist pedagogy used in Women's Studies courses empowers all students to become active learners and social change agents through discussion, written work, collaborative projects, and practical involvement beyond the classroom.
Students completing a BA with a major in Women's Studies will be able to analyze competing perspectives and integrate various bodies of knowledge across traditional academic boundaries. Students learn to identify and assess gender-based assumptions and biases and to recognize their consequences on an individual, social, and cultural level. Students develop critical thinking skills as they examine the process of acquiring knowledge and learn to question not only the answers, but the questions as well. Women's Studies courses complement and enhance the training students receive in liberal arts and the professions. They may be taken to fulfill General Education requirements or as part of the offerings in many departments.
Women's Studies prepares students for careers in nonprofit organizations, business, the creative arts, education, government and public policy, journalism, law, medicine, publishing, science, the social sciences, and social work. Students who major or minor in Women's Studies are equipped for graduate study in many fields, including the social sciences, humanities, and professions. Students may combine their interest in Women's Studies with many of the certificate programs offered at UWM or with another departmental major.
Students who are interested in the major or minor should consult with the Center for Women’s Studies to make a formal declaration. For additional information, please contact the Center for Women's Studies, located in BOL 735, by phone at (414) 229-5918 or on the web at http://www4.uwm.edu/cws/.
The Women’s Studies major requires 33-34 credits drawn from women’s studies core and cross-listed classes. Students must complete six credits in humanities courses and six credits in social sciences courses approved for women’s studies credit. It is recommended that students also complete three credits in the natural sciences and three credits in the fine arts. At least 15 credits in the major must be taken in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in residence at UWM. Completion of Wmns 411 and either Wmns 500 or 501 satisfies the L&S research requirement. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 in UWM major courses attempted. In addition, the College requires that students attain a 2.5 GPA in all major courses attempted, including transfer work. They should consult regularly with their advisor in women’s studies about their course of study.
Majors must complete the following courses offered through Women’s Studies:
| Wmns 200* | Introduction to Women's Studies: A Social Science Perspective | 3 |
| or | ||
| Wmns 201** | Introduction to Women’s Studies: A Humanities Perspective | 3 |
| Wmns 401* | Global Feminisms | 3 |
| Wmns 410** | Feminist Theory | 3 |
| Wmns 411 (400)* | Women's Studies Research and Methods: (Subtitle) | 3 |
| Wmns 489* | Feminism in the City: Internship in Women's Studies | 4 |
| or | ||
| Wmns 699 | Independent Reading (taken in the senior year) | 1-3 |
| or |
| Any upper-level (numbered 300 and above) Wmns or Women's Studies-related course approved by the Women's Studies director or assistant director (undergraduate advisor) |
| Wmns 500* | Advanced Social Science Seminar in Women's Studies | 3 |
| or | ||
| Wmns 501** | Advanced Humanities Seminar in Women's Studies | 3 |
*Counts toward the major’s social science requirement
**Counts toward the major’s humanities requirement
An additional 15 credits, to reach a total of 33-34 credits, selected from Wmns courses and/or crosslisted courses offered by other departments.
Women's Studies majors who have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA overall, 3.5 GPA in courses taken for the major, and a 3.5 GPA in advanced-level (numbered 300 and above) courses that count toward the major are eligible to graduate with honors in the major. Students who believe they may qualify to graduate with honors in the major should apply to the Assistant Director of the Center for Women's Studies.
Students who minor in Women’s Studies are required to take 18 credits drawn from women’s studies and crosslisted courses, at least 9 credits of which must be completed in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in residence at UWM. Students are required to complete six credits in humanities courses and six credits in social science courses approved for women’s studies credit. In addition, students must attain a 2.5 GPA in all minor courses attempted, including transfer work. The following courses are required for the minor:
| Wmns 200* | Introduction to Women’s Studies: A Social Science Perspective | 3 |
| or | ||
| Wmns 201** | Introduction to Women’s Studies: A Humanities Perspective | 3 |
| Wmns 401* | Global Feminisms | 3 |
| Wmns 410** | Feminist Theory | 3 |
*counts toward the minor’s social science requirement
**counts toward the minor’s humanities requirement
Courses: Women's Studies (WMNS)
Cross-Listed Courses
The following courses, among others, are crosslisted as electives for the Women’s Studies major and minor. In some cases, only specific subtitles of variable content courses are approved, and those subtitles are indicated in the course list. The program advisor can provide the most current list of electives.
College of Letters and Science
| Africol 250 | Black Women and White Women in the Contemporary United States | 3 |
| Africol 344 | Movements and Organizations in the Afroworld | 3 |
| Africol 350 | The Black Family | 3 |
| Africol 351 | Sex, Marriage, and Health Care in the Afroworld | 3 |
| Africol 352 | Extended Families in Black Societies | 3 |
| Africol 414 | The Black Woman in America, Africa, and the Caribbean | 3 |
| Africol 417 | Race, Class, and Gender in Southern Africa | 3 |
| Africol 418 | Race, Class, and Gender in the Caribbean | 3 |
| Africol 565 | Selected Texts/Topics in Africology: (The Novels of Toni Morrison subtitle) | 3 |
| Anthro 250 | Women’s Roles in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 3 |
| Anthro 381 | Honors Seminar: (Gender and Archaeology subtitle) | 3 |
| Anthro 641 | Seminar in Anthropology: (Women and Development; Lives of American Indian Women subtitles) |
3 |
| ArtHist 306 | Film Analysis II: Method and Theory: (Women and Cinema emphasis ) | 3 |
| ArtHist 307 | Film Directors: (Films by Women subtitle) | 3 |
| ArtHist 470 | Topics in American Art: (American Women Artists subtltle) |
3 |
BioSci 206 |
Biology of Women |
3 |
Bio Sci 380 |
Honors Seminar: (Contraception and Reproductive Technology subtitle) |
3H |
Bio Sci 675 |
Physiology of Reproduction |
3 |
Commun 401 |
Communication in Marital and Family Relationships |
3 |
Commun 402 |
Gender and Communication |
3 |
CompLit 230 |
Literature and Society: (Women Writers: Women and the Urban Jungle subtitle) |
2-4 |
CompLit 231 |
Literature and Religion: (with appropriate subtitle) |
2-4 |
CompLit 232 |
Literature and Politics: (Women Writers Challenging History subtitle) |
2-4 |
CompLit 233 |
Literature and Film: (Portraits of Women in Novels, Plays, and Films subtitle) |
2-4 |
CompLit 320 |
Literature of the Medieval World: (The Two Worlds of Women subtitle) |
3 |
CompLit 350 |
Topics in Comparative Literature: (Versions of Sappho subtitle) |
3 |
CompLit 410 |
Classical Backgrounds of Modern Literature: (Feminist Theory and the Revision of Myths subtitle) |
3 |
CompLit 504 |
Seminar in the Novel: (Women Writers Across Borders subtitle) |
3 |
CompLit 533 |
Seminar in Trends in Modern Literature: (H.D. Colette, and Feminism; Sexualities and Spaces subtitles) |
3 |
| Econ 248 | Economics of Discrimination | 3 |
| English 192 | Freshman Seminar: (Thinking and Writing about the Family; Feminist Writing subtitles) | 3 |
| English 240 | Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture: (Rhetorics of Feminism subtitle) | 3 |
| English 243 | Introduction to Literature by Women: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| English 245 | The Life, Times, and Works of a Literary Artist: (The Novels of Louise Erdrich subtitle) | 3 |
| English 248 | Literature and Contemporary Life: (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Introduction to Gay and Lesbian Studies; 20th Century Gay and Lesbian Literature; Science Fiction, Mysticism, and Women Writers; Reading the Witch) |
3 |
| English 276 | Introduction to American Indian Literature: (The Women’s Voice subtitle) | 3 |
| English 277 | Introduction to Ethnic Minority Literature: (African-American Women Writers; Asian American Women Writers subtitles) |
3 |
| English 293 | Literature and Media: (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Romantic Fictions; Representations of Gender and Homosexuality in Print and Film) |
3 |
| English 295 | Women and Film | 3 |
| English 312 | Topics in Film Studies: (Camp and Film subtitle) | 3 |
| English 316 | World Cinema: (Women’s International Production subtitle) | 3 |
| English 320 | Studies in Film Authorship: (Stars, Scriptgirls, and Other Reel Women subtitle) | 3 |
| English 360 | The Art of Poetry: (Emily Dickinson subtitle) | 3 |
| English 380 | Media and Society: (Sexuality and Representation subtitle) | 3 |
| English 392 | Contemporary Film Criticism and Theory: (Queer Theory, Film, & Video subtitle) | 3 |
| English 395 | Feminist Film Criticism and Theory: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| English 463 | Major Figures in African-American Literature: (Toni Morrison and Gloria Naylor subtitle) | 3 |
| English 465 | Major Women Writers: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| English 507 | Studies in Literature, 1900 to the Present: (Women’s Innovative Poetry, 1930 to the Present subtitle) |
3 |
| English 517 | Studies in African-American Literature: (Black Women in Fiction & Film subtitle) | 3 |
| English 547 | Studies in Theory and Criticism: (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Feminist Literary Theory; Feminism and Gender Studies) |
3 |
| English 623 | Seminar in American Literature: (American Women Regionalists subtitle) | 3 |
| English 627 | Seminar in Literature and Culture: (Women and Anger in Literature subtitle) | 3 |
| English 628 | Seminar in Literature by Women: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| English 629 | Seminar in Literature and Sexuality: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| English 631 | Seminar in African-American Literature: (Images of Black Women in African-American Fiction and Film subtitle) |
3 |
| English 685 | Honors Seminar: (Romance Plot in Fiction by British Women, 1800-2000; Chinese American Women Writers subtitles) | 3 |
| Ethnic 250 | Selected Topics in Ethnic Studies: (Cultural Symbols, Feminist Rhetoric, and the Construction of Female Sexuality; WICCA and Neopaganism – Philosophies and Practices subtitles) | 3 |
| FilmStd 212 | Intermediate Topics in Film Studies: (Gender Passing and Film Narrative subtitle) | 3 |
| German 305 | German Life and Literature: (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Women and the Holocaust) | 3 |
| Hebr St 192 | Freshman Seminar: (Sex, Lies, and the Bible subtitle) | 3 |
| Hebr St 254 | Studies in Hebrew Culture: (Women in the Bible in Translation subtitle) | 3 |
| Hebr St 332 | Women in the Bible | 3 |
| Hist 141 | The Family and Sex Roles in the Past | 3 |
| Hist 200 | Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues: (Women in Modern Asia subtitle) | 3 |
| Hist 241 | Women and Gender in Europe: 1350 to 1750 | 3 |
| Hist 242 | Women and Gender in Europe: 1750 to the Present | 3 |
| Hist 243 | History of Women in American Society | 3 |
| Hist 246 | Homosexuality in History | 3 |
| Hist 367 | Women in Soviet Society: A Historical Survey | 3 |
| Hist 370 | Topics in the History of Religious Thought: (Women in Asian Religions subtitle) | 3 |
| Hist 373 | Topics in Gender and History: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| Hist 398 | Honors Seminar: (Gender and Power in the Renaissance subtitle) | 3H |
| Hist 468 | The American Feminist Movement | 3 |
| Hist 474 | Topics in North American Indian History: (Gender in North American Indian History subtitle) | 3 |
| Hist 600 | Seminar in History: (Social Justice Movements in America Since 1945; Gender, Technology, and the Body in Modern Europe subtitles) |
3 |
| Honors 200 | Honors Seminar: The Shaping of the Modern Mind (The Family in Twentieth-Century Literature subtitle) |
3H |
| Intl St 350 | Regional Seminar in International Studies (Women in Israel subtitle) | 3 |
| Italian 265 | Italian Women’s Studies: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| JMC 460 | Gender and Media | 3 |
| JMC 660 | Contemporary Issues in Mass Communication: (Race, Gender, and Media subtitle) | 3 |
| Linguis 212 | Language and Gender | 3 |
| Philos 235 | Philosophical Aspects of Feminism | 3 |
| Philos 244 | Ethical Issues in Health Care: (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Reproduction and Genetic Technology; Violence and the Health Care System) |
3 |
| Philos 453 | Special Topics in the History of Modern Philosophy: (Women Philosophers subtitle) | 3 |
| Philos 535 | Philosophical Topics in Feminist Theory: (all subtitles) | 3 |
| Philos 562 | Special Topics in Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy: (Personhood and the Abortion Issue subtitle) |
3 |
| Pol Sci 225 | Women in Politics |
3 |
| Pol Sci 333 | Seminar in Comparative Politics: (Gender and Development subtitle) | 3 |
| Pol Sci 389 | Politics and Philosophy: (Feminist Political Theory subtitle) | 3 |
| Pol Sci 464 | Women and the Law | 3 |
| Pol Sci 471 | Problems in Law Studies: (Law and Sexuality; Women, the Workplace, and the Law; Civil Rights Movements subtitles) |
3 |
| Portugs 380 | Luso-Brazilian Literature in Translation: (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Luso-Brazilian Women Writers: The Short Story) | 3 |
| Psych 193 | Freshman Seminar: (Infant Development: Well Babies and Mothers; Domestic Violence in the 1990s subtitles) | 3 |
| Psych 319 | Gay and Lesbian Psychology | 3 |
| Psych 320 | Psychology of Women | 3 |
| Psych 380 | Honors Seminar: (Feminist Approaches in Psychology subtitle) | 3H |
| Psych 611 | Current Topics in Psychology: (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Feminist Perspectives in Psychoanalysis; Etiology and Treatment of Eating Disorders) | 1-4 |
| Sociol 250 | Sex and Gender | 3 |
| Sociol 255 | Sociology of Sexuality | 3 |
| Sociol 260 | The Family and Intimate Relationships | 3 |
| Sociol 440 | Sociology of the Family | 3 |
| Sociol 475 | Seminar in Feminist Social Theory | 3 |
| Sociol 495 | Seminar in Sociology: (The Social Construction of Female Affiliation subtitle) | 3 |
| Spanish 192 | Freshman Seminar: (Latin American Women Writers subtitle) | 3 |
| Spanish 373 | Topics in Latino Literature in English: (Latina Writers subtitle) | 3 |
| Spanish 401 | Medieval Literature: (Love, Misogyny and Feminism in Spanish Medieval Literature subtitle) |
3 |
| Spanish 405 | Golden Age Literature: (Women, Power, and Authority subtitle) | 3 |
| Spanish 507 | Seminar in Spanish-American Literature: (Latin American Women Writers subtitle) | 3 |
School of Architecture and Urban Planning
Urban Planning
| UrbPlan 692 | Special Topics in Urban Planning: (Women and Urban Living, Implications for Planning subtitle) | 1-3 |
Peck School of the Arts
| Art 249 | Painting and Drawing Workshop: (A Study of Women in the Visual Arts subtitle) | 1-3 |
| Art 309 | Issues in Contemporary Art: ( Contemporary Women Artists subtitle) | 3 |
| Art 449 | Painting and Drawing Workshop: (Women in the Visual Arts subtitle) | 1-3 |
| Music 449 | Women in Music | 3 |
School of Business Administration
| Bus Adm 441 | Diversity in Organizations | 3 |
| Bus Adm 443 | Special Topics in Human Resources Management: (Diversity in Organizations subtitle) | 3 |
School of Education
| Ad Ldsp 579 | Current Topics in Administrative Leadership: (Women and Leadership: Critical Perspectives subtitle) |
1-3 |
| Ed Pol 511 | Workshop in Foundations of Human Relations: (Domestic Violence subtitle) | 1-3 |
| Ed Pol 522 | Abusive Relationships: Community Problems, Community Solutions | 3 |
| Ed Pol 579 | Current Topics in Cultural Foundations of Education: (Women’s Activism: Beijing in Your Backyard subtitle) |
1-6 |
College of Nursing
| Nursing 327 | Nursing Science III: Health Concepts – Women and Children | 4 |
School of Social Welfare
| Crm Jst 385 | Women and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Crm Jst 416 | Domestic Violence Research | 3 |
| Soc Wrk 591 | Special Topics: Social Welfare and Social Work – (with appropriate subtitle, e.g., Family Violence; Women and Aging; Women and Poverty) |
1-3 |
| Soc Wrk 630 | Women, Poverty, and Welfare Reforms | 2-3 |
| Soc Wrk 640 | Women and Aging: Issues, Concerns, Prospects | 2 |
| Soc Wrk 660 | Women's Issues in Human Services | 2 |
Faculty and Staff
Carolyn Eichner, Assoc. Prof., Ph.D., History
University of California, Los Angeles
Gwynne Kennedy, Assoc. Prof., Ph.D., English, Director
University of Pennsylvania
Anna Mansson McGinty, Asst. Prof., Ph.D., Geography
Lund University, Sweden
Kathleen Miller-Dillon, Sr. Admin. Prog. Spec.
Andrea Westlund, Asst. Prof., Ph.D., Philosophy
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
[ College of Letters and Science ]
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Undergraduate Catalog 2009-2010:
Women's Studies
[ College of Letters and Science ]
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