WHO WE ARE

Established in 1976, the Women's Studies Program at MSU provides an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural focus on the study of women's experiences and contributions to communities, cultures, and nations. The program emphasizes critical thinking in addressing the intersectionality of sex, gender, class, race, sexuality, ethnicity, and culture and their impact on social, political, and creative endeavors. The issues that confront women on a daily basis are fluid; and to that end Women's Studies is a dynamic field of study. Our faculty are active feminist scholars in areas such as American politics, cultural studies, educational theory and pedagogy, European and American history, feminist theology, legal studies, sexuality studies, sociolinguistics, sociology, and transnational literary study. Their research enriches the scope and depth of the course offerings available to our majors and minors.

The specific goals of the Women's Studies Program are

• to impart a knowledge of the history and evolution of feminist theory and practice;
• to provide a nuanced understanding of the diverse feminist debates that occur within and across disciplines;
• to advance an understanding of how gender is inflected by such components of identity as race, class, culture, and sexuality;
• to examine the complex relations between local and transnational feminisms in this era of globalization;
• to explore the material and theoretical connections between personal and political concerns;
• to encourage students to use their knowledge to create a community-based agenda aimed at social change.

In order to achieve these goals the Women's Studies Program offers students core courses in Women's Studies with additional courses offered in conjunction with 19 different departments and programs on campus.

Learn more about us through our  Women's Studies Timeline.

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Montclair, N.J. USA