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Multicultural and Gender Studies
Graduate, International, and Interdisciplinary Studies
Dean: Susan Place
Center for Multicultural
and Gender Studies
Butte Hall 611
530-898-5249
e-mail:
mcgs@csuchico.edu
http://www.csuchico.edu/mcgs/
Director: Tracy Butts
Advisor:
Program
BA in Multicultural and Gender Studies
Minor in African American Studies
Minor in American Indian Studies
Minor in Asian American Studies
Minor in Managing Diversity in Organizations
Minor in Multicultural Studies
Multicultural and Gender Studies Course Offerings
Please see the section on "Course Description Symbols and Terms" in the University Catalog for an explanation of course description terminology and symbols, the course numbering system, and course credit units. All courses are lecture and discussion and employ letter grading unless otherwise stated. Some prerequisites may be waived with faculty permission. Many syllabi are available on the Chico Web.
An introduction to the concepts, terminology, and issues in multicultural and gender studies, including exploration of America's
multicultural history, gender as an element of culture, and contemporary issues in the field. This is an approved General
Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course.
Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Honors Program.
Within the context of an interdisciplinary multicultural discipline, students will explore a variety of issues that pertain
to the voices of various ethnic groups and women in America. These voices speak out of ethnic, racial, class, sexual, and
gender experiences which help define political, economic, educational, judicial, and other social issues. Students will present
and defend papers on selected topics. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course.
This course is a special topic offered for 1.0-3.0 units. You must register directly with a supervising faculty member. Analysis
of selected topics in multicultural and gender studies not covered in the regular curriculum. Topics may vary from one semester
to another; see the Class Schedule for the specific topic being offered.
Prerequisites: MCGS 155 or WMST 170 recommended.
An exploration of current scholarship in gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer theories, issues, and communities.
Grounded in feminist scholarship, the course examines GLBTQ identity construction and formation through media, politics, sex/sexuality,
science, and the law. Specific focus will vary from semester to semester. This is an approved General Education course. This
is an approved US Diversity course.
A study of gender issues as they have been dealt with in plays and productions throughout the history of the theatre. The
course will focus on the portrayal of women and men on stage as well as key figures who broke barriers in the areas of playwriting,
acting, designing, and production. This is an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as THEA 315.
An exploration of the religions which inform America's ethnic minorities. The historical, cultural, and social experiences
and values of Native American, Hispanic American, African American, Pacific Islander, and Asian American ethnic minority groups
will be examined. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also
offered as RELS 324.
This course explores the physiological mechanisms of disease and resistance, social definitions of disease, and gender-related
factors in research, diagnosis, treatment, and adaptation to disease. Diseases are usually studied and described in generic
terms without regard to gender; however, it is apparent that substantial differences exist in male and female susceptibility,
manifestations, and reponses to many diseases; just as significantly, society's responses to disease are clearly influenced
by gender issues. These issues are explored, through the perspectives of both natural and social sciences. This is an approved
General Education course. This course is also offered as NURS 326.
Analysis of the role of race and ethnicity in the American political process, including a critique of their role in local,
state, and national elections. Factors accounting for participation and non-participation will be analyzed. This is an approved
US Diversity course. This course is also offered as POLS 327.
Ethnic groups in the U.S. face many health problems. This course focuses on those problems which affect the four largest ethnic
groups in the U.S.: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and Asian Americans. The effects of history,
health beliefs and practices, and socioeconomic status on the health of these ethnic populations are addressed. Current and
potential strategies to improve health care delivery to these groups are explored. This is an approved US Diversity course.
This course is also offered as HCSV 328.
This course examines gender as a social construct and its influences on men and women in families, school, work, politics,
and culture. The focus is on how gender varies in relation to ethnicity, race, sexuality, and social class. This course is
also offered as SOCI 330.
An examination of the various ethnic groups that came to America; the reasons for their emigration, their reception in the
United States, special problems they encountered, and the contributions they made to American society. This is an approved
General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as HIST 332.
This course focuses on the importance and various influences of culture on human behavior. Beginning with an examination of
theoretical definitions of culture, the course covers a broad range of research that highlights the contributions of cross-cultural
psychology to the understanding of human behavior within and between cultures. In addition, conceptual, methodological, and
practical issues in cross-cultural research and applications are covered. This is an approved General Education course. This
is an approved Global Cultures course. This course is also offered as PSYC 341.
Examines the various theories put forth to explain the differences between men and women, including scientific, social scientific,
and humanistic explanations. Emphasis on feminist perspectives. This course is also offered as PHIL 345.
This course examines the social construction of race, and studies ethnic and racial relations in the United States, looking
at variations by class, gender, and immigration experiences. Students analyze interpersonal relationships between racial and
ethnic groups, discrimination, resistance, social movements, and governmental policies This is an approved General Education
course. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as SOCI 350.
An exploration of how science and culture have affected people's understandings of gender and sexuality, in both Western and
non-Western cultures, from ancient times to the present. This is an approved General Education course.
Prerequisites: MCGS 155 and one of the following: AAST 152, AFAM 170, AIST 170, CHST 157, or WMST 170.
This course provides students with a grounding before community service fieldwork. Included are background history of service-learning
and activism, theory and current issues in a variety of service areas, experience assessing specific needs and challenges
in service.
This course is a special topic offered for 1.0-3.0 units. Students must register directly with a supervising faculty member.
Analysis of selected topics in multicultural and gender studies not covered in the regular curriculum. Topics may vary from
one semester to another. See the Class Schedule for the specific topic being offered.
This course is an independent study of special problems offered for 1.0-3.0 units. You must register directly with a supervising
faculty member. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. Credit/no credit grading only.
Students examine how the law (made by judges, legislators, and voters) has influenced and continues to influence the lives
of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Students critically analyze how the rights of sexual minorities have
developed or failed to develop. The class includes discussion of gay movements' politics, accomplishments, and opponents.
Finally, contemporary issues surrounding legal and political issues that impact sexual minorities are addressed. This course
is also offered as POLS 401.
Analysis of judicial cases and related materials illustrating historical and current interpretations of constitutional problems
such as racial discrimination, criminal procedures, and freedom of speech and religion. This course is also offered as POLS
451B.
A study of American ethnic and multicultural literature, popular culture, and critical theory. This course is also offered
as ENGL 463.
Prerequisites: ENGL 371 or WMST 200.
This course explores recent theories and applications associated with the relationships among language, gender, and sexuality.
The course includes a focus on the intersection of linguistic gender with class and ethnicity by drawing on research in linguistic
anthropology and sociolinguistics. There will be an examination of gendered speech, writing, and sign from a variety of the
world's languages. This course is also offered as ENGL 479.
A supervised experience in the area of multicultural and/or gender studies offered for 1.0-3.0 units. You must register directly
with the Center director and be a major or minor. No more than 3 units may be counted toward the major or minor. You may
take this course more than once for a maximum of 15.0 units.
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher.
Exploration of theory and extended research in the field of multicultural and gender studies leading to a public presentation.
This course is designed as the capstone experience for multicultural and gender studies majors in the general option, and
minors. This is a writing proficiency, WP, course; a grade of C- or better certifies writing proficiency for majors.
This course is for special topics offered for 1.0-3.0 units. Typically the topic is offered on a one-time-only basis and may
vary from semester to semester and be different for different sections. Students will read, research, and discuss specific
themes in multicultural and gender studies. See the Class Schedule for the specific topic being offered.
African American Studies Course Offerings
An interdisciplinary approach to modern and traditional aspects of African life in the fields of history, geography, politics,
ethnography, and socio-economic development. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures
course. This course is also offered as AFRI 100.
Introduces the aims and objectives of African American Studies. A critical examination of the African American experience
and its antecedents. This includes an assessment of how the dominant society impacts African Americans, including such factors
as racism, poverty, and the current social/economic status of African Americans. Africa's contributions to the world are included.
This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course.
Comparative analysis of the institution of slavery which places slavery in the Western Hemisphere into a global and historical
context beginning with labor oppression systems in Asia, the Roman Empire, and Mediterranean cultures. The significance and
impact of Africans on the cultural, economic, and political life of North and South American nations will be examined in detail.
This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as HIST
206.
An examination of the origins of black people, their history, philosophies, ideas, religions, social values, and the way in
which these aspects of culture are interrelated. Emphasis is on the critical analysis of eighteenth-, nineteenth-, twentieth-century
events, personalities, and philosophies which resulted in the major economic, political, and social problems facing African
Americans and other ethnic minorities today. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity
course. This course is also offered as HIST 231.
Introduction to African American literature, using a range of materials from past and present that may include slave and neo-slave
narratives, oratory and sermons, poems, plays, and novels, songs and spirituals. This is an approved General Education course.
This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as ENGL 251.
A historical survey from the African heritage and Colonial times to the present. The types, forms, and styles of African American
music are studied in relation to the African American experience. This is an approved General Education course. This is an
approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as MUSC 296.
Prerequisites: AFAM 170 or SOCI 100.
This course examines the historical and social experiences that have shaped contemporary African American life, such as slavery,
exploitation, oppression, and resistance (for example, the Civil Rights movement, the Black Power movement, and Hip Hop).
Strategies for researching African American experiences are learned through analysis of Black popular culture, male/female
relationships, urbanization, religion, and institutional racism. This course is also offered as SOCI 355. Formerly AFAM 455.
American Indian Studies Course Offerings
Introduction to socio-cultural development of the American Indian in modern times and the background for present-day conditions.
Attention given to contemporary Indian affairs and problems. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved
US Diversity course.
A history of the Indian in North America, development of Indian culture, Indian-white relations, the disruption of the Indian
way of life, wars, assimilation, and Indian culture in a Caucasian world. This is an approved General Education course. This
is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as HIST 230.
Study of the oral and written literature of the American Indian and of related historical and critical materials. This is
an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as ENGL 252.
Survey of Native North America with emphasis on U.S. tribes, their cultures, rituals, and institutions. Brief examination
of pre-history. The focus is on historical and contemporary people. This is an approved General Education course. This is
an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as ANTH 261.
Historical development of traditional American Indian tribal education and its gradual replacement with European-American
educational systems up to and including modern times. This is an approved US Diversity course.
A description and analysis of selected American Indian religions and philosophies of American Indian peoples of North America.
The course will emphasize the Indians' spiritual relationship with nature as depicted in ceremonies, music, literature, and
oral traditions. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as RELS 325.
Native peoples of California, their origin, prehistory, languages, culture, and interaction with Europeans. Selected case
studies, with special emphasis on the local area. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as
ANTH 362.
Prerequisites: Faculty permission.
This course in Indian/Federal law examines 200 years of legal relationships of tribes with the Federal government, state government,
and with tribal members. It has its origins in constitutional law, and is the only body of law directly relating to a single
group or minority in this country. We will examine and analyze the practical application of these laws as they apply to the
legal rights of tribes and the states in which the tribes reside. This course is also offered as POLS 457.
Asian American Studies Course Offerings
This course examines the Asian experience in the U.S. over the last 150 year by focusing on the experiences of different Asian
ethnic groups. The focus is on early arrival and settlement, and contemporary issues in Asian American communities, including
immigration, racism, and Asian American identity. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity
course. This course is also offered as SOCI 152.
An introduction to various traditions and issues of the Asian American experience in literature. The course explores both
early and contemporary novels, poems, and plays by writers of different genders, ethnicities, and cultures. This is an approved
General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as ENGL 253.
Study of problems and prospects related to Asia. This course includes a series of in-depth analysis of major issues, current
problems, and prospects of Asia. Extensive research, writing, and oral presentations are required. This is an approved General
Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. This course is also offered as ASST 300.
This course explores how Asian American communities maintain Asian cultures, establish North American cultures, and adapt
to American society. Immigration and other demographic trends are discussed, as well as ethnic identity, assimilation patterns,
and intergenerational relations. This course is also offered as SOCI 351.
Examination of Asian immigration to the United States from a world system's perspective. Examines immigration process and
the implication of this process for contemporary interest in Pacific Rim. Topics include origins of Asian immigration, major
U.S. immigration legislation, demographic structure of contemporary Asian immigration, and cross-cultural comparisons of other
world groups. This is an approved US Diversity course.
An examination of Southeast Asian immigrants to North America. The cultural and historical backgrounds of Southeast Asian
peoples (Hmong, Mien, Kampuchean, Vietnamese, etc.) will be discussed. The historical and political forces that stimulated
immigration to North America and the subsequent adaptations made by these peoples to North American cultural contexts will
be core themes for this course. This is an approved US Diversity course.
Chicano Studies Course Offerings
Study of the Mexican-American subculture in the United States after 1848: historical background, migration, cultural patterns,
folklore, economic and political objectives. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity
course. This course is also offered as HIST 135.
This course explores contemporary issues affecting Chicanos in the United States, including cultural values, social organization,
urbanization, gender, and socio-economics. Attention is given to how family, religion, and immigration experiences play upon
the lifestyles and values held by Chicanas and Chicanos. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved
US Diversity course. This course is also offered as SOCI 157.
This course examines the history and heritage of the Mexican people of the present-day Southwestern United States from the
fourteenth through the mid-nineteenth centuries. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity
course. This course is also offered as HIST 234.
A study of the Chicano people as reflected in selected films and literature. Reading, discussions, and reports will be in
English. This is a service course for non-majors and not elective for a BA degree or minor in Spanish. This is an approved
General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as SPAN 354.
This course examines the economic, social, and political status of Chicanos and Chicana in the United States since the 1960's
Chicano Movement. Students also consider issues such as immigration, stratification, educational attainment, labor market
inequality, and resistance movements. This is an approved US Diversity course. This course is also offered as SOCI 358.
Prerequisites: ARTH 101 and ARTH 102 for art majors.
A survey of Mexican art and culture from the Cortesian Conquest, the Colonial Period of monastery- and church-building, the
Revolution of 1810, the Revolution of 1910, and the painters of the great revolutionary mural movement that followed, Rivera,
Orozco, and Siqueriros, to contemporary artists who have tended toward international pluralism. Attention is given to the
process of acculturation that produced the modern Mexican peoples, their national character, and their contemporary art. This
course is also offered as ARTH 473.
Prerequisites: SPAN 301; SPAN 341 or SPAN 342; or faculty permission.
A study of the Chicano people as reflected in selected films and literature. Discussions will be in Spanish, readings in English
and Spanish, reports in Spanish. This course is also offered as SPAN 454.
Prerequisites: CHST 157 or SOCI 100.
This course examines the social conditions and lived experiences of Chicanos and Chicanas, using individual and structural
perspectives. Students explore the impact of Chicanos, the largest Latino subgroup, on the United States. Social and cultural
comparisons are made among Chicano, Mexican, other Latino subgroups, and various ethnic communities. This course is also offered
as SOCI 459.
Women's Studies Course Offerings
This course explores the impact of cultural beliefs and practices on diverse women's lives. Readings, films, and lectures
analyze women's challenges, struggles, and accomplishments. Specific topics include race and class, media images of women,
the women's movement, work, motherhood, and sexuality. This is an approved General Education course.
Prerequisites: WMST 170.
An examination of key feminist theories and their applications in feminist research and practice. Readings include historical
and contemporary materials.
Taking an in-depth look, this course explores women's lives in today's world across categories of class, race, ethnicity,
sexuality, disability, and age. Students also discuss such topics as gender, body politics, violence against women, poverty,
religion, and power as they relate to women. Special attention is given to social activism and emerging policies here in the
U.S. and elsewhere. This is an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as SOCI 230.
The purpose of this course is to educate students to be informed consumers of media, to examine actual portrayals of women
in the various media, and to explore how the media industry treats women. These objectives will result in a raised awareness
of how both sexes can participate equally in the world around them. This is an approved General Education course. This course
is also offered as JOUR 311.
Analysis of the roles of women in politics; volunteer, candidate, elected official. Considers politics of the women's movement
and women's issues. This is an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as POLS 324.
This course explores major themes and developments in the social and cultural history of European women from the 1700s to
the present, including changing gender roles, attitudes toward sexuality, reproduction, and the family. In particular, the
course examines women's struggle to define themselves and their roles in society and their impact on the social identities
of men. This course is also offered as HIST 326.
Women Internationally is an interdisciplinary course which concentrates on the universal experiences of women around the world.
The impact of international and domestic politics and culture on women, and the role of women in economic development, equity
issues, and women's role in the social movement will be the centrality of the course. This is an approved General Education
course. This is an approved Global Cultures course.
Focus on the role gender plays in shaping and defining American history, from colonial times to the present. Analysis of relations
between sexes, the family, and the struggle by women to achieve civil rights and social reform. The roles of race and class,
and the rise of feminism. This is an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as HIST 335.
This cross-cultural study of women emphasizes changing constructions of gender and gender relations from the Paleolithic period
to the rise of the state. This is an approved Global Cultures course. This course is also offered as ANTH 339.
An exploration of the thematic and stylistic elements of literature by women. Readings include autobiography, diary, journal,
short story, novel, drama, poetry, and criticism by women from different cultures and periods. This is an approved General
Education course. This course is also offered as ENGL 360.
Analysis of health issues which concern women throughout the life course. The impact of physiology, psychology, culture, and
politics upon women's well-being will be addressed using the feminist perspective. This is an approved General Education course.
This course is also offered as NURS 368, and HCSV 368.
Analysis of the images, roles, and experiences of women in world religions in historical and contemporary contexts. This is
an approved General Education course. This course is also offered as RELS 375.
In this class, students discuss how the criminal justice system and civil law affect women's lives and their experiences with
the state. Students take a historical view on how women have made progress toward equality in the United States by using the
legal system in a variety of ways and examine women's status as criminal justice professionals, victims, and perpetrators
of crime and how the criminal justice system deals with women in these positions. This course is also offered as POLS 426.
Prerequisites: WMST 170 or WMST 200.
This course provides in-depth and advanced study of key feminist and gender theorists' analyses of pivotal issues in the intersections
of race, class, and gender constructions, with a different focal topic chosen each semester. You may take this course more
than once for a maximum of 6.0 units.
Prerequisites: RELS 375 or WMST 375.
A study of the development of feminist theology in Christian, Jewish, and other religious traditions over the past 30 years.
Examines feminist theological analysis of religious symbols, texts, rituals, beliefs, and practices in the U.S. and international
contexts. This course is also offered as RELS 475.
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, WMST 170, WMST 200.
Reading and application of feminist theory to an extended research project which is publicly presented. Readings explore a
variety of feminist theories, methodologies, and epistemologies related to topics students choose to research. This course
is designed as a capstone experience for majors in the Women's Studies Option. This is a writing proficiency, WP, course;
a grade of C- or better certifies writing proficiency for majors.