What Is Women's Studies?

Long answer 1:
In _“What is women’s studies?”_ by Lisa Gotell and Barbara A. Crow, we learn that Women’s studies serves to educate society about the ongoing oppression of women. Hence, altering society’s narrow views and changing individual perspectives; ultimately challenging the status quo. Some of its key features include linking feminist activism and feminist academia, initiating dialogue and open discussion among diverse populations. Also, Women’s studies encourages the spread of feminist publishing in order to increase awareness of feminist activism. The introduction of feminist scholarship presented a “challenge to masculinist and hegemonic scholarship” (Gotell and Crow, 5). Women’s studies gives women a voice. It talks about women from different perspectives and argues the morality of the systems in power. Women’s studies provides students with knowledge and encourages them to seek the truth through a variety of perspectives.
Further, the role of women’s studies is not to simply point out the hindrances of society but rather to encourage critique and merge knowledge, education, and feminist activism. “Women’s studies involves questioning how systems of power based upon race, class, sexuality and ability interact with gender” (Gotell and Crow, 1). Such questioning resulted in open discussion among individuals and various analyses. By creating this merger between feminist activism and education, individuals will become aware of the feminist movement and its purpose in this phallocentric society. Feminist movement will gain popularity and individuals will become more aware of gender relations. By educating individuals they will begin to see the faults in such a society, such as oppression of women, and they will see the need to fix it.
The next step, after educating society, would be encouraging the diversity of perspectives. At this point, women’s studies aim is to see results after “providing students with the critical tools to assess contending...