Discover the basic conceptual and theoretical debates in feminist, gender, and women’s studies. Examine the ways gender, sex, sexuality, race, and class interact. Develop critical thinking skills that enable an understanding of how systems of oppression intersect. Possible topics include intersectionality, the social construction of gender and biological sex, gendered violence, labour and unpaid work, and physical and mental disabilities. This entry-level course is recommended for students at any point in their undergraduate career. 

Examine how the body has been imagined, experienced, controlled, and understood, both historically and today, by art, medicine, technology, religion, science, and popular culture. Consider the sexualized and pregnant body, the sinful and diseased body, the aesthetic and the medicalized body, and the body as machine from Galen and Descartes to the age of the computer, the cyborg, and the gene. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 1007 and HIST 1007. 

Explore how interdisciplinary sociologists who study gender, sex, and sexuality understand and theorize past gender or sexual non-conformity. Gain an understanding of past and present 2SLGBTQIA+ people, cultural responses to their ways of being, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people’s efforts to combat queerphobia. Possible topics include female husbands, nonbinary genders, transgender history, and the criminalization of queer people. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 1543 and SOCI 1543.  

Explore the study of gender, sex, sexuality, race, class, and disability equity through an intersectional lens. Become familiar with key conversations in feminist, gender, and women’s studies and develop an understanding of how to combat forms of oppression. Possible topics include the marginalization of 2SLGBTQIA+ people, moving beyond the gender binary, state violence, eugenics and genocide, rape culture, disability justice, and intersex studies. This entry-level course is recommended for students at any point in their undergraduate careers. 

Focus on the role of women within a historical and contemporary context, including women’s position in the family, and in educational, political, and economic institutions. Examine the nature, perpetuation, consequences, and the ideology of sexism in capitalist and non-capitalist societies. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 2313 and SOCI 2313.  

Examine key approaches to feminist and queer theories. Discover intersectional and interdisciplinary perspectives on gender, sex, sexuality, race, disability, class, and more. Learn to engage critically with the ways in which systems of oppression enable the erasure, pathologization, and dehumanization of marginalized peoples, including but not limited to 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, racialized peoples, and disabled folks. Gain transferable skills applicable to professional roles dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Explore the psychology of human sexuality, including specific topics such as sexual anatomy, sexual behaviour throughout the lifespan, sexual response, sexual dysfunction and therapy, sexual variation, and pregnancy and childbirth. Place empirical findings within physiological, personal, interpersonal, and social frameworks. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 3043 and PSYC 3043. No more than three of PSYC 3033, PSYC 3043, PSYC 3053, PSYC 3063, PSYC 3073, and PSYC 3083 may be counted toward a Major or Honours in Psychology.  

Explore how queer identities are shaped, performed, and represented across media and cultures. Learn how lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, asexual, two spirit, queer, and questioning people have been represented and have represented themselves across various media in recent decades in Canadian and international contexts. Examine how queer theory works to disrupt traditional notions of gender, sex, sexuality, pleasure, and bodies, and what this means for queer community making. NOTE: Credit can only be obtained for one of GWS 3056, CCS 3056, MAAC 3056. 

Explore German cinema with a focus on acclaimed productions by contemporary film directors. In particular, study the creative work of women directors and ideas of gender, subjectivity, and intimacy. Discuss further topics such as immigration, identity, national history, and societal norms. Discover modern storytelling through thought-provoking dramas like Toni Erdmann and thrilling crime films like Viktoria. Experience a range of styles and genres, from the new realism of the Berlin School to diverse cinematic approaches. Learn about the feminist film movement and the auteur film tradition of the New German Cinema in the 1970s and 80s and their influence on contemporary cinema. NOTE: Credit can only be obtained for one of GWS 3072, CCS 3072, FILM 3072, MAAC 3072. 

Explore the remarkable diversity of gender identities and practices of sexuality across and within cultures. Engage with the latest anthropological research on gender, sexuality, culture, and biology. Describe the culturally constructed nature of gender and sexuality, and why the idea of cultural construction is essential to understanding contemporary expressions of gender and sexuality. In-depth case studies will include gender violence, emerging forms of non-binary gender expression, gender and health, and issues facing transgender youth. Through exploring gender and sexuality, we aim to better and more fully understand this most fundamental aspect of the human experience. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 3114 and ANTH 3114. 

Adopt a lifespan approach to the lives of girls and women, examined in the context of traditional and alternative roles, life events, and status in society. Examine theories and research on female development, behaviour, and personality. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 3263 and PSYC 3263. 

Take an intersectional approach to investigating the global politics of gender and 'race.' Gain an understanding of why there are gendered and racialized inequities in the global distribution of power and resources; how these inequities have been addressed—and ignored—in international relations theory and practice; and how gender and racialization (and their corollaries, sexism, racism, and colonialism) influence people’s lived experiences of global phenomena such as migration, armed conflict, health/disease, and trade. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 3447 and POLS 3447. 

Gain a historical overview of women's writing in France from the Middle Ages to the present day. Study major women authors, from Marie de France to Annie Ernaux. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 3536 and FR 3536. 

Examine the creative contribution women make to the resolution of conflicts through nonviolent means. Discuss their achievements and their tactics, by drawing on intersectionality as an important methodology in the analysis of the work of many outstanding women from diverse countries such as Yemen, Russia, the USA, Chile, Liberia, Nigeria, and Brazil among others. Focus on the creative impact of women and their success in building peace through nonviolent means, and study how and why gender matters in the contemporary world. NOTE: Credit can only be obtained for one of GWS 3668, CCS 3668, SOCI 3668. 

Explore the contributions, activism, and methods of outstanding women who have had an impact on creating more peaceful communities and nations through their involvement in the arts, society, and culture. From Liberia (Leymala Gbowee) to Yemen (Tawakkul Karman) and Kashmir (Bracha Ettinger), examine the theme of peace from different worldviews. NOTE: Credit can only be obtained for one of GWS 3669, CCS 3669, SOCI 3669. 

Study women’s writing in English from a range of historical periods, with texts that include poetry, drama, fiction, and/or non-fiction written primarily by British, American, and Canadian women. Explore the relationships among women’s writing and history, contemporary feminist and gender theory, and social issues such as identity, sexuality, class, and race. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 3883 and ENGL 3883. 

Investigate gendered social norms and taboos that shaped public and private life in the ancient world. Analyse modern theoretical writings and ancient sources to investigate ideals of femininity and masculinity in mythology and public ritual; the gendering of public and private space; licit and illicit sexual practices; love, marriage, adultery and prostitution; and gendered narratives of good and bad politicians, emperors, and those perceived to be "barbarians." NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 3913 and AWS 3913. 

Explore a specific facet of feminist, gender, women’s, and/or sexuality studies. Possible topics may include intersex studies, disability studies, mad studies, feminist approaches to violence, and feminist theorizations of emotions.  

Engage in a critical appraisal of the theories and research methods in the areas of sex and gender differences and similarities. Specific topics include morality, stereotypes, feminist perspectives, the role of the media, scientific method, and epistemological tendencies. Examine the construction of knowledge and the development of positions with regards to sex and gender. NOTE: Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 4223 and PSYC 4223. 

Examine the gender dimension of health and disease and address the articulation of gender roles and ideologies with health status, the organization of health care, and health policies in a cross-cultural perspective. Utilize the Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) approach for examining how diverse groups of women, men, and non-binary people experience health policies, programs and initiatives. The "plus" in GBA+ shows that GBA goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences, including how racism and other social injustices and their intersections with gender and sexuality compound the challenges faced by many marginalized groups. Credit cannot be counted for both GWS 4702 and ANTH 4702. 

Involves directed reading and research leading to an Honours thesis on a topic in Gender and Women's Studies. Students will consult with the Coordinator in finding a suitable topic and thesis supervisor.