What_Is_Women's_Studies_

Long answer 1: In _“What is women’s studies'”_ by Lisa Gotell and Barbara A. Crow, we learn that Women’s studies serves to educate society about the ongoing oppression of women. Hence, altering society’s narrow views and changing individual perspectives; ultimately challenging the status quo. Some of its key features include linking feminist activism and feminist academia, initiating dialogue and open discussion among diverse populations. Also, Women’s studies encourages the spread of feminist publishing in order to increase awareness of feminist activism. The introduction of feminist scholarship presented a “challenge to masculinist and hegemonic scholarship” (Gotell and Crow, 5). Women’s studies gives women a voice. It talks about women from different perspectives and argues the morality of the systems in power. Women’s studies provides students with knowledge and encourages them to seek the truth through a variety of perspectives. Further, the role of women’s studies is not to simply point out the hindrances of society but rather to encourage critique and merge knowledge, education, and feminist activism. “Women’s studies involves questioning how systems of power based upon race, class, sexuality and ability interact with gender” (Gotell and Crow, 1). Such questioning resulted in open discussion among individuals and various analyses. By creating this merger between feminist activism and education, individuals will become aware of the feminist movement and its purpose in this phallocentric society. Feminist movement will gain popularity and individuals will become more aware of gender relations. By educating individuals they will begin to see the faults in such a society, such as oppression of women, and they will see the need to fix it. The next step, after educating society, would be encouraging the diversity of perspectives. At this point, women’s studies aim is to see results after “providing students with the critical tools to assess contending perspectives” (Gotell and Crow, 3). Some examples of analytical tools as Gotell and Crow suggest are “feminism, sex, gender, race, sexuality, and class” (5), with that in mind, some of these results come from debates and ideas that are presented from various perspectives. Society is given the opportunity to view specific subjects from various view points. It will be offered fresh dialogue between educated individuals on “current feminist theory and some of the central issues at stake in the differing approaches to feminist activism” (Gotell and Crow, 3). This will open more doors for critique and critical analysis of different perspectives and as a result, prepare society to accept criticism and questioning in order to further improve; consequently creating a more open-minded society that will accept feminist activity to end oppression of women. Additionally, Women’s studies encouraged a great deal of feminist activism publications and as a result increased the public’s awareness of the active as well as research side to feminism. With time, feminist organizations have emerged and support for the feminist cause became popularized. “National extra-academic associations…have played a crucial role in raising difficult issues that impact on women’s lives….And these associations have provided forums for active collaborations between feminist academics and activists” (Gotell and Crow, 5). Also, Women’s studies created a voice to the silenced and by this, encouraged women to speak up against their oppression by the government. Furthermore, Women’s studies survived the restrictions enforced by the government and even population. It strived to present the world with its varying women scholarships and as a result brought up debates and several outlooks on common issues raised by feminist activism. Such viewpoints gave rise to an understanding of the divergent views that feminist scholars used to understand the system of government and power roles. “Feminism takes on the monumental challenge of interrogating the relationship between systems of domination, exploring and making concrete their interconnections and highlighting the necessity of diverse forms of social, cultural, and political change” (Gotell and Crow, 9). Individuals begin to understand power’s gendered violence. With a greater understanding of the male dominated political structure came greater criticism. As a result, society begins to question “how systems of power based upon race, class, sexuality and ability interact with gender” (Gotell and Crow, 1). By building this understanding and encouraging diversity of perspectives we alter the societal norm and break the barrier between political and personal; ultimately resulting in a society with greater equality between the sexes. With knowledge came critique and hopefully the urge to improve. Women’s studies questioned the legitimacy of power figures and critiqued the phallocentric society. Additionally, it provided analytical tools with debates and various social perspectives, the feminist movement and gave it popularity. “Feminist publishing has had a crucial role in the rapid acceleration of feminist knowledge”. (Gabriel and Scott, 4) Further, women’s studies created a voice for the silenced. Hand in hand, Women’s studies and the feminist movement persisted for a similar cause to end the oppression of women. Despite the hardships and restrictions, Women’s studies carried on through education of society and continued to show the world the limitations of society in hope of individuals calling for a change.