WGS 101. Field Guide to Gender and Sexuality Studies. (1.5-3 h)

An opportunity to experience and reflect analytically in writing on the diverse cultural and intellectual life of Wake Forest, with an emphasis on women's, and gender, and sexuality studies events and topics. Only offered for 1.5 or 3 hours.

WGS 121. Feminist Leadership Project. (1.5-3 h)

Explores the principles of feminist leadership to deepen self-awareness about personal leadership skills and gain tools for creating feminist social change. This highly interactive class welcomes students who are new to feminist thought/activism as well as those seeking to deepen their engagement with feminism. Pass/fail only. Only offered for 1.5 or 3 hours.

WGS 122. Inclusive Leadership Project. (1.5-3 h)

Open to participants in the LGBTQ Center's Change Agent program. Participants will explore principles of identity development (individual and community), queer and feminist theories of leadership and change, understanding gender and sexuality as frameworks for community organizing and social change, and development and implementation of a final change related project. Pass/fail only. Only offered for 1.5 or 3 hours. P-Prerequisite override required.

WGS 125. Ending Violence Leadership Project. (1.5-3 h)

Provides students with an intersectional overview of gender-based violence, and teaches them to design and implement community-engaged educational programs on this topic. Only offered for 1.5 or 3 hours.

WGS 150. Perspectives in Gender and Sexuality. (3 h)

Introduces feminism as a lens of analysis; gender, sexuality, and other social categories as social constructs; sexism, heterosexism, and other social systems as systems of oppression; and intersectionality as a lens of analysis. Topics of the course will vary based on the instructor. (D)

WGS 210. Transnational Asia and Asian American Feminism. (3 h)

Analyzes historical, socio-political, and cultural events as well as contemporary issues structuring the lives of Asian American women and queer community. Students will learn intersectional and transnational feminist approaches to examine race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, and kinship in Asian American art and activism.

WGS 212. (In)Visible Women. (3 h)

Explores black and brown women’s political, social and cultural experiences. Students will analyze how laws, social norms, cultural traditions, education practices and labor expectations attempt to make women (in)visible and how they use artistic expressions, activism and media to organize, resist, and thrive.

WGS 214. Gender and Sexuality in World History. (3 h)

Introduces the global and historical breadth of gender and sexual systems. Foundational and current approaches to cross-cultural historical analysis of masculinity, women’s rights, and differences between LGBTQ identities and other models. Also listed as HST 114. (CD, D, SWC)

WGS 220. Theory and Practice of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. (3 h)

Examines the major themes and terminology in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, with focus on its diverse and multicultural expressions through time. Themes to be explored include schools of feminism, interlocking systems of oppression and the connection between theory and practice. (EI)

WGS 222. Sexuality Studies. (3 h)

Provides an interdisciplinary grounding in the foundations of queer culture and studies, with a critical interrogation of sex, gender, sexuality, pleasure, and embodiment in popular culture, literature, health, science, and politics. (CD, POR)

WGS 223. Introduction to Feminist Theory. (3 h)

This introductory course examines key issues, questions, and concepts in feminist thought and women’s movements, which reflect a wide range of perspectives and methodologies from abolitionism to transnationalism.(D)

WGS 224. Readings in Queer Theology. (1.5 h)

This seminar-syle reading course surveys classic and new works in queer theology. Queer theology transgresses dominant constructions of gender identity and sexuality; and as scuh, it can be seen as an expression of the Christian gospel that subverts human understandings of life, community, and the divine. The course explores biblical and Christian theological perspectives on sexuality, social constructions of sexuality, and issues such as power, marriage equality, and sexual ethics.

WGS 230. Studies in Gender and Literature. (3 h)

Addresses ways in which gender and literacy practices intersect in various cultures and historical periods. Attention will be paid to the role of literature in formulating, subverting, or resisting gender norms. May be repeated for credit if topic differs.

WGS 232. Men, Masculinity and Power. (3 h)

Offers an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of masculinity studies. Students examine the social, historical, and cultural construction of masculinity and male roles, considering how these constructions vary according to race, class, and sexuality. Students investigate possibilities for challenging hegemonic forms of masculinity and for creating new types of masculinity. (POR)

WGS 234. Sexual Revolutions!. (3 h)

Examines how conflicts around gender and sexuality plays/played out domestically and globally in both the popular and high culture of the time. Can be repeated if the topic changes.

WGS 236. Gender, Sexuality, Inequality and the Brain. (3 h)

Examines the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, and neuroscience. Topics include sexed brains, 'gay' versus 'straight' brains, and the neuroscience of racism. Students analyze scientific papers and WGSS texts, exploring how neuroscience shapes media and politics. No prior knowledge of neuroscience or gender studies is needed.

WGS 250. Democracy From the Margins. (3 h)

Explores the politics and leadership practices of Black femmes, girls, and women and how they work to catalyze democratic change. (CD, POR)

WGS 251. Race and Ethnic Diversity in America. (3 h)

Different race and ethnic experiences are examined through an institutional approach that examines religion, work, schooling, marriage patterns, and culture from cross-cultural perspective. Grand theoretical schemes like the "melting pot" are critiqued for their relevance in an age of new cultural expectations among the many American ethnic groups. Also listed as AES 251. (CD, POR)

WGS 259. Migration and Citizenship. (3 h)

Critically examines the practices of state-defined citizenship and its effects on migrant people. We will explore the complex dynamics of migration, exploring how borders, gender, race, and nationalism intersect to define who gets to belong while looking at examples of resistance movements led by migrants that challenge these barriers.

WGS 271. Making Sense of the News Through a Feminist Le. (1-3 h)

Inquiry into news literacy from a feminist perspective, with the intention to identify gender bias and consider questions of empowerment, exclusion, consumerism, and how to navigate the digital landscape to distinguish verified, reliable news from propaganda.

WGS 300. Gender and Sexuality in Literary Adaptations. (1.5-3 h)

Focuses on understanding the relationship between written literature (novel, play, short story, poem) and its adaptation to another genre or medium (film, painting, video game, song, etc.) through the lens of gender and sexuality. Only offered for 1.5 or 3 hours.

WGS 301. Feminist Political Thought. (3 h)

Introduction to feminist thought and its implications for the study and practice of political theory. Topics include feminist critiques of the Western political tradition and schools of feminist political theory. Also listed as POL 277. (CD, POR)

WGS 302. Feminist Philosophy. (3 h)

Examination of feminist approaches to philosophical theorizing. Topics may include feminist critiques of the scope and methods of mainstream philosophy, feminist approaches to ethics, epistemology and philosophy of language, and feminist conceptions of the self, sexuality, and moral agency. Also listed as PHI 379. P-one PHI course or prerequisite override required.

WGS 303. When Black Women Clap Back. (3 h)

Exploration of how Diasporic Black women talk back to institutional practices that marginalize them, and how Black women engage in the necessary labor to make a more democratic society. (CD)

WGS 305. Transgender History, Identity, and Politics in the U.S.. (3 h)

This course explores the experiences of and responses to transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGI) people in nineteenth-and twentieth-century America. We will examine how scientific/medical authorities, legal authorities, and everyday people have understood and responded to various kinds of gender non-conformity. Same as HST 371. (CD)

WGS 306. Queer Public Histories. (3 h)

Explores how public history projects (oral histories, museums, archives, documentaries) document gay, lesbian, and queer communities in the U.S. Discusses how historical and contemporary LGBTQ stories have been collected and examines the various queer identities that emerge through this process. Same as HST 372. (POR)

WGS 309. Environmentalism, the Humanities, and Gender. (3 h)

Survey of the global spread of Environmentalism, with an emphasis on its evolution as a disciplinary field that includes eco-feminism and feminist perspectives on the environment. Topics include the investigation of women's roles in environmental history and the construction of global environmental narratives. Also listed as HMN 292.

WGS 310. Gender, Power and Violence. (3 h)

Using an intersectional approach, this class explores various issues related to violence, power, and gender in society. May be repeated for credit if the topic changes. (CD)

WGS 311. Geeks, Girlies, and Fangirls: Gender, Race, and Belonging in Online and Fan Communities.. (3 h)

This course, using intersectional, fan, and internet studies, explores how media/digital audiences are policed across platforms and how marginalized communities challenge dominant power structures.

WGS 318. Film Lab in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. (1.5-3 h)

Viewing, dissecting, and analyzing films. Fosters the skills to create complex cinematic analyses and explore feminist theoretical issues related to spectatorship.

WGS 319. Women Playwrights. (3 h)

Examination of selected plays and/or performance texts by women. Focus varies, for example, looking at works by contemporary American women or early women dramatists such as Hrosvitha, Sor Juana, and Aphra Behn. Also listed as THE 373. (CD)

WGS 322. Feminist, Womanist, Murjerista Theologies: Constructive Perspectives on Christian Thought. (3 h)

Examines major topics in Christian theology from African American (womanist), Latina/Hispanic (mujerista), and queer perspectives.

WGS 326. Women and Leadership. (3 h)

Analyzes core issues related to women in leadership through an intersectional lens, integrating diverse perspectives and methodologies to deepen the understanding of challenges and opportunities faced by women in leadership. May be repeated if topic changes.

WGS 327. The Feminist Book Society. (1.5-3 h)

A reading course designed to introduce students to classic and contemporary feminist texts. Emphasis on close reading, discussions, and writing. May be repeated for credit if texts differ. Only offered for 1.5 or 3 hours.

WGS 329. Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality. (3 h)

Examines cultural constructions of gender and sexuality from a cross-cultural perspective and the relationship between gender and sexuality and anthropology through time. Emphasizes how varied forms of feminisms are constituted within diverse social, cultural, and economic systems. Also listed as ANT 329.

WGS 330. Gender and the Politics of Health. (3 h)

Examines the intersections of gender, medicine, health, and illness, with a focus on the U.S. context. Topics include: reproduction, mental illness, breast cancer, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS, among others. We explore the following questions: How have women and men interacted differently with the field of medicine, as healers, patients, and subjects of medical research? How do social and cultural norms about gender influence the definition of illness categories? What role does medicine play in defining and enforcing the boundaries of what is considered socially acceptable in terms of gender? How does gender as a social role affect health outcomes? (POR)

WGS 333. Sexual Politics in the United States. (3 h)

Explores the politics of sexuality in the United States. Drawing on feminist scholarship, queer theory, and lesbian, gay, and transgender studies, we will explore different historical and theoretical approaches to thinking about issues of power and sexuality. We will discuss sexual identities and cultures, state regulation of sexuality, sexual commerce, and cultural representations of sexuality, among other topics. Throughout we will examine how other social categories such as race, class, gender, and disability intersect with the politics of sexuality.

WGS 345. Girls Gone Wild: A Century of Misbehavior. (3 h)

Analyzes the changing perceptions of “bad” and “wild” girls and women from the twentieth to twenty-first centuries. Engaging with various forms of media, this course will explore the differences between sexual objectification and subjectivity, the impact of race and queerness, and how gender roles affect behavior for both men and women.

WGS 346. Visual Narratives: Image, Sequence, Story. (3 h)

Investigates the relationship of image, sequence, and story in typography, comics, woodcut novels, and photographic books, and film, as well as fiction and poetry with unusual visual elements, and then asks how these various elements offer different visual and textual expressions of sexuality. Students will conduct formalist analyses and further investigate visual narrative through creative exercises with the goal of developing an aesthetic sensibility and a technical vocabulary that enable them to discuss visual narrative with precision. Please note that some visual narratives will include graphic scenes of sexuality.

WGS 349. Invert, Pervert, Bull Dagger, Queen: Queer Fiction in the 20th Century. (3 h)

Explores the history of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, the transgendered, and other queers as articulated by and about them in various media in the twentieth century. Topics include the relationship between homosexual desire and queerness, LGBTQ+ children, biological and psychological understandings of sexual orientation, and how social construction informs sexual identity and desire.

WGS 358. Mothers and Daughters. (3 h)

A course that examines literature, psychology, and feminist theories on motherhood and the mother-daughter relationship.

WGS 359. Trans History, Machismo, and Sex Work in Latin America. (3 h)

Explores the history of gender and sexuality across 20th century Latin America and the Caribbean. Applies new theoretical developments in gender, masculinity, and trans and queer studies to the region's history of race, revolutions, migrations, dictatorships, and social movements. Also listed as HST 359.(CD)

WGS 362. Feminism and Theatre. (3 h)

Introduces students to the intersection of theater and feminism and experience its interdisciplinary lineage and academic interventions. Students will learn and apply feminist theory, which looks beyond the conventional theater for a continuum of performance that includes play, ritual, sport, everyday life and social roles, as well as performance art, global and intercultural performance. Engaging with various feminist theoretical approaches from radical and liberal feminism to intersectional and transnational feminism, students will be encouraged to critically examine race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and nationality expressed on and offstage.

WGS 363. Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Asia. (3 h)

Examines gender and sexuality in TV, film, pop culture, protests, and everyday performances, focusing on diverse socio-political issues within and across Asia. Topics include: the evolution of feminism, #metoo movement, LGBTQ cultures, sex work, aging, plastic surgery industry, postcolonial and Intra-Asia conflicts, and transpacific affinities. (CD)

WGS 364. Women of Color, Feminisms, and the Politics of Resistance in the U.S.. (3 h)

Explores the importance of intersectionality between race, gender, sexuality, class, and/or ethnicity in the everyday lives of women of color and Indigenous women. Through arts-based civic engagement projects and activities, this course will also encourage students to formulate their own language of resistance against multiple forms of oppression. (CD)

WGS 377. Special Topics. (1.5-3 h)

Includes such women's, gender and sexuality studies topics as gender issues in the twenty-first century, critical approaches to women's issues, and the emergence of feminist thought. May be repeated for credit if topic differs.

WGS 380. Sexuality, Law, and Power. (3 h)

Explores a wide variety of issues related to sexual identity and orientation by looking at the ways in which the law can constrict social development as well as act as a catalyst for change. Examines how religion and popular morality shape the law and are shaped by it.

WGS 381. Gender and the Law. (3 h)

Examines how the law affects women’s lives in a number of contexts. Considers a number of different areas, including but not limited to employment, education, family responsibilities, violence against women, and other issues affecting women’s bodies, including pornography and prostitution. The class will also review a number of feminist legal theories and issues relating to the intersection of gender with race and class.

WGS 383. Race, Gender, and the Courts. (3 h)

Examines the impact of state and federal court cases upon the evolution of race and gender relations in the U.S. from 1789 to the present. Each case is placed within the political, economic and social historical context for the given time periods. Race includes Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latino Americans. This class will analyze government intervention, inaction, and creative interpretation. Same as HST 358.

WGS 388. South Asian Women: Religion, Culture and Politics. (3 h)

Examines the intersection of religion, race and gender of South Asian women from a feminist and postcolonial perspective. (CD)

WGS 395. Honors in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. (1.5 h)

Course for students carrying out an honors project under the supervision of a faculty advisor.

WGS 396. Independent Study. (1-3 h)

Independent projects in women's, gender, and sexuality studies which either continue study begun in regular courses or develop new areas of interest. Course may be repeated, but a maximum of 3 hours may apply to the minor. By prearrangement. P-Prerequisite override required.

WGS 397. Public Engagement in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. (1.5-3 h)

An opportunity for students to engage in work and research that is shared with the broader public, either on campus or in a local community. A maximum of 3 hours may apply to the major or minor. May be repeated for credit. Only offered for 1.5 or 3 hours. P-Prerequisite override required.

WGS 399. Research Seminar in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. (3 h)

A capstone, research-centered course in which students complete a significant research or creative project of their choosing situated within the field of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.