Women, Gender, and Sexuality

When you tell your fellow peers that you plan to be a Women, Gender, and Sexuality concentrator, try not to get disheartened when they respond with a “huh?” And when your parents object to the title of your department, you can snappily retort that it’s an honors-only concentration.

While the concentration is usually erroneously depicted as a haven for radical feminists, it is actually a close analogue of Social Studies. It’s safe to say that the number of jocks and Republicans is low to non-existent, but it still boasts a diverse composition of students with varying interests.

Women, Gender, and Sexuality has a surprisingly vast amount of resources at its disposal. The office itself is neatly tucked within the Warren House, the cute white building across from the Barker Center. It’s a cozy environment with a resource room full of books, DVDs, and a never-empty bowl of candy.

You’ll meet with your advisor frequently to go over your plan of study, and each concentrator chooses a specific focus or track. The courses that WGS offers can be divided into the sciences and the humanities, and each student must take one course from the focus of study opposite their own.

Also, each concentrator must take at least two foundational courses—a good starting point for anyone looking into this concentration. WGS 1003, “Theories of Sexuality” is usually the most popular of the intro classes, even if some of the more modest students at Harvard might blush over the title. The reading includes works from Sigmund Freud, Michel Foucault, and Judith Butler. The class also features numerous film screenings. Perhaps the most popular WGS class from last year was WGS 1151, “Sex, Rights, and Stereotypes: Queer Culture In America From Stone Wall to Gay Marriage,” taught by the charismatic Timothy McCarthy of Lit and Arts A-86, “Protest Literature” fame. The course examined queer America through the lens of popular culture. The boys from “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” would be proud. Disappointingly, the course will no longer be offered.

The department itself is undergoing numerous changes, both in the courses it offers and its leadership. Having taken a year-long absence, Bradley Epps will formally take over as Head of the Department for the next three years. A fall course he is offering—WGS 1222, “Literature, Art, Cinema, and Queerness” will likely be packed with eager beavers awaiting his return.

WGS is a small community, but very welcoming. You will foster a great relationship with your advisor, who is more than eager to talk with you at any time about your plan of study. And don’t sweat the plan of study: the concentration is not strict with the courses you plan to take in your field.