Overview
This course explores women, gender, and difference from feminist and anti-racist perspectives. Essentially, it is an introduction to topics and perspectives in gender studies, and students will examine the ways women's activism, politics, and experiences intersect with other gendered identifications such as race, location, class, (dis)ability, and sexuality. Topics considered include intersectional identities and social relations; men and masculinities; feminisms; gender performance; power and privilege; gender in a racialized, globalized world; embodied experience; sexuality; representations of gender in media and popular culture; and, strategies of resistance. No previous courses or experience in Gender Studies is required. GNDS 120 serves as an introduction to the Gender Studies program at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will have:
- Explored key topics, issues, activism and research in Gender Studies.
- Developed a critical understanding of the key issues central to different forms of feminism.
- Developed an intersectional understanding of gender, race, and class as formative social differences in your own life and in the lives of others.
You will have developed your abilities to:
- Elaborate different feminist viewpoints on gender difference;
- Apply an intersectional understanding of other key categories of social difference, such as class, race, sex, religion, age, citizenship, ethnicity.
- Describe how interlocking systems of oppression contribute to social inequality and marginalization.
- Employ strategies for thinking, working, and communicating together with others across difference.
Terms
Evaluation
25% - Quizzes (5 x 5%)
20% - Critical Reflection on Intersectionality  
30% - Group Digital Project
(Topic Submission – 10%)
(Final Submission – 20%)
25% - Final Essay
**Evaluation Subject to Change**
Textbook and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
Required Material
- Unit course notes, additional readings and videos (accessed through the course site on onQ)
Time Commitment
To complete the readings, assignments, and course activities, students can expect to spend, on average, about 10 - 12 hours per week (120 hours per term) on the course.