Gloria J. Milton
Tel: 623.845.3767
Office: 05-107

Schedule of classes

Women's studies is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry which explores the status and roles of women, both historically and cross-culturally. Women's Studies examines cultural assumptions societies hold about women and men, examining the ways in which gender is socially and culturally constructed. Examining gender in other societies, scholarship is able to challenge the assumed 'naturalness' of what it means to be feminine or masculine. Women's Studies explores the relationship between cultural definitions of feminine behavior and the realities of women's lives, considering the ways class, race, ethnicity, and age and disability shape the female experience. It also attempts to bring to light valuable scholarship by women, and about women's lives and experiences, that traditional scholarship has overlooked.

Women's Studies has emerged as a distinct knowledge base at colleges and universities across the country. In 1969, San Diego State University offered a single course in Women's Studies. According to the National Women's Studies Association, there are currently over 700 institutions with undergraduate majors, minors, certificates, and advanced degrees in Women's Studies. This discipline continues to flourish as it encourages individuals to examine gender as a social category.

For information on the the Women's Studies Major at ASU-West, please see their web page.