Acquire a deeper understanding of social justice
Spring 2027 Course Guide
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Cohen Innovation Award Winners Named
Maryam Kashani, Associate Professor
Kashani's three-film experimental documentary series will explore Palestine as a global question through interconnected histories of anti-imperialism spanning Japan, Palestine, and the United States. Combining ethnographic research, filmmaking, and transnational political history, the project examines solidarity, citizenship, empire, and liberation while advancing an ambitious interdisciplinary artistic practice.
Damian Vergara Bracamontes, Assistant Professor
Vergara Barcamontes' book project traces how undocumented legal status became a defining social and political condition in post-1960s San Diego, introducing the concept of 'administrative checkpoints' to explain how immigration enforcement permeates everyday life. Drawing on archival research, policy analysis, and oral histories, it foregrounds the experiences of migrant women and transwomen while offering a new framework for understanding administrative violence.
Illinois professor’s book examines contradictions in history of U.S. naturalization processes
A new book looks at naturalization from a different angle, considering how assumptions about race, sexuality and Indigeneity have historically been part of the question of citizenship. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of English and of gender and women’s studies Siobhan Somerville is the author of “Naturalization: A Queer Genealogy of U.S. Citizenship, Race, and Sexuality.”
The book cover artwork was created by Jenny L. Davis, an Illinois professor of American Indian studies and of anthropology. The artwork was created from a copy of the text of the 1906 Burke Act, which placed additional requirements on the granting of U.S. citizenship to American Indians. Woven into the text are pine needles from Chickasaw homelands. Courtesy Siobhan Somerville.
- The Fall 2026 Modern Critical Theory (MCT) Lecture Series at UIUC welcomed Maryam Kashani (Gender & Women’s Studies, UIUC) and her lecture on “Visual Theory” on October 6, 2026. During her presentation, she outlined the basic theoretical framework of the field of visual studies: its importance... Read full story
- Students and faculty involved with student resource centers such as the Ethnic, Gender, and Women’s Studies building and La Casa Cultural Latina reported poor working conditions and inadequate... Read full story
- The Jozef and Huguette Cohen Innovation Awards support visionary research in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences. The awards provide seed funding for innovative projects that advance new directions in scholarship, creative activity, and public engagement while enhancing the... Read full story
Repro Justice Micro-Syllabus
Learn more about reproductive activism through a collection of teaching materials on Reproductive In/Justice from our faculty. These resources will continue to be updated.
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Why Study Gender & Women's Studies?
Follow Juju Gonzalez-Moreno, a student in psychology and Latina/Latino studies, as Juju interviews Emma Velez, a professor of gender & women’s studies at the University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
This video is part of the 940 Feet series, where College of LAS students and professors give a sneak peek of one of the U of I's most beloved spots.
Gender, Race, and Power
Learn how ideas about race and gender have been developed over time and used to both maintain and question systems of power. Addresses institutions such as law, media, education, workplaces, and medicine to examine how power is used to oppress, and how seemingly powerless groups work to create change.
Latinx Feminisms
This class focuses on the complexities of Latinx feminist thought and practice. Students will engage topics including anti-Blackness, colonization, gender-based violence, reproductive justice, artivism, and more.
Feminist & Queer Activisms
From anti-lynching campaigns to Black Lives Matter, Wages for Housework to domestic worker organizing, and ACT UP to queer migration politics, this class examines the histories and principles of feminist, queer, and anti-racist social movements.
Internship Course
The GWS Internship class helps students apply knowledge from their GWS courses to the real world, while also honing skills relevant to their future careers. Students get meaningful hands-on experience by working on a project for a local organization while earning academic credit for the GWS program.
Feminist & Gender Theory
This class addresses key debates in contemporary feminisms and considers different theorizations of gender as they are lived, embodied, and performed. Students will learn the foundational concepts and interventions of feminist theory and develop their ability to apply theoretical arguments to current social and political issues.
Locating Queer Culture
This class teaches students hands-on research methods including oral history and archival research, while also exploring the rich legacy of queer culture and activism at the University of Illinois. Students will build their own original research projects that contribute to the archives of queer history on our campus.