College of Arts & Sciences | Women's studies title change follows trends: Gender added to name for role equality

By: Candace Tracy

Posted: 2/4/08

Women have come a long way since the struggles of women's suffrage in the 1900s -and further still since the start of liberal feminism in the 1970s. They've established themselves as prominent leaders in society: scholars, doctors, CEOs and even presidential candidates. As the right to equality in many fields is gained, the focus on women's history in college programs is in question.

Many academics are saying today's world requires that the concentration of study shift to a broader, more abstract framework: gender relations between women and men, according to an article published by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Syracuse University's Department of Women's Studies is currently in the process of changing its title, from "Women's Studies" to "Women's & Gender Studies," reflecting the growing national trend. The change will be in effect by next semester, said Linda Alcoff, professor and director of the program.

"The change is just to be more accurate in what we do," she said. "Our courses already focus on both gender and women."

Robin Riley, professor of women's studies at SU, said women's studies and gender studies can exist harmoniously. She views the coexistence as positive, dispelling notions one will take precedence over the other.

"I do think it's a good thing, it opens things up," Riley said. "It widens the focus. It's not just about women's concerns and issues."

Janet Dodd, instructor and assistant director of women's studies at SU, agrees.

"This isn't a step back; we're not erasing the presence of women." Dodd said. "But, because of the complexity of identities, it's not enough to just stay in women's lives."

The name change is in no way indicative of a departure from the core tenets of the women's studies program, which according to the department's Web site, are "to help students gain knowledge about the complex ways that gender ideas and practices shape the world around them."

The name is changing to include gender studies rather than replace women's studies, Riley said.

Alice Kessler-Harris, professor of history at Columbia University and author of the Chronicle article, indicated the issue of gender came into the forefront during the early 1990s as a means of explaining how "the organization of relationships between men and women established priorities and motivated social and political action."

Using gender as an "explanatory agent" provides a foundation for understanding other structural belief systems like class, race, religion and ethnicity that aren't intrinsically linked to just one sex.

Women's studies programs are sometimes accused of not being subjective enough - for being too preoccupied with promoting a "feminist purpose." Transitioning to a program that broadly focuses on gender might quiet critics and allow for a more objective, "distanced stance," according to the article.

But Kessler-Harris said viewing the world strictly through a lens of gender may obscure and undermine the way women, especially traditionally underrepresented groups like immigrants and women of color, have previously "engaged their worlds" throughout history.

Dodd stressed the continued importance of challenging the social status quo of patriarchy.

"The problems in women's lives are still a product of male dominance," she said. "We need to focus and make that clear."

Though the name of the department is changing, no alterations to the majors, instructors or courses are in place for now.

"There still needs to be a focus on women, because there is not enough inquiry about the life of women," Alcoff said.

Both Riley and Dodd said one benefit to renaming the program would be its appeal to a broader group of students.

Auyon Ghosh, a sophomore pre-med major, said he likes the idea of the name change and might consider taking a course in the department.

"Even though it seems like a surface change, I think it would make a difference," Ghosh said.

Dodd added that a varied group of "knowers," not just limited to liberal feminist women, would yield more effective strategies of social change.

"People will be able to see women in a fuller way," Riley said. "And this allows more people to think that it's about them."