ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the evolving contributions, interdisciplinary intertwinings, and politics of women's studies over almost the past 30 years. A lot of people in the first generation of women’s studies leaders had formal training with no gender component but, then, because of life experiences, started to make connections. It wasn’t really until the eighties that women’s studies was articulated fully as being problem-centered, with a methodology of its own, and a distinctive pedagogy. A women’s studies program has to follow the contours of its home institution. When the women’s movement and women’s studies began, the goals seemed fairly simple. They had to do with equity or inclusion or fairness. Feminists are interested in policies that allow people greater flexibility in their jobs so that men and women can share the domestic load, that’s one goal. Another is that feminists and women’s studies scholars are very concerned about the growing disparity between rich and poor.