ABSTRACT
Have you ever read the well-known and anthologized essay by poet, essayist, and feminist Adrienne Rich that discusses “claiming an education”? In this inspiring essay, Rich highlights the importance of being an active participant in the process of “becoming educated.” This piece stirred an entire generation of women (and men) students to apply themselves to their interests, to take ownership of their education, to question what they were taught and how it was relevant to them. In this chapter, we want to share with you several key components of women’s and gender studies curricula that you will most likely encounter. We hope that this will be your first step on the path of “claiming your education” in women’s and gender studies.
