Interdisciplinary Program in Women's and Gender Studies

Women's and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary inquiry into the significance of gender in human society and thought, both in the United States and around the world. Drawing on thirty years of scholarly work centered on gender analysis as well as research in many traditional fields, the program explores questions such as how women and men learn their gender roles; how different societies define women and men; and how ideas of sex and gender shape and are shaped by language, individual behavior, and social institutions such as law, religion, and education. Students explore the varied roles gender has played in different cultures, times, intellectual disciplines, and forms of creative expression. Debates over sexuality, reproduction, feminism, masculinity, the roles of women in history, politics, and science, and the intersections of gender with other social categories such as race, class, ethnicity are all topics addressed within this interdisciplinary field.

Most subjects in the field of Women's and Gender Studies are cross-listed with other departments and are available to students in a wide range of fields of study. Through classes, UROPs, and events, both undergraduate and graduate students gain new perspectives on other disciplines such as computer science, law, philosophy, theater, management, literature, urban studies, psychology, and history. Women's and Gender Studies subjects are open to all students for all students.

For more information, contact Professor Sally Haslanger, Room 14E-316, (617) 253-4141, or see the web site at http://web.mit.edu/wgs/.