Speakers celebrate U. Women's Studies

Two days of events marked the program's 25th anniversary. On Thursday and Friday, Penn's Women's Studies Program commemorated its 25th anniversary with panels and speeches featuring women and men prominent in the fields of women's studies. The celebration started Thursday with Catherine Stimpson, the dean of New York University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, spoke on "Mary, Martha, or Ally McBeal? Who and Where is Women's Studies?" Referring to the Biblical tale of Martha and Mary -- two sisters, one of whom chose to learn from Jesus while the second chose to work -- Stimpson stated that women have been plagued by the work of daily life, "keeping things going but yearning for thought." She added that women must "stand on their own two feet rather than sit at the feet of their master." Drawing on this tale, Stimpson explained that the history of the women's movement has been divided into three distinct "waves." The first wave took place in the West in the 19th century, when women made a push for access to political and educational institutions. Stimpson identified herself and her peers as "second wavers." This wave fought most passionately for access into educational institutions during the middle of the 20th century in order to "transform -- not incrementally change -- but transform" them. Explaining that not everyone in favor of education for women is a feminist, Stimpson said that "only misogynists believe that women are best barefoot, pregnant and illiterate." In the 1980s, wave "2.5" challenged women with three things, Stimpson said. First, the "queer theory," which threatened to pull people away from women's studies, argued that everyone should look at the world from the point of view of gays, lesbians and bisexuals rather than simply the point of view of women. Next, Stimpson said the idea of "gender studies" and the link between men and women began to supplement women's studies. Lastly, she noted that the field of women's studies has become so broad as to obscure its original focus. Women in their 20s and early 30s and students are part of the third wave, Stimpson said. She said that this wave is still in motion, and "it is not known? where or when it will end." Women in wave three are "aware of diversity and believe in it," recognize that they will be earning a living and do not feel that they have to count on men for economic support. According to Stimpson, Ally McBeal reflects the third-wave women's "desire to have it all." After outlining what she saw as the shifts in the women's studies movement, Stimpson concluded by telling the audience that due to the progress women have made in the past 30 years, "We have won." University President Judith Rodin spoke at a reception following the speech, praising Penn's Women's Studies Program as "one of the first? and one of the best." Also on Friday, 13 current and former directors and staff of the Women's Studies Program met for lunch and a panel discussion in Logan Hall. Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, former director of the Women's Studies Program, said to the audience of over 40 that despite the progress made in the past 30 years, much still needs to be done, such as improving economic support from the University as well as a core curriculum and programs in Women's Studies. Religious Studies Professor Ann Matter, former director of the Women's Studies Program, concluded her speech by encouraging everyone to go out and help because although women's studies has come a long way in 30 years, "there's still a lot to do."