GWS

Also listed and described as ENG 117. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite. (f, w, x)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies and to gender itself— an identity formation; a mode of self-expression; a system that humans use to categorize one another, organize daily life, and distribute resources; and a critical lens through which to understand the world. The study of gender reaches across academic disciplines; therefore, this course will draw on many fields, including history, sociology, anthropology, biology, media studies, and philosophy. We will discuss the development of the field, examine current areas of research, and consider how identity and power come to matter in our personal and public lives. We will also explore how gender is experienced, performed, and produced at the intersection of the body, politics, and culture, always considering gender’s inseparability from sexuality, race/ethnicity, class, (dis)ability, creed/religion, and nation. Open to first-year students. (DIV, DJP)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

GWS/HIST 250: ST: LGBTQ+ History GWS/INTL 250: ST: Gender, Love, and Class in East Asian Popular Culture GWS/HIST 310: The Body and Sexuality in European History GWS/SOC 272: Reproductive Justice GWS/INTL 350: Special Topic: Feminist Geography

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course examines the historical exclusion of women in the Western music canon, exploring how gender biases marginalized their contributions. Students will study key female composers Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 278

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course explores the contributions, challenges, and influence of women in American popular music from the early 20th century to the present. The course will highlight key artists, movements, and social contexts that have influenced women’s musical careers, as well as the ways in which gender, race, and industry dynamics have impacted their recognition. Also listed and described as MUS 157.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course explores the role of women in political music, protest songs, and chants as vital tools for advocacy, activism, and social change. Through a historical and contemporary lens, students will examine how women musicians, singers, and activists have used music and chants to challenge political systems, advocate for gender equality, and amplify voices in social movements. Also listed and described as MUS 159. Open to first-years. (DJP)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as ENG 174. (f, w, x, AES, GLO)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course explores popular culture’s influence on perceptions of insanity, madness, and psychological disability. Using an intersectional, interdisciplinary approach, we frame madness as a social and biological phenomenon, and we analyze the impact of gender, sexual, and racial norms on conceptions of mental health, reason, and rationality.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Prerequisite

GWS 141, SOC 110, or permission from the instructor. (DIV, MOD)

Also listed and described as POLS 203. Open to first-year students. (DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as POLS 206. Prerequisite: any 100-level POLS course or permission.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

How can theatre create social change? Drawing on the work of Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed, this course explores applied theatre as a tool for community engagement and transformation. Students examine frameworks from performance studies, philosophy, and queer and feminist theory, then apply that learning to the creation of a socially engaged performance. Also listed and described as THEA 206. Open to first years. (DIV, DJP)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This class examines how scientific knowledge produces and is produced by social norms and cultural imperatives. We frame western science as a social institution with a particular understanding of the material world, the body, and humanity. With special attention paid to the study of gender/sex, sexuality, and race, we place science within historical context to more ethically and objectively approach research, medical interventions, and technological innovation. Also listed and described as SOC 207. Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 279

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as PHIL 208. Open to first-year students with permission.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as ENG 211. (w, x, AES, DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as COMM 215. (r, DIV, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

ISLAM (4) Also listed and described as REL 215. Open to first-year students. (DIV, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

Explores the meanings of food and food-related practices in various cultural contexts in relation to structures of power and inequality, including those shaped by race, ethnicity, gender, class, nationality, and geography. All students will participate in a community partnership project with a local food organization and volunteer a minimum of 20 hours during the semester. Also listed and described as ES 219. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. (DIV) 160

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course acquaints students with the theory and method of life histories and self-narratives. Students critically examine these concepts, while exploring epistemology, difference, and feminist interpretations of narrative theory. Readings are drawn from diverse cultural and historical contexts. Methodologically, students learn to organize and conduct life history interviews, transcribe, and present them in written form. Prerequisite: GWS 141 or SOC 110. (r, DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course explores women’s lives from ancient Greece through the late Middle Ages, as well as shifting understandings of gender during this period (roughly 600 BCE to 1400 CE). Themes will include views of women in classical philosophy, medical understandings of sexual difference, motherhood, women’s legal status, women’s roles in the development of Christianity and the early Church, women religious, images of women in art and literature, and models of queenship. Also listed and described as HIST 222. (w, x, PRE)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as REL 223. (r, GLO)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course surveys both the experiences of women in early modern Europe and the ways gender structured notions of power and identity in this period. Topics include understandings of sexual difference, family life and organization, sexuality, midwifery, witchcraft, women and religion, women artists and intellectuals, and “queenship.” Also listed and described as HIST 225. Open to first-year students. (w, x, PRE)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Explores women’s lives in Europe from the late 18th century through the mid-20th century. Topics include: the birth of feminism during the Enlightenment and the French Revolution; industrialization and women’s relationship to work; the domestic ideal; masculinity; prostitution; women’s involvement in empire; the world wars; the impact of ideologies of liberalism, nationalism, socialism, and fascism on women and women’s roles in these movements; and second-wave feminism. Also listed and described as HIST 226. Open to first-year students. (w, x, r, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course analyzes European witchcraft beliefs in a comparative and transatlantic perspective. We will examine the ancient origins of witchcraft beliefs in the Mediterranean, cultural reasons for believing certain individuals were witches, and causes and consequences of the waves of trials and executions that embroiled communities. Comparing variations of European witchcraft persecution with the better-known Salem witch trials, and with witchcraft beliefs across the colonial Americas and the Caribbean, deepens our understanding of witchcraft as a global phenomenon and our knowledge of the historical particularity of the early modern European witch craze. Also listed and described as HIST 227. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite. (DJP) Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 280

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Effective leaders seek to genuinely engage everyone in their organizations. They see the diverse experiences and characteristics of community members as assets, thereby fostering belonging and contributing to organizational success. This course explores research on inclusive leadership, cultural humility, and psychological safety; introduces practices that create more inclusive teams and organizations; and emphasizes the development of skills that support inclusive leadership in a variety of settings. Activities will include self-assessments, case study analysis, role plays, and personal reflection. Also listed and described as BLI 230. Open to first-year students. (DJP)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as GWS 231. An introduction to Anglophone LGBTQ+ literature from the late nineteenth century to the present. Our aim is to analyze the generic range and political messages of texts by queer writers during this period. Authors include Gertrude Stein, Patricia Highsmith, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Alison Bechdel, Carmen Maria Machado, Natalie Diaz, Ocean Vuong, and Danez Smith. We will read these works as individual texts and through the lens of queer theory by critics including Jack Halberstam, Eve Sedgwick, Judith Butler, Gayle Salomon, and José Esteban Muñoz. Also listed and described as ENG 231. Prerequisite: one semester of college work or permission. (SMN)

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies with a focus on the formation of cultures and politics around these identity formations. With an aim to go beyond simplistic slogans, like “"Love Is Love,” this course provides a critical view of the field that examines how race, empire, capital, disability, identity, desire, nightlife, care, and representation relate to non-normative genders and sexualities.

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course surveys anthropological approaches toward gender and sexuality from the 1920s to the present. We consider how gender and sexuality are constructed in specific historical and cultural contexts, including Pacific Island societies, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Key issues to examine include essentialism/constructivism, non- normative sexualities, genital cutting, intersex, and transgenderism. Prerequisite: GWS 141 or SOC 110. (DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as THEA 226.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Special topics courses cover a range of subjects and may be cross-listed with other departments. Special topics courses do not repeat material presented by regular semester courses and, therefore, can be repeated by students for additional credit provided that the courses cover varying material. Prerequisites and general education credits will vary, and some Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 281

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Repeatable

can be repeated by students for additional credit provided that the courses cover varying material.

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course investigates the relationship between taste and hierarchies of race and gender. As we discuss cultural texts we will ask the following questions: What is the relationship between taste and respectability? What is the history of the distinction between “lowbrow” and “highbrow” cultural texts? How does authorship influence the “value” of different kinds of texts? Upon completion of the course, students will be able to perform close reading and textual analysis in order to consider how cultural texts engage and challenge the broader sociopolitical contexts from which they emerge, be acquainted with some major modes of thought from cultural studies, and also be able to think critically about the stakes of the relationship between taste and identity hierarchies in today’s culture. Also listed and described as COMM 253.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course addresses central concepts, theories, and empirical findings found in the sociological literature on structured social inequality. Considerable attention is devoted to examining the intersections between issues of cultural diversity and individual biographical experience. Open to first-year students with permission. Also listed and described as SOC 260. (DIV, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course examines the politics of reproduction within and outside of the United States, including the various actors and social institutions that shape reproductive policy, legislation, and medical practice. Using an intersectional approach, students will explore topics such as forced sterilization, transnational and queer adoption, abortion and miscarriage, and the connection between reproductive justice and other important issues, such as immigration and mass incarceration. Also listed and described as SOC 272. (DJP) Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 282

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as REL 281. (w, x, MOD, DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

Independent study conducted below the advanced level. Application must be made with faculty prior to registration. Offered any term, including Short Term.

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Through body modification, we express our deepest feelings about who we are and engage gendered, raced, classed, and dis/abled bodily discourses. This class assesses the ways body mods are understood and experienced, as well as complicates the distinctions between modification and mutilation, enhancement and enfreakment, the modern and primitive, and the Self and Other. Also listed and described as SOC 301.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course surveys the field of queer of color critique, from its conception within women of color feminisms to its contemporary developments around the multiple intersections of race, sexuality, gender, class, nation, and ability. We will study key texts and cultural productions of LGBTQ+ theorists, activists, and artists of color, who challenge racial and ethnic hierarchies within mainstream queer and feminist theory.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as HIST 310. (w, x, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as REL 318. (o, DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This seminar explores the impact of feminism on the production, reception, and display of works of art from 1965 to the present. Topics include race, class, gender and sexual identity in feminist art, the ground-breaking efforts of feminist artists and theorists in the 1970s, and methods used by feminist artists to address key issues in women’s lives. Also listed and described as ARTH 324. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission. (DIV, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as GWS 328. This course relies on close reading and feminist criticism to explore key nineteenth-century novels and poems. We will use Gilbert and Gubar’s pivotal book, Madwoman in the Attic, as a starting point for asking questions about the restrictions placed on women writers in the nineteenth century, the literary strategies they used to escape these restrictions, and the evolution of feminist literary theories. Texts may include work by Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 283

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course explores both how imperial ideologies were gendered and how empire provided an arena in which gender norms could be rethought. Topics include European women’s experiences in the empire as wives, missionaries, and travelers; empire as a space for sexual transgression; and the role of gender in decolonization movements. Prerequisite: sophomore standing, and a 200-level course in history or GWS. Also listed and described as HIST 334. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. (INQ, w, x, GLO, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course provides an intensive study of the various theories which form the conceptual base for feminism (among these are liberal, radical, Marxist, and postmodern—to name a few). It provides a critique of traditional intellectual and research frameworks that have omitted women’s perspectives and experiences and looks in detail at the intersections of gender with race, class, sexuality, and culture. Prerequisite: GWS 141 and one other 200-level gender and women’s studies course. (o, DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course examines evidence for women across the Roman empire. It considered material culture, epigraphic material, skeletal remains, and architectural components to answer the following questions; How was the feminine gender constructed and its presentation negotiated? How did women interact with and affect the religious and economic structures around them? How were women included in the making of empire? Also listed and described as CLAS and ARTH 339. Open to first-year students with instructor permission. (DJP)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

What does it mean to speak of "queer cinema"? Are there specific forms, styles, narratives, or dispositions that can be called queer, and if so in what sense? In what ways have queer filmmakers challenged cinematic norms? In this course we will explore various ways cinema can be thought of as a queer practice or as itself a cultural form that can be queered. We will watch a selection of films that survey a diverse range of queer aesthetic practices made by a variety of artists, most (but not all) of whom identity as LGBTQ+. In conversation with readings drawn from queer theory, film studies, literary studies, and cultural studies, we will explore the possibilities, politics, and pleasures of queer cinema. Also listed and described as FILM 341. Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 284

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Close study of various topics in children’s literature. Recent topics have included multicultural children’s literature and American girls’ fiction. Also listed and described as ENG 342. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission; English majors must have completed both a 100-level and a 200-level literature course in English. (w, x, AES, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as ENG 345. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission. (AES, GLO)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course will explore the interdisciplinary field of girlhood studies. We will consider the cultural representations and productions of girls and girl cultures, both academic and popular. Themes of investigation may include gender socialization, racialization, sexuality, self-esteem, identity formation, media, consumption, international development, empowerment, agency, and activism. Discussions will be grounded in feminist intersectional approaches that investigate the diversities and commonalities of girls’ experiences as well as the larger structures of power that shape girls’ experiences. Students will have the opportunity to learn about girls’ experiences and organizations at the local, national, and global levels.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Special topics courses cover a range of subjects and may be cross-listed with other departments. Special topics courses do not repeat material presented by regular semester courses and, therefore, can be repeated by students for additional credit, provided that the courses cover varying material. Courses Offered in AY 2026-2027 Include: • GWS 350: Feminist Geography; also cross-listed and described as INTL 350GWS 356: Streaming Women’s Stories (3) Also listed and described as COMM 356. Prerequisites and general education credits will vary. Some special topics courses may carry the GWS Theory Designation.

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Repeatable

can be repeated by students for additional credit, provided that the courses cover varying material.

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as SOC 360. Prerequisite: SOC 110.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

This course explores the role of spirituality for individuals and collectivities engaged in transformative social justice work. In particular, we focus on the work of contemporary feminist, womanist, and women of color scholars and activists such as Gloria Anzaldúa, Audre Lorde, Layli Maparyan, Jaqui Alexander, and AnaLouise Keating. We also explore the writings and practices of contemplatives from a range of spiritual traditions. Students in this seminar will be expected to engage in experiential learning, leading class discussion, sustained personal reflection, cultural analysis and critique, and rethinking epistemology and social change. Also listed and described as REL 362. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission. (DIV) Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 285

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Also listed and described as FILM 372. Prerequisite: prior film course or permission. (AES, MOD)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2025-2026

Source

www.hollins.edu

Close study of various topics in American literature. Recent topics have included Gothic America: Monsters, Madness, and the Macabre; Graphic Novels; Queer Ecologies; and Literature of Protest. Prerequisite: (w, x, AES, DIV) Topic for 2026-2027: Queering Nature in American Literature Also listed and described as GWS 382. This course engages the understanding that American discourse on nature naturalizes heteronormative national identities. Through the lenses of queer and environmental studies, we will examine how American writers from the 19th century to the present have dramatized the link between nature and sexuality through queer ecologies that challenge gender binaries and human exceptionalism. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor. Also listed and described as ENG 382. (w, x, AES, DIV)

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Independent study conducted at the advanced level. Application must be made with faculty prior to registration. Offered any term, including Short Term.

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

An experiential component is required for all GWS majors and minors. This consists of an internship or service project carried out while a student is in the program. Students will work under the sponsorship of a faculty member in Gender and Women’s Studies to design an experience that will complement their coursework and provide valuable experience that may lead to further career or educational opportunities. Interns may also be expected to participate in a biweekly discussion group with other Gender and Women’s Studies interns. At the end of the placement, the student will submit an activity log, a reflective paper analyzing their field experience, and a RATE via the Career and Life Design website. This internship may be completed at any time during the calendar year, including during the Short Term. Applications must be made with faculty prior to registration.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

“Feminist journeys” is the theme of this capstone course. Students examine feminism as a journey, both historically and politically, and in their own lives as feminists and gender and women’s studies majors/minors through the method of autoethnography. The course goal is to integrate the personal and political in innovative and creative ways. Students play a significant Hollins University 2026–27 Undergraduate Catalog Page 286

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

A research paper based upon inquiry into a specific issue within gender and women’s studies. Students must consult with GWS advisor in the spring semester of junior year. Research begins during Fall Term and ends Short Term.

Subject

GWS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu

Offered to qualified gender and women’s studies majors. Students must consult with their GWS advisor in the spring semester of junior year. Research is completed over Fall, Short, and Spring Terms.

Subject

GWS

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027-undergraduate

Source

www.hollins.edu