How to Put the Gender in Women′s and Gender Studies

The schools of the ACS have provided excellent coursework in women-centered studies for much more than a decade. And yet as Women′s Studies programs become increasingly open to newer interdisciplinary models in gender and sexuality (many of which owe a debt to traditional feminism and Women′s studies), many of us find ourselves struggling with the many issues raised by the attempt to integrate gender and sexuality as larger epistemological categories of analysis into our programs. In thissession for the Eighth Biennal Women′s and Gender Studies Conference at Rhodes College, we invite papers that give evidence about the need toor difficulties of integrating courses from these new perspectives into Women′s and Genders Studies Programs. How are our programs changed by women-centered studies that explore vectors of social power, such as race, class, or post-colonial nationality? What is the place of masculinity studies in WGS programs? How and why should we engage sexuality studies, including Lesbian, Gay, and Transgendered issues, and Queer Theory? Finally, what kinds of comprehensive planning might help us make the transition from a focus primarily on women to one that explores gender within a range of new theoretical and multi-disciplinary perspectives? Papers can be speculative (making arguments for what needs to be accomplished) or descriptive (demonstrating how courses have or have not been successfully integrated). We invite, as well, papers from students who might document some of the ways they have broadened perspectives on women′s studies through their reseach for WGS courses already in place on their campuses.

Please send abstracts or completed papers by 26 November for early submission or 1 January for regular submission.

Professor Nick Radel
Department of English Furman University
Greenville, SC 29613

or via email to
Nick.Radel@Furman.edu