Winter 2009 Undergraduate Calendar

WOMEN'S STUDIES: COURSES

53-100. Women in Canadian Society
An introduction to Women's Studies of an interdisciplinary nature, designed to illustrate and account for the position of women in Canadian society. Possible areas of enquiry include health, law, politics, history, women and work, representation of women in literature, Canadian women artists and musicians.

53-106. Women and Religion
A comparative, feminist-critical exploration of the status of women and women's religious experience in selected examples of traditional (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism) and non-traditional (e.g., Goddess religions, Wicca, Feminism) religions, ancient and modern. (Can be taken for either Social Science or Arts credit.)

53-120. Gal Pals: Women and Friendship
This course examines a diverse range of women’s friendships. Through discussion, reading, and films we will explore topics such as the meaning of friendship for women, how women’s friendships have been portrayed in literature and film, the link between friendship and social activism for women, and the political meanings of women’s friendship in cultures resistant to woman-centered consciousness. (Can be taken for Social Science or Arts credit.)

53-130. Imagining Women
This course examines a broad cross-section of historical and contemporary representations of women in myth, popular culture, and various media -- literature, film and television, the fine arts, journalism, and advertising. The significance of such powerful stereotypes as the Femme Fatale, the fallen woman, witch, goddess, vamp, and "angel in the house" will be explored. The politics and aesthetics/poetics involved in the construction of sexual/gender identity and difference will constitute a primary focus of discussion. The student will be introduced to feminist and gender-related theories of representation. (Can be taken for either Social Science or Arts credit.)

53-200. History of Women's Movements in North America
An exploration of the collective action of women in the past and present in North America. Areas of study may include women's involvement with the temperance, civil rights, suffrage, trade union, environmental, reproductive rights, and women's liberation movements. (Also offered as History 43-251.)

53-201. Women, Sexuality and Social Justice
This course examines the personal and cultural meanings of women’s sexual identities in Canada today. Students consider how these identities are created and experienced in conjunction with other identities such as race/ethnicity, social class, and (dis)ability and how women challenge the personal, social, political, and economic inequities that continue to be based on these identities. Students are encouraged to analyze how their beliefs and behaviours are shaped by heterosexual privilege. (Also offered as Sociology 48-251.) (Prerequisite: 53-100 or consent of the instructor.)

53-202. Women, Race, and Social Justice
This course examines the personal and cultural meanings of women's racial and ethnic identities in Canada today. Students consider how these identities are created and experienced in conjunction with other identities such as sexuality, social class, and (dis)ability and how women challenge the personal, social, political, and economic inequities that continue to be based on these identities. Students are encouraged to analyze how their beliefs and behaviours are shaped by white privilege. (Prerequisite: 53-100 or permission of the instructor.)

53-220. Women's Bodies, Women's Health
This course examines and critiques commonly cited biological evidence in support of sex differences and male superiority, including research on anatomy, genetics, hormones, and differential brain functioning. Students explore the social, cultural, and political meanings of the female body and consider how these understandings influence medical and non-medical definitions of “health” for women. Students investigate how sexism, classism, racism, ageism, and homophobia shape how individuals think about and value different female bodies. (Prerequisite: One Women's Studies (53-) course.) (Can be taken for either Science or Social Science credit.)

53-230. Gender and Moral Choice
This course examines how gender affects personal and public definitions of moral problems and their resolution. Issues such as reproductive choices, childrearing, poverty, and war will be used to explore these ideas. (Can be taken for either Social Science or Arts credit.) (Prerequisite: Semester 3 or above standing and one Women's Studies course or consent of the instructor.)

53-240. Helpmates, Harlots, Deliverers, and Disciples: Women and the Bible
A feminist-critical examination of selected passages from the Hebrew bible (Tanak/Old Testament), the Apocrypha, and/or the New Testament, focusing on gender ideology and the depiction of the legal, social, and religious status of women in ancient Israel, early Judaism, and/or early Christianity. The course will also explore the ways in which biblical gender ideology continues to shape attitudes toward women in contemporary societies. (Can be taken for either Social Science or Arts credit.)

53-250. Women, Movement, and Performance
This course explores how women come to know themselves and others through their bodies, gender and racial stereotypes, body image and body language, women's use of space, the gendered construction of sport, and movement as a cultural message. (Prerequisite: one Women’s Studies course.)

53-260. Women and Globalization
This course introduces students to gender-sensitive analysis of the role of women in the global economy. Course materials cover the place of women in the international division of labour, the role of women in export-oriented industries in the "Third World," and women as "homeworkers" in the First and Third World. Students will utilize relevant empirical material to develop critical thinking and an understanding of gender inequalities in the "development process." (Prerequisites: at least Semester 3 standing.)

53-270. Nags, Housewives, and Sluts: Language and Women's Place
This course makes visible the sexism hidden in the English language. Students begin by examining the relationship between language and thought. Other topics include gender differences in the use of language, the politics of naming, gender and metaphor, and humour. Students are encouraged to develop their understanding of course principles using practical exercises. (Prerequisite: Semester 3 standing or above standing and one Women's Studies course or consent of the instructor.) (Can be taken for either Social Science or Arts credit.)

53-299. Special Topics in Women's Studies
Special Topics courses will be offered occasionally to meet a demonstrated academic need that cannot be satisfied by regular course offerings. (Prerequisites: will vary depending on the subject.)

53-300. Women, Knowledge, and Reality
An exploration of feminist theories about knowledge and reality that inform and are informed by scholarship in Women's Studies. Students examine how gender might affect identity, reasoning, objectivity, and evidence, and in turn, how such variations might affect feminist political practices. (Prerequisites: Two courses at the 200-level or above from Women's Studies and/or Philisophy.) (Also offered as Philosophy 34-359.)
(Can be taken for Social Science or Arts credit.)

53-301. Frameworks for Feminist Research
An exploration of the diverse approaches to feminist research in a variety of fields. Students will examine the core questions and approaches that various disciplines bring to the study of women. (Prerequisites: Two courses at the 200-level or above from Women's Studies or consent of the instructor.)

53-310. Women and the Law
This course examines the relationship between gender inequality and the legal system. Topics include abortion, marriage, divorce, custody, equal pay, sexual harassment, rape, pornography, and prostitution. Students are introduced to basic legal research tools, such as statutes, regulations, cases, and legal literature. (Prerequisites: two Women's Studies courses.)

53-320. Women, Power, and Environments
This course focuses on environmental issues as they affect women across cultures. It provides a feminist critical analysis of the power relations in modern societies that cause environmental degradation and examines the theories, policies, and institutions that contribute to unsustainable practices. Emphasis is placed on the women-nature debate within various environmental social movements and the historical role women have played as activists. (Also offered as Planning 50-320.) (Prerequisite: Semester 3 or above standing.)

53-330. Victims, Survivors, and Warriors: Violence in the Lives of Women and Girls
An interdisciplinary exploration of violence against women and girls locally and globally. The course will explore the power of language to shape our understanding of issues, the many forms of subtle and explicit violence, the impact of violence on the individual and the status of women, and the creative resistance of women and girls, among other issues. (Prerequisites: two Women's Studies courses and at least semester 4 standing.)

53-340. Women, War and Peace
This course examines war and peace through women’s eyes, including home fronts during wartime in both combat and non-combat zones, women in combat, the effects of various military tactics and strategies on women, war crimes against women, women refugees, women’s activism on war-related issues, peace activism, and media coverage of women and war as well as women and peace. (Prerequisite: one 200-level Women's Studies course or 45-260 or consent of the instructor.)

53-347. Abuse in the Family
Examines aspects of abuse and violence in the family. The primary focus is on generalist social work family intervention in cases of abuse or violence, and on societal provision for sheltered separation and family reconstitution or dissolution. (Open to senior students. Social Work majors or combined Social Work/Women's Studies majors will be given registration priority.) (Also offered as 47-347.)

53-350. Special Topics
The content will vary to reflect student need and faculty expertise and may be offered as a cross-listed course with other programs. (Prerequisite: at least semester 4 standing.) (May be repeated for credit if content varies.)

53-360. Women at Work
This course examines women's work experiences in the workplace and in the household from a critical perspective. Topics include the division of labour by sex, the value of women's labour, sexual harassment, and women's union participation. (Prerequisite: 71-140 or 53-100 and semester 4 or above standing.) (Also offered as 71-347.)

53-370. Mothering and Motherhood
This course examines Western society's ideas of motherhood, in particular, the social construction of "good" and "bad" mothers, from an interdisciplinary perspective. Differences associated with class, race, ethnicity, and sexual preference will be considered. (Prerequisite: Semester 4 or above standing and two Women's Studies courses.) (Also offered as Social Work 47-370.)

53-380. Feminist Literary Dimensions of the Hebrew Bible
A feminist exploration of the Hebrew Bible as a literary text. Using the work of major feminist biblical scholars, the course will explore rhetorical strategies, characterization, narrative voice, themes, motifs and other literary dimensions of the Hebrew Bible to see how they contribute to the production of gender ideologies in the text. Feminist strategies for rereading, exposing and deconstructing male-authored images of women and femaleness in biblical texts will be examined. (Prerequisite: 53-240 or consent of the instructor.) (Can be taken for either Social Science or Arts credit.)

53-390. Third-Wave Feminisms: Generation X, Feminism, and the 21st Century
This course investigates the meaning and importance of third-wave feminisms through literature, zines, websites, and "manifestos" written by, for, and about young women. Specific topics of interest are young women's activism with respect to the environment, globalization, and the media, as well as their efforts to confront racism, sexism, and classism. (Prerequisites: two Women's Studies courses.)

53-400. Seminar
The course involves the study of a problem or theory related to women or gender. Students will select individual topics of interest and will be supervised and assisted by a faculty member.

53-410. Women in Protest
This course examines women at the forefront of protest in historical and contemporary contexts. It analyzes gendered constructs of protest and social and political change. Students will study the role of women in protest movements such as suffrage, reproductive rights, anti-racism, labour rights, environmental justice, anti-globalization, and nationalist and religious movements. Case studies are explored in detail, with particular emphasis on primary-source material from women activists themselves. These studies are complemented by an examination of feminist, social movement, and protest theories. (Prerequisite: 53-200 and one 300-level Women's Studies course or consent of the instructor.)

53-463. The History of Sexuality in North America
The cultural ideology, social regulation, and experience of reproduction and sexual relations, with an emphasis on women, from 1600 to the present. Topics include interracial relationships, abortion and contraception, sex and social class, sex and slavery, same-sex relationships, and modern sexuality and feminism. (Also offered as History 43-463.) (Prerequisite: one of 43-249, 43-250, or 43-251/53-200. Restricted to History and Women's Studies majors and other students with at least semester 5 standing and permission of the instructor.)

53-470. Counselling Girls and Women
Examines the principles, processes, and techniques utilized in counselling girls and women as a component of generalist social work practice. Structural factors in the social context which affect the experience of girls and women of all ages as well as aspects of their development are considered in the assessment of obstacles that may result in the need for counselling from a generalist social worker. Individual, group, and family counselling that empowers girls and women to overcome obstacles and fulfill their potential in the context of social and cultural diversity is emphasized. (Prerequisites: 47-211, 47-336, 47-337.) (Also offered as 47-470.)