Women's Studies (WST)
Assistant Professors Blanchard and Smith, co-directors; all courses taught by faculty from various cognate disciplines.
Alma's Women's Studies minor develops a substantial interdisciplinary background in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences on topics and issues concerning women's images, realities and choices. It intends to develop awareness of women's contributions, concerns, perspectives and theories by considering diversity of class, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age and ability from various feminist perspectives which counterbalance traditional biases. Valuable to students from many disciplines, the components of this minor offer a broad, socio-historical and multicultural study of women's status, roles and efforts toward survival, change and transformation.
Minor Requirements
Twenty-four credits which must include:
- WST 101 and 102 (eight credits).
- At least four credits elected from the following: WST 280, 385 or 399.
- At least 12 credits elected from the following, eight of which must be at least 200 level or higher: COM 123 or 301; ENG 340; EHS 223, 301 or 303; HST 140, 228 or 253; POL 141, 231, or 381/382; REL 202; SOA 220, 234, 353, or additional approved course.
| WST 101. | Introduction to Women's Studies | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 credits | ||
| Brings together a rich and varied selection of classic and contemporary works from the humanities and social sciences centered on women's images, realities and choices. Interdisciplinary survey of women's contributions, concerns, perspectives and theories. Diversity of class, ethnicity, race and sexual orientation addressed from feminist perspectives which counterbalance traditional biases. | ||
| WST 102. | Introduction to Feminist Thought | |
| 4 credits | ||
| Historical and contemporary works examining feminist theoretical approaches to explaining experiences, representations and relative positions of women in society. Overview of American feminist thought which includes the varieties of liberal, cultural, Freudian, socialist, existential and radical feminism. Also considers the theoretical contributions of women of color, postmodernists and poststructuralists. | ||
| WST *280. | Special Topics | |
| 1-4 credits | ||
| WST 101 | ||
| Specific topics concerning gender issues, choices, realities and self-expression chosen by the instructor. May be taken more than once for credit with no more than four credits counted toward the minor. | ||
| WST *385. | Practicum | |
| 2 or 4 credits | ||
| WST 101 and Permission | ||
| Internship designed to provide on-site personal and service-oriented learning and experiences in a wide variety of areas related to women's studies, issues and concerns. Practicums must be taken through a relevant department, with permission of the women's studies coordinator and the department chair. | ||
| WST *399. | Independent Study | |
| 2 or 4 credits | ||
| WST 101; one of the following: ENG 340, HST 140, REL/PHL 202, SOA 353, WST 102 or WST 280 and Permission | ||
| In-depth study in the student's major area as related to the Women's Studies minor; under faculty member's direction. | ||