Faculty support gender studies

The Daily Pennsylvanian

As the Women's Studies Program continues to brainstorm ideas for a new undergraduate major, faculty members associated with the program are already expressing support.

The proposed changes would offer undergraduates a new area of study -- Gender, Culture, and Society -- that will allow them to focus in one of four areas: women's studies, gender and health, global gender studies and sexuality studies. The program will still be called Women's Studies.

Although the change would broaden the focus of the undergraduate major beyond women, professors who study women's issues do not believe it would weaken the program.

The focus of the program would grow to include other facets of gender studies but many of the courses currently offered would still be available.

For Political Science professor Anne Norton -- who is affiliated with the Women's Studies Program -- the proposed change is representative of the program's growth.

"I think it's a sign of the intellectual range and maturity of women's studies," Norton said. "Women's studies ended up giving a lot to other fields, and it's part of the process of integrating women's studies."

Norton also noted that the name change could open the field to a new body of students.

"It might make male students feel more welcome, and it might signal a more inclusive atmosphere," Norton said.

Before any changes to the program can take place, the curriculum proposal must be approved by the Curriculum Committee in April.

History professor Stephanie McCurry -- whose courses are also cross-listed with the Women's Studies Program -- said that she hopes the change will attract more students to the major.

"The question of gender and equity has receded [in the public arena], so anything we can do to introduce it to a wider audience is worth a shot," McCurry said.

McCurry cited other institutions such as Northwestern and the University of California at San Diego where she has witnessed similar successful transitions.

Lynn Lees -- a History professor affiliated with the Women's Studies Program -- said that the changes would be relevant due to the recent development of gender studies.

"It seems to me that the changes are appropriate. They are in line with changes in scholarly interest and publications," History and Sociology of Science professor Susan Lindee said.

Lindee -- who is also affiliated with the Women's Studies Program -- said that the changes are consistent with the recent direction of the field.

"There's a lot of interest in the scholarship right now in sexuality and gender studies, and I think that renaming the program and reforming it a little bit might be good; it might revive it," Lindee said.

College senior Kathy Totoki -- a women's studies major -- said that she hopes the name change will eventually increase the number of faculty and classes in the College of Arts and Sciences that are associated with gender and sexuality studies.

"There aren't a lot of people who are studying things in the field of gender and sexuality," Totoki said. "Hopefully over time and because of a major name change more faculty will be hired."

As Women's Studies Program administrators continue their discussions on the future of the major, Lindee predicts that it will receive the full support of the Women's Studies faculty.

"I think five years ago there might have been a debate, but now it's changed. Disciplines evolve, fields expand, new research appears and people's minds change," Lindee said.

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