Involves a year-long independent research and writing project culminating in a paper of approximately 60-80 pages under the supervision of one reader with expertise in the subject area. Requires permission from the GCS director and advisory board and a proposal approved during the semester before the course is taken.

This course examines the intersecting transformations in the meanings and possibilities of kinship and family life. We will explore crucial interactions between economic and political structures and changing notions of gender, sexuality, caregiving, work patterns, and relationships between family members. Taking an intersectional approach, we will examine families over time and across groups, considering how gender, race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality shape their dynamics.

Offers students a work experience of five to ten hours per week under the direction of a workplace supervisor and a Simmons advisor. Serves as a source of information for inquiry and research. Culminates in a final paper of 20-30 pages that studies and analyzes an aspect of the work experience or site (e.g., an institutional ethnography). Requires a proposal approved during the semester prior to the internship.

Offers an opportunity to conduct field research for five to ten hours per week under the direction of a Simmons advisor. Involves gathering empirical information for a study of approximately 20-30 pages. Requires a proposal approved during the semester prior to the fieldwork and may require approval from the institutional review board for research involving human subjects.