WGS 101 (Continued from page 1) charged program, one that is more connected to a “conscious-raising” movement than an academic field. This class [WGS 101: Window on Women’s and Gender Studies] initially sparked my attention after I registered for classes in the spring. Having a full-time job, I was not able to take classes that required me to be in the classroom for hours each week, as I was needed in regular meetings and appearances. This course seemed perfect. It was a way for me to use the foundation I acquired from the classroom— strengthening my knowledge of social justice, activism, and the theoretical framework on which women’s and gender studies are based. Attending events on campus was intended to expand and strengthen my understanding of women’s issues and society at large through the feminist lens of the various events. Oh, did it ever accomplish this indeed. I tried my best to attend events that addressed a wide array of topics and issues. Some of these topics included work, motherhood, marriage, science, separation of church and state, power, ethnicity, and social class struggles. It is imperative that this class maintain this arrangement of events that cover a wide range of topics so that women’s and gender studies concepts can be seen from these different perspectives. I think perhaps one of the most important things I recognized during this course was how essential it is for feminist thinkers and activists to not only care about women’s issues, but to care how we as feminists or pro-feminists can help other marginalized and oppressed groups. We, of course, have many hurdles in our path. However, it is time for us not only to worry about our own well-being but also issues like colonialism, violence, homophobia, and racism. These issues, extremely politically charged, are not always talked about in the classroom. It sometimes takes events like Leonard Pitts’ speech at Convocation, Professor Shannon Gilreath’s talk on sexuality and the law, and Dr. Alton Pollard’s lecture on spirituality and women’s issues for us all to compare and understand the need for increased empathy and support. This course has also taught me a great deal about the importance of putting theory into practice. It’s much easier to shape reality with your knowledge if you’re able to talk about concepts and conditions that can be easily addressed now. Such topics that were explored through the recent organized events included abortion and unwanted pregnancies, “glass ceilings” and wage discrimination, feminization of poverty, and alignment with other important movements. It’s one thing to consistently keep feminist issues in your daily discourse and “tool kit.” It’s quite another to observe and promote change on one’s campus and in one’s community. As my peers debate with me about the questionable existence of a Third Wave in feminism, I craft my own response to their skepticism. I propose it does exist, just in a very different approach and form. Feminists today are making feminism a very individualistic movement. Their politics and their activism are not as collective in nature, but call me an optimist, I think the desire for change is still there. A course like WGS 101 allows young feminists or perspective feminists the ability to individually select the issues and events they are most interested in learning about. After attending, they can use that lecture or performance as a part of their “tool kit” for understanding feminism and dismantling all forms of patriarchy and oppression. The events I attended challenged me to think in a new way and increased my awareness of the world around me. They had an emotional and intellectual effect on the way I “do” feminism and increased my self-esteem as a person
who uses the “f-word” to describe herself. I am grateful for the opportunity to take this independent study course and even more grateful for the impact that it had on me and other students. WGS 101: Window on Women’s and Gender Studies is a new course (1 hour) that was first offered in the fall of 2006. It gives students an opportunity to experience and reflect analytically in writing on the diverse cultural and intellectual life of Wake Forest, with an emphasis on WGS events and topics.
Dr. Jean E. Taylor
Professor Emerita at Rutgers University and a Visitor at the Courant Institute, NYU lectured at WFU on “Women and Mathematics” September 13, 2006
“I am 61 now, and I think those womyn of my generation who have been fortunate enough to have been an adult through the 1970’s and were able to take an active part in the Women’s Liberation Movement, have not only had our lives enriched immeasurably but the feminist revolution undoubtedly saved us.”
While in graduate school at Princeton, Jean Taylor solved a one hundred year-old open problem using the new tool of geometric measure theory. She has continued to make important contributions and earn honors throughout her academic career.
Digital Art by Betsy Rives (’07)
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