Consortium for Graduate Studies in Gender, Culture, Women, & Sexuality GCWS

08/27/2026

GCWS Students: Only 3 spots left in Women, Gender, and Sexuality in South Asia!

👉 Apply now: https://ed.gr/ehlko
📅 Deadline: Sept 2 | 📚Classes begin: Sept 9

What happens when a nation imagines itself through the bodies of its women?

In this interdisciplinary course, we explore how gender and sexuality shape South Asia’s encounters with religion, colonialism, and modernity. Drawing on literature, film, scripture, and history, we’ll examine how state and patriarchal power define women and subaltern subjects—and how those subjects resist.

Key Topics:

* Women in religious traditions & goddess worship
* Gender, caste, honor, and chastity
* Hijras and q***r/trans identities
* Nationalism, tradition, and violence

If you're ready to question why women's bodies become the battleground for tradition and modernity, grab one of the final 3 spots.

👉 Apply here: https://ed.gr/ehlko

08/05/2026

Looking for a course that challenges Western-centric views of gender? This fall, explore the rich, complex, and often resisted histories of Hijras, q***r, and trans subjects in South Asia.

This isn't just a history class. We use film, literature, and sociology to examine:
✨ Masculinity and concepts of "honor."
✨ Gender segregation and caste systems.
✨ The impact of state violence and nationalism on marginalized bodies.

Expand your perspective with experts from Boston University and UMass Boston.

🔗

Fall 2026; Wednesdays, 4-7PM Meets at MIT

08/03/2026

Elevate your academic journey this fall with our "Feminist and Q***r Theory" course taught by Dr. Heike Schotten (UMass Boston).

From defining entire fields to analyzing concrete political struggles, this course explores the complexity—and urgency—of feminist, q***r, and trans* thought. Expect rigorous reading, dynamic discussion, and ideas that stay with you long after class ends.

🗓 Mondays, 4-7pm
📍 MIT

Applications are now open! https://www.gcws.mit.edu/new-events/feminist-q***r-theory-fall2026?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

07/29/2026

How do religious commentaries, colonial laws, and modern films shape our understanding of South Asian women?

Join us on Wednesday afternoons at MIT for Women, Gender, and Sexuality in South Asia. This thematic course moves beyond the textbook to analyze the "symbols" of modernity and tradition. We’ll discuss everything from goddess traditions to contemporary resistance movements.

Featured Themes:
- Representations of women in religious texts.
- The impact of the caste system.
- Violence and resistance in contemporary times.

Spaces are limited for this cross-institutional collaboration! Apply NOW: https://www.gcws.mit.edu/new-events/fa26-wgs-south-asia?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

07/27/2026

🌟 Ready to challenge how you think about gender, sexuality, and politics?

Join Feminist and Q***r Theory this fall:
📍 Meets at MIT
🗓 Mondays, 4-7pm
👩‍🏫 Taught by Dr. Heike Schotten (UMass Boston)

Dive into the foundational texts that shaped feminist, q***r, and trans* theory—and wrestle with the big questions that still define these fields today. From abstract theory to real-world political struggles, this course connects ideas to action.

Come ready to read deeply, think critically, and engage boldly.

Apply today:

Fall 2026; Mondays, 4-7PM Meets at MIT

07/22/2026

🌟 NEW FALL COURSE: Women, Gender, and Sexuality in South Asia

Examine the intersection of Religion, Culture, and Colonial Legacies in one of the most dynamic regions of the world.

📅 When: Wednesdays, 4:00–7:00 PM
📍 Where: MIT Campus
👥 Faculty: Drs. Jyoti Puri (BU) & Ayesha Irani (UMB)

Explore the tension between "tradition" and "modernity" through the lenses of patriarchy, caste, and q***r identity. Perfect for students of History, Sociology, Anthropology, and Gender Studies.

👉Apply TODAY: https://www.gcws.mit.edu/new-events/fa26-wgs-south-asia?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

07/20/2026

What does it mean to draw the line between feminist, q***r, and trans* theory—and what happens when those lines blur?

🌟 Feminist and Q***r Theory
📍 MIT | Mondays, 4-7pm
👩‍🏫 Dr. Heike Schotten (UMass Boston)

This course takes you from foundational thinkers to pressing political questions, exploring how these overlapping fields challenge norms, reshape identities, and confront power.

Perfect for anyone curious about theory, politics, and the ideas shaping today’s debates.

Applications open. Apply at: https://www.gcws.mit.edu/new-events/feminist-q***r-theory-fall2026?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

07/15/2026

From ancient religious scriptures to the lingering shadows of British colonialism, the way gender is "imagined" defines how nations are built. Join Drs. Jyoti Puri and Ayesha Irani this fall at MIT as we unpack the complex history of women, gender, and sexuality in South Asia.

We’re diving deep into:
- The Goddess Tradition: Empowerment vs. social reality.
- Colonial Legacies: How reformism reshaped South Asian womanhood.
- Modern Resistance: How subaltern voices are talking back to power.

📅 Wednesdays, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Meets at MIT
🎓 Taught by Dr. Jyoti Puri (BU) & Dr. Ayesha Irani (UMass Boston)

Apply NOW:

Fall 2026; Wednesdays, 4-7PM Meets at MIT

07/13/2026

Looking for a course that pushes you to think deeper?

🌟 Feminist and Q***r Theory
🗓 Mondays, 4-7pm
📍 MIT
👩‍🏫 Dr. Heike Schotten (UMass Boston)

Explore the thinkers and texts that define feminist, q***r, and trans* theory—while examining the real political issues they engage. This is a space to unpack big ideas, question assumptions, and connect theory to lived realities.

Challenging, thought-provoking, and deeply relevant. Join us this fall.

Apply early and receive a decision by May 1, 2026

Fall 2026; Mondays, 4-7PM Meets at MIT