Learning Outcomes | Gender & Sexuality Studies

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Upon completion of a GSS Minor, a student will be able to:

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze how concepts of gender and sexuality are created, maintained, and/or challenged through embodiment, cultural representations, and/or social organization.
  2. Describe the social construction of gender and sexuality and explain who these constructions are shaped by the time, location, and culture that they are situated in.
  3. Explain how theories of gender and sexuality have been influenced by and influence their social contexts.
  4. Explain how identities associated with gender and sexuality intersect with other identities (e.g., race, class, ability) to situate individuals within interlocking systems of power (e.g., sexism, classism, heterosexism, racism) and how these intersections shape identities, social interaction, cultural artifacts, and social structures.
  5. Explain how the concepts and theories of gender and sexuality studies align with, challenge, or enhance the concepts and theories in their chosen field of study.
  6. Apply concepts and theories related to gender and sexuality studies to a disciplinary or interdisciplinary creative, scholarly, and/or activist project.

Program Purpose

The Gender and Sexuality Studies minor is the academic and research arm of the Center for Gender Equity (CGE), the mission of which is to support gender equity through dialogue, programming, service, research, education, and advocacy in order to facilitate collaborative, humane, and sustainable University, local and global communities.

The Gender and Sexuality Studies minor has as its framework the introductory course, topics courses, and the "GSS in Practice" requirement. The introductory course lays the groundwork for the minor by exposing students to the guiding questions, frameworks, and theories in Gender and Sexuality Studies.

The "GSS in Practice" requirement includes mentoring students, civic engagement opportunities, and/or original creative work and research projects. GSS students can mentor beginning students, design their own civic engagement projects, participate in the biennial CGE academic conference, and/or initiate their own creative/research projects. Elective topics courses concentrate on contemporary issues and offer a multidisciplinary approach to the program.