What is Gender Studies?

Gender Studies is an intersisciplinary academic minor program of study that takes as its focus the history, devleopment, and consequences of culturally acquired sexual identities. It is a field of study as complex as the many disciplines it weaves together. At USD, those disciplines include anthropology, business, communication, economics, English, French, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology. Gender Studies addresses such topics as the acquisition of gender identity across cultures; the influence of gender upon spirituality, moral choice, creativity, and language use; the relationship of gender to a wide spectrum of social problems such as poverty and violence; the history of various gender-related issues such as family life, marriage, reproduction, divorce, childrearing, sexual behavior, and sexual orientation.

For more information about the Gender Studies minor, please contact:

Dr. Sandra Sgoutas-Emch, Director
(619) 260-4005