WGS-12326 credit hours

Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies

Women's and Gender Studies · 1.5 hrs Lecture | 1.5 hrs Seminar/Discussion

Offered: Fall/Winter Only, Every Year

No prerequisites listed, you can take this course without prior coursework.

WGS-1232 prerequisites

Taking WGS-1232 is a prerequisite for 28 courses directly, and opens 48 once their own follow-ons are counted.

Where WGS-1232 counts

Required by 3 programs:

  • WGS 3-YEAR BA IN WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES
  • WGS HONOURS BA IN WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES
  • WGS MINOR IN WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES

Read from the departments' own calendar pages, where 71 of 141 programs are only partly machine-readable, so treat these as a minimum rather than the full list. Confirm with an academic advisor.

Description

This course introduces theories, methods, and issues of Women's and Gender Studies, focusing on contemporary feminist scholarship and movement in North America. It explores how gender intersects with systems of power and inequality, including sexism, colonialism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and class discrimination to shape lived experience. It builds on the intersectional premise that sex, gender, and sexuality are inextricable from other social differences, such as race, ethnicity, religion, class, language, age, and (dis)ability in the construction of identity. Course materials may include scholarly literature, case studies, fiction, new media, film and video, art, and other forms of feminist cultural production.

Note

Students with standing in WGS-1232(6) may not receive credit for the former 95.2332(6) offered prior to 1988. This course is required for majors, Honours, and minors in Women's and Gender Studies.

LectureSeminar

From the 2026-27 undergraduate calendar. Always verify details on WebAdvisor or with an academic advisor before registering.