If you’re anything like me and go to a very large college or university, you can relate to being amazed at all the majors, minors, and studies that are offered. When I decided to commit to Michigan State University, I was very eager to take classes on topics that have always interested me. Similarly, when I found out that MSU offered a Women’s and Gender Studies major and minor, I had to jump on the opportunity to add it to my undergraduate studies.
Growing up, I’ve always noticed the way my gender has impacted my life, but when I would voice my opinions on a matter that I found serious in many ways, I would be met with belittlement, ridicule, and overall dismissal. It was a strange feeling for me to grow up as a young girl, into a teenager, then to a young woman, and not be taken seriously on just how pervasive my gender was in my experiences, and the experiences of girls and women overall.
With that being said, I felt a great sense of relief when I came across Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) at MSU. I immediately knew that I wanted to take courses in the topic to help me articulate my thoughts, as well as continue to learn more expansively on how girlhood, womanhood, and gender shapes the lives of everyone.
Yes, I did say everyone. Now, it’s incredibly clear why WGS can be greatly impactful for young women to learn more about how different aspects of society influence their everyday lives – ranging from mundane day to day things such as appearance upkeep, to more serious issues such as violence against women and reproductive rights. However, WGS, importantly, is not just women’s studies – it takes a careful approach in pointing out that gender in and of itself is fully societal and pervasive for everyone. Really, there are few (if any) cases where gender is not prevalent, whether it be in men, women, or gender-nonconforming people.
Because of its inspection of gender as a societal invention, WGS does more than only address women’s experiences and issues, though that aspect is highly influential and incredibly important. Instead, WGS begins to deconstruct what gender really is, and how it influences people. Why do we really imagine men with specific characteristics and attributes, and women with others? Why do perceptions of men and women differ throughout history, and in different cultures and communities? What are the negative impacts of these gendered practices, on both women and men (yes, men are not exempt from how gender negatively influences them)?
Furthermore, WGS has shown me just how greatly people’s experiences with gender differ based on other identities a person holds, such as race, class, sexuality, religion, and more. This intersectionality and inclusivity cannot be more important, especially when it comes to considering gendered inequalities. It isn’t enough to believe that there is one solution or series of steps to take for gender equality, as different groups are faced with different struggles. By recognizing and putting emphasis on this, WGS helps others understand the diverse, lived experiences of people based on their identities and extenuating circumstances, further extending empathy and understanding of societal structures and power dynamics.
Finally, WGS, similar to many other fields of study, is incredible at helping students develop critical and analytical thinking skills in order to understand and deconstruct stereotypes, challenge biases, and advocate for social justice and equality. While many people may understand gender roles on the surface level, WGS courses help students really come to understand how gender roles and gendered divisions in society are created, how they’re upheld, and how they prioritize some and denigrate others. By developing knowledge of these structures and systems, people can then use their skills to find the institutional inequalities and problems, and only then can they be approached with care.
All in all, I strongly believe that Women’s and Gender Studies is an incredibly important discipline for all people. Regardless of your personal identity, the societal creation of gender and how it operates within our world today is completely unavoidable, and is mostly unfair for many groups of people. If it’s a topic that interests you (even in the slightest!) I highly recommend taking a WGS class or two, or learning more on your own time from credible sources. I believe that there are no real shortcomings for learning more about how gender influences and impacts you and the people in your world, and WGS is an incredibly diverse and eye-opening field of study that has very large ramifications and importance in our world today.