Women and Gender Studies Program
You might be wondering...Who Are We?
The field of Women and Gender Studies (WGS) investigates the systems of gender, power, and representation that shape the lives of women and men, girls and boys. As an interdisciplinary field of study, WGS scholarship puts gender - what it means to be masculine or feminine - at the center of analysis. We ask such questions as: How does one's gender influence participation in the family, economy, politics, and the arts? How do language, ideology, and visual representation convey meanings about women's and men's status in society? How has that status changed historically? How does the experience of gender vary according to one's race, class, nationality, religion, and sexual identity? Through our interdisciplinary orientation linking the humanities, arts, social sciences, and education, WGS enables and inspires women and men to work together to promote social justice.
Why Should I Major in WGS?
Deciding to major in Women and Gender Studies is an exceptional choice for those who wish to be on the forefront of a vastly changing and competitive transnational marketplace. As our culture shifts from a manufacturing to a service based economy, and as our workforce becomes more diverse, WGS majors find that they are strategically positioned to be leaders in the new economy. Additionally, WGS is an important complement to all fields and is particularly important in professions concerning people and social institutions, such as journalism, law, social work, teaching, communication, government and governmental relations, and much more. For those interested in pursuing an advanced degree, a WGS major provides excellent preparation and intellectual grounding for a variety of academic disciplines. Finally, the WGS minor complements other minors across the disciplines and provides excellent career preparation for business, criminal justice, social work, psychology and international studies majors.
The OU Pledge
The OU Pledge is Oakland University’s commitment to provide undergraduate students with opportunities for meaningful, hands-on learning. This commitment seeks to enhance students’ academic knowledge with experience-based learning, internships and/or research experiences that empower them to make substantive professional contributions.
Hands-on Courses:
WGS 4930 Field Experience in Women and Gender Studies
WGS 4931 Field Experience in LGBTQ Studies
WGS 4995 – Directed Research in Woman and Gender Studies
The OU Pledge is the university’s commitment to providing undergraduate students with the opportunity for meaningful, hands-on learning. Women and Gender Studies students in OU’s College of Arts and Science engage in experiential learning through their participation in programs, teaching assistantships, research experiences as well as student and professional organizations, including:
- AffordableColleges.com
- Campus Activism.org
- Films for the Feminist Classroom
- A Guide to Feminist Pedagogy
- Michigan Planned Parenthood
- Women’s Studies/Women’s Issues Resource Sites
- Oakland University Gender and Sexuality Center
Links to these topics can be found on the Women and Gender Studies resources page at https://www.oakland.edu/wgs/resources/.
Women and Gender Studies
Women and Gender Studies