Gender and Women’s Studies (WS) Courses
This is content from the Catalog 2019–2020 back issue. Please visit the current catalog for current information.
See How to read course descriptions for information about the formatting used.
WS 151 Intro Gender & Women's Studies (3) An interdisciplinary survey of gender issues in contemporary U.S. society. Introduces foundational concepts regarding social constructions of gender, race, class, and sexual orientation. Topics include history, religion, sexuality, body image, reproductive rights, family, work, and violence. (Attributes: DS)
WS 200 Gender Leadership & Soc Just (3) This course offers students the opportunity to think critically about leadership concepts, activism, and social change. Students will reflect on how social justice and multiculturalism influence the community and leadership of woman. Students will critically examine leadership theories and how to apply personal leadership styles. Pre: WS 151 or permission of the instructor. (Attributes: ALEX, GCC)
WS 200E Lit Genres: Myth/Folklore (3) An introduction to major genres in literature: Mythology and Folklore. Pre: C or better in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100 or ESL 100T. (Same as ENG 200E)
WS 201 Global Cinema (3) A course that offers students a critical examination of worldwide cinema. The course will cover film theory and film making techniques from countries such as Germany, Mexico, China, Senegal, Iran, and India. Students will undertake a critical study of various schools of film as they pertain to these national cinemas as well as explore the cultural and socio-political controversies surrounding cinematography. Pre: C or better in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100 or ESL 100T. (Same as ENG 201) (Attributes: DL)
WS 202 Literature of Human Rights (3) This course will explore narratives from a human rights perspective, beginning in the era shortly before the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and extending into the 21st century. Students will focus on geopolitical conditions that contribute to the suppression of human rights in areas around the globe, including, but not limited to, Chile, India, Nigeria, Iran, the Palestinian Territories, and the United States. Pre: C or better in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100 or ESL 100T. (Same as ENG 202) (Attributes: DL)
WS 204 Intr Race/Gender Film Studies (3) This course will focus on how race and gender historically shape individual and cultural experiences in America, as expressed in film. Key works that offer portrayals by and about various groups (i.e. gays/lesbian, immigrants, indigenous communities, mixed-race populations, etc.) will be critically compared and examined. Students will also discuss and address evolving audience responses to these works. Pre: C or better in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100 or ESL 100T. (Same as ENG 204) (Attributes: DL)
WS 205 Hawaiʻi on Screen (3) A critical look at the development of film in and on Hawaiʻi. The course will cover a number of silent era films as well as the development of the musical and the war story as popular genres in the Islands. The class will also focus on the problems of cultural, racial and gendered representation in mainstream cinematic depictions of Hawaiʻi as well as the contemporary emergence of local and indigenous filmmaking. Pre: C or better in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100 or ESL 100T. (Same as WS 205)
WS 206 Intro to Popular Culture (3) This course offers an introductory study of mainstream manifestations of culture. Students will critically assess production, distribution, and consumption of various popular cultural genres, such as advertising, talk shows, sports programs, music videos and gossip magazines and websites, among many others. Pre: C or better in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100 or ESL 100T. (Same as ENG 206) (Attributes: DL)
WS 207 Gender and Communication (3) This course is an introduction to gender research in communication, studying ways in which language, interpersonal communication, the media, and various social institutions influence conceptions of gender. (Same as COM 207).
WS 210 Gender and Communication (3) This course is an introduction to gender research in communication, studying ways in which language, interpersonal communication, the media, and various social institutions influence conceptions of gender. (Same as COM 210)
WS 257 Multicultural Literature (3) This is a course designed for students who want to engage literatures from various ethnic groups in the U.S. The course includes historical context regarding the production of these literatures, providing an overview of how these groups have developed their own literary techniques, genres, and canons. Pre C or better in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100 or ESL 100T. (Same as ENG 257) (Attributes: DL)
WS 270 Love and Sex (3) Survey of classical and contemporary perspectives of the philosophy of love, marriage, relationships, sex, sexual identity, representations of sex and sexuality. (Previously offered: PHIL 180; Same as WS 270).
WS 300 Family in World Perspective (3) A comparative analysis of family and marriage patterns, mate selection, parent-child interaction, divorce rates, socialization of gender roles, legal sanctions, trends in organization and function. Pre: Soc 100 or instructor's consent. (Same as SOC 300).
WS 301 Women in Science (3) The interrelationships of women and science examined from historical, sociological, philosophical, and biological perspectives. Factors contributing to underrepresentation, feminist critiques of science, examination of successful strategies.
WS 303 Feminist Political Theory (3) An examination of the progression of feminist political thought. Topics covered include the roles of women in the history of Western political thought, early feminist writings, and contemporary feminist theories related to liberalism, radicalism, and postmodernity.(Same as POLS 303)
WS 304 Ethics & Culture Diversity (3) Philosophical examination of the meaning of cultural diversity and pluralism for questions concerning community and knowledge from a variety of American and non-western cultures as well as their interactions with categories of identity, based upon nation, race, class, gender and sexuality. Addresses the interactions of the social experience of individuals based upon categories of identity and the emergence of forms of community and knowledge. A global or transnational section will be one component of the course. (Same as PHIL 304).
WS 305B Themes in Regnl Geog: Mid East (3) Surveys regional landscapes of the Middle East, including North Africa; focuses on historical and contemporary influences of physical, cultural, and economic landscapes. Pre: Junior or senior status, or consent of instructor. (Same as GEOG 305B)
WS 307 Theory of Knowledge (3) The sources and limits of human knowledge. Classical and contemporary epistemological theories, and their application to the everyday search of knowledge. (Same as PHIL 307)
WS 310 Race & Ethnic Relations (3) Sociological analysis of the patterns of intergroup relations. Topics include the meaning of race, ethnicity, prejudice and discrimination, and the interactive strategies used by various groups. Emphasis on ethnic processes on Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region. Pre: SOC 100 or instructor's consent. (Same as SOC 310).
WS 316 Science, Technology & Values (3) Impact of science and technology on various philosophical issues. Through a variety of readings that exemplify the field's content, students will examine the social, political, aesthetic, ethical, economic, and environmental constructs that shape modern institutions in science and technology. (Same as PHIL 316)
WS 319 European Women's History (3) Study of European women from pre-history to the 20th century with emphasis on women's social and cultural roles in western history. Current feminist theory is also studied. (Same as HIST 319)
WS 320 Cross-Cultural Study Of Women (3) Comparative analysis of women's roles and women's lives in different societies. Topics include women's status, life stages, gender roles, images of women and power. (Same as ANTH 320) (Attributes: FGC)
WS 321 Social Stratification (3) The causes and consequences of institutionalized social inequality. Pre: SOC 100 or instructor's consent. (Same as SOC 320). (Attributes: DS)
WS 324 Culture, Sex And Gender (3) A cross-cultural examination of the development of gender systems and gender roles. Consideration of sex roles and activities as part of the larger gender system. Pre: ANTH 150 or 205 or instructor's consent. (Same as ANTH 324) (Attributes: FGC)
WS 325 Psychology Of Women (3) Issues and topics relevant to the psychological development and functioning of women including sex differences in abilities and behavior, achievement motivation, work, sexuality, pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood, mental health and domestic violence. Pre: PSY 100. (Same as PSY 325)
WS 327 Law and Identity (3) In this course, will politically engage with the legal construction of who we are as individuals and our presence within different communities. The relationship between law and identity involves politically contested frameworks of sexuality, gender, race and ethnicity, ability, and ownership according to both judicial doctrine and contemporary scholarship. As these frameworks shift and evolve, the politics of legal identification sculpt our own social horizons. Pre: Junior or Senior standing (Same as POLS 327)
WS 328 Gender, Crime, and Justice (3) This course will examine theoretical perspectives on gender, crime, and the criminal justice system. Students will analyze the intersecting roles played by gender, race, and class in criminal offending, victimization, and institutional responses. Additional topics may include masculinity and crime, women and punishment, female delinquency, gender violence, sex work, and the role of women in the criminal justice system. Pre: Soc 100 or WS 151 (Same as SOC 328).
WS 331 Queer Studies & Contem Society (3) A review of current issues using queer and sociological perspectives on sexualities and social change. Pre: SOC 100 or WS 151 or permission of instructor. (Same as SOC 331)
WS 332 Politics of Race & Gender (3) A survey of the historic, legal, political, and social forces shaping society's construction of race, ethnicity, and gender. Notions of power and the political significance of race and gender are explored. (Same as POLS 332).
WS 340 Socialization & Identity (3) The process by which an individual becomes a functioning member of society. Pre: SOC 100 or instructor's consent. (Same as SOC 340).
WS 342 Sociology of Human Aging (3) Aging as a social phenomenon, including social impact of a growing elderly population, and emerging social patterns among the elderly. Emphasis on the interplay of biological, psychological, sociological and cultural factors of human aging. Pre: SOC 100 or instructor's consent. (Same as SOC 342).
WS 352 Gender and Sexuality (3) An interdisciplinary exploration of concepts, constructions, and behaviors associated with gender and sexuality. Course materials examine historical, contemporary, and cross- cultural definitions and expectations, and correlations with social power and hierarchies. In addition, the course aims to illuminate the multiplicity of personal and social identities relating to sex, race/ethnicity, class, age, etc. (Attributes: DS)
WS 355 Women in Modern Lit & Film (3) Literature and film by and about women from 1900 to the present. Feminist literary theory. Pre: ENG/ESL 100 and 200-level literature course or college level Women's Studies courses or instructor's consent. (Same as ENG 355)
WS 356 Language and Gender (3) Students engage in the analysis of gender as it relates to language and society. Provides students with analytic resources for thinking critically about the relationship between language and social practice. Students gather and analyze data based on current theories. Pre: ENG/ESL 100 or 100T and LING 102, or consent of instructor. (Same as ENG 356, LING 356)
WS 357 Women and Religion (3) (other) Examines roles of, and attitudes towards, women in various religious traditions. Through both chronological and comparative approaches, explores depictions of women in scriptures and other primary texts as well as women's contributions to each tradition. (Attributes: FGC)
WS 358 Women in Christianity (3) Examines issues relating to sex and gender throughout the history of Christianity. Emphasizing primary texts, the course will explore writings by Christian women and Christian writings about women. (Same as HIST 358)
WS 359 Music and Activism (3) An exploration of the ways in which music has been used to create and support social change. The role of music in movements involving resistance, protest, and activism for political, social, and environmental justice, both in the U.S. and globally. (Same as MUS 359) (Attributes: DH)
WS 360 American Women's History (3) Study of American women from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Special emphasis on women's social and cultural roles. Current feminist theory is also studied. Pre: HIST 151, 152 or instructor's consent. (Same as HIST 360)
WS 361 Feminism in Japan (3) A historical survey of Japanese women and feminism focusing on Japan's changing aspects from the ancient to the contemporary periods. The course questions the current popular Western image of the subservient Japanese women and articulates the role of Japanese women in Japanese society. (Same as JPNS 361 and JPST 361) (Attributes: DH, HPP)
WS 363 Globalization, Gender, Fashion (3) Focus on the sociological significance of the garment and fashion industry, consideration of gender and globalization in the processes of production, consumption and resistance. Pre: SOC 100 or WS 151 or instructor’s consent. (Same as SOC 363) (Attributes: DS, GCC)
WS 368 Latin American Women's Lit (3) Latin American women of the 20th century have lived in vastly different conditions and upheaval spanning feudalism to postcolonial thought. From genocide to authoritarian institutions of torture, Latin women have had to endure turmoil and violent clashes of ideas. This course captures the Latin perspective of four different sociological spaces that women occupy in Latin America: the Indigenous space, the patriarchal latifundio, the mestizo space of markets, and the professional woman under the military governments. Latin American and French feminist theories are used to clarify these contexts. (Same as SPAN 368). (Attributes: DH)
WS 369 Lat&Glob Docum&Film:Crit Analy (3) This course will engage students in Latin and Global documentaries and films in the context of their perspectives, providing an excellent window into culture and world conflicts. The students lives in a global world today in which expansion of mindsets must become elastic with the practice of cultural exposure and analysis. (Same as WS 369). (Attributes: WI)
WS 375 Feminist Philosophy (3) Exploration of the feminist contributions to traditional philosophical questions in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, as well as examining the philosophical implications of the intersections of race, class, gender and sexuality. (Same as PHIL 375) (Attributes: DH)
WS 377 Indigenous Feminisms (3) This course offers a survey of indigenous feminist perspectives that address gender and sexuality, place, culture, and economy and the socio-historic place, culture, and economy and the socio-historic peoples. Pre: SOC 100 or WS 151 or consent of instructor. (Same as SOC 377)
WS 378 N. Amer Indig Cultr Survival (3) (lecture/other) This course will cover a broad swath of Native American history from the past few hundred years in the context of cultural survival and resistance. The course will begin with a short background in Native American history, but will be more specifically focused on various examples of resistance and incorporation. (Same as HIST 378).
WS 382 Qualitative Research (3) Introduction to the ethics, methodologies, and practice of research in human geography, particularly standpoint epistemologies and associated methodologies. Combines lectures, workshops, and assignments. Students will conduct and report upon their own research. Pre: GEOG 103 or 102 or WS 151 or consent of Instructor. (Same as GEOG 382).
WS 384 Gender & Japanese Performance (3) This course introduces the performance traditions in Japan, ranging from rituals to dance and theatre--traditional art forms such as kagura, noh, kyogen, kabuki to modern and contemporary theatre and performance. Through readings and visual materials, students observe the historical development of Japanese theatre and other performing art forms, from the ancient period to contemporary and examine the Japanese art forms from the performance studies as well as gender and feminism studies perspectives. (Same as JPNS/JPST 384).
WS 385 Women & Health (3) Reproductive health, immune activity, autoimmune disease, and mental health in women are covered from physiological, psychological, historical and cross-cultural perspectives. Pre: PSY 100. (Same as PSY 385)
WS 391 Intern Gender & Women Studies (3) Application of knowledge and skills in a field placement or engaged scholarship project setting. May be taken for a total of 12 credits, only 6 of which can be applied to the major or three to a minor. Pre: WS 151, instructor's consent. (Attributes: ALEX)
WS 392 Japanese Women (3) History of women in Japan from the earliest historical eras, including the Heian aristocracy and evolving samurai culture, through the present. Topics include property rights, family structures, the influence of religion and secular philosophies, effects of political and legal changes, women's role in the economy and its effect on their status and lives, and women's activism. (Same as JPST 392, HIST 392). (Attributes: GAHP)
WS 393 Normality, Abnormality & Soc (3) Philosophical study of how human diversity interacts with social norms. Topics include health and illness, disability, gender and sexual orientation. Perspectives from biology and the social sciences are included in a study of how beliefs about normality vary between cultures, change through time and affect human relations. Pre: Previous work in Philosophy. (Same as PHIL 393) (Attributes: DH)
WS 401 Women in Hawaiian History (3) (lecture/other) This course examines the lives and contributions of women in the history of Hawaiʻi. It considers how events such as the arrivals of foreigners, dismantling of the kapu system, the mahele, epidemics, political changes, world wars, etc., affected the social and cultural lives of women, men, children, and families. Course materials seek to understand how those gendered as "feminine" negotiated, accommodated, and resisted these changes over the last two centuries. (Same as HIST 401). (Attributes: GAHP)
WS 407 Gender Inequality inPopCulture (3) Exploration of gender and sexuality as systems of inequality, as social constructions, as performance, and as dynamic forces within American popular culture. Students develop skills to sociologically research and analyze artifacts of popular culture. Pre: SOC 100 or WS 151 or instructor’s consent. (Same as SOC 407).
WS 408 Island Feminism (3) The course considers the specific geographical, social, and cultural aspects of islands societies and how gender, sexuality, and race/ethnicity shape them in the context of globalization. Pre: SOC 100 or WS 151 or consent of the instructor. (Same as SOC 408)
WS 409 Seminar in Social Movements (3) An exploration of the ways in which social movements have shaped politics, policy and social culture in the United States. Students will research and analyze historical and contemporary social movements. Pre: SOC 100 or WS 151 or instructor’s consent. (Same as SOC 409)
WS 411 Family & Gender in Oceania (3) (lecture/other) With a focus on the 19th and 20th centuries, this course examines how historical changes affected the social and cultural lives of women, men, children, and families in Oceania. Throughout the course we will endeavor to explore gendered reconstructions of particular events in the history of the Pacific: historiography, exploration, disease & depopulation, missionization, education, imperialism, colonization and decolonization in general. (Same as HIST 411). (Attributes: GAHP)
WS 416 Science, Technology & Values (3) Impact of science and technology on various philosophical issues. Through a variety of readings that exemplify the field's content, students will examine the social, political, aesthetic, ethical, economic, and environmental constructs that shape modern institutions in science and technology. (Same as PHIL 416)
WS 420 Family Communication (3) Foundational concepts and theories are introduced. Communication dynamics within families are explored. Narrative, functional, interpretive, and systems approaches to family communication are included. Cultural influences are examined. Conditions necessary for optimal family functioning are addressed. (Same as COM 420)
WS 423 Post-Colonial Literature (3) A critical analysis of the development of contemporary world literature in the wake of the fall of European empires. This class is designed to address the importance of writing in an age of changing national identities, shifting alliances, and volatile conflicts. Texts from African, Latin American, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Hawaiʻi will be features. Pre: ENG 300 or instructor's consent. (Same as ENG 423). (Attributes: DL)
WS 430 Gender, Place and Environment (3) Survey of trends in geography of gender related to place, space and the environment. Addresses spatial interactions of gendered bodies of different ages, class and ethnicities. Pre: junior or senior standing or instructor's consent. (Same as GEOG 430). (Attributes: ALEX, DS, GCC)
WS 442 Romantic Literature (3) Poetry and prose from 1780 to 1832. Pre: C or better in ENG 300 or instructor's consent. (Same as ENG 442).
WS 448 Graphic Novels & Comics (3) Advanced study of major developments, schools and styles in contemporary graphic novels and comics. Emphasis on literary theory and analysis. Pre: C or better in ENG 300 or instructor's consent. (Same as ENG 448)
WS 461 Race and Gender in Media (3) This course explores the dynamic interactions between race, gender and the mass media. Specifically, it examines media representations of race and gender and their cultural, sociological, and psychological effects in the society. Pre: COM 260, 360 or instructor's consent. (Same as COM 461).
WS 480 Women and Rhetoric (3) Survey of key female figures that have figured (or not figured) into the rhetorical canon. Analysis of women's use of rhetoric in everyday life and at historic moments and consideration of methodological and theoretical issues intersecting women, rhetoric, and historical research. Pre: C or better in ENG 300 or instructor's consent. (Same as ENG 480).
WS 486 Women in Ancient European Civi (3) Study of European women up to the year 800, with primary focus on the Mediterranean Basin. Themes encompass religion, social customs, and economic activities. Pre: HIST 319 or 323 or 341 or 356 or 360; or consent of instructor. (Same as HIST 486).
WS 495 Women's Studies Seminar (3) (other) Capstone seminar to be taken in the senior year (or as a second-semester junior). Readings, discussions, presentations, and guest lectures involving advanced analysis of theories about social systems and women's lives. Seminar will facilitate student's application of theoretical material and research toward particular areas of interest. Seminar topics may vary from year to year. Pre: WS 151; 6 credits of upper-division WS courses or instructor's consent.
WS x94 Special Topics in Subject Matter (Arr.) Special topics chosen by the instructor. Course content will vary. May be repeated for credit, provided that a different topic is studied. Additional requirements may apply depending on subject and topic.
WS x99 Directed Studies (Arr.) Statement of planned reading or research required. Pre: instructor’s consent.