Queer Studies
Queer studies is an emerging interdisciplinary field which goal is to analyze antinormative sexual identities, performances, discourses and representations in order ultimately to destabilize the notion of normative sexuality and gender. Queer studies comes out of a critique of identity politics. It rejects essentialized conceptualizations of sexuality, gender and sexual identity as innate or fixed. It represents a deconstruction of hegemonic conceptions of sexual and gender categories within straight, gay and lesbian communities.
In queer studies, the interpretation, enactment and destabilizing of sexual identities is linked to that of gender categories. The Study of Women and Gender makes explicit these links between theories of gender and sexuality.
In the queer studies concentration students are encouraged to consider the historical and theoretical foundations of queer studies as well as the potential consequences (epistemological and political) of a queer studies critique. This might include attention to the connections between gay and lesbian studies and queer studies, feminist studies and queer studies, and the implications of a queer studies critique for other disciplines.
Possible areas of focus include: the history of sexuality, social movements, politics, anthropology, literature, theater, art, film, science and sexology, public policy, law, ethnic studies, music, demography, geography, media analysis and philosophy.
Courses
The following is a list of courses that may count toward the concentration. The Smith College Course Catalog is always the definitive source for determining if course is offered this academic year.
Study of Women and Gender/Women's Studies
- SWG 100 Issues in Queer Studies (2 and 4 credit)
- SWG 200 Queer Theories/Queer Cultures (formerly Introduction to Queer Studies)
- SWG 205 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in the United States, 1945-2003
- SWG 220 Queer Theories: Borders, Limits, and Margins
- SWG 260 The Cultural Work of Memoir
- WST 290 Queer Looks: Gender, Sexuality and Film
- SWG 300 Special Topics in the Study of Women and Gender
- SWG 310 Queer Globalizations, Local Homosexualities: Transnational Formations
- SWG 312 Queer Resistances: Identities, Communities, and Social Movements
- SWG 315 Sexual Histories, Lesbian Stories (former special topic in WST 300)
Afro-American Studies
- AAS 366 Seminar: Contemporary Topics in Afro-American Studies
Art History
- ARH 260 Art Historical Studies
English
- ENG 284 Victorian Sexualities
Government
- GOV 269 Politics of Gender and Sexuality
- GOV 367 Seminar in Political Theory: Queer Theory
Religion
- REL 277 South Asian Masculinities
Sociology
- SOC 229 Sex and Gender in American Society
Spanish & Portuguese
- SPN 332 The Middle Ages Today: Queer Iberia
