Stephanie O'Hara, PhD she/her

Framework for thinking and learning about research in women's studies. The course provides an overview of the terminology and key concepts in feminist research methods. It begins with an examination of feminist critiques of traditional methods of research and conceptions of knowledge. The course then covers, among other things, work on standpoint theory, research methods in the natural and social sciences, ethical/political issues in research and the practice of cross-cultural research.

Basic concepts and perspectives in Women's Studies, placing women's experience at the center of interpretation. With focus on women's history and contemporary issues, the course examines women's lives with emphasis on how gender interacts with race, class, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. The central aim is to foster critical reading and thinking about women's lives: how the interlocking systems of oppression, colonialism, racism, sexism, and ethnocentrism shape women's lives; and how women have worked to resist these oppressions. This course satisfies a social science distribution requirement and the general education diversity requirement.
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The WGS capstone course is designed to cohere a major student's core curriculum work. While the subject matter may change depending on the interdisciplinary connections, the course will be grounded in feminist scholarship and require a research project that draws upon feminist theories and feminist research methods, along with a public presentation at the end of the semester to the class and Women Studies faculty. This course will be an opportunity for students to integrate their major course knowledge and demonstrate their ability to apply feminist theory and research methods.
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