Views and perspectives of women’s studies: a survey of women and men students |
| |
| Authors: | Jen Marchbank Gayle Letherby |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Simon Frazer University , Vancouver, Canada;2. University of Plymouth , UK |
| |
| Abstract: | In this article we draw on data from a completed project entitled Why Do Women’s Studies? involving five English Universities. However, the data reported here focuses on a single institution. The data were collected through questionnaires which combined quantitative and qualitative questions and we have the views of three distinct groups of students: students taking women’s studies as a degree; students taking other degrees but including women’s studies modules and students with no experience of women’s studies. After detailing our method and reflecting on some methodological issues we present and debate our data which shows that although many of the conventional stereotypes regarding women’s studies remain in common discourses they seem to be agreed with less than they are reported to have been heard. Yet, the power of these discourses remains a danger to women’s studies as evidenced by its demise as an undergraduate course in many English institutions. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
