Sexuality Wmn's & Gndr Studies 101 - Intro to Queer/Trans Studies

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of queer/trans studies through a diverse range of texts and media, both canonical and new. Queer/trans studies is less about individual identities or groups of people and more about questioning and unpacking categories and concepts -- such as heterosexuality, race, sex, and sexuality -- that have long been viewed as fixed, binary, or normative. We will explore the analytical power and limits of “queering” a range of topics from politics to the family to disability to the state. We will consider how trans studies has created new areas of scholarly inquiry, from an explosion of interest in trans history to a reconsideration of the relationship between women’s rights and gender liberation. Finally, we will explore the creative work, knowledge production, community building, and political advocacy efforts of queer/trans people in modern life with an emphasis on Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and Pacific Islander artists, writers, and activists who have historically been marginalized in the field of queer studies.

Two class meetings per week. Limited to 30 students. Spring semester. Professor Manion.

How to handle overenrollment: priority to first and second year students

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: research, writing, small group discussions