Kelly Atkinson

19 January 2015
Byrd
Gen-X
Journal 3: Elevator Speeches
1. Womens studies focuses on the history of womens oppression and
we are not anti-male we are anti-discrimination. Most confuse the term
feminist with being anti-male and assuming we all have radical
personalities. A feminist does not have a certain description or look.
As women we are all bound together by being oppressed for so many
years. A womens studies course will focus on, how over time society
has constructed a barrier between men and women and what factors
contribute to our oppression.
2. In a society that is constantly changing and developing there is always
so much more to learn about numerous topics. As we enhance aspects
of our lives there is almost always a group (or groups) of people being
left behind or enhancing at a much slower rate. We usually call this
group the minority, but in this case we (as women) are the majority of
people being oppressed. A women and gender studies degree applies
to everything. Any topic or job one has can be broken down and
analyzed by a women and gender study. One can apply their
knowledge from this degree to any job because we explore how
oppressions like racism, sexism, gender, and ability are comparable
and intertwined.

3. This is a constant question but a WGST degree provides one with a well
rounded education with critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.
There are a huge number of fields in which understanding the
complexity of sexuality and gender is essential. Any career that one
aspires to have will not be slowed down by a WGST degree, in fact it
will enhance it. In order to be successful with a degree one needs to
be open minded with the ability to think critically and apply their skills
they learned with their degree to their job. One could work as an
activist promoting gender equality or as a doctor. Any job one has will
be enhanced by a broader perspective that a WGST degree provides.
4. Women and gender studies is not biased we are stating facts about
womens oppression and the equality and inequality of gender. We are
not anti-male we focus on who is privileged and who is not. Women
and gender studies focuses on motives and how women and other
genders are a social construct and why/how we are oppressed for
being a certain way. Having a political agenda does not mean we are
biased, it means we are trying to move forward and escape the
oppression we have been going through for many generations.
5. Womens studies does not make women victims it enhances our ability
to see how society makes us victim to oppression. The word survivor
makes it seem like whatever it is that happened couldve been
prevented, in return making one a victim of the crime and a victim of
societys response. Womens studies teaches women how to embrace
who we are and what kind of woman we want to be. Womens studies

is not a narrow concept and definitely does not confine it to only

women, it embodies a lot of information regarding men, masculinity,
and the key roles men have played in promoting women and womens
studies.