Criteria for Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Courses

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program at Moravian University represents an interdisciplinary approach to feminist scholarship, the purpose of which is to examine the changing roles of women and men locally, regionally, nationally, globally, and cross-culturally across time. Courses within this program, including cross-listed courses, should not only reflect this approach but should also be consistent with the following criteria:

1. Course content must acquaint students with recent scholarship on women, gender, and/or feminist theory.
2. Race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other systems of domination affect how one experiences gender and subordination. WGSS courses should address, rather than ignore or dismiss, these differences.
3. A WGSS course should do one or more of the following: a) critically examine cultural assumptions about gender; b) explore the production of knowledge in art, literature, and other disciplines that reflect on gendered experiences; c) focus on providing information about women, their psychology, biology, roles, experiences, history, and contributions.
4. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses should examine and/or employ feminist genres, research methods, structures, analytical tools, aesthetics, criticism, contemporary issues, pedagogy, political theory, etc.