I have been asked the question, “What is Women’s Studies?”, by a number of girls now, and I think it would be great for you to learn what this subject is, because you all actually make up a huge part of it.
In general, Women’s Studies is the study of females’ experiences that have been affected by things such as race, gender, class, and others.
It is important to learn about the history of women (and girls!) because then we can explore their contributions to the world that involved many hardships along the way. Learning the history of women also helps us to compare the what women and girls have done in the past with the what we’re doing now in order to get a better understanding about how far we have come in making accomplishments.
Women’s Studies is essential because it looks into finding ways to make the world a better place for girls growing up in it today. By taking classes that are based on gender, you can learn about how the media may be hurtful for girls in some ways.
Some that you may have already noticed are TV shows that aren’t very diverse in their characters, the negative role models that are placed all over the inside of mainstream magazines, and many others.
Being a Women’s Studies major helps me to recognize issues that affect girls all over the world, and also teaches me skills to find ways to resolve such conflicts.
Many of you are already having wonderful discussions about important issues that are going on today, and that are great examples for topics that are actually brought up in Women’s Studies classes.
Some subjects New Moon Girls have dived into are:
- Phoebe, 14, New York, began a thread called Barbies where girls gave opinions about whether or not Barbie dolls should still be around, and based it on Barbies’ impractical body figure and the importance of attractiveness.
- This topic about Queen Elizabeth by Sydney, 13, North Carolina, comments on how William and Kate’s potential daughter would be allowed to be first in line for the throne.
- A poem by Palette, 10, Poland, describes inner beauty being far more beautiful than anything else.
- Faith, 10, Massachusetts wrote a short biography on Florence Nightingale, a strong nurse during a time of war.
- You can also learn even more about different women and girls throughout history at Women’s History on NewMoon.com!
As you can see, Women’s Studies includes lots of different kinds of subjects that anyone can find interest in! Are you fascinated by the subject of Women’s Studies and want to begin your own discussions? Check out Shout Out under the Voices tab, and find an area that fits your topic.
Whitney
New Moon Intern
