Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Program Offered:
Minor - Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
UW-Parkside offers a concentration in women’s, gender and sexuality studies through the liberal studies major. This major draws upon existing UW-Parkside courses, and students may also receive credit for appropriate transfer courses, distance education courses, and credit for experiential learning.
UW-Parkside also offers a minor in women’s studies through the Center for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Interested students should consult the director of the Liberal Studies Program for the major and the director of the Center for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies for the minor.
Affiliated Organizations:
The Women’s Center, Wyllie Concourse, 262-595-2170; The Status of Women Committee, 262-595-2592; LGBTQ Resource Center, 262-595-2456
Career Possibilities:
Nonprofit organizations, business, human resources, creative arts, education, government, health, journalism, law, medicine and social work, especially pertaining to issues of gender and sexuality. Graduate school with emphasis in the humanities, social sciences or the professions. Many careers are strengthened and enhanced by a minor in women’s studies. Students are encouraged to discuss career options early with the program director and to consider internships and other activities which allow them to explore career possibilities.
Program Overview
The Center for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies provides an interdisciplinary program that draws upon all departments in the university to provide a systematic analysis of gender roles, sexual identity, and women’s experiences in society. Its goal is to provide insights and generate activities that will lead to a better understanding of gender roles and sexual identity, improve the position of women, and transform society in the process. In such courses, women’s positions are often analyzed relative to those of men, and these courses are relevant for both women and men who are seeking a fuller understanding of the past, present and future social trends.
These six learning objectives should guide students’ selection of elective courses and guide their approach to the work they do in their course study.
- Analysis: The ability to read and interpret gendered elements of verbal and nonverbal tests and imagery.
- Communication: The ability to perceive gender bias in language choices and rhetorical strategies, and to communicate effectively using the media of the 21st century.
- Ethics and Social Justice: The ability to recognize social injustice, inequality, and discrimination, particularly in regard to gender, and to expose and articulate options for change.
- History, Culture, and Society: The ability to recognize patterns in past events and see their impact on the status of women and the construction of gender roles.
- Critical Thinking: The ability to analyze how value systems shape human knowledge with respect to gender.
- Interdisciplinarity: The ability to make deliberate connections among various academic disciplines, to comprehend and participate in more than one discipline.
Students electing the women’s, gender and sexuality studies concentration in the liberal studies major or the women’s, gender and sexuality studies minor may combine it with any major to give those students enhanced knowledge of gender issues within their major area. Graduates have found jobs in the community that focus on women’s issues such as program coordinator, program director, counselor, etc., in organizations dedicated to women’s issues. In addition, students have often been able to redirect the focus of existing organizations to address the needs of women, which are often neglected.
Preparation for Graduate School
Students who graduate with this minor can go on to professional and graduate programs in law, sociology, humanities, medicine and health, theology and other fields. Consult the director for further information to develop a plan of study.
Internships
Internships and applied experiences in other courses or independent study projects are encouraged. These experiences assist students in evaluating developing skills for possible job settings and for community organizing.