Need an advising appointment? Reach out to Dr. De Welde (deweldek@cofc.edu) or Dr. Ravalico (ravalicold@cofc.edu).
Pumpkins & Pronouns
Celebrate International Pronouns Day 2022 with us! Community, candy, and crafts for all!
A previous year’s blog post included some slides to help folx learn more about what pronouns are, how they’re used, and why they’re important. View that post here: https://blogs.charleston.edu/wgsconnect/2020/10/21/pronouns-day-2020/.
From the International Pronouns Day website:
International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.
Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities.
Interested in participating? Glean some ideas from International Pronouns Day. Some of our favorite ideas and tips include:
- Use the #PronounsDay hashtag on social media posts
- Remember to center the voices of trans folks, including trans folks, women, people of color, etc.
- Invite members of the community to individually share resources and thoughts on social media about the importance of using the correct pronouns for people.
- Post your own pronouns on social media.
- Create a poster campaign on your campus or at your workplace, with educational messages.
Yes! I’m a Feminist. is Back
“Yes! I’m a Feminist.” is celebrating 10 years as an annual event and fundraiser organized by the WGS Community Advisory Board in support of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at The College of Charleston.
Today through Friday, November 4th – we are campaigning for feminist futures and a more just world for all! Donate and/or register to attend the event here: https://bit.ly/3RxqQgK
Why WGS? Info Session
Learn more about Women’s & Gender Studies!
Join us for an info session on courses, co-curricular opportunities, grad programs, career paths, & ways WGS can enhance a wide variety of career goals!
Wednesday, September 28
Stern Center, Room 205
4:00PM-5:00PM
Welcome Gathering for Dr. Cristina Dominguez
Join the WGS program as we welcome our new faculty member, Dr. Cristina Dominguez! Students, staff, and faculty are invited to gather with us to welcome Dr. Dominguez on Wednesday, September 14 at 7 College Way from 12PM-1PM. Light snacks and drinks will be served. Come and go as you are able!
Why Study WGS?
WGS Frequently Asked Questions:
What’s the difference between the Women’s & Gender Studies major and minor? How do I decide if I want to major or minor in WGS?
For more information about the differences between the major and minor, please visit the WGS Major and Minor page.
Do I have to be a Women’s & Gender Studies major or minor to take a WGS class?
No! In fact, students from all across campus take WGS courses to fulfill their General Education Humanities requirement (and many of those students love their time in WGS so much that they go on to declare a major or minor!).
What kinds of classes would I take as a WGS major or minor?
WGS counts courses from across the campus, with course offerings in almost every discipline. To view a current list of courses that WGS students will take this upcoming semester, please see the WGS Fall 2022 Course Brochure.
To view catalogue information and additional course information, please see the WGS Major Catalog & Course Information and the WGS Minor Catalog & Course Information.
The website says that Women’s & Gender Studies is “interdisciplinary.” What does that mean?
Women’s and Gender Studies as an academic discipline is interdisciplinary. This means WGS draws from a range of other fields of study in developing knowledge (for example, Psychology, History, Biology, Sociology, Business, Communication, English… even Music!). You’ll find that WGS courses are offered across many different departments. WGS as an academic field thinks and acts across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
What sorts of skills will I develop during my time in the major/minor?
By the time our WGS students graduate, they have developed skills conventionally fostered through a Liberal Arts education such as critical thinking, problem solving, and oral and written communication. Additionally, WGS students learn to work effectively in teams, practice ethical judgment and decision making, and integrate ideas and information across contexts. WGS students are often called upon to help navigate challenging situations in the workplace because of their deep understanding of differences and their developed skills in empathic listening.
Women’s (In)Equality Day
On Women’s (In)Equality Day, join local reproductive rights & justice educators, leaders, caregivers, activists, & allies for activities, demonstrations, & conversations that leverage the powers of Healing, Education, Liberation, and Love (H.E.L.L.) in the ongoing struggle for bodily autonomy and access to reproductive care.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Arnold Hall – 96 Wentworth St
All are welcome!
- 9:45-10:45 Healing & Community Building
- 11:00-12:00 Resource Fair & Refreshments
- 12:00-1:00 Information Panel & Q&A with Local Reproductive Justice Organizations
What IFF?: Transvisibility with Denver Tanner
In spring 2022, student, Marissa Haynes (she/her), launched a new podcast in conjunction with WGS. What IFF? is dedicated to sparking discussion about making change in our campus community and beyond by centering intersectional feminist thought and uplifting members of our community who are actively moving toward justice, and inspiring those of us who want to learn more. 
Today we’re revisiting What IFF?’s initial episode where Marissa interviews fellow CofC student, Denver Tanner (they/them). They discuss activism, trans rights and mental health, and so much more. Read a brief excerpt from the episode, and click over to What IFF? to listen to the entire interview!
Excerpt from What IFF?, episode 1 – Transvisibility with Denver Tanner:
MH: How do you feel like the classes that you’ve taken, or the work that you’ve done has prepared you for the life that you dream of?
DT: I think it definitely has . The College has provided me so many great opportunities. I’m actually this year, joining the gardening club, so we’re circling back to the learning how to grow your own food with that one. But academically, one of my favorite projects was my anarchy capstone with Dr. McGinnis for my political science end of the year project. I wrote a thesis paper called Be Gay, Do Crime: An Analysis of Queer Anarchy.
MH: Okay, wow, love that. Queer anarchy? Can you expand on that.
DT: Yes, definitely. So, queer anarchy is, in essence, studying how your identity as a gay person or a trans person, is an act of rebellion against the state. So, for example, in my research for this paper, I learned that the City of Charleston, back in the seventeenth century, used to outlaw dressing of an opposite sex, which obviously is transphobic inherently but even racist as it dates back to origins and not allowing people of a different socioeconomic class to dress as if they were wealthier.
MH: Wow! I love that, too, because what you’re talking about is that this innate just being and walking in life is activism, right? Like, walking and existing as a queer person. That in and of itself is activism. I wanted to ask you: What does it mean to be an activist? What does it take to be an activist?
DT: What a great question! Because if you asked me that a couple weeks ago I would have said, “Oh, I don’t know. I’m not an activist.” But now that I sit here and have this dialogue with you and think about my college experiences and what motivates me every day. I realize: to be an activist, you really just have to care about something. You have to have an identity with something and a passion. And I think activism is much simpler than we perceive it to be, and it really can be a part of your everyday life, just like Women’s and Gender Studies.
Student Spotlight: Patrick Meyer
One of our very favorite things to do is highlight students and their accomplishments! Be sure to check WGS’ Instagram and blog, WGS Connect throughout the semester for more “spotlights.“
Below you can read more about Patrick Meyer, who received funding through the WGS Student Opportunities Fund to pursue a summer undergraduate research opportunity with Duke University in 2021!
Patrick Meyer (He/They)
Psychology/WGS ’22
Q. Tell us about the opportunity you had last summer.
I was a 2021 summer research assistant in the Identity and Diversity Lab at Duke University. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience was entirely virtual. My primary project over the summer involved developing a theoretical framework to deconstruct harmful masculine norms while fostering authentic identity development in boys and men. This project will hopefully result in a published article in a prominent psychology or gender studies journal!
Q. How did the project influence your understandings of what you had been learning through your coursework in WGS?
This experience deepened so much of the knowledge base I was already cultivating in my WGS classes. Throughout the summer I was able to learn about how systems and individuals uphold and police gender norms, and how this can be particularly distressing for individuals who may not conform to these rigid norms. Sacrificing authenticity for the comfort of conformity demonstrates how patriarchal structures actually end up harming men as well! With the intersectional lens the WGS program has provided me, I also examined how gendered pressure interacts with other axes of power and inequity.
Q. What was the best aspect of this experience?
The most beneficial aspect of this experience was that I was able to foster a connection between my major discipline, psychology, and WGS. The interdisciplinary nature of WGS is one of the things that drew me to the minor and this project showed me how feminist activism and gender equity movements are enhanced by the presence of individuals from diverse backgrounds. In order to deconstruct harmful masculinity norms, it will require the work of educators, mental health professionals, policymakers, and more!
Q. How did the ability to engage in this opportunity influence your next steps and future career goals?
This opportunity allowed me to gain substantial research experience that solidified and expanded my interests in psychology and WGS. I am currently in the process of applying to doctoral programs in counseling psychology, and I am confident that this summer experience will shape so much of my approach to research and practice! The dual-level approach of our framework, deconstructing norms while fostering authenticity, really resonated with me and I hope to become a social change agent that promotes wellness among individuals and across systems.
WGS Student Opportunities Fund Recipients 2021-2022
WGS is excited to share the 2021-2022 recipients of the WGS Student Opportunities Fund. See what our amazing students have been up to thanks to this funding initiative!
In Spring of 2019, WGS launched the WGS Student Opportunities Fund so that students may apply for funding to support engagement in study abroad, internships, community-based learning projects, and research/scholarly activities. Funding for these opportunities is made possible because of our generous sponsors in the community and on campus.
2021-2022 Recipients:
Marissa Haynes (she/her)
Attended the 2022 Sociologists for Women in Society winter meetings as the social action committee intern.
Patrick Meyer (they/he)
Presented at the 2022 annual conference of the Society for Personality & Social Psychology, poster title: Breaking Down, Pushing Out: An Organizing Framework for Promoting Authenticity and Mitigating Harm Among Boys & Men.
Ahmira Lucas (she/her), Del Lamere (they/them), Jeronimo Ortega (he/el), & Keke Humphrey (she/her)
Organized body positivity event, Every Body Deserves Lovin’ Yoga Class and self-care discussion with Inner Work Instigator, Kennae Miller in April 2022.