Take a look at WGS and SOJ course offerings below.
WGS Spring 2024 Course List
WGS 101: Introduction to Women and Gender Studies
Section 1: Portland – WEDNESDAY 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm, Professor Rachel Reinke
Section 2: Gorham – TUES/THURS 9:30 am – 10:45 pm, Professor Val Moyer
Section 3: Gorham – TUES/THURS 11:00 am – 12:15 pm, Professor Val Moyer
Section 4: ONLINE, Professor Melissa Day
From a variety of perspectives, this interdisciplinary course explores interrelated queries and topics that emerge from the field of Women and Gender Studies. Students will read materials that address the meanings of gender in different cultures, social organizations, and historical periods. The course particularly investigates difference, specifically, how gender difference is constructed, practiced, represented, challenged, and experienced. 3 credits.
WGS 201: Rethinking Gender and Culture
Portland – TUES/THURS 11:00 am – 12:15 pm, Professor Julianne Siegfriedt
What is gender? Is it innate or learned? How many genders and sexes are there? What is gender inequality? How does gender intersect with other categories of difference such as race, class and sexuality? How are these differences understood in various national contexts? These are some of the questions that feminist, gender and sexuality studies take up, and the questions that we will pursue in this class. Prerequisite: WGS 101 or permission of the instructor. 3 credits.
WGS 245 Topics in Culture and the Arts I
Courses in WGS Topics in Culture and the Arts II will examine cultural production from feminist perspectives. Each of these courses will address the question of how gender is represented in historical and contemporary texts. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
Section 1: Gorham – TUES/THURS 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm, Professor Sarah Lockridge
Cultures of Africa: Africa is a vast continent rich in cultural diversity. This course will explore a variety of African people and cultures south of the Sahara. Students will read ethnographic case studies about small-scale communities that focus on interrelated issues such as music, religion, politics, economics, geography, ethnicity, and gender. This course will consider the effects of colonial periods on indigenous populations but will emphasize post-independence Africans. Students will learn to challenge negative Western representations of Africa by focusing on the power and perseverance of African people and their cultures. 3 credits.
Section 2: Gorham – FRIDAY 8:00 am – 1:45 pm, Professor Janna Ahrndt
This combination studio and theory course explores different communities on the internet from a queer/fem perspective through the context of internet and computer art history. Students will learn about these net art movements while creating their own websites as works of art inspired by cyber feminist and glitch feminist movements. This class meets once a week, for a combined total class time of 5 ½ hours with a fifteen minute break between two 2 ¾ hour class meetings. Students are required to attend both meeting times.
WGS 320 Advanced Topics in Women and Gender Studies
Courses in WGS Advanced Topics in WGS investigate topics not already covered by regular course offerings.
Portland – WEDNESDAY 3:30 pm – 6 pm, Professor Kim Simmons
This course will explore 21st Century U.S. feminist activism with an emphasis on movements for reproductive justice, freedom from violence, and climate justice. Students will also have an opportunity to study a movement of their choice. We will connect with community organizations and resources, attend feminist events on campus, and explore our own interest in change making. The seminar will explore such tactics as “Speaking and Writing for Social Change”, Lobbying and Legislative Strategies”, “Art Activism”, and “NonViolent Direct Action.” 3 credits.
WGS 335 Topics in Science, Techology, & Health II
Courses in WGS Topics in Science, Technology, & Health II will include a feminist critique of traditional science, technology, and medicine. Students will be introduced to feminist perspectives on knowledge, health, and power. Each of these courses will address such questions as: How does scientific thinking and gendered technologies affect bodily experience? How does science create radicalized, sexualized, and gendered subjects? How can science be used as a basis for feminist activism? May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
ONLINE, Professor Natalie Turrin
In this course, we will explore how working scientists use gender analysis to shape research choices, frame hypotheses, and re-imagine the structure of scientific inquiry. Students will be introduced to foundational and emerging feminist theory as it relates to science and scientific practice. Working from this theoretical base, we will explore in-depth case studies of how practicing scientists in fields such as neuroscience and human biology are applying gender theory in their work. Students will be introduced to practical skills necessary for scientific research, such as conducting literature reviews, writing institutional review board applications, and applying for grants. Students will also learn how gender theory can help scientists identify unasked questions and gaps in knowledge. 3 credits.
WGS 345 Topics in Culture and the Arts II
Courses in WGS Topics in Culture and the Arts II will examine cultural production from feminist perspectives. Each of these courses will address the question of how gender is represented in historical and contemporary texts. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
Portland – TUES/THUR 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm, Professor Jessica Ouellette
This course will focus on the relationship between digital rhetoric and feminist practices in order to consider the ways in which structures and uses of digital platforms shape political projects and vice versa. We will use various feminist conversations and projects (e.g. SlutWalk, FEMEN, #gamergate, Feministing, #femfuture) as case studies to think through the unique possibilities and boundaries of sharing ideas and building coalitions through the use of digital rhetoric. How do feminist rhetorics and practices change in digital environments? How does the rhetorical landscape of the web influence the opportunities and limitations for feminist organizing, protest, and action? How do web users use digital rhetoric to address issues related to identity and embodiment, such as race, gender, class, nationality, and sexuality? And how does digital rhetoric contribute to producing and shaping knowledge about these issues? Asking these and other questions, we will consider how communications on the web shape and are shaped by global political projects dedicated to addressing gendered inequalities. We will also always consider how feminist projects are implicated in and can resist other intersecting structures of power. 3 credits.
ONLINE, Professor Maureen Ebben
Gender us a central organizing principle in society, and ideas about gender are expressed through communication. How are language and communication gendered? What does research say about gender in the workplace, media, and educational settings? Such questions will be explored with the goal to increase awareness of gender communication. Prerequisites: CMS 102, and junior or senior standing. 3 credits.
WGS 355 Topics in History and Resistance II
Courses in WGS Topics in History and Resistance II will explore the history of gender and activism in a variety of contexts, Students will be introduced to feminist theories and practices concerning collaborative activities and grassroots organizing. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
WGS 365 Topics in Gender and Institutions II
Courses in WGS Topics in Gender and Institutions II will focus on gender relations and the social and institutional construction of gender. Students will be introduced to feminist perspectives on social structures, such as those reinforced by economic, educational, political, medical, and religious institutions. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
Section 1: ONLINE, Professor Hermeet Kohli
This course is designed to provide a framework for understanding and respecting cultural diversity. The cultural aspects of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and ableness will be discussed. A central theme in organizing the course is the examination of the role of oppression in shaping lives of members of various cultural groups. 3 credits.
Section 2: Portland – TUES/THURS 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm, Professor Ragini Malhotra
This course examines the politics of gender and crime through an intersectional lens of power and inequality. Emphasis will be placed on how intersections of race, class, citizenship status and sexual orientation are mediated by institutions of power. Students in this reading and discussion intensive course, will critically apply theory to contemporary policy debates within the U.S. and in global comparative contexts. 3 credits.
Section 3: Portland – TUES/THURS 12:30 pm– 1:45 pm, Professor Julianne Siegfriedt
A sociological approach to the study of the family, including the structure of social relationships, the modern American family as a social institution, the cultural background of the family and the impact of social change. Prerequisite: SOC 210 with C or better or permission of the instructor. 3 credits.
Section 4: Portland – TUESDAY 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm, Professor Michelle Vazquez Jacobus
This course considers the factors that produce and maintain structured social inequality based on minority status, and the social consequences of such inequality. Includes analysis of selected minorities both in the U.S. and cross-culturally. Prerequisites: SOC 210 with C or better or permission of the instructor. 3 credits.
WGS 390 Contemporary Feminist Theories
Portland – TUES/THURS 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm, Professor Lisa Walker
This course provides a survey of several contemporary feminist frameworks for thinking about sex, gender, and sexuality as they intersect with race, class, nation, etc. The focus of the course is the intimate relationships between feminist theories and feminist practices, locally and globally. Spring semester only. Prerequisites: WGS 101 or EYE 109, WGS 201 or permission of the instructor. 3 credits.
WGS 470 Independent Study
Arranged
This course provides junior and senior students with the opportunity to pursue a project independently, concentrate on a particular subject of concern, or conduct individually arranged reading or research studies under the advice and direction of a faculty member. Prerequisites: advanced standing and permission of the instructor. Cr 1-6. Must submit an application before enrolling, with instructor consent required.
WGS Capstone Sequence
The WGS Capstone Sequence includes WGS 490 (2 cr.) and either WGS 485: Internship (3-6 cr. ) OR WGS 486: Thesis (4 cr.). This blended course will have both in person and asynchronous work.
Portland (94 Bedford St.) – MON/WED 9:30 am – 10:45 am, Professor Julianne Siegfriedt
The internship requires students to work closely with a group, business, or organization for one semester. Students will write a research paper on a topic related to their internship experience and will present that research in the spring semester. Prerequisites: senior standing and Women and Gender Studies major or minor. Internship students will take WGS 390, Capstone, simultaneously with WGS 485, to fulfill the capstone requirement. Prerequisites: senior standing and Women and Gender Studies major or minor, or SOJ minor. Only offered in the Spring semester, this class will meet in person for 5 sessions at the WGS House and the remaining work will be completed asynchronously. 3 – 6 credits.
Portland (94 Bedford St.) – MON/WED 9:30 am – 10:45 am, Professor Julianne Siegfriedt
The thesis allows students to pursue guided research on a topic of their choosing. Students writing a thesis should plan a two-semester sequence; WGS 486 should be preceded by an independent study (WGS 470) in the student’s area of interest. Thesis students should choose three readers, including a faculty advisor whose interests and scholarship are in line with their own. The minimum length for a thesis is 30 pages, and should include a substantial bibliography. Thesis students must present their work in a public venue in the spring semester. Senior thesis students will take WGS 490, Capstone, simultaneously with WGS 486, to fulfill the capstone requirement. Prerequisites: senior standing and Women and Gender Studies major or minor. Only offered in the Spring Semester. this class will meet in person for 5 sessions at the WGS House and the remaining work will be completed asynchronously. 4 credits.
Portland (94 Bedford St.) – MON/WED 9:30 am – 10:45 am, Professor Julianne Siegfriedt
All majors are required to select either an internship or thesis for their senior capstone experience and are required to participate in WGS 490. WGS students are expected to co-enroll in WGS 490 and WGS 485 or 486. Offered in the Spring Semester only. 2 credits.
SOJ Minor Spring 2024 Course List
SOJ 101: Social Justice/Social Change
ONLINE, Professor Hermeet Kohli
We’ve seen a marked rise in street protest, youth and middle-aged women organizing, digital activism and “distributed” organizing, and creative social movement tactics in the last few years. We’ve also experienced an increase in conversations, on social media and in person, about social justice, historical inequalities, and visioning for more just, free, joyful futures for all of us. This course invites students to consider these questions together and will offer a background in sociological approaches to identity, inequality, justice, and processes for creating social change. 3 credits.
Notes: Meets core requirements for Culture, Power, & Equity/Diversity and SocioCultural Analysis
Elective Area 1: Theoretical Foundations of Social Justice
Courses in this area prepare students to identify, discuss, and evaluate the theoretical foundations of social justice, with an emphasis on critical understandings of systemic power and structural inequality.
Section 1: Gorham – THURSDAY 11:00 am – 12:15 pm, Professor Sarah Lockridge
Section 2: ONLINE, Professor Sarah Lockridge
The aim of this course is to understand the global and local aspects of the social, cultural, economic, and political development processes in nations and societies of the Global South. It will highlight how social scientists approach the complex issues involved in international development. The first part of the course will cover mainstream international development theory whereby we will analyze basic assumptions underlying competing economic and social theories of international development. The second part of the course will explore the environmental and social dimensions of development often overlooked by mainstream international development theory and practice. In relation to the environment, we will focus on issues of environmental degradation and sustainability. Course materials will cover global trends in climate change, but we will focus on case studies to elucidate sustainable development issues. Under social aspects of development, we will investigate contemporary trends that emphasize local ownership and participation. Among other topics, this section will look at the role of NGOs and gender development of the Global South. Prerequisite: SCA course; or permission of instructor. Cr. 3.
Section 1: Portland – TUES/THURS 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm, Professor Ragini Malhotra
Section 2: Portland – WEDNESDAY 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm, Professor Ragini Malhotra
This course focuses on the nature of crime and problems concerning its measurement and distribution. The course examines some of the popular images of crime in the media and elsewhere, the creation and utility of official and unofficial crime statistics, and theories about the causes of crime. No prerequisites. A grade of C or better is required in this course in order to continue in the major. Cr 3.
Portland – TUESDAY 11:00 am – 1:30 pm, Professor Susan McWilliams
Designed to follow Introduction to Sociology, this course further develops students’ skills of critical analysis through the application of sociological principles to current social issues. The course uses popular media as well as sociological materials. Examples of issues which may be examined are: poverty, health care, homelessness, aging, drugs, violence, bureaucracy, white collar crime, and changing gender roles. Prerequisite: Successful completion of SOC 100 with a grade of C or better; ENG 100 or equivalent for all students; for students admitted fall 2021 or later: ENG 102 or equivalent (may be concurrent), or non-degree students; OR permission.. Cr 3.
Portland – THURSDAY 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm, Professor Michelle Jacobus
This course explores race and ethnicity in Sociology through the application of both classic and current scholarship to social issues and institutions. We investigate disparate access to modern US society through the lens of race and ethnicity in education, health care,housing, food resources, environmental protection, and even access to scholarship itself. Particular attention goes to current issues of race and ethnicity in our society. Course emphasizes the students’ own power to promote stronger, more equitable social institutions through learning from models of collaboration, inclusion, and empowerment. Prerequisite: SOC 210 with C or better or permission of instructor. Cr 3.
Elective Area 2: Patterns of Injustice and Resistance
Courses in this area prepare students to identify and critique patterns of both historical and contemporary marginalization and structural inequality, as well as activism and resistance in response to these forces.
Portland – TUES/THURS 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm, Professor David Lowry
This course combines an ethnographic and archaeological perspective on the culture history and traditional cultures of native North Americans. Emphasis is placed on the relationship of aboriginal native cultures to their environments, and the evolution of complex societies in certain regions of North America. Also included is discussion of the fragmentation of indigenous societies that followed the European invasion of North America. Cr 3.
ONLINE, Professor Brenda Joly
The course provides an overview of the public health system and examines the purpose, history, organization, approach, functions and determinants of health. The course places special emphasis on current health issues from our daily lives to highlight the relevance of public health. Trends, successes and challenges from a population perspective will be discussed as well as various tools and techniques used to address public health issues. Cr 3.
Section 1: ONLINE Live – THURSDAY 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm, Professor TBA
Section 2: Portland – THURSDAY 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm, Professor TBA
Is health a human right? If so, what role does society have in ensuring that every person has an equal opportunity to health? This course develops students’ understanding of health disparities across social, economic and cultural groups as well as strategies to reduce those disparities. Students learn how the marginalization of populations based on race, ethnicity, class, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status and other factors affects health behavior and health status. Through a framework of social justice, the course considers how a more equitable distribution of social, economic, and political resources can address the social determinants of health and achieve health equity. Cr 3.
Portland – THURSDAY 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm, Professor Ragini Malhotra
In this course, we will examine the politics of gender and crime through an intersectional lens of power and inequality. We will explore how notions of masculinity and femininity shape, and are reinforced by, narratives about victimization and offending. In doing so, we will focus on the intersections of race, class, citizenship status and sexual orientation. Particular attention will be given to the role of gender in the following contemporary contexts: the criminalization of poverty and work, street masculinities and femininities, sexual violence, hate crimes, state/political crimes, mass incarceration, bias in the criminal justice system, and alternative approaches to justice. Prerequisite: CRM 100 or permission. Cr 3.
ONLINE, Professor Christopher Massaro
Students in this course will examine the history and effect of science and technology on social change. Additionally, students will examine the impact of science and technology on ethical and religious beliefs, social institutions such as education, family, and work, and on large sociopolitical entities and relations. Students in this course will also explore the effects of science and technology on nature and human-made environments. Cr 3.
ONLINE, Professor Ibukun Alegbeleye
Students in this course will develop an understanding of the benefits and challenges of diversity in organizations. The course takes a historical, socio-economic, and psychological approach to the challenges of diverse and marginalized populations in the U.S. Students learn how the workplace may affect diverse peoples and how others can learn to make the workplace more hospitable. A primary focus of this course is on examining beliefs, behaviors, or unconscious attitudes that perpetuate the oppression and subordination of diverse members of society in the workplace, while also looking at how increased diversity is adding to workplace productivity, creativity, and learning. Readings are drawn from the social sciences and humanities to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the topic. Cr 3.
ONLINE, Professor Mark Silber
This course provides a forum to examine deviance and social control from sociological, psychological, ecological, environmental and cross-cultural (anthropological) perspectives, examining contested definitions of deviance, and different theories about deviance and social control. The course investigates the interrelationships of culture, power, identity formation and social change. We will also explore portrayals of deviance and social control in literature, film, and popular culture. Students challenge their critical thinking skills and will achieve a higher level of understanding about the relative notion of deviance, including how it relates to population size, and the nature(s) and type(s) of social control. Cr 3.
ONLINE, Professor Mark Silber
This course examines cultural beliefs and practices surrounding diet, food, cooking, eating, and nutrition. Students explore how behaviors and attitudes toward food and eating influence and are shaped by culture. Discussion may include food and healing, the social functions of food, food as represented in the media, food production and food politics, the diet industry, and eating disorders. Students gain insight into their own behaviors and attitudes toward food and eating, as well as those of today’s global cultures. 3 credits.
Portland – TUES/THURS 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm, Professor Julianne Siegfriedt
A sociological approach to the study of the family, including the structure of social relationships, the modern American family as a social institution, the cultural background of the family, and the impact of social change. Prerequisite: SOC 210 with C or better or permission of instructor. Cr 3.
Portland – TUES/THURS 11:00 am – 12:15 pm, Professor Julianne Siegfriedt
What is gender? Is it innate or learned? How many genders and sexes are there? What is gender inequality? How does gender intersect with other categories of difference such as race, class and sexuality? How are these differences understood in various national contexts? These are some of the questions that feminist, gender and sexuality studies take up, and the questions that we will pursue in this class. Cr 3.
Elective Area 3: Analytic Methods and Practical Skills
Courses in this area prepare students to engage the analytical, practical, and interpersonal skills necessary for creating social change and promoting social justice at several levels. Courses in this area are at the 200-level or above.
Portland – MON/WED 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm, Professor Michael Cote
This course aims to develop critical thinking skills through the study of competing interpretations and analyses put forward by economists. Students will use a variety of texts, media, and activities to better understand controversial topics in economics. The specific thematic focus of ECO 103 may vary from section to section. Examples of topics which may be examined include the economics of health care, economic inequality, the global economy, and the economics of the environment. Prerequisite: ENG 100 or equivalent. Every semester. Cr 3.
Portland – MONDAY 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm, Professor Lydia Savage
This course examines the intersection between economies and geography. Emphasis is placed on the social, cultural, and political contexts within which economies develop and are regulated and restructured. Students are introduced to the skills which allow them to interpret and understand the present economic landscapes and to evaluate the factors and trends that anticipate the future. Prerequisites: one of the following: ANT 101, GEO 101, GEO 203 Urban & Regional Development, GEO 255, ECO 101, ECO 102; ENG 100 or equivalent for all students; for students admitted fall 2021 or later: ENG 102 or equivalent (may be concurrent), or non-degree students; OR permission. Cr 3.
Section 1: ONLINE, Professor Rebecca Nisetich
Section 2: ONLINE, Professor Vaishali Mamgain
Students receive permission from the honors director, locate an internship placement with support from Career Development, and develop a learning contract. Prerequisite: sophomore standing and Honors Minor or permission. Cr. 1-6.
Lewiston – WEDNESDAY 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Professor Sarah Grinder
This writing intensive course is designed to assist students to understand the larger social, cultural, ethical, professional, and systematic issues that impact health care and occupational therapy practice. This course will focus on strategies for analyzing issues and making decisions to resolve personal and organizational ethical conflicts and ethical dilemmas in occupational therapy through the lens of the occupational therapy code of ethics. Sociocultural issues, including occupational justice, health disparities, and their impact on ethical practice will also be explored. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all previous coursework. Cr 3.
Section 1: ONLINE, Professor Jason White
Section 2: ONLINE, Professor Susan Rottmann
Section 3: Portland – TUESDAY 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm, Professor Michelle Vazquez Jacobus
Section 4: ONLINE, Professor Susan Rottman
This writing instruction course assists students in articulating and assessing their own values. It examines the range of ethical theories and positions and explores the influence of particular cultural ideologies on ethical beliefs. The course considers the ethical principles implied by democracy, sustainability, justice, and difference. It examines ethical issues and dilemmas faced by individuals, organizations, and nations while exploring personal and collective decision-making processes in a global context. Prerequisite: any three of Creative Expression, Cultural Interpretation, Science Exploration, Socio-Cultural Analysis; ENG 100 or equivalent for all students; for students admitted fall 2021 or later: ENG 102 or equivalent, or non-degree student; OR instructor permission. Offered Fall, Spring, Summer. Cr 3.
ONLINE, Professor Hermeet Kohli
This course is designed to provide a framework for understanding and respecting cultural diversity. The cultural aspects of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and ableness will be discussed. A central theme in organizing the course is the examination of the role of oppression in shaping the lives of members of various cultural groups. Prerequisites: SWO 201 or permission of instructor. This course satisfies the Diversity requirement of the Core. Cr 3.
Portland (94 Bedford St.) – MON/WED 9:30 am– 10:45 am, Professor Julianne SIegfriedt
An approved alternative to the SOJ Capstone course, the WGS internship requires students to work closely with a group, business, or organization for one semester. Students will write a research paper on a topic related to their internship experience and will present that research in the spring semester. Prerequisites: senior standing and women and gender studies major or minor or instructor permission. Offered spring semester. Cr 3-6.
Social Justice Capstone Experience
Portland (94 Bedford St.) – MON/WED 9:30 am– 10:45 am, Professor Julianne SIegfriedt
The new Social Justice minor capstone course is a hybrid course that will include in person meetings and asynchronous work as arranged with the instructor. Permission required to enroll. Please contact SOJ Minor faculty advisor for more information.