Overview of Course

Introduction to Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary course that will explore how gender impacts people’s lives around the globe and across the lifespan. We will examine how gender and intersecting identities including race, culture, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, all play a significant role in how lives are shaped. We will use feminist and critical theories to learn how historical and contemporary social movements in the U.S. and the other countries along our voyage influenced the evolution of gender roles, family and intimate relationships, education and work, public health and wellbeing, institutional power, and media representation. Students will research the ways cultural perspectives, beliefs, values, laws, double standards, access to education, and ideas about gender roles impact their lives including sexual and relationship violence, reproductive rights, human trafficking, child marriage, and other sociocultural aspects of gender. Students will have opportunities to learn about country-specific issues related to gender directly during field experiences.