WOMS 630, Research in Women's Studies
(M 3-5.40; Diana Swanson)
This course introduces students to multidisciplinary research methodologies in women’s studies and assists them with developing research methods and designs to pursue their own research projects or professional practice. Specifically, the goals of this course are a) to examine feminist critiques of traditional research, knowledge, and academic disciplines, b) to become familiar with key methodological issues and concerns in feminist scholarship and interdisciplinary research, c) to develop nonsexist research and analytic skills, d) to develop research and analytic skills appropriate for exploring the vast literature of women's studies and applying this research to research or professional practice in the student’s field.
Course requirements include:
- Participation in class discussion
- Essay explaining research methodologies in student’s major discipline (5 pp.)
- Two interviews and assessments of research methods in other disciplines (5 pp.)
- Final project either designing a research project (such as an MA thesis or Ph.D. dissertation) or applying feminist research to professional practice in the student’s field (15-20 pp.)
Texts:
- Eichler, Margrit. Nonsexist Research Methods: A Practical Guide. NY: Routledge, 1991.
- Jaggar, Alison M., ed. Just Methods: An Interdisciplinary Feminist Reader. Boulder and London: Paradigm, 2008.
- Martin, James I. and William Meezan, eds. Research Methods with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations. NY: Haworth Press, 2003.
