Women and Gender Studies
Overview
Women and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary program that involves an interdisciplinary, multicultural, and transnational perspective of gender inequality. Based on the conviction that gender roles are socially constructed through time, the program employs perspectives from disciplines such as history, literature, philosophy, sociology, politics, and psychology to examine how gendered experiences are created and shaped by social and economic institutions, political movements, and individual experiences. The course of study centers on teaching students how to use feminist and social justice frameworks to analyze gender oppression within local, national, and global contexts. The program encourages an analysis of how race, class, sexuality, and nationality influence the construction of gender.
The Women and Gender Studies program teaches written and oral communication skills, organization and sensitivity to marginalized or oppressed groups. These attributes can all be used in visual arts and writing careers or publishing and public relations which may include publishing or editing a feminist newsletter, working for a public relations firm, grant-writing or advocating for positive images of women in the media. Individuals may be employed with an organization or self-employed. Graduates of these programs have knowledge of power relationships and social justice issues that prepares them to work in law and government positions. Options are available in public and private sector organizations whose clients are primarily women and girls. These careers include some government agencies, protective and social services and international development.
Because a graduate from a Women and Gender Studies major learns interdisciplinary topics, he or she is well prepared for research and librarianship careers.
- Dean Dennis Lee
- Department Chair Surangi Frazier
- Phone (916) 558-2401
- Email SCC-BSS@losrios.edu
Associate Degree
A.A. in Women and Gender Studies
Women and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary program that involves an interdisciplinary, multicultural, and transnational perspective of gender inequality. Based on the conviction that gender roles are socially constructed through time, the program employs perspectives from disciplines such as history, literature, philosophy, sociology, politics, and psychology to examine how gendered experiences are created and shaped by social and economic institutions, political movements, and individual experiences. The course of study centers on teaching students how to use feminist and social justice frameworks to analyze gender oppression within local, national, and global contexts. The program encourages an intersectional analysis, recognizing how gender is co-constructed with other aspects of identity such as race, class, sexuality, age, ability, and nationality. Women and Gender Studies is inclusive of human rights related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
Catalog Date: August 1, 2025
Degree Requirements
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| WGS 300 | Introduction to Women and Gender Studies | 3 |
| WGS 302 | Global Women's Issues (3) | 3 |
| or SOC 345 | Global Women's Issues (3) | |
| A minimum of 12 units from the following: | 121 | |
| ARTH 312 | Women in Art (3) | |
| ENGLT 360 | Women in Literature (3) | |
| ENGLT 401 | Women in Film and Literature (3) | |
| HIST 310 | History of the United States (To 1877) (3) | |
| or HIST 483 | History of the United States - Honors (3) | |
| HIST 311 | History of the United States (1865 - Present) (3) | |
| or HIST 484 | History of the United States - Honors (3) | |
| POLS 340 | Women in Politics (3) | |
| PSYC 356 | Human Sexuality (3) | |
| PSYC 360 | Psychology of Women (3) | |
| SOC 341 | Sex and Gender in the U.S. (3) | |
| SOC 343 | Women and Social Action (3) | |
| SOC 344 | Sociology of Women's Health (3) | |
| WGS 304 | Women, Globalization, and Human Rights (3) | |
| or SOC 347 | Women, Globalization, and Human Rights (3) | |
| Total Units: | 18 | |
1Students must take the "Women's Emphasis" sections of HIST 310, HIST 311, HIST 483, and HIST 484. The "Women's Emphasis" courses are identified in the class schedule.
The Women and Gender Studies Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, and either (a) the Local General Education Pattern or (b) the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC), plus sufficient electives for a total of at least 60 units. See SCC graduation requirements.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:
- identify women’s activism and social movements that have contributed towards gender equality in the local, national, and global contexts.
- explain the role of oppression and privilege in the lives of women from an intersectional perspective, considering the influence of race, class, ethnicity, age, ability, sexuality, and other aspects of identity.
- identify, summarize, and apply a variety of feminist theories.
- identify and discuss a range of gender issues, including motherhood, gender-based violence, reproductive justice, economic issues, marriage and relationships, political leadership, employment, and physical and mental health issues.
- analyze issues of women and gender from an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and global perspective.
- utilize feminist theories and strategies for social change to better understand one's place in the community and wider world and to inform participation in personal and collective actions to increase gender equality.
- communicate effectively in writing.
Career Information
A degree in Women and Gender Studies provides students with an academically well-rounded knowledge base anchored in strong critical thinking skills, through the lens of feminism and social justice. Students who complete the Women and Gender Studies program develop skills that are attractive to many employers in the twenty-first century, including the ability to think critically, to be open-minded and innovative, and to handle the real-life complexities of the workplace. Students also bring to the workplace a specific awareness of issues such as sexism, racism, homophobia, and class oppression. Students who earn an A.A. degree in Women and Gender Studies may either pursue further study or obtain employment directly in fields such as health and social services, education, law, government and politics, communications, and business. Moreover, a Women and Gender Studies degree gives students the confidence to pursue nontraditional careers.
Women and Gender Studies (WGS) Courses
WGS 300 Introduction to Women and Gender Studies
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGL C1000 or ESLW 340 with a grade of "C" or better
- Transferable:CSU (Formerly approved for SOCSC 350.); UC (Approved for SOCSC 350 previously.)
- General Education:Local GE L4 (effective Fall 2025); Local GE L7B (effective Fall 2025); Cal-GETC Area 4 (effective Fall 2025)
- C-ID:C-ID SJS 120
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2025
This course provides an interdisciplinary approach to introducing Women and Gender Studies and key theories, concepts, and issues of the field. The course will examine gender inequality from an intersectional perspective, emphasizing the interrelated circumstances that influence women’s status in popular culture, in the workforce, in the arts, before the law, in the family, and in other social, political, and economic realms of society. Students will strive to understand women’s diverse histories and experiences, while at the same time seeking to understand how their own histories have shaped who they are and how they view the world. Employing gender as a central category of analysis, the course will be inclusive of issues of oppression based on gender expression and sexuality. This course is inclusive of human rights related to sexual orientation and gender identity/LGBTQIA+ identities. Each student writes a minimum of 3,000 words.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- identify and illustrate how the intersectional effects of sex, gender, race, class, sexuality, age, ethnicity, ability, and other complex aspects of identity influence social structures and women's empowerment.
- analyze the diversity of gendered experiences and apply feminist approaches to understanding social structures and cultural pressures related to gender inequality.
- examine how sex, gender, race, class, sexuality, age, ethnicity, ability, and other complex aspects of identity affect one's status and self-concept, and use this knowledge to question events and situations occurring in everyday life.
- assess how women's opportunities and achievements are constrained by systems of oppression and privilege.
- recognize, critically analyze, and choose paths of action for social change.
- describe and define feminism and the field of Women and Gender Studies.
WGS 302 Global Women's Issues
- Same As:SOC 345
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300 or ESLW 340; and LIBR 318 with grades of "C" or better.
- Transferable:CSU (Formerly approved for SOCSC 352); UC (Formerly approved for SOCSC 352)
- General Education:Local GE L4 (effective Fall 2025); Cal-GETC Area 4 (effective Fall 2025)
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2025
The course will consider the conditions of women’s lives from the perspectives of global and transnational feminism, examining issues such as immigration, girls’ education, maternal health, globalization, economics, war and conflict, gender-based violence, and political activism. Students will seek to understand women’s lives by connecting global data about the status of women to material consequences for individual women and local communities. Using gender as a theoretical category of analysis, the course will explore how gender inequality and oppression create disproportionate suffering and lack of opportunities for women and girls. Students will learn to ask critical questions about the complex and intersecting aspects of the oppression of women, as well as develop an understanding of the culturally situated, creative, and heroic ways women are standing up to gender oppression and shaping change within their local communities and nations. The study of women in the global context is inclusive of human rights related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Credit may be awarded for either WGS 302 or SOC 345 but not for both.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- analyze key issues affecting women through a transnational feminist perspective, including immigration, education, maternal health, globalization, economics, war and conflict, gender-based violence, and political activism.
- comprehend the value of locally-generated social change arising from and working within the culture of local communities.
- explain the ways that women throughout the world are resisting gender oppression and organizing to reshape their own communities.
- critically assess media representation to seek an understanding of historical and cultural complexities that are embedded in global women’s issues.
- recognize key women activists who have received global recognition for their contributions.
- apply knowledge as an emerging global citizen by considering options for contributing to positive change.
WGS 304 Women, Globalization, and Human Rights
- Same As:SOC 347
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300 or ESLW 340; and LIBR 318 with grades of "C" or better.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:Local GE L4 (effective Fall 2025); Cal-GETC Area 4 (effective Fall 2025)
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2025
Through global and transnational feminist perspectives, this course provides an overview of human rights ideas and frameworks, including the history and ongoing implementation of United Nations conventions, treaties, and campaigns concerning women. The course will consider the complex and gendered social, economic, and political impacts of globalization on women and girls around the world. Students will learn to critically engage with theories, approaches, and representation related to improving the lives of women in the global context and will learn about key human rights defenders who are recognized for their activism. The study of women in the global context is inclusive of human rights related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Students will consider their own place in a globalized world and utilize course knowledge to think about their role in creating justice in the world. Credit may be awarded for either WGS 304 or SOC 347 but not for both.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- describe human rights ideas and frameworks, including the history and implementation of United Nations conventions and treaties concerning women.
- analyze the complex and gendered social, economic, and political aspects of globalization that disproportionately disadvantage and impact women in various locations around the world.
- identify various feminist and social science theories and approaches to improving the lives of women globally, including human rights, global and transnational feminisms, gender in development, grassroots organizing, and global campaigns.
- critically assess discourses related to women in the global context, including images and messages in the media, approaches and representations utilized by nongovernmental organizations, and language and methods within the United Nations human rights domain.
- recognize key women’s human rights defenders who have made important contributions to furthering the rights of women and girls.
- identify options, as a globally-informed citizen, for involvement in positive social change.
WGS 499 Experimental Offering in Women and Gender Studies
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2025
This is the experimental courses description.
