An introduction to the vibrant field of women's studies, this course introduces students to the basic concepts in the field as well as making connections to our lives. An interdisciplinary field grounded in a commitment to both intellectual rigor and individual and social transformation-to the world of ideas and the material world in which we live-women's studies asks fundamental questions about the world and our lives. What does it mean to be a woman? How is the category "woman" constructed differently across social groups, cultures and historical periods?

This seminar is designed for graduate students who want to improve their background in feminist theory as it has developed in the 20th and 21st century United States. Some background in social theory is presupposed. Although the course will be organized topically there will be some attention to historical writings of feminist theory. The theories of race, gender, sexuality and social domination of Marx, Freud and Foucault will be considered through those feminist theorists who have appropriated aspects of their theories and methods.

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.

The course centrally examines our understanding of the "body?". While humans have many similarities and differences, we are organized around certain axes of "difference" that have profound consequences - sex, gender, race, class, sexuality, religion, nationality etc. These differences can shape not only group affiliation and identity, but also claims about intellectual and behavioral capacities. This course will explore popular claims, critiques and understandings of "difference" as well as academic research, its claims, debates and critiques.

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?

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