六九色堂

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Women's and Gender Studies Program & Minor

Women's and Gender Studies Program logo

The Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) Program focuses on diversity, social justice and how our beliefs about gender and sexuality shape our personal identities and the world we live in. The program also examines how gender and sexuality intersect with other facets of our identities such as race, class, nationality, ability and age.

WGS draws on many academic disciplines to ask questions about the roles gender and sexuality play in key areas of the human experience: politics, popular culture, religion, science, law, history, art, economics, health, education, citizenship and families.

The Women’s and Gender Studies Program offers a many opportunities for students to discover, engage and transform through the lens of women's and gender issues:

  • Academic minor (below): This 18-credit minor creates an academic foundation for students to develop their ability to critically examine the place of women and gender in culture and society.
  • Grants: WGS offers grants to students and faculty to support events and projects focused on gender and sexuality.
  • Writing competitions: Annually, WGS awards prizes to student authors of poetry, academic essays, short fiction and personal essays that explore issues of gender, sexuality, and feminist thought and practice.
  • Events/Speakers: WGS brings local and national speakers to the University. Past topics have included marriage equality, activist journalism, gender, race and history, sexual consent, violence and sports, and global feminism.
  • Arts: WGS students can attend plays, films, art exhibitions and other events for free and often have special opportunities to meet and talk with the artists.
  • Social Justice Activism: WGS sponsors activities that promote awareness of important local, national and global issues, support social change, and enable students to contribute their time and talents to causes important to them.
WGS in the catalog

WGS minor

The WGS minor can complement a wide variety of majors in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The minor is highly flexible and can be tailored to your personal, academic and professional interests. All students take WGS 2000: Gender, Sex, and Justice and choose five additional courses from a range of academic disciplines.

Many WGS courses also fulfill your Detroit Mercy Core Curriculum requirements, so you can earn a WGS minor without taking a lot of extra classes! This is a great option for students with demanding majors or who want to earn more than one minor.

For detailed requirements, see the Women's and Gender Studies Minor in the catalog.

WGS, to: enhance your major; expand your worldview; understand your gender and sexuality; set yourself apart from other job candidates; learn about your relationships; empower yourself as a social activist; find your community; ignite your curiosity and passion; deepen your understanding of human diversity; and prepare yourself to be a global citizen.

The Women's and Gender Studies faculty and program at 六九色堂 have always been firmly committed to issues of social justice, equity, and the recognition and examination of underrepresented and disadvantaged peoples. Drawing upon this commitment, the WGS minor will aid you in your personal integration of fundamental aspects of a fully human experience: your intellect, spirit, ethics, and social development. The minor’s courses will prepare you to seek out and create opportunities for such integration, not just in your own life, but also in your community.

The WGS minor will help you understand differences among the people of the world – differences of race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, and class – by teaching you the techniques of critical thinking with which stereotypes and inequalities are exposed. A goal of the WGS minor is by graduation, you will be equipped to pursue and enact beneficial change in yourself and the world.

WGS courses

To find WGS courses offered in the current term, . Courses are diverse, such as this sampling from recent terms:

  • Gender, Sex and Justice (WGS 2000)
  • Diverse Voices in Literature (ENL 2750)
  • Human Sexuality (PYC 2750)
  • Women, Crime and Justice (CJS 4810)
  • Gender in Asian Traditions (RELS 4141)
  • Women in Modern Europe (HIS 3650)
  • Philosophy of Feminism (PHL 3081)
  • Women in Politics (POL 3100)
  • Family Development and Parenting (PYC 2400)
  • Class, Race, and Gender (RELS 3400)
  • Literature and Social Justice (ENL 4510)

What WGS students & alumni like most about the program听

Great Professors
Expanding Their World Views
Variety of Courses
Friendships with Other WGS Students
Becoming Agents for Social Change

Developing as Leaders
Real-World Projects
Shattering Stereotypes
Finding Their Voices
Learning to Speak and Write Powerfully

Affiliated faculty

  • Dawn Archey, Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Sharde' Chapman, Religious Studies
  • Lee Eshelman, Psychology
  • Lori Glenn, Nursing
  • Stacy Gnall, English
  • Mary-Catherine Harrison, English
  • Amanda Hiber, English
  • Heather Hill, English
  • Hsiao-Lan Hu, Religious Studies
  • Janet Joiner, Social Work
  • Genevieve Meyers, Political Science
  • Megan Novell, Women’s and Gender Studies
  • Allegra Pitera, Architecture
  • Stephen Pasqualina, English
  • Gail Presbey, Philosophy
  • Nick Rombes, English
  • Rebecca Tull, McNichols Library
  • Mary Liz Valesano, Performing Arts
  • Rosemary Weatherston, English

For faculty

Women's and gender topics cut across disciplines. Are you a Detroit Mercy faculty member interested in collaborating with the WGS Program? Learn about WGS grant opportunities, standards for WGS courses you may wish to propose, or contact us (above) with any questions.