Women's and Gender Studies
Request InformationCAREER IDEAS
Advocate, Community Organizer, Lawyer, Politician
Why do women represent half of the population but make up a minority of the people in Congress? What is the history of women's activism for social justice? What is gender and how do gendered expectations and institutions shape all of our experiences? In addition to these questions, this interdisciplinary program will help you explore how race, class, gender, ability, and nationality interact and intersect. We will provide you the chance to work alongside faculty who represent a cross-section of everything Manhattanville offers: Women’s and Gender Studies draws on anthropology, art history, communication studies, English, film studies, history, political science, sociology, world literatures and languages, and world religions. Your career choices are diverse. Students in Women’s and Gender Studies have career options in law, the arts, politics, development, community organizing, social work, medicine, media, academia, and advocacy for victims of gender-based violence, among countless other fields.
Women’s Studies began as the academic outgrowth of women’s and feminist activism in the late 1960s and 1970s; it was established at Manhattanville in 1981. Over the years, it has evolved into a sweeping, multidisciplinary program that draws from a wide range of other programs: It builds knowledge in the context of existing disciplines in the arts and sciences, not separate from it.
And that’s important. Because you’re not just learning about “women’s issues” – you’re learning why society is shaped like it is. You'll investigate how stereotypes and culture affect the way different groups are treated, both in the United States and internationally. And through the program you will build the empathy and compassion to work toward a more just society.
Requirements
To receive a minor in Women's and Gender Studies students need to complete a total of five courses (15 credits), including Women in Society (WGS 1040).
Faculty Emeriti
Nancy Harris
Please contact any of the above faculty or the Division Chair for more information. Division Chair: Amy Bass, Amy.Bass@mville.edu, (914) 323-5127