6 courses with the subject WS, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
WS 101Introduction to Women’s Studies3
This course is a basic introduction to the field of Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS). The course will explore a broad variety of topics and issues that all fall under the umbrella of GWS. We will consider all the following topics/issues: gender and power, reproduction in U.S. history, intersectional analysis, global/transnational feminism, sexuality and identity, feminism, and the prison industrial complex, gendered and sexual violence.
WS 200Feminist Research Methods and Service Learning3
This course is a basic introduction to the ideas and goals of feminist research. Using Carol Anderson’s monograph as an example and building upon Ruth Behar’s positioning the researcher as vulnerable observer, students will explore how to use standardized research methods in ways informed by feminist and black feminist theories. Students will be introduced to methods (both qualitative and quantitative) that have been identified as best suited to undertake feminist research. In addition, students will discuss how variables of gender, race, sexuality, and class affect the choice of methods and analysis. Students will learn to apply research methods through a semester-long research project that includes a service- learning component. Emphasis in the class is upon the development of a research methodology and the refinement of critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. Our goal in this course is to develop student’s ability to engage in teamwork as young professionals in the workforce.
Identity, Violence and Justice is a humanities-based course in which students will engage in critical, intersectional examination of concepts, practices, and representations of justice about the personal and institutional violence experienced by marginalized groups. In Women’s Studies we employ an interdisciplinary approach and as such will incorporate concepts present in different fields including history, philosophy, literature, and art. Through course readings as well as through media analysis students will critically unpack the criminal justice system, taking into their reflection: race, ethnicity, class, age, nationality, physical ability, sexuality, etc. and how these identities intersect with socio-cultural contexts. Additionally, as a class, we will consider the ways in which these representations inform our understanding of “crime,” “criminal violence” and “justice.” In our investigation of these issues, students will learn the perspectives present in feminist discourse surrounding these topics and develop their own. Throughout the course, we will explore larger systemic and cultural power dynamics and the influence of these power dynamics on the ideology and praxis of “law and order” in our society.
WS Electives 6 credits 6 Total Minor Core Hours 18 The remaining 6 hours of electives may be selected from WS courses, cross-listed courses, special topics courses, or related courses, and must be approved by the Executive Director of Global Leadership and Interdisciplinary Studies. Environmental Justice and Sustainability Minor The Environmental Justice and Sustainability (EJS) minor at Bennett College, a Historically Black College for women, is designed to equip students with the tools, skills, and knowledge to critically engage with environmental issues that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities, particularly communities of color. This interdisciplinary program examines multifaceted aspects of EJ such as environmental 92
Major Elective Courses Total Hours 6 Example Course Plan for the Bachelor of Arts and Science Interdisciplinary Studies – Africana Women’s Studies Track is detailed in Appendix I – Curriculum Plans. In close coordination with and approval of their advisor some students may create a different path or sequence of course enrollment. Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Interdisciplinary Studies –
