About the Program
Jennifer Toohey, Coordinator
Donald Savage Building, 212
(716) 878-3057
wgs.buffalostate.edu/
Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines women’s experiences, as well as the many ways that gender, sex and sexuality impact people’s lives. Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies examines a range of issues, including how gender and sexuality currently and historically affect life events, social and political power, and experiences in sociocultural institutions; the portrayal of gender and sexuality in art, literature and media; sociocultural and biological influence on gender; sociocultural and biological influences on gender development; how gender and sexuality influence thoughts and behavior; how gender and sexuality intersect with other forms of diversity, such as race, class, and culture; the nature of sexuality; and feminist theory and scholarship.
Admission Requirements
Any matriculated student in good academic standing may declare this program.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
1. differentiate between gender, sex, and sexual orientation
2. analyze assumptions and claims about gender and sexual identities, categories, and experiences
3. analyze how gender and sexuality historically and currently impact sociocultural institutions
4. apply key concepts in feminist and other gender theories and sexuality theories
5. examine intersections between gender, sexuality, race, class, culture, and other social categories
6. evaluate women’s historical, contemporary, and global experiences and contributions
7. integrate theoretical perspectives and scholarly approaches from different academic disciplines to understanding women, gender. and sexuality.
8. apply knowledge and skills to creative and scholarly projects and applied experiences, such as gender activism
9. explain how sociocultural and biological factors contribute to the development and construction of gender identity
Program Requirements
Required Courses (6 credit hours)
WGS 101 INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN, GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES 3
or SOC 312 WOMEN IN SOCIETY
WGS 201 INTRODUCTION TO LGBTQIA2+ STUDIES 3
Electives (12 credit hours)
Select 12 credit hours, 6 or more credits must come from Group A. 15
Group A: Women, Gender and Sexuality as Primary Focus
ANT 332 GENDER AND ARCHAEOLOGY
CRJ 430 GENDER AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
ENG 231 WOMEN IN LITERATURE
ENG 385 GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN LITERATURE
HEW 308 WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES
HEW 340 DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY
HIS 302 HISTORY OF WOMEN IN AMERICA
HIS 445 HISTORY OF WOMEN AND GENDER IN THE MIDDLE EAST
PSC 225 WOMEN IN AMERICAN POLITICS
PSC 383 PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
PSY 387 PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER
SOC 212 FEMINIST THEORY
SOC 310 SOCIOLOGY OF SEX AND GENDER
SOC 326 BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT
SOC 392 SOCIOLOGY OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
WGS 189 TOPIC COURSE (1-3)
WGS 389 TOPIC COURSE
WGS 488 INTERNSHIP (1-12)
WGS 495 SPECIAL PROJECT (1-3)
WGS 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY (3-12)
Group B: Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies in A Broader Context
ANT 350 GLOBAL MARRIAGE PRACTICES
BUS 305 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE
COM 333 RACE, CLASS AND GENDER IN THE MEDIA
EDU 304 WOMEN AND MATHEMATICS
ENG 147 INTRO TO DIVERSE LITERATURES
ENG 447 SELECT TOPICS IN DIVERSE LITERATURES
FTT 348 FASHION, SOCIETY, AND HISTORY
PHI 308 PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE AND SEX
PSC 319 GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUESTIONING POLITICS
PSC 375 RACE, SEX, AND POLITICS OF MYTH AND STORY
SOC 320 SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
SPC 326 FILM ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION
SWK 310 SEXUALITY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Total Credit Hours 18