This past summer, I was super antsy and started doing my favorite activity: moving courses around on my MSU schedule builder. Since I am a senior this year, I wanted to take courses that were meaningful to me because this is my last chance to do so. I am currently taking Psychology of Women and Introduction to Women Studies and both of these courses are some of my favorites at MSU so far. Here are some reasons why anyone can benefit from taking a women’s studies course.
- It’s NOT just for women
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This may seem like a contradicting statement, but women’s studies is not necessarily only for women. In these classes we analyze intersectionality, social constructs from birth, sexuality, and more. This class allows you to be more open with yourself and others on why feminism is needed.
- Social Constructs
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Before I took either of these classes, I never noticed the implicit biases I have and the sex/gender biases in language usage. Terms like “cleaning lady”, or “lunch lady” have been embedded into our vocabulary since we were in elementary school, while termslike congressman, policeman, etc. have been associated with power. Even in the media, there is a clear distinction between the way female athletes are talked about versus male athletes. When Serena Williams lost a match, many articles were titled calling her a “sore loser”, but when Novak Djokovic was suspended for hitting a lineman’s throat, many people said it was “unfair treatment and he didn’t mean it”. There is also a huge gender pay gap among what female professional athletes make versus what male professional athletes make.
- Know which rights women are still fighting for
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In this current political climate, and with a new Supreme Court nominee, it’s hard to differentiate between the progress that has been made, progress that will be overturned, and progress that still needs to be done. The United States is one of the few countries that doesn’t have paid maternity or paternity leave. Women are paid 80% to what a man in an equal position is paid, and with the pandemic, experts believe that the gender pay gap will rise because many women are being forced to leave the workplace to take care of family.
- Intersectionality
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One of the most important things I have learned from both these courses is how intersectionality affects individuals. In one of my discussion posts, the prompt was “what are the ingredients that make up who you are?”. These ingredients can consist of race,
ethnicity, gender, disability status, socioeconomic status, family structure, education level, hobbies, faith, personal experiences and more. A great way to sum up intersectionality is that even though we all share ingredients, it doesn’t necessarily mean we share the same experiences. Intersectionality calls attention to how many aspects of our life that are out of our control can affect our lives. It’s important to understand how we all carry different struggles and “ingredients” even as women.
- A real understanding of all the strong women before you
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Lastly, these courses have given me a greater understanding and appreciation for the strong women who have carved the path for young women like me. This class also makes me appreciate all the strong women I am surrounded by in my everyday life like professors, family, and friends. From Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Susan B. Anthony, without appreciating ourselves and the rights we deserve, we aren’t truly honoring their memory and sacrifices.