Bachelor of Arts Women

Women's studies addresses the broad question of how gender (social definitions of femininity and masculinity) operates, both in contemporary life and historically, in Australia and other cultures. Gender, intersecting with other social orders of difference (principally race, class and sexuality) shapes cultural and social institutions as well as personal identity and relationships. Women's studies reflects this wide scope by including social, cultural and political perspectives. It is an interdisciplinary field of knowledge. Women's Studies is related to feminism, in that it has its origins in the movements for women's rights which continue to have far-reaching effects on our world today, but you do not have to identify as a feminist to take these topics and gain a lot of interesting and useful insights into culture and society. However you do need to be interested in what it means to live as a woman or a man in contemporary society, and to be willing to explore some challenging ideas.