College Bulletin 2014-2015

Apr 28, 2024

College Bulletin 2014-2015 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Gender and Sexuality Studies

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Coordinator:

GWYNN KESSLER (Religion)
Anna Everetts (Administrative Assistant)

Committee:

Farid Azfar (History)
Jean-Vincent Blanchard (Modern Languages and Literatures, French)
Bruce Dorsey (History)
Sibelan Forrester (Modern Languages and Literatures, Russian)
Farha N. Ghannam (Sociology and Anthropology)
Amy L. Graves (Physics)
Alexandra Gueydan-Turek (Modern Languages and Literatures, French)
Tamsin Lorraine (Philosophy)
Bakirathi Mani (English Literature)
Patricia White (Film and Media Studies)

The Gender and Sexuality Studies Program (GSST) foregrounds the study of social relations of power in a variety of cultural, historical and national contexts. The objective of gender and sexuality studies is to bring feminist and queer theory in conversation with new research methodologies in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The program emphasizes the interrelationship not only between gender and sexuality but also between race and class as well as local and global politics.

The GSST Program is distinguished by the courses it offers across the three academic divisions of the College-humanities, social sciences and natural sciences and engineering.

Students in any major, whether as course majors or in the Honors Program, may elect a minor in gender and sexuality studies by fulfilling the requirements below. Students may also design a special major in GSST in consultation with the program’s coordinator. Students who intend to pursue gender and sexuality studies should submit their proposed programs to the coordinator when they submit their sophomore papers. All proposals to minor or major in gender and sexuality studies must be approved by the GSST Committee.

The Jean Brosius Walton ‘35 Fund and the Wendy S. Cheek Memorial Fund generously contribute toward activities sponsored by Gender and Sexuality Studies.

The Academic Program

Course Minor

Course minors must take 5 courses and/or seminar offerings which must be selected from at least two different divisions. Seminars count as one course toward program requirements.
Only one course counted for GSST may overlap with the student’s major or other minor.
GSST minors are required to complete GSST 001: Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies, and subsequently GSST 020: Theory and Methodology. During the senior year, minors are required to complete GSST 091: Seminar in GSST.
With the approval of the GSST Coordinator, students may include courses offered by the Gender and Sexuality Studies program at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges, and by the Women’s Studies program at UPenn in their program.
Only one relevant course taken abroad may count toward fulfillment of the minor.
With the approval of the GSST Coordinator, students may elect to write a 1-credit thesis (GSST 092) or pursue an independent study as a substitute for regular coursework. The thesis cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the student’s major or other minor. Students must have adequate disciplinary background in gender and sexuality studies to carry out independent study and/or write a thesis.

Honors Minor

Students must have a “B” average in GSST coursework at the College in order to be accepted into Honors.
Honors minors must complete 6 credits and complete the written and oral external examinations at the end of the senior year.
Honors minors must successfully complete the program requirements (GSST 001, 020, and 091).
Honors minors must consult with the GSST Coordinator in spring of their junior year regarding their Honors preparations.
The examination preparation for the Honors minor will consist of GSST 091: Seminar in GSST. In consultation with the seminar instructor, Honors minors will be required to assemble a Senior Honors Study Portfolio which may include materials such as independent essays, seminar papers, additional reading lists, research projects, etc.
Honors minors may apply one GSST-related study abroad credit toward their minor.
With the approval of the GSST Coordinator, minors may elect to write a one-credit thesis (GSST 092) or pursue an independent study as a substitute for regular coursework. The thesis cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the student’s major or other minor. Students must have adequate disciplinary background in GSST to carry out independent study and/or write a thesis.

Special Major

Students have the option of designing an individualized special major (such as GSST and religion, GSST and sociology and anthropology, GSST and history, etc.). Students also have the option of pursuing the following curricular path:

Special majors must successfully complete the program requirements (GSST 001, 020, and 091).
Special majors must complete at least 10 credits and normally no more than 12 credits for a special major in GSST.
Only two credits may overlap with the student’s major or other minor.
Special majors may apply up to two GSST-related study abroad credits to their program.
With approval of the GSST Coordinator, special majors may elect to write a one-credit thesis (GSST 092), or pursue an independent study as a substitute for regular coursework. The thesis cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the student’s major or other minor. Students must have adequate GSST disciplinary background to carry out independent study and/or write a thesis.

Special Honors Major

Special majors must have a “B” average in GSST coursework at the College in order to be accepted into Honors.
Honors majors must successfully complete the program requirements (GSST 001, 020, and 091).
Honors majors must complete at least 10 credits and complete the written and oral external examinations at the end of their senior year.
Only two credits may overlap with the student’s major or other minor.
Special Honors Majors may apply up to 2 GSST-related study abroad credits to their program.
Honors majors must consult with the GSST Coordinator in spring of their junior year regarding their Honors preparations and Senior Honors Study Portfolio.
One of the four Honors exam preparations must include GSST 091: Seminar in GSST.
With approval of the GSST Coordinator, special majors may elect to write a one-credit thesis (GSST 092), or pursue an independent study as a substitute for regular coursework. The thesis cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the student’s major or other minor. Students must have adequate GSST disciplinary background to carry out independent study and/or write a thesis.

Application Process Notes for the Minor

Students interested in pursuing a minor in GSST are required to complete a GSST application form to be submitted along with a copy of their sophomore application to the Programs Office, Trotter 107. Special major, honors, and transfer credit applications are also available at: www.swarthmore.edu/gsst.

Transfer Credit

To receive academic credit for women’s studies or gender and sexuality studies courses taken at other colleges and universities in the U.S., students must first apply for credit through the appropriate Swarthmore department, and then apply to the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program to have the course included in their program. If the institution offering the course has a Women’s Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, or a similar program, the course in question must be part of that program in order to be approved as a gender and sexuality studies course at Swarthmore.

Off-Campus Study

The Gender and Sexuality Studies Program grants academic credit for course work relevant to the academic program taken while studying abroad. Minors may apply for no more than one credit of work done abroad to meet their GSST requirements. GSST special majors may apply up to two GSST-related study abroad credits to their program.

In order to receive credit, the GSST Coordinator must preapprove the course(s).

When the student returns to campus, the GSST Coordinator will evaluate the work (syllabus, exams, papers, and class notes) and assign the appropriate amount of credit.

Internship Support

The Summer Social Action Awards (S2A2) support students in the current sophomore and junior classes to spend ten weeks, full time (35 hours per week) performing advocacy and/or service through a host non-profit organization. Financial support includes a weekly stipend to offset modest living expenses, and the provision of the summer earnings requirement.

The Richard Sager Internship, administered through the S2A2 program, supports one student interested in working with a non-profit organizational host whose mission focuses on LGBTQ issues. While the Sager Internship funds can only provide support for one student per summer, please note that applications are evaluated on their own merits. Therefore, more than one student who has been offered a full-time placement with an LGBTQ organization may serve through a “general” S2A2 grant. Students applying as a result of their academic involvement in the GSST program may also be funded through a Nason grant.