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John Jay College
Gender Studies Program
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Gender Studies Handbook
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Gender Studies Handbook
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John Jay College
Department of History
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What is Gender Studies?
Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores the making and meaning of gender — femininity and masculinity — as well as sexuality across cultures and social formations, past and present. The Gender Studies Program at John Jay has a unique focus on the ways in which justice, in theory and practice through legal, political, economic and cultural systems, is informed and shaped by assumptions and biases about gender and sexuality. Gender awareness benefits individuals, communities and organizations. Gender Studies classes offer exciting, new ways of understanding the world we live in as well as important tools for analyzing experience.
What kinds of skills will I learn in Gender Studies?
One of the strengths of Gender Studies is that it teaches critical analysis by taking one of our most basic experiences — that of being a gendered human being — and forces us to question its meaning within a broad variety of frameworks. Because students in the program take courses from a variety of disciplines they are exposed to a range of methodological approaches and theoretical debates. Students who earn a Gender Studies major or minor learn to be critical and reflective thinkers and clear writers, skills that will enhance their eligibility for any post-graduate work or career.
What kinds of jobs are available for Gender Studies majors?
A major or minor in Gender Studies is very flexible. Like majors or minors in other Social Science and Humanities disciplines, the Gender Studies program does not prepare students for one job, but for many different kinds of employment. The courses train students in critical thinking, social science and humanities research methods, and writing. Coursework provides knowledge about the interplay of gender, race, class and sexuality in the United States and globally. The ability to apply an internship toward credit in the Major and Minor allows students the opportunity to evaluate possible careers and also provides on-site experiences which help graduates find employment. The study of Gender Studies, with its combination of cross-disciplinary, analytic and practical skills, prepares a well-rounded graduate who has the tools to adapt to a world of rapidly changing work and family structures. Students who pursue Gender Studies have gone on to work in social services administration, domestic violence advocacy, business, communications, journalism, law enforcement, psychological and counseling services, legal and political fields, and a host of other careers.
Can men major/minor in Gender Studies?
Absolutely! Gender Studies examines gender, and this includes masculinity. We study the experiences of people and how cultural systems shape our ideals of gender and sexuality. Gender Studies includes not just women's, but men's studies, gay and lesbian studies, transgender studies, critical race studies, and other cultural categories of identity and how they intersect. If you are interested in studying justice, you are interested in Gender Studies.
How do I become a Gender Studies major/minor?
You can declare yourself as a Gender Studies major/minor on the Jay Stop website. You should also contact the Program Director, Professor Katie Gentile (),
who will review the major/minor requirements with you and provide registration advice.
I am a transfer student. Can I still be a Gender Studies major/minor? Will some of my classes count toward the requirements?
Yes and yes! Transfer students should work very closely with the program director in order to understand exactly what remaining requirements they must complete.
What courses must I take to major or minor in Gender Studies?
Please see the degree requirements and checklists on pages 4 and 5.
Can I double major?
Absolutely! Gender Studies is a perfect pairing with any other major. You will be able to integrate your Gender Studies skills to better understand the ways oppression, injustice and social activism work from multiple perspectives in different fields.
What exactly will I learn in the Gender Studies major?
The learning objectives of the Gender Studies Program are:
Identify assumptions about gender & sexuality and how they influence construction of human identity in historical, cultural, & geographic contexts.
Write arguments that examine interrelationships between gender & sexuality and other identity categories such as race, class, nationality, age, physical disability.
Recognize major topics and methodological approaches in gender studies.
Utilize accepted methods of gender studies research to investigate topics in the field..
Connect scholarly inquiry on gender and sexuality to theories of social justice and activism.
Is there an Honors Option?
Yes! To receive Honors in the GS major, a student must complete a 3-credit research project-based independent study prior to taking GEN 401, while achieving a 3.5 grade point average in their major courses and an overall GPA of at least 3.2. Students may enroll in the Honors option as upper juniors (having at least 75-90 credits) by meeting with the GS Director.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Gender Studies
CORE Degree Requirements for the B.A. in Gender Studies
36 credits
1. HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS 12 credits
GEN 101 Introduction to Gender Studies
GEN 205 Gender and Justice
GEN 255 The Biology of Gender and Sexuality
GEN/HIS 364 The History of Gender and Sexuality (Fall semesters)
2. CRITICAL METHODS 3 credits
GEN/PHI 333 Theories of Gender and Sexuality (Spring semesters)
3. RESEARCH METHODS 3 credits
Students must choose one of the following research methods courses
SSC 325 Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences
HJS 315 Research Methods in the Humanities
4. SENIOR SEMINAR 3 credits
GEN 401 Senior Seminar in Gender Studies* (Spring semesters)
5. GENDER STUDIES AREA ELECTIVES 15 credits
Students select five electives from Gender Studies Elective List below. Students may substitute a semester-long internship in a gender-related field or an approved Independent Study with a GS faculty (GEN 389) for one elective. To ensure that students are exposed to significant and significantly different approaches to thinking about gender and sexuality, students must take at least two courses in each categories.
CORE Requirements for a MINOR in Gender Studies (18 credits)
GEN 101 Introduction to Gender Studies
GEN 205 Gender and Justice
And 4 Gender Studies electives, at least one from each category.
GENDER STUDIES MAJOR AND MINOR ELECTIVE LIST
Category A. Diversities and Cultural Representations of Genders and Sexualities
These courses focus on constructions of gender and sexuality internationally and among diverse communities and cultures in the United States. Some of these courses focus on the study of art, media, literature and cultural production both as sites of theoretical and political work about gender and sexuality and as sources of the construction and representation of gendered/sexed identities
AFR 248 Men: Masculinities in the United States
ANT 210/ PSY 210/ SOC 210 Sex and Culture
ART 222 Body Politics and Art in Global and Historical Perspectives
ART 224/AFR 224 African American Women in Art
COR 320 Race, Class and Gender in a Correctional Context
DRA 243 Black Female Sexuality in Film
DRA 245 Women in Theatre
GEN 356/ HIS 356 Sexuality, Gender and Culture in Muslim Societies
HIS 323 History of Lynching and Collective Violence
HIS 265/LLS 265 Class, Race, and Family in Latin American History
HIS 270 Marriage in Medieval Europe
HIS 375 Female Felons in the Premodern World
ISP 334 Sex, Gender, and Justice in Global Perspective
LIT 316 Gender and Identity in Literary Traditions
LLSThe Latin American Woman in Global Society
SOC 243 Sociology of Sexualities
ADDITIONAL CATEGORY A ELECTIVES FOR MINORS ONLY:
GEN 255 The Biology of Gender and Sexuality
HIS/GEN 364 The History of Gender and Sexuality
GEN/PHI 333 Theories of Gender and Sexuality
Category B. Socio-Political and Economic Systems and Gender & Sexuality
These courses address the construction of gender and sexuality within the legal, economic and social structures of our society. They look at the very pragmatic ways that societies both reinforce and undermine gender and sexuality through their policies and social practices. Courses that satisfy this requirement will investigate historical or contemporary gender and sexuality within law, sociology, economics, government, criminology and psychology.
CRJ 420/SOC 420 Women and Crime
CSL 260 Gender and Work Life (was CSL 360)
ECO 327 Political Economy of Gender
PSCWomen in Policing
POL 237 Women and Politics
POL 318 The Law and Politics of Sexual Orientation
POL 319 Gender and the Law
PSY 333 Psychology of Gender
SOC 215 Social Control and Gender: Women in American Society
SOC 333 Gender Issues in International Criminal Justice
In addition to the regularly offered electives listed above, a number of unique electives that count toward the major will be offered each semester. The Director of the Gender Studies Program will compile a list each semester and disperse it amongst Gender Studies majors and minors.
*24 credits must be completed toward the major including GEN 205, HIS/GEN 364,GEN/PHI 333, and a research methods course.
NOTE: Some courses are offered only in the Spring or Fall. See your advisor to plan out your schedule.
Gender Studies Handbook
Page XXX
John Jay College
Department of History
Fal
Page XXX
Gender Studies Handbook
Page XXX
John Jay College
Department of History
Fal
Page XXX
Gender Studies Handbook
Page XXX
John Jay College
Department of History
Fal
Page XXX
Gender Studies Handbook
Page XXX
John Jay College
Department of History
Fal
Page XXX
Gender Studies Handbook
Page XXX
John Jay College
Department of History
Fal
Page XXX
AFR 248 Men: Masculinities in the United States
There is more than one way to be a man. This course will introduce students to theoretical approaches to understanding masculinities. We will look at how biological, political, economic and psychological factors influence how masculinities are constructed. Students will increasingly reflect a sense of themselves as gendered beings and they will develop an appreciation of how social constructions of masculinities influence how they define themselves.
Prerequisite: ENG 102 or 201
ANT/PSY/SOC 210 Sex and Culture
Study of behavioral and psychological differences between males and females in the light of contemporary theories of social structure, social learning, and individual development. Emphasis on the examination of contemporary theoretical issues in cross-cultural perspective. Prerequisites: ENG 101, sophomore standing or above
ART 222 Body Politics and Art in Global and Historical Perspectives
Body Politics examines images of the human body in art across time and global space. As the most ubiquitous image in much of visual culture, both the past and present, images of the body reveal the unique sensibilities of their creators, patrons, cultures, and eras. Pivotal works of painting, sculpture, photography, video and film from Asia, Africa, Europe and America will be critically assessed to reveal how representation of the body in art reflect and challenge gender roles, race construction, political hegemony, and ideals of beauty. Primary source and scholarly readings will augment the course. The methodologies of art theory and criticism will be tapped as vehicles for visual critique and analysis. Classes will incorporate slide presentations and gallery visits. Prerequisites: ENG 101, any 100-level art course
ART 224 African American Women in Art
The course examines the representation of African-American women in art throughout the centuries, particularly the stereotypes of the Mammy, Sapphire and Jezebel; and the history of African-American women artists from slavery to the present, as they struggled to combat these negative stereotypes through their lives and art. A study of the American slave experience and Post-Reconstruction will lay the foundation for understanding the myriad misconceptions about African-American women and how their images have been manipulated in art and popular culture. Each class will present a series of visual art images via slide presentations and films of the art work discussed. Whenever possible, gallery or museum visits will be incorporated into the course.
Prerequisite: ENG 101
COR 320 Race, Class & Gender in a Correctional Context
Examination of the role of race, class, and gender within the institutional correctional community. Analysis of the impact upon clients, staff and administration through examination of current correctional institutions and case studies by selected corrections experts. Prerequisites: ENG 102 or ENG 201, COR 101, junior or above.
CRJ/SOC 420and Crime
A seminar that explores in depth three aspects of the relationship between women and crime: 1) women as offenders, including the range, intensity, and growing nature of female criminality; 2) women as victims of crime, including abused women, rape victims, and the victimization aspects of prostitution; 3) women as social control agents. Prerequisites: ENG 102 or ENG 201, SOC 101, CRJ 101 or PSC 101 or ICJ 101, senior standing
CSL 260 Gender and Work Life I
n this course students will explore the meanings of gender, race, ethnicity, class and sexual orientation, and their role in vocational development and career choice. We will address how the formal and informal types of social control associated with these categories operate in psychological development, vocational choice, and the workplace. This course is interdisciplinary, so articles from a variety of disciplines including counseling, psychology, economics, sociology and anthropology will be read to better understand the changing roles and expectations of men and women. Each of these interdisciplinary readings will be discussed within the framework of counseling theory.
Prerequisites: ENG 102 or 201, PSY 101, junior standing or above
DRA 243 Black Female Sexuality in Film
This course examines how film both reflects and shapes the perception of society about the sexuality of black women. It explores three black film movements-the pre-Civil Rights era; the 1970s Blaxploitation era; and the black film culture that has emerged since the 1980s-from and historical, sociological, and psychological perspective, illustrating each movement with screenings and discussion. Films are examined from the point of view of their cultural archetypal "feminine" coding, their "messages" and influence, and how audiences responded to them. The course will also examine films from the economic and social context in which they were made and the conditions under which they were produced. Students will expand their media literacy skills by learning to develop a critical eye as consumers of media images. Prereqs: ENG 101, SPE 113, sophomore or above
DRA 245 Women in Theatre
A study of women as characters in plays, as playwrights, and as directors, producers, designers, etc. Consideration of women's situations and personalities as exemplified in the drama and in their achievements in professional theatre. Prereqs: ENG 101, sophomore or above
ECO 327 The Political Economy of Gender
This course analyzes the relationships between gender and the global economy. Using various perspectives, this course examines how a person's gender affects, and is affected by, economic activities such as production and consumption both inside and outside the marketplace. Special attention is paid to policies such as discrimination laws, equal rights, environmental regulation and budgeting. The course covers such topics as the feminization of poverty, wage inequality, the reinforcement of economic stereotypes by pop culture, the sexual division of labor, sexual harassment, and sex trafficking.