Letters to the Editor
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Where's Women's Studies? Right Here!
"British and American societies are no longer patriarchal and oppressive 'male hegemonies'" while claiming in the next paragraph that perhaps, on the other hand, the real problem is that "young women have shied away from studying feminist theory because they would rather opt for degrees that more obviously lead to jobs."
I have to say that I completely disagree with the first part of the quote... I wish that gender equality was a non-issue, but the word "feminist," much like the word "liberal," has been so maligned by the opposition that no one knows what these words actually mean.
But I think the second part of the quote sounds fairly accurate... and I say that's a good a thing! I'm glad that the days of college as merely a hunting ground for husbands are gone and that women are able to pursue majors that correspond with their career choices.
I enjoyed a few of the Women's Studies courses I took, which were great settings for intellectual discourse and presented varying theories. But unless I planned on pursuing my career in academia (and women's studies in particular) there was simply no reason for me to major in it.
There's still plenty of discussion to be had on the topic of gender equality and I don't think its going the way of the dodo bird. Just look at Broadsheet! As infuriated as I get with a majority of the posts -- particularly the ones fervently alleging that society is "anti-male" -- I'm glad that this topic still has the ability to stir such passions. If it didn't, we'd know that feminism (and women's studies, too) was truly dead.