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An introduction to the vibrant field of women, gender, and sexuality studies, this course familiarizes students with the basic concepts in the field and draws connections to the world in which we live. An interdisciplinary field grounded in commitment to both intellectual rigor and individual and social transformation, WGSS asks fundamental questions about the conceptual and material conditions of our lives. What are ?gender,? ?sexuality,? ?race,? and ?class?? How are gender categories, in particular, constructed differently across social groups, nations, and historical periods?

What is health? What makes health a matter of feminism? And what might a feminist health politics look like? These questions lay at the heart of this course. In Feminist Health Politics, we will examine how health becomes defined, and will question whether health and disease are objectively measured conditions or subjective states.

This course is about the framework of transnational women's and gendered activisms and scholarship. We will survey the field of transnational feminist research and praxis, locating structures of power, practices of resistance, and the geographies of development at work in a range of theories and social movements.

Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies teaches critical thinking skills. How can students use these skills to make informed career choices? How is it possible to engage in planning one?s career while conscious of the realities of race, gender, sexuality, and class in today?s economy? What are career options for students whose values include working for a better society? Is it possible to put together a balanced life and pay the bills besides?

The Commonwealth Honors College thesis or project is intended to provide students with the opportunity to work closely with faculty members to define and carry out in-depth research or creative endeavors. It provides excellent preparation for students who intend to continue their education through graduate study or begin their professional careers. The student works closely with their 499Y Honors Research sponsor to pursue research on a topic or question of special interest to them in preparation for writing a 499T Honors Thesis or completing a 499P Honors Project.

Honors Thesis expectations are high. The intended end-product is a traditional research manuscript with accompanying artifact(s), all theses:

- are 6 credits or more of sustained research on a single topic, typically conducted over two semesters.

- begin with creative inquiry and systematic research.

- include documentation of substantive scholarly endeavor.

- culminate in an oral defense or other form of public presentation.