CSUEB Catalog 2008-2009: Women's Studies (Undergraduate)

Women's Studies

	Department Information
	General Information
	Minor in Women's Studies
	G.E. Requirement
	Undergraduate Courses

Department Information

Women's Studies Program
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Department of Human Development
Office: Meiklejohn Hall 3069
Phone: (510) 885-3076


Professors Emeritus Vincenzo Traversa (Modern Languages and Literatures, Humanities), Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles Professor Patricia Guthrie (Director), Ph.D. University of Rochester Associate Professor Lynn Comerford, Ph.D. State University of New York at Albany Assistant Professor Keri O'Neal, Ph.D. Texas Tech University Lecturers: Donna B. Barnes, Ph.D. University of California, San Francisco Vibha P. Chandra, Ph.D. State University of New York at Stony Brook Dina I. Jarrah, Ph.D. Golden Gate University

Please consult the 2009-2010 online catalog for any changes that may occur.

General Information

Women's Studies is intended to increase a student's knowledge, interest and appreciation of the needs, contributions, problems and aspirations of women-and also of the way that gender shapes the lives of both women and men. Women's Studies attempts to illuminate the subject matter of much of the rest of the curriculum from the double perspective of women and gender. The courses emphasize cultural diversity. The minor prepares students for jobs that specialize in serving women as consumers, as clients of government programs, as political actors, etc. Please see the option in Women's Development, offered under the B.A. degree major in Human Development.

Minor in Women's Studies

No more than six units in the major department, nor more than 8 units of lower division courses may be applied to the minor. No more than four units may be taken on a "CR/NC" basis. Altogether, 24 units are required. Students who wish to minor in Women's Studies should see the coordinator as soon as possible.


I.	Core Courses (8-12 units)
	WOST 1001 Perspectives on Women (4) WOST 1002 Women in Contemporary Society (4) WOST 3100 Seminar in Women's Studies (May be used twice in the minor with the consent of the Women's Studies Director provided the student has taken WOST 1001 or 1002.)
II.	Electives in Women's Studies (8-12 units)
	Two or three courses with special reference to the status and problems of women selected from:
		COMM 4500 Women in Media (4); ENGL 3650 Women and Literature (4); HIST 3124 Women in Classical Antiquity (4), 3571 Women in America to 1890 (4); POSC 3170 Public Policy and the Family (4), 3340 Women and Politics (4); PSYC 3410 Psychology of Women (4); SOC 3411 Sociology of Gender (4); WOST 3050 Feminist Theory (4), 3400 Women and Careers (4), 3420 Minority Women in America (4), 3500 Portrayal of Women in the Movies (4), 3520 Mothers, Daughters and Sons (4), 3530 Women and Their Bodies (4), 4900 Independent Study (1-4)
III.	Elective in a Related Field
	Four units should be selected with an advisor in Women's Studies from the following:
		COMM 4500; ENGL 3650; HIST 3124, 3571; POSC 3170; PSYC 3410; SOC 3411; WOST 3400, 3420, 3500, 3520, 3530, or 4900 if not used to complete requirement II above. ANTH 3110 Primate Social Behavior (4), 3400 Social Anthropology (4), 3740 Cross-Cultural Studies in Child-Rearing (4), 3745 Human Sexuality: Anthropological Perspectives (4); BIOL 3060 Human Sexuality (4); E S 3000 Ethnic Writers (4) (when emphasis is on women writers); 3810 History of Minority Education (4); HIST 4710 History and Trends in Nursing (4); KPE 1018 Self Defense--Women (4); MLL 4495 A Single Movement, Country, or Theme: Spanish American Literature (4) (when the theme focuses on women); PHIL 3510 Human Rights and Social Justice: Cultural Groups and Women in the U.S. (4), 3720 Feminist Philosophy (4); PSYC 3520 Interpersonal Processes (4); 3540 Groups and Organizations (4), 4420 Developmental Psychology (4), 4610 Psychology of Personality (4); SOC 3410 Sociology of the Family (4), 3415 Sociology of the African American Family (4), 3416 Sociology of the Mexican American Family (4), 3500 Social Psychology (4)
	It is recommended that all students in the minor take at least one course that has a primary focus on minority women in America.


	Other Elective Courses Other elective courses (with appropriate content) may be approved by the Women's Studies Committee as they are developed by departments.

G.E. Requirement

The courses satisfying the Cultural Groups/Women's Studies G.E. requirement are listed in the Class Schedule. Not all courses applicable to the Women's Studies Minor meet this G.E. requirement. Please check the list. Also, where WOST is listed in the G.E. program, it refers only to courses with that prefix, not to other courses applicable to the minor.

Undergraduate Courses


WOMEN'S STUDIES COURSES The course prefix for the following courses is WOST.
1001	Perspectives on Women (4) The observed similarities and differences in the behavior of women and men as seen from the perspective of art, history, literature, philosophy, biology, and psychology. How these differences came about and what the future may hold.
1002	Women in Contemporary Society (4) Women's work, family roles, political behavior, and legal status today. Controversial issues raised by the women's movement explored from the perspective of different racial/ethnic groups and different political/economic/social systems.
3030	Immigrant and Refugee Women (4) (See E S 3030 for course description.)
3050	Feminist Theory (4) Feminist theories of American women's liberation movement from mid-sixties to present. Gender identity; "nature vs. nurture" theories of female subservience and male domination; pornography; rape; class, race, and gender.
3100	Seminar in Women's Studies (4) An interdisciplinary consideration of topics relevant to women, involving extensive writing assignments. May be repeated twice for credit with prior consent of Women's Studies Director.
3400	Women and Careers (4) Women's experience in the workforce from a political, sociological and historical perspective. Comparison of structure and practices in the corporate structure to those in sports and the military. Obstacles women face, coping mechanisms and strategies for success.
3420	Minority Women in America (4) Persistence and change in the minority female experience in America. Focus on prominent stereotypes of minority women, patterns of courtship and marriage, employment and career trends, birth control and sexual freedom, and feminism and racial solidarity. Cross-listed with E S 3420.
3500	Portrayal of Women in the Movies (4) Changing portrayal of women in English-language movies from 1900 to the present. Special emphasis on the persistence/breakdown of racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes associated with the presentation of women.
3520	Mothers, Daughters, and Sons (4) The relationship between mothers and their daughters and sons from a literary, psychological, and sociological point of view. Discussion of literature, film and art.
3530	Women and Their Bodies (4) An interdisciplinary course focusing on women's experiences of their bodies, especially in the areas of health and sexuality.
3540	Adultery and Literature (4) From Helen of Troy to television dramas, women and adultery continue to be a dominant feature, particularly in some literary and social aspects of past and present times. Exploration of the main aspects of this phenomenon.
3545	Women's Health and Health Care (4) Social, political, and economic perspective on current health status and health needs of women in the United States, especially in the areas of reproduction, genetic testing, and chronic illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.
3550	Women, Work, and Family Life (4) The relationship of work and family, the dilemmas women face and strategies they use to negotiate work/family issue. The impact of economic/historical/sociological factors including gender, race, and class, all influencing work and family life.
3999	Issues in Women's Studies (4) Readings, discussion, and research on contemporary and/or significant issues in women's studies. May be repeated for credit when content varies.
4130	Women in Midlife Transition (4) Examination of development and change in behavior of women in the United States at midlife transition, with emphasis on theory, method, and empirical research. Prerequisite: Upper division standing.
4160	Women and Aging (4) Examination of development and change in behavior of women as they age in the United States, with emphasis on theory, method, and empirical research. Prerequisite: Upper division standing.
4900	Independent Study (1-4)
4922	Women of the Classics (4) The contrast between the reality and the image of woman as protagonist and actor of literary genres and as persona in Classic Medieval, and early Renaissance literature, religion, and society. Lecture and discussion based on works of literature.