Statement in Solidarity with Anti-Racist Efforts from CRGC
The faculty of the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies join with protesters across the world to denounce police brutality and systemic anti-Black violence.Â
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Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
The Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program (WGSS) is an interdisciplinary program that encompasses feminist, gender, sexuality, and masculinity studies. The program is committed to an intersectional curriculum that sustains and integrates diverse perspectives and centers social justice. WGSS courses emphasize participatory education in which student involvement, critical thinking, and personal insight are encouraged and made relevant in the learning process.
Students who major or minor in WGSS have the option of gaining experience off-campus in the nation's capital through an internship at an organization or agency whose mission embraces some aspect of women's/gender/sexuality studies. The curriculum prepares students for graduate study in the fields of women's/gender/sexuality studies or for advanced study in traditional disciplines and professional fields. A degree in WGSS also equips students with a range of skills that are highly valued in the contemporary labor force and opens the door to a variety of challenging careers in a wide spectrum of occupations.
Meet WGSS Alums
Mariam Aziz
Working as a Research Intern at the Institute for Women's Policy Research, I have gained invaluable experience and mentoring in analyzing data pertaining to the status of women. As an intern for the Status of Women in the Middle East and North Africa project (www.swmena.org), I have explored cross-cultural issues and have had the opportunity to examine feminism as it pertains to women of different ethnicities, religions and classes; furthermore, having the chance to study women in different countries (Lebanon and Morocco) gave me a first-hand experience with translation and the problematic issues that accompany it. I helped in the creation of three topic briefs, on women in Lebanon, as a follow-up analysis to the survey conducted in the country: "Economic and Educational Status," "Control of Financial Assets," and "Women's Freedom of Movement and Freedom from Harassment and Violence," as well as worked on creating a Tool Kit for Lebanese NGOs. (On right in photo.)
Mariel Kirschen
My internship at the Feminist Majority Foundation taught me valuable skills in the field of non-profit work, including research, networking, and writing. I assisted on a Violence Against Women project that brought to my attention the necessity of support for victims of violence and increased my ability to critically examine grant-funding programs. Through my work for the Campus Outreach project, I participated in the Choices Campus blog and gained experience in writing, activism, and general outreach.
What can I do with a degree in WGSS?
A sampling of positions Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies graduates have held:
- Marketing Assistant for National Museum of Women in the Arts
- Lobbyist for the ACLU
- Public Relations Associate for Girls Ink online magazine
- Development Associate for non-profit organizations
- Employee for International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children
- Screenwriter
- Employee for American Bar Association, working on CEDAW issues (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women)
- Lawyer
- Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill
- Analyst for Democratic polling and consulting firm
- Fundraiser for domestic violence shelter
- Communications Director for Greenpeace
- Social worker
- Director of Communications at United Way
- Staff at a battered women's shelter
- Affirmative Action Officer
- Counselor of pregnant teens
- Family counselor
- Women's health coordinator
- Clinical therapist
Bulletins
WGSS minor and CLEG major Eli Givens received the Youth Spirit Award for the National Alliance on Mental Illness Well Within Awards in Tennessee. In their work with these organizations, Eli has had a singular focus which is to ensure that every young person in Tennessee feels seen, valued, and fought for. As a non-binary young person, Eli is keenly aware of the challenges faced by young people in the midst of legislative hate. Over the course of their work, they have testified in front of the House Subcommittee defending transgender health care, they have worked to organize a queer prom for LGBTQ+ youth, and have connected with leaders, teachers, and healthcare providers across the state to help construct safe spaces.
Maximilian Leete, a queer Latinx man and Â鶹Æƽâ°æ wrestling team captain, won a silver and a gold medal in the Dominican Republic’s national competitions. He will be going on to represent the Dominican Republic’s senior national team in Acapulco Mexico in freestyle wrestling. Maximilian has spent his four years at Â鶹Æƽâ°æ educating his teammates and coaches about what it means to be a queer, Latinx man in a sport known for its toxic masculinity.
On October 8, CRGC hosted Prof. Jordache Ellapen (University of Rochester) in conversation with Prof. Suzanne C. Perard (Â鶹Æƽâ°æ) about , queer and feminist visual practices in post-apartheid South Africa.
Alumnus Lee Mariño Clyne has created a video based on their senior capstone research about young transgender people’s struggles accessing healthcare. The most recent version was screened at the 2023 UCSF National Transgender Health Summit. You can watch a .
Professor Christina Riley, a specialist in feminist digital media, was quoted in the article, .
Professor Tyler ChristensenÌý»å¾±²õ³¦³Ü²õ²õ±ð²õ the history and significance of Pride Month.
Professor Tanja Aho discusses "."
Professor Anna Kaplan’s "Women’s Voices through Time" classes made websites for their final projects showcasing women’s history and voices. Click on the websites to explore their projects:
