Gillis, Jacobs, Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies, 2e

Teaching an introductory course in gender and women's studies today presents a number of challenges. Students come to class with preconceived notions about feminism, and many believe the course is only about issues related to women, with little understanding of the importance of an intersectional perspective. Some students are resistant to the material, with little exposure to identities different from their own. In addition, some students do not immediately grasp that GWS is a serious field of interdisciplinary inquiry with a history and a set of theories and practices. Gillis and Jacobs' Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies directly addresses these challenges by focusing not just on women and gender, but also on men/masculinities, race, class and sexuality. They take an explicitly interdisciplinary approach to help students gain a deep and historical understanding of the field, and they employ a conversational writing style and use every day, relatable examples to introduce students to material that may initially make them uncomfortable.