ABOUT THE program

The Gender and Women's Studies Program, distinguished by its interdisciplinary nature, brings together faculty and students who share an interest in studying and producing theory and research about women's experiences. The interdisciplinary approach leads students to a critical perspective and enables them to understand more fully the historical and contemporary relations of power and gender. By employing different methodologies and by considering questions regarding gender within different disciplines, students achieve an understanding of the complexity and the wholeness of human experience. Sex, sexuality, and gender are examined as biological, psychological, historical, and cultural phenomena. Special emphasis is placed upon the nature of gender as a social construction varying with respect to time, place, and context.

Finally, students are exposed to new scholarship on women and are encouraged to engage critically with feminist theories and practices.

A gender and women's studies minor is useful preparation for professional and postgraduate work in a variety of fields. On a personal level, it enhances the human potential of both women and men by questioning and redefi ning societal values and encouraging them to work toward greater equality.