An interesting discussion occurred on the CBC's The Current
radio show recently (link below) between the host and two journalists.
In the radio interview Barbara
Kay will argue these courses are recruitment mechanisms into an ideology
of feminism. The Toronto Star Reporter, Catherine Porter will whine
about women not being representative in positions like partners in law
firms and that same old argument Parliament. She will posit these
courses are designed to get fresh ideas so women can have it all, a
career, motherhood, vacations and maybe even a husband. Barbara will
describe it as the Utopian ideal. Marxism was one of those same Utopian
ideologies from whence feminism came.
What Porter fails to realize is
women can have these things but only if they get a partner who will look
after the children and is prepared to make the same sacrifices as a man
by working long days and commuting great distances. The other option is
to stay single and get a nanny or not have any children at all. There
are choices but what Porter really means is lets just appoint a certain
number of women to these positions (the old quota game) so they don't
have to do it on merit and then they can have it all. Nothing much has
changed in the feminist song book despite the much larger proportion of
degrees granted to females over males. Its still an entitlement
mentality and women deserve to be placed on a pedestal.
Recruiting feminists must be
losing its appeal at Canadian Universities so the resident feminist
faculty are trying to lure new recruits by new marketing techniques.
When a business wants to refresh its product it assigns the "New and
Improved Label". The professional feminists in academia are re-branding,
re-positioning and trying to attract men too would you believe. They
aren't necessarily pushing masculinity mind you but if you are male and
gay you may just qualify as part of the "gender" portion of the
re-branding. If you are a transsexual or transvestite you qualify. Have
you seen the label they use for the gay community now. It is LGBT or
is an initialism referring collectively to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. You all may qualify for study
along with women. That opens up to a larger more inclusive audience -
doesn't it? If you are a male - does that increase your interest?
At McGill University in Montreal
the new branding in March 2009 gives us the name
"The McGill Institute for Gender,
Sexuality, and Feminist Studies (IGSF) examines social perspectives on
women and women's contributions to society."
You see the
emphasis is on women but it is hoped the new name will attract more men
and women of different sexualities and diversities.
Here is a
sampling of these courses:
WMST
200 (3) Introduction
to Women's Studies . Offered in the: Fall
This course introduces students to
theoretical positions and topical issues in the broad,
interdisciplinary field of Women’s Studies. This course aims to
demonstrate how “women” is applied as a social and political category
imbued with certain, yet contested meanings depending on place and
time, and cannot usefully be considered a self-evident effect of
biology. Students are introduced to a great variety of analytical
tools and topical intersections that will enable them to entangle
seemingly natural and obvious truth claims regarding the meanings of
gender, sex, sexuality, and feminism in contemporary societies. In
addition to key academic texts, we will look at online material, view
films and podcasts, and discuss news stories on matters such as gay
marriage, sex trafficking, ‘hook up’ cultures, and creative new
reproductive strategies.
Elisabeth
Engebretsen
MWF 1:35-2:25 pm
WMST
301 (3) Women's
Studies Current Topics 1 . Offered in the: Fall
Topic for Fall 2009: Queer Cultures: Gender systems and
sexual meanings in a modern, global world
(Prerequisite: WMST 200 or PHIL 242 or permission of
instructor.)This course explores alternative sexual and gender
expressions cross-culturally, with an emphasis on the modern, global
period, and ethnographic accounts of same-sex sexuality and
non-normative and trans-gender forms. We examine how sexuality and
gender intersect with formations of modern nation states, colonialism,
religion, race, and ethnicity worldwide. The course literature
emphasizes accounts of people’s lived experiences in different yet
intersecting cultural locations, through examples of identity
formation, coming out practices, non-normative families incl. same-sex
marriage, rights and recognition, and the globalization of queer
identity and culture.
Elisabeth Engebretsen
MW 10:05am-11:25 am
The question remains - what do
you do with a degree in women's studies after its all said and done? The
purpose of the re-branding is to attract more students to keep the
programs alive. There are only so many tax supported professional
feminist jobs out there and with government cutbacks on the horizon they
will be fewer in number. MJM
From the CBC "The Current" web
site:
Women Studies
Forty years ago, there was a revolution on university campuses
across North America. No longer content to accept the status quo as
defined by male professors, women created a new field of study ... one
centred on their own experiences and perspectives.
In the United States, San Diego State University became the
first to establish a women's studies program in 1970. Canadian
universities and colleges quickly followed suit. And today, the field
stretches everywhere from China to India to Uganda. But at the same
time, the field is under-going a major shift. Women's studies
departments from Harvard to Queen's are being renamed as "gender",
"equality" or "sexuality" studies or in some cases all of them.
Women's studies departments were
an early part of the women's liberation movement. And the name change
has sparked a debate about the state of that movement, as well as what
its goals should be. For their thoughts on those questions, we were
joined by two women. Catherine Porter is a columnist with The Toronto Star. She was in
Toronto. And Barbara Kay writes a column for The National Post. She was
in Montreal.
Follow the link below or click
on the player here.
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