CCOG for WS 202 Winter 2025
- Course Number:
- WS 202
- Course Title:
- Women, Activism and Social Change
- Credit Hours:
- 4
- Lecture Hours:
- 40
- Lecture/Lab Hours:
- 0
- Lab Hours:
- 0
Course Description
Intended Outcomes for the course
Upon completion of the course students should be able to:
- Analyze efforts to dismantle systems of oppression using an intersectional feminist approach.
- Analyze influences of changing political, social, economic, religious, sexual, historical, and cultural patterns in the creation and perpetuation of injustice.
- Describe personal avenues for participation in creating social change and advancing social justice.
- Communicate by writing, speaking, and collaborating.
Integrative Learning
Students completing an associate degree at Portland Community College will be able to reflect on one’s work or competencies to make connections between course content and lived experience.
General education philosophy statement
This course aligns with the PCC General Education philosophy by providing an appreciation of history both from a global perspective and from a personal perspective, including an awareness of the role played by gender and by various cultures, This course also provides an understanding of the ethical and social requirements of responsible participation in society. It accomplishes these goals by centering intersectional feminism and analyzing the creation and maintenance of systems of oppression such as sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, racism, classism, ableism, among others.
Outcome Assessment Strategies
Student mastery of outcomes may be assessed by any combination of the following:
- Written or oral assignments, objective or essay examinations
- Research projects, participation in class discussions, small group activities, exercises, or role plays
- Performances or plays
- Oral or visual presentations
- Participating in or organizing community or professional events
- Service learning activities
Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)
Themes, Competencies, and Skills:
- Reflect on the history of women’s advocacy for positive changes in the conditions which impact girls’ and women’s lives.
- Articulate and explore ways in which women and men can implement a vision of social change which empowers women and improves the circumstances of their lives.
- Explain several feminist theoretical perspectives.
- Examine a topic relevant to girl’s or women’s lives, and analyze efforts and effects of social change on this topic.
- Develop skills in explaining one’s views in depth and listening respectfully to others.
- Explore possible directions for future social change efforts.
Themes, Concepts, Issues:
- power, privilege
- sexism, albums, ageism
- heterosexism, homophobia
- sexual orientation, sexual minorities
- androgyny
- systems of oppression
- patriarchy
- identity politics
- dualism
- essentialism
- social constructivism
- feminist epistemologies
- authority of experience
- first, second, and third wave feminisms
- liberal, socialist, radical feminisms
Instructors teaching WS202 may focus on such topics as:
- work and economics
- violence
- sport and leisure
- politics and law
- education
- arts
- mental health
- health care
- mass media/TV/film/Internet
- religion
- science
- philosophy
Proposed revisions (9/30/2020): Themes, concepts, issues (MAY include):
-
liberal, socialist, radical feminisms
-
collective action and solidarity
-
strengths and challenges in coalition work
-
activist strategies, organizations, goals, accomplishments and challenges.
-
history of feminism power, privilege
-
patriarchy, racism, transphobia, classism, homophobia, ageism, ableism, fatphobia, settler colonialism and other patterns of oppression
-
social construction of gender