Women’s and Gender Studies Minor

About

Are you interested in learning the stories of women from around the globe? How about studying cultural assumptions about gender, race, and class? The women’s and gender studies minor at Goshen College enables all students to gain a new perspective on their experiences in a gendered society.

A Unique Perspective on Women’s Studies

The women’s and gender studies minor is open to any student at Goshen College, regardless of their major. Women’s and gender studies offers a critical perspective on our world, with the goal of improving the lives of everyone, especially women and other marginalized groups.

Learn About Gender in a Gendered Society

In our women’s and gender studies courses, you will learn about gender in conjunction with other social categories such as race, class, sexuality, and nationality. Women’s and gender studies is an interdisciplinary field, which means that you will have the opportunity to take courses in various departments such as sociology, psychology, English, and history.

Courses in the women’s and gender studies minor explore topics such as:

  • Women’s rights and activism
  • Women in leadership
  • Women in the workforce
  • Women in the media
  • Women and religion

Through these courses, you can engage with diverse perspectives, learn about other cultures, and challenge your assumptions about the world.

Understand How Gender Shapes Our Lives

This program will equip you with the tools to identify factors that constrain women’s lives. By pursuing the women’s and gender studies minor, you will gain the ability to:

  • Understand the social construction of gender and sexuality, and its intersections with other social sciences and social justice
  • Analyze how power operates in gendered societies and a global context
  • Work with our top-notch faculty to examine gender identity through the lens of a variety of disciplines, including literature, history, popular culture, sociology, religious studies, and more.
  • Develop skills in research, writing, and critical thinking

You can also join the Goshen Student Women’s Association (GSWA), a student-run club whose mission is to build community and create a safe space to discuss women’s issues and other concerns.

Expand Your Major and Career Path

When entering the job market, organizations will value your unique, informed perspectives on contemporary issues related to gender and sexuality. A women’s and gender studies minor will prepare you for many different careers, including:

  • Social work & human services
  • Counseling & domestic violence support
  • Human resources
  • Nonprofit administration
  • Advocacy
  • Publishing
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Research

Completing your women’s and gender studies minors will also give you an edge in graduate school in fields such as women’s studies, sociology, anthropology, psychology, public health, law, and more.

Join Us for an Enriching Program

If interested in the women’s & gender studies minor, reach out by completing the form below. We are excited to see you at Goshen College! Financial aid is available.

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Faculty & Staff

Regina Shands Stoltzfus

Professor of Peace Justice & Conflict Studies
Director of PJCS

Kendra Yoder

Associate Professor of Sociology
WGS Program Director

Jessica Baldanzi

Professor of English

Beth Miller

Associate Professor of Nursing