Author Archive | thomaspr

Abolition Feminism(s)

By thomaspr on November 10, 2022 in WGS Curriculum

WGS is offering another great option for a special topics course in the spring: Abolition Feminism(s)!

As feminists around the world call for an end to police violence and gendered criminalization, their resistance could be understood as the formation of what W.E.B. Du Bois called abolition democracy. Through the lens of intersectional feminism, and the pedagogy of facilitated dialogue, this course will allow us to liberate ourselves from carceral ways of being and to imagine a world without prisons. We will witness the deeply intertwined Indigenous feminist demands for land sovereignty and an end to climate catastrophe, alongside the radical re-imagining of public safety and an end to the prison industrial complex. We will analyze movements to abolish slavery, lynching, Jim Crow segregation, mass incarceration, police brutality, abortion bans and other mechanisms of violence, containment, and forced assimilation. And we will uplift the work of survivors and organizers who are dismantling hetero-patriarchal domination, racial capitalism, and settler colonialism to build new arrangements for care and healing.

WGST 321.02
CRN 23238
Thursdays, 4-6:45PM (online synchronous)
Prof. Kristi “Kaj” Brian (She/They)

Cristina Dominguez Featured on The College Today!

By thomaspr on October 31, 2022 in Announcements, WGS Faculty & Affiliated Faculty

New WGS faculty member, Cristina Dominguez (they/them) is featured on The College Today, CofC’s information platform for campus news. Read more at The College Today – here – or the full Q&A below!

Cristina Maria Dominguez Assistant Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies

Background: While I was born and spent the first 15 years of my life in New Jersey, I came of age, came out, into consciousness and community, in North Carolina. I have my M.A. in women’s and gender studies from San Diego State University and just completed my Ph.D. in educational studies with a concentration in cultural foundations from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Over the past decade, I have engaged in intersectional, critical, queer social justice education and action work through teaching undergraduate women’s and gender studies and education courses, and engaging in campus and community education and grassroots social justice organizing work.

Expertise: My areas of expertise and research interests include qualitative, auto-ethnographic, CAP ethnographic and post-qualitative research with a focus on liberatory pedagogies, critical community building and everyday, relational social justice work specifically within queer love, friendship, kinship/chosen family relationships.

Outside Interests: I enjoy spending time with my partner, our little one and our pups, especially outside when the weather is nice. I love to talk and connect with my chosen family, friends and given family however I can. I’m a fan of watching and critiquing TV/movies and talking pop culture and politics with loved ones who share my critical/queer analysis. I love to read creative nonfiction, poetry and fiction alongside articles, studies and research texts. I also love dancing and listening to music.

Looking Forward: The most exciting thing about the courses that I’ll teach at CofC is that, in both content and practice, they will be grounded in liberatory, intersectional, feminist, queer education that centers on the embodied, creative and relational. I’m excited to take up teaching and learning in ways that moves us toward interconnectedness and fosters collaboration with each other as well as the communities we are a part of.

Latin American Feminists & Human Rights

By thomaspr on October 26, 2022 in WGS Curriculum

Interested in Latin American feminist and human rights movements? Of course you are! Learn more about this topic by registering for WGS’ special topics course in the spring.

International human rights are designed based on the ideology that all people deserve basic rights because of their shared humanity. However, Latin American feminists commonly argue that the international human rights processes are rife with inequalities at the local, transnational, and global levels, are not effectively enforced, are resources for Western imperialism, and are Western and male centric. This class problematizes human rights failures. In particular, the class explores how human rights treaties and operations (in their present form) cannot adequately address the complexity of lived experiences, diversity, and intersectionality. This course documents how feminists throughout Latin America have mobilized against colonialism, poverty, gender discrimination, and other inequalities by engaging in domestic as well as transnational activism around international human rights. Latin American feminists have unrelentingly promoted equality and are transforming how human rights are understood throughout Latin America and the world.

Spring 2023 WGS Course List

By thomaspr on October 24, 2022 in Announcements, WGS Curriculum

WGS Spring 2023 Course Brochure

Need an advising appointment? Reach out to Dr. De Welde (deweldek@cofc.edu) or Dr. Ravalico (ravalicold@cofc.edu).

Pumpkins & Pronouns

By thomaspr on October 5, 2022 in Uncategorized

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.cofc.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

By thomaspr on October 4, 2022 in Announcements, Yes! I’m a Feminist

“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

By thomaspr on September 26, 2022 in Announcements

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

By thomaspr on September 1, 2022 in

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?

By thomaspr on August 30, 2022 in WGS Curriculum

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

By thomaspr on August 17, 2022 in Events

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

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