Women's studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. It often includes feminist theory, women's history (eg history of women's suffrage) and social history, women's fiction, women's health, and the feminist and gender studies-influenced practice of most of the humanities and social sciences. Interdisciplinary work is that which integrates concepts across different disciplines. ... Contents | Overviews | Academia | Topics | Basic topics | Tables | Glossaries | Portals | Categories // This is a list of academic disciplines. ... Image of a woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ... Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Politics is the process by which individuals or relatively small groups attempt to exert influence over the actions of an organization. ... Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, or philosophical, ground. ... Womens history is a term that refers to information about the past in regard to the female human being. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Å…Social history is an area of historical study considered by some to be a social science that attempts to view historical evidence from the point of view of developing social trends. ... Womens fiction is a wide-ranging genre that includes various types of novels one expects would appeal more to women than men. ... Womens health generally refers to health issues and matters specific to human female anatomy. ... Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ... Gender studies is a theoretical work in the social sciences or humanities that focuses on issues of sex and gender in language and society, and often addresses related issues including racial and ethnic oppression, postcolonial societies, and globalization. ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... The social sciences are groups of academic disciplines that study the human aspects of the world. ...

History

Women's studies was first conceived as an academic rubric apart from other departments in the late 1960s, as the second wave of feminism gained political influence in the academy through student and faculty activism. As an academic discipline, it was modeled on the American studies and ethnic studies (such as Afro-American studies) and Chicano Studies programs that had arisen shortly before it. The first Women's Studies Program in the United States was established on May 21, 1970 at San Diego State College after a year of intense organizing of women's consciousness raising groups, rallies, petition circulating, and operating unofficial or experimental classes and presentations before seven committees and assemblies.^[1] Carol Rowell Council was the student co-founder along with Dr. Joyce Nower, a literature instructor. A second program followed within weeks at Richmond College of the City University of New York (now the College of Staten Island). In the 1970s many universities and colleges created departments and programs in women's studies, and professorships became available in the field which did not require the sponsorship of other departments. Second-wave feminism refers to a period of feminist activity which began during the mid- 1960s. ... Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women. ... Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. ... American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. ... African American studies, or Black studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to the study of the history, culture, and politics of African Americans. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... San Diego State University athletics http://www. ... Consciousness raising is a form of political action. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... The City University of New York (CUNY; acronym: IPA pronunciation: ), is the public university system of New York City. ... The College of Staten Island is one of the hybrid colleges of the City University of New York. ...

Current courses in women's studies

Women's studies courses are available at many universities and colleges around the world. In 2006, the Artemis Guide to Women's Studies^[2] provides a listing of 395 programs in the United States, but may be out of date. Courses in the United Kingdom can be found through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service^[3]. This page is about the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. ...

Criticisms of women's studies as a discipline

Karen Lerhman shows other authors' criticisms of women's studies in 'The Lipstick Proviso. She references Patai's and Koertge's quote that the feminism espoused in the vast majority of women's studies departments "bids to be a totalizing scheme resting on a grand theory, one that is as all-inclusive as Marxism, as assured of it's ability to unmask hidden meanings as Freudian psychology, and as fervent in its condemnation of apostates as evangelical fundamentalism..." Lerhman goes on to say that feminist writers "by squelching all internal dissent" have "allowed hyperbolic rhetoric, false statistics, politicized scholarship, reverse sexism, and general silliness free reign". Daphne Patai (born 1943) is a feminist thinker and professor whose PhD is in Brazilian literature but whose early work focused also on utopian and dystopian fiction. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

• Orthodoxy and ideological policing
• Ostracization and/or termination of female dissidents
• Exclusion of male authors from course syllabi and scholarly papers
• Politicized scholarship and "thinly disguised indoctrination"
• Faculty appointments based on political rather than professional qualifications
• Questionable methodologies, statistics, and conclusions
• Advocacy disguised as research
• "Womb-like" classroom atmospheres where expressing unpopular opinions or asking unpopular questions is suppressed and where critical thinking is discouraged
• "Unremitting emphasis on women as oppressed victims"

Further reading

• The Death of Feminism: What's Next in the Struggle for Women's Freedom, Phyllis Chesler, 2006, ISBN 1-4039-6898-5
• Professing Feminism: Cautionary Tales from the Strange World of Women's Studies; Daphne Patai and Noretta Koertge, 1995, ISBN 0465098274
• Sommers, Christina Hoff. "Who Stole Feminism? - How women have betrayed women" (1996) (ISBN 0-684-80156-6)
• The Lipstick Proviso: Women, Sex & Power in the Real World; Karen Lehrman, 1997, ISBN 0385474814
• Spreading Misandry: The Teaching of Contempt for Men in Popular Culture; Paul Nathanson and Katherine K. Young, McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, 2001; ISBN 0-7735-2272-7
• Legalizing Misandry: From Public Shame to Systemic Discrimination against Men; Paul Nathanson and Katherine K. Young, McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, 2006; ISBN 0-7735-2862-8
• Florence Howe (ed), Mari Jo Buhle (introduction), The Politics of Women's Studies: Testimony from Thirty Founding Mothers, Paperback edition, New York: Feminist Press 2001
• Gabriele Griffin and Rosi Braidotti (eds.), Thinking differently : a reader in European women's studies, London etc. : Zed Books, 2002
• Ellen Messer-Davidow: Disciplining feminism : from social activism to academic discourse, Durham, NC etc. : Duke University Press, 2002

See also

• Florence Howe
• First-wave feminism
• Feminist studies
• Feminism
• Men's studies
• Misandry
• Radical feminism
• Psychoanalytic feminism
• Second-wave feminism
• Third-wave feminism

Florence Howe, American author, publisher, literary scholar and historian, was a nationally recognised leader of the contemporary feminist movement. ... First-wave feminism was the feminist movement in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, which primarily focused on gaining the right of womens suffrage. ... Feminist Studies refers to: Feminist Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program investigating the significance of gender in all areas of human life. ... Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women. ... Mens studies - also sometimes called masculinity studies - is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning men, gender, and politics. ... Misandry (IPA ) is the hatred of men. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Psychoanalytic feminism is based on Freud and his psychoanalytic theories. ... Second-wave feminism refers to a period of feminist activity which began during the mid- 1960s. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ...

References

1. ^ SDSU Women's Studies Department
2. ^ Artemis Guide to Women's Studies in the U.S.
3. ^ Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, United Kingdom

External links

• WSSLinks: women's studies web links from the American Library Association
• Women's Studies web resources
• Feminist Theory and Criticism 1. 1963-1972
• Center for Women's Studies of Tehran University, Iran
• The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
• What You Can Do With a Women's Studies Major.
• The Women's Studies Department at Wikiversity
• Karen Lerhman, Off Course, Mother Jones, September 1993