Women's Studies
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Outcome Statements for Women's Studies Majors
Competencies
List
Mission Statement
The discipline of women’s studies has a vision of a world free from sexism. By necessity, freedom from sexism must include a commitment to freedom from chauvinism; class, ethnic, racial, and heterosexual bias; economic exploitation, religious persecution, nationalism, ageism, and ableism. Women’s studies seeks to identify, understand, and challenge ideologies and institutions that knowingly or unknowingly oppress and exploit some for the advantage of others, or deny fundamental human rights. Thus, women’s studies envisions a world in which all persons can develop to their fullest potential.
Women’s studies uses feminist and interdisciplinary methods to
teach, conduct research, and expand existing bodies of knowledge. Critical
thinking, the production of theory, and the assumption of community and
global responsibility are integral to these methods. We are committed
to deliberative processes that promote open expression and collaboration.
Understanding the interrelationship between the personal and the political,
we support and promote feminist teaching and learning, research, scholarship,
creative activity, and professional and community service.
Learning Outcomes:
Graduating Women’s Studies majors will:
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Understand Women’s Studies as an academic field of study, be familiar with its major concepts, history, assumptions, and theories/theorists, and recognize its epistemological and methodological diversity, and character.
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Recognize the intersections between gender and other social and cultural identities, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, class, and sexuality.
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Analyze the ways in which societal institutions and power structures impact the material realities of women’s lives.
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Demonstrate adequate skills in listening, speaking and writing effectively, performing critical thinking and analysis, incorporating feminist theoretical perspectives in problem solving, and research methodologies
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Evaluate and interpret information from a variety of sources, including print and electronic media, film, video, and other information technologies.
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Articulate connections between global, regional, and local issues, and their relationship to women’s experiences and to human rights, with an awareness of the importance of context.
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Engage in promoting social justice and human rights.
We want to point out that Women’s Studies faces unique challenges as an academic discipline and producer of knowledge, since we are committed to identifying, critiquing, and changing discriminatory practices and attitudes (which are especially intense in changes attached to globalization), but concurrently must also prepare our students to function effectively in a world riddled with inequality.
