The most common course taken while studying women’s and gender studies is Introduction to Women’s Studies. This course acquaints students with a wide range of relevant academic topics and life experiences. This basic class will study such issues as:
- women’s history
- socialization
- social roles
- feminist theory
Students will be introduced to the most popular and influential by and about women, including:
- essays
- novels
- general literature
Gender in Media
A media course will explore the ways that gender is presented to audiences through the lenses of:
- Hollywood
- social media
- mainstream news
Students will study:
- media planning
- production
- representation factors
Many of these classes focus on gender across multiple media contexts. For example, students may explore gender representations in:
- sport
- marketing
- documentary
- news coverage
- classic fiction
- online communities
- popular music
- television programming
These classes may compare gender within mainstream and independent media productions of different countries and cultures. Assignments may explore how gender representations are social, political and commercial tools of propaganda.
Cultural Diversity
Studying women and gender cannot occur without also studying corresponding cultural:
- values
- beliefs
- dynamics
We live in a world of shrinking political and communication borders through the powers of:
- technology
- immigration
- globalization
This type of class will examine the relationships between:
- cultural beliefs
- social norms
- mass media
It’s very useful for students to study mass media from second and third world countries to understand how much and how little we have progressed in America. Some classes may focus on specific ethnic groups, such as Asian or African American women. These classes will take closer looks at race and gender in popular culture and literature.
Gender and Marriage
These classes will comparatively explore:
- love
- marriage
- relationships
- social control
The subject of this inquiry may be on historical constructions of:
- romantic love
- gender roles
- micromanaged marriages
Students will be introduced to examples from legal, religious and political spheres. For example, many women in the Philippines are socially prevented from driving cars. Women in certain Middle Eastern countries are legally prohibited from applying for a driver’s license. Assignments may require:
- personal editorials
- event reflections
- rhetorical analyses
- research projects
- multimedia presentations
Women Writers
Some classes may focus on female writers from history, so students will learn about:
- Sappho of Lesbos in ancient Greece
- Hildegard von Bingen of 11th century Germany
- Jane Austen in Victorian England
However, most classes will focus on contemporary authors from the 1950s to the present. The literature written by these American women will explore issues of:
- space
- power
- grief
- violence
- immigration
- embodiment
- family dynamics
Teachers will ask how these writers define gender, use literature to express their ideas and represent personal challenges. Some female fiction writers focus on certain women’s studies topics, such as:
- illness
- aging
- obesity
- pregnancy
Crime and Violence
These topics may be explored through a class in interpersonal violence. The class may review research and current controversies surrounding:
- domestic violence
- child abuse
- spousal stalking
Many women have written powerful anecdotes of:
- abuse
- police brutality
- legal harassment
- psychological pain
- social ramifications
A sociology based class in crime and social justice may explore these two distinct constructs. Students may analyze:
- legal perspectives
- historical biases
- court systems
- criminal justice institutions
Students may discuss modern academic and intellectual efforts challenging existing concepts and political structures.
Related Resource: 20 Best Deals on Colleges for Women’s Studies
Some of the most common courses taken while studying women’s and gender studies also cover:
- spirituality
- sexuality
- social inequality
Graduates of women’s and gender studies may find work in public sector organizations like:
- civil service
- local government
- health authorities
- welfare agencies.