Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
Concentration in the Sociology / Anthropology Major
We’ve all heard phrases like “a real man” or “not very ladylike” — but what is a “real” woman or man? These concepts are endlessly negotiated in everyday situations. Gender is created in large part by the social processes of culture — processes that involve power and intersect with sexuality, race, and class in complex ways. Feminine and masculine roles are the ideological territory both of violence and opportunity.
This program prepares you to think critically, advocate for change, and challenge traditional ideas about gender. Through an interdisciplinary and hands-on approach, you’ll analyze how power and privilege function at the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and accessibility.
Why study Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at Warren Wilson?
- Intersectional: Connect feminist, Queer, and critical race theories with activism and real-world applications.
- Community Engaged: Work with local and regional organizations to advocate for gender and sexuality justice.
- Well Rounded: Take courses across sociology, anthropology, history, archaeology, philosophy, literature, and communications.
- Inclusive Campus Culture: Be part of a community committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, activism, and social change.
Every student will complete community-engaged coursework, an internship, and original research as part of their major
A Sample of Our Partnerships
- Youth Outright
- Project Dignity
- Asheville Poverty Initiative
See how Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies students put our education into action
Community Engaged Course
Focusing on intersectional marginalized voices, Queer Sociology pushes you to critically examine how institutions regulate, shape, and are shaped by Queer identities. Alongside community partner Youth Outright, students apply queer theoretical concepts to real-world learning experiences, engaging deeply with cultural and legal challenges facing Queer communities.
Work
You can work on any crew as a student but many Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies choose to be on crews such as:
- Wilson Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (WIDE)
- Queer Resource Center
- Social Science
Research
Mica Rothkopf – Bare Expectations: The Racialized and Gendered Stigma of Body Hair
Mica’s research explored the intersection of race, gender, and body hair stigma by analyzing how cultural norms and historical constructs shape women’s experiences with body hair removal and body hair policing.
Popular Courses
Women of Color and Feminism
Students in this course explore the intersectional scholarship and activism of feminists and womanists of color with a focus on decolonizing and democratizing feminist practices. We challenge dominant Western feminist theories through an examination of how women of the global majority create joy, resist oppression, advocate for change, and shape feminist theorizing.
Gender, Development, and the Environment
Students in this course examine the changes in gender relations and the lives of women in the global South, focusing on the connections between gender issues, development, and environmental problems. Learn how the history of colonization and inequalities affect gender relations and environmental conditions and how development programs and policies may alter gender relations and the position of women.
Archaeologies of Gender and Sexuality
Who is allowed to produce knowledge about the past? Drawing on case studies from diverse locations and time periods, you’ll consider how studies of sex, sexuality, and power can be practically applied to archaeological investigations of past societies. This engendered perspective promotes nuanced understandings of social complexity and diversity of past communities.
Susan Ortiz, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Social Stratification and Inequality
- Intersectionality
- Privilege and Power
“Warren Wilson is the place where both academics and intellectual virtues matter. We are all on a journey together to build a more trusting, empathetic, patient, caring, and connected community, state, nation, and world.”
Siti Kusujiarti, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Gender and Development
- Southeast Asian topics, especially Indonesia
- Rural and Environmental Sociology
“Warren Wilson students are poised to learn and to expand their horizons.”
Scotti M. Norman, Ph.D
Research Interests
- Indigenous Responses to European Colonialism
- Gender Studies
- GIS and Landscape
“The students at Warren Wilson have a keen interest in equality and empathy, and it is a pleasure to explore together how archaeology of past societies can create a more just contemporary society.”
Where Our Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Graduates Go
- AmeriCorps VISTA
- National Humanities Center, Durham NC
- Dogwood Health Trust
- University of Baltimore School of Law
- University of Illinois Chicago
