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Gender Studies

The interdisciplinary Gender Studies minor focuses on the importance of gender in society and culture and draw upon the insights and methodologies of a wide range of academic disciplines.

Why Pursue Gender Studies at Randolph?

One purpose of a liberal arts education is to teach students to think about their place in society using perspectives from the social sciences, the humanities, and the sciences.

The courses in this program focus on the importance of gender in society and culture and draw upon the insights and methodologies of a wide range of academic disciplines.

To this end, students are required to take courses in at least three departments to fulfill the minor requirements.

Curriculum and Requirements

Students must complete 20 credit hours to qualify for the minor.  A minimum of 5 of the following courses are required.

Required: (4 credits)

  • G ST 2202 Introduction to Gender Studies 

One of the following:* (4 credits)

  • PSYC 2212 Psychology of Gender
  • SOC 2276 Sociology of Gender

One of the following**:  (4 credits)

  • ENGL 3364 Feminist Literary Theory
  • MAC 3330 Feminist Rhetorical Theory
  • SOC 3355 Black Feminist Theory

Two of the following, from different departments***: (8 credits)

  • ARTH/ENGL 3378 Gender in Renaissance Art and Literature
  • CLAS 1132 Classical Mythology
  • DANC 2208 History of Dance II
  • ENGL 1111 Writing Women
  • ENGL 3338 The Prostitute in Literature
  • G ST 3301 Topics in Gender Studies
  • HIST 2237 American Women’s History
  • MAC 2220 Media and Masculinities
  • MUSC 2227 Women in Music 131
  • POL 2201 Trafficking: Where Global Meets Local
  • POL 2222 Gender Politics in Asia
  • PSYC 2205 Social Psychology
  • RELG 2253 In Memory of Her
  • RELG 2268 Gendering Enlightenment: Gender and Buddhism
  • SES 2262 LGBTQ+ Issues in Sport
  • SOC 2218 Family and Kinship

 

* Both may be taken to fulfill the minor, replacing one from the electives list.

** Additional GST or gender-related one-time only and special topic courses may be substituted with permission of the coordinator.

***One-time only and special topic courses may be substituted with permission of the coordinator.

Opportunities for Experience

Summer Research Program

Spend the summer working closely with a professor on a focused aspect of a Gender Studies topic of your choosing.

Randolph’s intensive eight-week Summer Research Program enables students to work with professors on a research of their own design; live in a residence hall on campus, participate in on-campus summer events, attend special seminars with guest speakers; and share the progress and results of their research.

Learn more about the Summer Research Program.

Symposium of Artists and Scholars

Modeled after a traditional academic conference, the SAS brings together students of all disciplines to share the results and highlights of the best work being produced at the College –  oral presentations, readings of creative works, performances, exhibitions of student artwork, and poster presentations.

Learn more about the Symposium of Artists and Scholars.

Internships

Learn by doing – in the field and on the job.  The Career Development Center will help place you in positions with leading companies and organizations in your field of study.

Learn more about internship opportunities.

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Required: (4 credit hours)

An introductory course dealing with the principles of Renaissance stagecraft, the nature of performance, the construction and themes of the plays, and the concept of genre or type. Representative plays in all genres from throughout Shakespeare’s career.

One of the following: (4 credit hours)

A bold, new style emerged in fifteenth-century Florence, setting the standard for European and American art until it was challenged by Impressionism and Modernism. Students will become familiar with cornerstones of the Western tradition in painting, sculpture, and architecture, made by great artists including Giotto, Donatello and Brunelleschi. By examining the intellectual, spiritual and political context of the works, students will understand not only their artistic significance but their original meanings as well.  

Who does not know the painting of the Mona Lisa? This course examines the career of one of the most influential artists of all time, Leonardo da Vinci, and focuses on his rival, Michelangelo. Students will also discover the contributions of Venetian masters such as Titian and Palladio, whose works have inspired artists and architects for centuries.

Two of the following: (8 credit hours)

An investigation into the nature and uses of myth in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Topics include the social significance of myth, the use of myth in art and literature, and the influence of Greco-Roman myth on Western civilization.

This course will introduce the main social, political, economic, and cultural forces that shaped and reshaped European societies and Europe’s relationship to the world in this period. Topics for discussion and study include the institutions of medieval Europe, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the emergence of modern commercial capitalism, the English Revolutions, and the Enlightenment.

This course studies European philosophy from 1600-1800, a time period when scientific discoveries inspired philosophers to radically reevaluate traditional sources of knowledge and methods of inquiry. During this period, the human mind becomes not just a tool but also an object of philosophical inquiry. Authors studied include Descartes, Hume, and Kant. Topics covered include the sources and limits of knowledge, the mind/body relationship, and personal identity.

One of the following: (4 credit hours)

Unique Experiences

Opportunities

Top Ranked Professors

Randolph College’s faculty are consistently recognized as among the best in the nation. The Princeton Review ranked the College in the Top 20 for most accessible professors in the 2021 edition of its flagship college guide, The Best 387 Colleges.

Randolph has been ranked in the top 20 for most accessible professors for four consecutive years.

Faculty Coordinator

Danielle Currier

Associate Professor of Sociology

Read More... Danielle Currier

Only at Randolph

Randolph students can take advantage of unique programs which give them a more enriching education than can be found anywhere else.

The Liberal Arts Advantage

Randolph graduates learn to think critically, solve problems and work well with others. They are prepared to succeed in all aspects of life.

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The Randolph Plan

Randolph students work with faculty mentors to explore a broad range of disciplines as they chart their academic path.

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Money for Your Research

The Randolph Innovative Student Experience (RISE) program provides every student a $2,000 grant to fund research, creative work, experiential learning or other scholarly pursuits.

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TAKE2

Two courses per half-mester means you get to focus in and dig deep into your coursework while still having time for the rest of the college experience. Two classes. Seven weeks. Repeat.

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News

Randolph named a College of Distinction for 2023-24 academic year

The honor recognizes the College’s high-quality education, hands-on learning, strong student-faculty relationships, and vibrant campus life.

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Randolph named one of Virginia’s best colleges

Each university on the list is evaluated based on the basis of academic quality, graduation rates, affordability, return on investment, and the breadth of student resources.

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Randolph faculty recognized as among best in the nation by Princeton Review

Students quoted in the guide praised Randolph’s faculty, whose “number one goal is always to make students better thinkers.” 

Read More

Randolph named a College of Distinction for 2023-24 academic year

The honor recognizes the College’s high-quality education, hands-on learning, strong student-faculty relationships, and vibrant campus life.

Read More

Randolph named one of Virginia’s best colleges

Each university on the list is evaluated based on the basis of academic quality, graduation rates, affordability, return on investment, and the breadth of student resources.

Read More

Randolph faculty recognized as among best in the nation by Princeton Review

Students quoted in the guide praised Randolph’s faculty, whose “number one goal is always to make students better thinkers.” 

Read More
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Danielle Currier

Associate Professor of Sociology

Credentials:B.A., Grinnell College
M.S., Virginia Commonwealth University
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Associated Departments:Sociology, Gender Studies
Office:Leggett 616
Phone:4349478561
Email:dcurrier@randolphcollege.edu

News Headlines

I joined the Randolph faculty in 2011. I am Chair of the Sociology department, Director of the Summer Research Program, and I coordinate the Gender Studies and Human Services minors. Before coming to Randolph, I was at the College of William & Mary for three years and Radford University for four years. I earned my Ph.D. in Sociology and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Connecticut in 2004. My dissertation was entitled “Gendered Athletes” and in it I examined the different way women and men athletes experience the hyper-masculine world of college sports. Over the years I have won various teaching awards, including the Distinguished Teaching Award at Randolph in 2015.

In my teaching and research I focus on issues of intersectionality and inequality, with an emphasis on gender and sexuality. I teach a wide variety of undergraduate courses including Sociology of Gender, Qualitative Methods, Social Theory, Sociology of the Family, and Sport Sociology. I am also faculty in the Master’s of Coaching and Sport Leadership program, teaching the History of Sport and Research Methods and Inquiry.

My areas of research include hookups among college students, sexual violence, gender and sport, and participation in social movements such as the Women’s March in 2017. I have done several multi-method research projects and have had many students work with me to learn researching techniques and develop strong analytic and writing skills.

My interdisciplinary publications include a book chapter entitled “Feminist Pedagogy” (2021), a co-authored book chapter with a political science colleague about women’s issues in national elections (“The Social Construction of Women’s Interests in the 2014 and 2010 Midterms”), a peer-reviewed article about hookups (“Strategic Ambiguity”, 2013), and a variety of book reviews addressing the topics of hookups, family dynamics and violence, and violence against women. I regularly go to sociology and gender studies conferences and take students whenever possible.

In my spare time, I love to travel, kayak, hike, read, and watch crazy series on Netflix. In 2018, I completed a bucket list item and drove around the entire United States, visiting every national park I could and visiting every state except Alaska (which is next on my list).

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