Women's Studies

Director, Marilyn Cohen, Ph.D.

mrcohen@spc.edu

201 761 6156

Women’s Studies at Saint Peter’s includes a minor and focused courses. It is an interdisciplinary

Dr. Cohen at a book signing for her new book No Girls in the Clubhouse

cross/cultural program. It provides interested students with an in-depth knowledge of the social construction of gender, the significance of gender in structuring human social life and women’s contributions to history and culture. Women Studies emphasizes the link between the personal and the political and using knowledge to create community-based agendas for social change to eliminate gender based inequality. Woman Studies also includes programs, events and discussions on gender related issues throughout the year.

Requirements: Minor

The 18 credit Minor in Women’s Studies requires students to take Introduction to Women’s Studies and a choice between Feminist Philosophy and Feminist Political Theory. The minor draws on existing courses as electives offered by the various academic departments.

Curriculum

So/Ws 140 Introduction to Women’s Studies

This interdisciplinary course introduces students to the broad subject matter of women’s studies. It draws on a combination of information sources including texts, films and students’ experiences. The course covers a definition of feminism and the roots of women’s studies in the second wave feminist and civil rights movements, the construction of gender in society and culture giving special attention to the media and social institutions, and forms of gender inequality in the family, social relationships, language, workplace, religion, healthcare, media and violence. The key premise of the course is that the meaning of sexual difference (gender) is culturally and historically constructed and not fixed in biology.

Pl 340 Feminist Philosophy

This course offers an investigation of trends in feminist philosophy, with close attention given to the influence of gender considerations on philosophical theory. Topics for discussion include feminist epistemology and political theory, and patriarchy.

Po 310 Feminist Political Theory

Historical overview of feminist political activity in the United States and an analysis of feminist theory: liberal feminism, Marxist feminism, radical feminism, and post-modern feminism.

Electives: Existing Courses (12 credits for Minor)

Ar425 Women in Art

As/So 353 Sociology of the Black Family

Ec/As357 The Economics of Human Resources

El349 Women and Literature I

El350 Women and Literature II

Hp244 Women and Film

Cc/Hs358 Women in Antiquity

Hs307 Women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

Hs345 Women in Modern History

Pl340 Feminist Philosophy

Po310 Feminist Political Theory