WGS 3810

really great class, good access point for not just feminist theory but also postcolonial theory, socialist feminism, intersection of race and gender, etc.

This class was both a hit and a miss for me. I enjoyed the content, despite the difficulty of a few readings (looking at you, Judith Butler), but it is a lot of reading. Professor Walsh is incredibly intelligent and passionate about what she teaches, but in comparison with my other WGS classes (and my friends' experiences in other theory classes), the material was fairly difficult to comprehend. It is a theory class covering some difficult material, but I felt like I would leave class with more questions than answers. What didn't help my feelings of insecurity in relation to the material was that her tone came off as condescending in more than one class and I was often hesitant to share my thoughts because of I didn't want to be spoken down to. That being said, I don't think she does it on purpose or even realize she's doing it sometimes, but it is a part of the class environment. This class is a requirement for the WGS major w/ specialization in gender, and I would take the course again if it were offered by someone else.

This class is AMAZING. Professor Walsh rocks, and I learned a ton.

Professor Walsh is extremely knowledgeable about this subject, and she is great at facilitating discussion. The class is definitely fast-paced and covers a wide range of material. She structures it chronologically, so you will start with old feminist theory and end with contemporary versions of various feminisms. There are 2-3 readings for each class period, and you have to write a 500-600 word post on the reading for a particular class day 10 times throughout semester. Do not procrastinate on these posts! Most of the class periods either start with a student group presentation about the readings or Professor Walsh's own explanation of them. Then, everybody gets into groups to discuss the readings, and you have the chance to put ideas on the board for the whole class to discuss. Make sure you talk during these whole-class discussions, because she will factor it into your participation grade! The final project is very open ended in terms of what you want it to be about and how you want to present it (doesn't have to be a paper). She also gives you a lot of resources to help with the research process, and you do a lot of in-class writing activities that are actually very helpful. Overall, this class was great. I always left wishing we had more time to talk about the concepts, and with a general feeling of being wowed. Often, Professor Walsh was able to tie everything together very nicely with a bit of a punch. If she didn't have time to explain it at the end of class, she made sure to start the following class with a review. Also, I should note that she is very accepting of everyone's viewpoints, as long as you have evidence to back up your argument. She doesn't have to agree with you for you to do well (as it should be, but I felt like I had to address it since some people have this concern). I highly recommend this course to anyone who might be interested!