丁香园AV

Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women鈥檚 Studies | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
丁香园AV Calendar 2012 Summer

The following are all the courses offered in this area. To view the current course catalog and/or course schedule on the Student Information System, visit (select "Class Search/Course Schedule" on the left menu).

GSWS 100-3 Sex Talk: Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Sexuality Studies

An introduction to issues in the study of sex, sexual identity, and sexual culture. Focused on contemporary theories of sexuality as well as representations in fiction, film and popular media from diverse cultural contexts. Students who have completed GDST 200 may not complete this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

GSWS 101-3 Gender Talk

An interdisciplinary study of the social and cultural construction of gender, and how ideas about masculinity and femininity shape current issues, knowledge, popular culture, and social policy. Students who have taken GSWS 100 (or WS 100) at 丁香园AV may not take GSWS 101 (or WS 101) for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences.

GSWS 102-3 Feminist Action

An historical and comparative survey of feminisms and feminist activism in Western European, North American, and Global communities. Breadth-Humanities.

GSWS 200-3 Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective

The focus will be on the situation of women in cross-cultural perspective using literary, historical, anthropological and other appropriate sources.

GSWS 201-3 Colonizing Women: Canadian Women in Historical Perspective, 1600-1870s

Examines the lives of Canadian women in the colonial context, including the role of women in European-Aboriginal relations, the founding of New France, and settlement in British North America. Themes such as sexuality, race, work, religion and politics will be explored through the study of primary documents and historical literature. Students who have taken WS 201 under the title Women in Canada, 1600-1920 may not take this course for further credit.

GSWS 204-3 Sex and the City

Selected topics on the sexual politics of urban space. May be organized by region, critical approach, or genre.

GSWS 205-3 Women and Popular Culture

A study of women's place in society as revealed through the analysis of a variety of media.

GSWS 209-3 STT - Gender Business

If fostering gender diversity is a natural extension of good business practice - leading to greater market reach, improved services and a positive contribution to their communities - one of the toughest paradoxes to examine is why the rate of women's entry to senior leadership positions is so low. This course explores the sociological, cultural, human resource and business arguments behind the "off-ramping"of many women in the workplace. Topics to be explored from an interdisciplinary, intersectional perspective include the sexualization of work, gender and labour (dis)organization, gender and entrepreneurship; marketing and the commodification of sex; discrimination on the basis of appearance (Hakim, 2011); the sex trade; and gender and the social economy. This course is intended as an elective for a wide range of majors interested in exploring the social construction of sexual markets.

GSWS 306-4 Women's Autobiographies, Memoirs, Journals

An examination of women's autobiographical writings, focusing on self images, self presentations and world views. Prerequisite: 30 units including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST.

GSWS 308-4 Women in the Economy: Paid and Unpaid Labour

Explores the nature and conditions of women's paid and unpaid labour in the economy as well as various theories which explain labour market discrimination, the impact of national public policies on women's labour and the transnational interconnections that affect women's paid and unpaid labour. Prerequisite: 30 including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Students who have completed SA 335 or WS 310 under the title Women and Work may not complete this course for further credit.

GSWS 309-4 Gender and International Development

Examines from interdisciplinary and international perspectives how development is gendered and creates differential impacts, meanings and processes for women and men around the world. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students who have taken GSWS 310 (or WS 310) Special Topic: Women and Development or GSWS 301 (or WS 301) Special Topic: Gender and Development or GSWS 309 (or WS 309) under the title Gender and Development may not take this course for further credit.

GSWS 311-4 Modernizing Women: Canadian Women in Historical Perspective, 1870s-1970s

Examines the historical development of women's experiences and identities in Modern Canadian history. Looks closely at the ways in which ethnicity, race, class and sexuality have shaped women's lives, and examines the continuity and changes in work, sexuality, politics and domesticity over the 19th and 20th centuries through the study of primary documents and historical literature. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students who have taken GSWS 202 (or WS 202) may not take this course for further credit

GSWS 312-4 Immigrants, Women and Transnational Migration

Examines the global division of labor where migrant women as well as immigrant women tend to be exploited in numerous forms, ranging from lack of citizenship rights and erosion of skills to the risk of sexual assault, due to immigration/migration and social policies of various countries. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students with credit for WS 320 Special Topics: Immigrant Women and Economic Security may not complete this course for further credit.

GSWS 314-4 Race, Class and Gender

An examination of feminist, Marxist and anti-racist theories pertaining to the historical development, social construction, and interactive nature of race, class and gender relations. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students who have taken either GSWS 301 (or WS 301) or GSWS 310 (or WS 310) as Special Topics: Race, Class and Gender may not take this course for credit.

GSWS 316-4 Disciplining Sex: Feminist Science Studies and Sociobiology

Conceptualizations of sex have played a fundamental part in the development of evolutionary theories in biology and psychology. At the same time, feminist critiques of these conceptualizations have been a major factor in the development of Feminist Science Studies. The interactions amongst these three approaches are examined, including methodologies, communities of practice and societal implications. Prerequisite: 30 units. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences/Science.

GSWS 317-4 Bread Riots to Riot Grrls: Gender, Resistance and Protest in Historical Perspective

An examination of social protest from a historical perspective. Analyzes the relationships between race, class, gender, sexuality and religion within the formation of social movements. Focuses mainly on the North American context. Prerequisite: 15 units. Students who have previously taken GSWS 301 (or WS 301) with the same title may not take this course for further credit.

GSWS 318-4 Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

A specific topic within the field of women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant. Prerequisite: 30 units, including 3 units in GSWS or WS or GDST.

GSWS 319-4 Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

A specific topic within the field of women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant. Prerequisite: 30 units including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST.

GSWS 320-4 Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

A specific topic within the field of women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant. Prerequisite: 15 units.

GSWS 321-4 Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

A specific topic within the field of women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant. Prerequisite: 15 units.

GSWS 322-4 Feminist Research Methods

Explores a variety of feminist research methods including the definition of feminist research, the quantitative/qualitative controversy, action research, participant observation, survey, ethnography, case study, oral history, transnational study, interviews and research ethics. Prerequisite: 30 units, including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Students who have taken WS 208 may not take this course for further credit.

GSWS 327-4 Aboriginal Women in Canada

Themes and issues relating to the historical and contemporary experiences of aboriginal women in Canada: indigenous theories of gender; evolution and political function of stereotypes of indigenous women in Canada; history of Canadian legislation regulating indigenous identity; relevance of feminist analysis; and history of activism. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have taken FNST 322 under this topic may not take this course for further credit. FNST 327 and GSWS 327 (or WS 327) are identical and students may not take both courses for credit.

GSWS 330-4 Masculinities

Maps the field of masculinity studies and explores its intersections with feminist, postcolonial, queer, and critical race theories. Prerequisite: 15 units.

GSWS 331-4 Queer Genders

Introduces students to current debates on gender identity and gender difference from the perspectives of queer subjects. Explores recent theoretical and cultural works on gender from queer, transgender, and feminist perspectives, while examining the challenges they pose to current understanding of sex, gender, sexuality, and the body. Prerequisite: 30 units, including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Students who have taken GDST 301, or WS 301 Special Topics: Theorizing Queer Genders may not take this course for further credit.

GSWS 333-4 Ruth Wynn Woodward Advanced Seminar

A special topic in women's or gender studies, to be offered by the Woodward Chair. Prerequisite: 30 units including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST.

GSWS 334-3 Law and Human Reproduction

Overview of theoretical perspectives and available research on debates linked with human reproduction. Reconsideration of the effects of legislation, social policy and social change on contraception, birth, abortion, adoption, eugenics policies, new reproductive technologies, sexualities, and other topics. Historical and contemporary examples will be used. Feminist perspectives will be featured along with other approaches to human reproduction. Prerequisite: this course is identical to CRIM 334 and students may not take both courses for credit. Students who have taken CRIM 416, 417, 418 under the title Law and Reproduction may not take this course for further credit.

GSWS 350-4 Public Policy for Women

Examines issues where ideas about males and females either explicitly or implicitly influence policy makers. Focuses on current public policies and their relationship to women on topics such as sexuality and violence, economic security, race and inequality, and climate change. Prerequisite: 30 units. This course is identical to POL 350 and students may not take both courses for credit. Students who have taken this topic under GSWS 320 (or WS 320) may not take this course for further credit.

GSWS 398W-4 Feminist Currents

Explores recent debates and future directions of feminist thought and introduces students to different models of feminist writing. The writing-intensive component of the course trains students to develop analytical, writing, and research skills through a variety of writing activities and assignments. Prerequisite: 30 units including three units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Writing.

GSWS 399-4 Numeracy, Gender and Cultures

Through an examination of the social construction of numeracy, this course will provide an introduction to measurement and difference issues within social justice movements. In analyzing such topics as the relationship between professional, state and community conceptualizations of mathematical competence, students will make use of introductory statistical concepts, methods and argument. Prerequisite: 30 units. Quantitative.

GSWS 401-5 Research Project

Individual or small group studies of community problems. The students will submit a prospectus for the project at least two months before the study is undertaken. The project will be directed by one of the faculty members of the program. Prerequisite: nine units in women's studies including GSWS 101 (or WS 101) and/or GSWS 102 (or WS102); permission of instructor; approval of course proposal by department.

GSWS 402-2 Directed Readings

Provides opportunities for individual tuition at an advanced level. Prerequisite: nine units in women's studies including GSWS 101 (or WS 101) and/or GSWS 102 (or WS102); permission of instructor; approval of course proposal by department.

GSWS 403-3 Directed Readings

Provides opportunities for individual tuition at an advanced level. Prerequisite: nine units in women's studies including GSWS 101 (or WS 101) and/or GSWS 102 (or WS 102); permission of instructor; approval of course proposal by department.

GSWS 405-4 Theoretical Issues in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies

A study and critique of feminist theories as they apply to the study of women. Each offering of the course will focus on a particular subset of feminist theories and applications. Prerequisite: 45 units including six units of GSWS or WS or GDST. Students with credit for GSWS 311, 411 or WS 311 or 411 may not complete this course for further credit when subtitled Feminist Psychoanalytic Theories.

GSWS 411-4 Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

A specific topic within the field of women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant. Prerequisite: 45 units, including 6 units in GSWS or WS or GDST.

GSWS 412-5 Women and Film, Films and Theories

An examination of film theory and practice from a feminist perspective. Prerequisite: 45 units including six units in GSWS or WS or GDST courses. Students with credit for GSWS 311, 411, WS 311 or 411 may not complete this course for further credit when subtitled Feminist Psychoanalytic Theories.

GSWS 421-3 Practicum I

First term of work experience in the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies co-operative education program. Units from this course do not count toward the units required for an 丁香园AV degree. Prerequisite: 30 units with a CGPA of 3.0. Students should apply to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences co-operative education co-ordinator by the end of the third week of the term preceding the employment term.

GSWS 422-3 Practicum II

Second term of work experience in the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies co-operative education program. Units from this course do not count towards the units required for an 丁香园AV degree. Prerequisite: 45 units with a CGPA of 3.0. Students should apply to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences co-operative education co-ordinator by the end of the third week of the term preceding the employment term.

GSWS 423-3 Practicum III

Third term of work experience in the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies co-operative education program. Units from this course do not count towards the units required for an 丁香园AV degree. Prerequisite: 60 units with a CGPA of 3.0. Students should apply to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences co-operative education co-ordinator by the end of the third week of the term preceding the employment term.

GSWS 424-3 Practicum IV

Fourth term of work experience in the Women's Studies co-operative education program. Units from this course do not count towards the units required for an 丁香园AV degree. Prerequisite: 90 units with a CGPA of 3.0. Students should apply to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences co-operative education co-ordinator by the end of the third week of the term preceding the employment term.

GSWS 431-4 Local Sex on Global Screen

Examines the globalization of sexual cultures and the emergence of queer cinema and screen culture outside of North America and Europe. Prerequisite: 45 units including six units in GSWS or WS or GDST.

GSWS 432-4 Sex in the Sixties

An interdisciplinary examination of North American gender relationships, sexuality, social movements, counterculture, and popular culture in the postwar era, with an emphasis on the 1960s. Prerequisite: 45 units including six units in GSWS or WS or GDST.

GSWS 433-4 Gender, Violence, Resistance

A seminar-based, interdisciplinary course providing a gendered analysis of violence and resistance, to violence, focusing on political states, conflict and war, individual experiences, and institutional situations through feminist and critical masculinities lenses. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units in GSWS or WS or GDST. Students with credit for special temporary topics (STT) course GDST 303 Gender, Violence and Resistance may not complete this course for further credit

GSWS 800-5 Methodology in Women's Studies Research

An interdisciplinary seminar in methods of research in women's studies. Students will examine theoretical issues in women's studies methodology and study examples of research and criticism from women's studies in history, art/literary criticism, philosophy, psychology and social and natural sciences. Emphasis will be placed on developing a rigorous and creative interdisciplinary approach to problems. Students will apply methods studied in the course to their own areas of concentration.

GSWS 820-5 Graduate Seminar in Women's Studies History

This course will examine one or two critical issues in the history of women. Canada, England and France are of special interest in this course, but students, with the permission of the instructor, may focus their work on North America and/or Europe generally.

GSWS 822-5 Graduate Seminar in Feminist Theory

This course will analyze and compare major feminist social and political theories, including those that have emerged from liberal, socialist and radical feminist traditions. The relationship among theories of sexism and political goals and practices will be discussed.

GSWS 823-5 Graduate Seminar in Feminist Art/Literary Criticism

This course will examine the development of feminist aesthetic theories with particular reference to literary, cinematic and/or art forms. The fundamental assumptions of feminist literary and/or art criticism as well as the principles of art forms will be discussed.

GSWS 824-5 Graduate Seminar on Women and Social Policy

This course will focus on one or more social issues and policies in such fields as law, health, economics, social welfare, and science and technology.

GSWS 825-5 Graduate Seminar in Women, Technology and Social Change

This course will focus on relationships between changes in the technological and scientific bases of a society and changes in other major aspects of that society, particularly as they affect women's roles and ideas about women. Emphasis will be on Europe and North America.

GSWS 830-5 Selected Topics Graduate Seminar I

GSWS 831-5 Selected Topics Graduate Seminar II

GSWS 840-5 Directed Studies

GSWS 844-5 Directed Studies II

Allows students to pursue in greater depth a particular problem in gender, sexuality or women's studies. Registration by consent of instructor only. May be offered as an individual reading course or a small seminar, depending upon student and faculty interest. Prerequisite: GSWS 822: Graduate Seminar in Feminist Theory

GSWS 898-6 MA Thesis

GSWS 899-6 MA Extended Essays

GSWS 997-0 PhD Comprehensive Examination

GSWS 998-6 PhD Thesis

GSWS 999-6 MA Field Exam

Prerequisite: REQ-WS 822 and five graduate courses.

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