Lauren Herold

This course provides students with critical frameworks for thinking about the social construction of gender at the personal and institutional levels. Emphasis is placed on diverse women’s significant contributions to knowledge and culture; to other areas of gender studies, including men’s studies, family studies and the study of sexuality; and to the intersections of various forms of oppression both within and outside of the U.S. The course includes both scholarly as well as personal texts, visual as well as written text. This counts toward the introductory requirement for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS/GSS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. No prerequisite. Offered every semester.

This course is designed to help students develop a critical framework for thinking and writing about intersectional issues related to sexuality, sex, gender identity and gender expression. The course takes a broad view of examining queer and transgender issues from sociopolitical, legal, psychological, biological, cultural, ethical, philosophical and historical frameworks. We look at the fields of queer theory and LGBTQ+ studies out of which some of the most innovative and challenging developments in modern cultural studies are arising. Additionally, we examine the ways in which society interacts with queer and transgender identities in a number of spheres, including politics, health care, the arts, the sciences and more. This counts toward the introductory and diversity and globalization requirements for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS/GSS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. No prerequisite.

This class examines feminist critiques of dominant methodologies and theories of knowledge creation. It focuses on the following questions: How do we know something? Who gets to decide what counts as knowledge? How do gender, sexuality, race, class and other identity categories matter in research? In exploring these questions, we will discuss how power is exercised in the production of knowledge, how the norms of objectivity and universalism perpetuate dominance and exclusion, why marginalized people are often seen as lacking epistemic authority, and what it means to have knowledge produced from a feminist standpoint. We explore a variety of alternative epistemologies and methodologies proposed by feminist and LGBTQ theorists and researchers. Participants in this class will learn several qualitative methods and practice using these methods in their own research. In addition, we will discuss ethical issues within a variety of research contexts and what responsibilities feminist researchers have to the broader community. This course counts towards the methodology requirement for the GSS major and is one of the foundational courses for the GSS concentration. This course paired with any other .50 unit/4 semester hour GSS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. Prerequisite: any GSS course, approved departmental course.

This course provide students with critical frameworks for thinking about the social construction of gender at the personal and institutional levels. Emphasis is placed on diverse women’s significant contributions to knowledge and culture; to other areas of gender studies, including men’s studies, family studies and the study of sexuality; and to the intersections of various forms of oppression both within and outside of the U.S. The course includes both scholarly as well as personal texts, visual as well as written text. This counts toward the introductory requirement for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. Offered every semester.

This course is designed to help students develop a critical framework for thinking and writing about intersectional issues related to sexuality, sex, gender identity and gender expression. The course takes a broad view of examining queer and transgender issues from sociopolitical, legal, psychological, biological, cultural, ethical, philosophical and historical frameworks. We look at the fields of queer theory and LGBTQ+ studies out of which some of the most innovative and challenging developments in modern cultural studies are arising. Additionally, we examine the ways in which society interacts with queer and transgender identities in a number of spheres, including politics, health care, the arts, the sciences and more. This counts towards the introductory and diversity and globalization requirements for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. No prerequisite.

This course examines feminist critiques of dominant methodologies and theories of knowledge creation in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. It focuses on the following questions: How do we know something? Who gets to decide what counts as knowledge? Who is the knower? In answering these questions, this class explores how power is exercised in the production of knowledge, how the norms of objectivity and universalism perpetuate dominance and exclusion, why women and other minority groups are often seen as lacking epistemic authority, and what it means to have knowledge produced from a feminist standpoint. Students learn a variety of methods and use these methods in a community-based research project. This project involves working with community partners in Knox County and may require student participation outside of the scheduled class time. In addition, we discuss various ethical issues that feminist researchers often encounter and what responsibilities feminist researchers have to the broader political community. This course has a community-engaged learning (CEL) component. Students may be required to travel off-campus for site visits. This counts toward the mid-level requirement for the major. This course paired with any other 0.5 unit WGS course counts toward the social science diversification requirement. Prerequisite: any WGS course, approved departmental course or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.