So in the past week (less than actually - 4 days), i've had a number of different conversations with various students who've articulated some version of the following about different crosslisted courses they've taken: 'well it was a good course and all, but it's not a Women's Studies course' or 'it was a good X discipline course about women, but it wasn't a Women's Studies course' or 'i know it's a course about gender and sexuality and all, but it's not a Women's Studies course.' (Of course, i also hear the opposite p.o.v. too -- that 'such and such a course is a great WS course' :)). And i'm fascinated by this - especially since so many have also said at various times that it's hard to explain to people what Women's Studies is... So I'm interested... and wondering if we can have a discussion about this here in posts and comments? (or over beer at the Wave... both good :))
What makes something for you all 'a Women's Studies course?' What does it do that fills some criteria for you all?
Random half-formed thoughts as welcome as well-conceptualized and brilliant responses :)
Ann
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6 comments:
I think that in order for a course to be a Women's Studies course it has to make me stop and think, "wow, I've never thought of it like that before". Women's Studies courses involve in depth conversations about social tensions and things that no one really likes to bring up. Women's Studies courses get me to think about how I know about and define things within our culture and others.
http://www.upei.ca/womenstu/
cool... thanks for posting to this Kerrilynn!
I completely agree with Kerrilynn - especially about bringing up social tensions and examining social constructions and boundaries. I think anytime a course challenges taken-for-granted-assumptions, or examines social constructionism and resulting effects on society, it could be a women's studies course. I particularly like when people who have never experienced some of the issues we deal with in WS classes have "aha!" moments, and I love when I gain new perspectives on things I had always taken for granted as "natural" or "normal". Basically, courses that challenge what it is to be "normal" or "natural", examine stereotypes, cross boundaries, and look at areas of life that sometimes make people uneasy - some combination of the above - makes a WS course!
Hey guys,
I'm going to rant for a second. Sorry!
I think that we need to define Women's studies in more clear and concise way than just simply saying that any class that makes students think about social tensions is a Womens studies course. I thought about social tensions in my drugs and behavior class, but it was not a Women's studies class.
I think that the definition should include the idea of gender as being a social construct. I took a history class on 18th Women in Canada and we didn't touch on the notion of social constructs at all...we also spent the majority of our time studying the history of white, middle class women. I felt that I was taking a well instructed albeit biased history class. Not a Women's studies course.
Thoughts?
I think it's cool you thought about social tensions in your drugs&behaviour class, but I see your point that just because you thought about it, doesnt make it a ws class - i agree! I think what makes a women's studies class is a course where the prof/students bring up various issues of social constructionism, social tensions, heteronormativity, etc. in class/part of the course syllabus. I've heard the same thing as you said about your history class said about many cross-listed classes in the past while, and I agree that many profs focus on stereotypical "norms" of middle-class, heterosexual, white women. Unfortunately, the majority of the research done involving women's experience is still conducted with this particular category of women, which is then translated into textbooks, which then translates into the classroom more often than not. Unless a prof is specifically geared towards unpacking and examining social construction, the majority of cross-listed ws classes are probably going to remain the way they are - focused on singular models of the "normal" woman, as defined by western society. How do we change this? Not really sure...ideas?
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