WGS 198 - Intro to Queer & Trans Studies

This interdisciplinary course is designed to provide students with an introduction to Queer and Trans studies within and beyond the regional context and boundaries of the United States. The course delves into the development of the term “queer,” starting with its early contestation against conventional LGBT identities and politics and progressing to its contemporary application as an inclusive philosophical mode of inquiry and method that encompasses non-normative forms of knowledge, cultural practices, and political activism. We will also closely examine the criticism directed at the queer movement, which led to the emergence of Trans studies. This course will equip students with a critical understanding of the multifaceted intersections of sex, race, class, gender, and sexuality present in the foundational texts and key debates that have shaped Queer and Trans studies. Moreover, the course will include an experiential component that will assist students in reflecting on and exploring how the application of queer and trans methodologies, as well as a queer mode of inquiry, can influence other academic disciplines and professional fields.

Credits 4

Notes
From time to time, departments design a new course to be offered either on a one-time basis or an experimental basis before deciding whether to make it a regular part of the curriculum. First offered Fall 2024.

Area
Social Sciences

Division
Social Sciences

Compass Attributes
Social Science