Basic Musicianship

'Explores the ways in which sound is organized into musical structures. Topics include the physical properties of sound; the basic vocabulary of Western music (scales, key signatures, intervals, triads, rhythm, meter); and an introduction to musical form and analysis. Includes extensive practice in music reading, sight singing, ear training, and critical listening.'

Latina/o Immigration

'The course provides an historical and topical overview of Latina/o migration to the United States. We will examine the economic, political, and social antecedents to Latin American migration, and the historical impact of the migration process in the U.S. Considering migration from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, we will discuss the social construction of race, the gendered nature of migration, migrant labor struggles, Latin American-U.S. Latino relations, immigration policy, and border life and enforcement.

Gender & Class/Victorian Novel

'This course will investigate how representations of gender and class serve as a structuring principle in the development of the genre of the Victorian novel in Britain. We will devote significant attention to the construction of Victorian femininity and masculinity in relation to class identity, marriage as a sexual contract, and the gendering of labor. The texts chosen for this course also reveal how gender and class are constructed in relation to other axes of identity in the period, such as race, sexuality, and national character. Novelists will include Dickens, Eliot, Gaskell, C.

Topic: Gender & Domestic Labor

This course examines social psychology and sociological theories and research addressing why women do more housework and child care than men. It pays special attention to the situation of dual-earner families and considers class and ethnic differences on the nature of this inequality and the barriers to full equality at home.

The Shakers

'This course will examine the historical and cultural creation of the Shaker society.Shakers were convinced that celibacy was the primary teaching of the Christian message. In the process, they reconfigured traditional understanding of God and Christ to include major female components, and they constructed a series of communities, built worlds, to reflect a new social and political order.Their music, art, and extensive visionary material also carries their understanding of gender relations and sexual activity (or lack thereof) into all areas of life in America.

Sem: The Story of the Stone

'A seminar on the eighteenth-century Chinese masterpiece The Story of the Stone and selected literary criticism in response to this work. Discussions will focus on love, gender-crossing, and women's supremacy and the paradoxical treatments of these themes in the novel. We will explore multiple aspects of these themes, including the sociopolitical, philosophical, and literary milieus of eighteenth-century China.

Emily Dickinson in Her Times

'This course will examine the writing of Emily Dickinson, both her poetry and her letters. We will consider the cultural, historical, political, religious, and familial environment in which she lived. Special attention will be paid to Dickinson's place as a woman artist in the nineteenth century. The class will meet at the Dickinson Museum (280 Main Street in Amherst and accessible by Five College bus). Enrollment is limited to ten students.'

Field Placement

'This course presents an opportunity for students to apply gender theory to practice and synthesize their work in gender studies. Connections between the academy and the community, scholarship and social action will be emphasized. Students are required to work with the instructor over the summer to secure an internship placement at a non-profit organization, business, or institution that incorporates a gender focus. Internships must be in place by the first week of the semester.

Topic: Politics of Abortion

'The Americas have been characterized by the strictness of their laws in the criminalization of abortion. In some countries abortion is criminalized even when the woman's life is at risk. What role have women's movements played in advancing abortion rights? What has mattered most for a movement's success, its internal characteristics or external forces? Has the way the movement framed its demands mattered? How has the political influence of the Catholic and Evangelical churches influenced policies in this area?

Transnat'l Markets & Democracy

'This course will address the predicaments of women who must negotiate local contexts shaped by transnational markets, changing patterns of agriculture and agro-forestry, and struggles over indigenous land rights. How have arguments about democracy shaped the struggles women take up locally, nationally, and transnationally in opposition to corporate power, national policies, and supranational agencies such as the World Trade Organization?'
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