Anybody majoring or minoring in Women/Gender Studies?

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I've been considering majoring in anthropology for a while now. That hasn't changed, but I'm becoming more interested in gender and feminist issues, which has compelled me to consider a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Career-wise, I've been considering doing social justice advocacy - maybe by working for organizations like American Civil Liberties Union or Southern Poverty Law Center.

Anyway, if anybody here is studying this area, please let me know your experiences in it. Thanks!

Majoring in women's studies is just a euphemism to explain to people that you screwed around in college and are now hopelessly unemployed.

Why don't you go say that to all the people who majored in Women's Studies with the intent of broadening their horizons and preparing for a lifetime of involvement in social justice?

Please, if you don't have anything substantial to say, then don't bother responding.

^^^ Yeah... Don't listen to JB.

If Anthropology/gender studies is what you want to do, DO IT!

It seems like you have a pretty realistic idea of what you might be able to do with an education like that...

If you think you want to work in the public service/social justice/nonprofit sector, you should start volunteering now. That way you can make sure it's what you really want to do, and you can start networking and making contacts now.

You might not get rich, but you could do much worse than spend a life in service to your fellow beings.

Women's studies is usually considered a bit of a joke to be honest, but I don't think many people really know what goes on in those units.

From my understanding, there are always internships for every degree out there. Many Ethnic Studies and Women's Studies majors I know end up becoming employed by local organizations. It doesn't hurt to have other degrees, such as a Law or Master's, but I don't think that matters too much. In fact, I wouldn't even worry about what degree you have but, rather, about what sort of ideas you have and how passionate you are about them. I believe an interviewer enjoys listening more to a person who is passionate and willing to learn rather than what club they might've started or how many hours they volunteered.

You already strike me as an intelligent person. You don't have to worry about. Just make sure you know why you're doing this. Personality is just as important as knowledge, if not more.

And don't listen to people like John Browning, they only try to bring you down because of their gaping inadequacies. I encourage you to pursue this degree. I think there aren't enough people who are aware about these kinds of social issues and/or of how people work within social settings. Keep up the fine work!

My view of gender studies isn't as harsh as some of the user's above, but with a few exceptions, it really isn't marketable.

If you want a broad view of the world, you can always read books on your free time, but if you're paying for college, you are better off getting something that prepares you for the job you want.

I have no experience with gender studies, but just wanted to throw my proverbial two-cents on the pile.

Some years ago, I took a degree where I was studying a fairly obscure major (I would suggest much more obscure and less relevant than Gender Studies) for which there was no direct jobs. Everyone (and I mean everyone) kept telling me that it was useless, that it wasn’t marketable, there were no direct jobs and so forth.

I ended up transferring into another major, largely because I wasn’t enjoying it, but the people who were passionate about that field, who made good grades and really wanted to work in that field did end up in related-careers. My best friend was one of these people. When he finished his degree, he worked a crappy job for a year, then was employed as a consultant for a company in that field. He eventually left and opened up his own consultancy which pays so well that he can work when he chooses to.

Frankly, after all that people kept saying about the marketability of the major (or lack thereof), I would never, ever have imagined that so many people would actually go on to career in that field outside of academia, but they did.

+1

This is a "underwater basket weaving" for women curriculum. It was created to cater to feminists....it has little to no practical application in the workforce...and many young women have wasted their time obtaining such a degree.

You could take "women's studies" courses as electives, but don't make it your major or minor.

No, not if you do it right. It is hard to do it right so it is better to minor in it. They can get jobs for corporations selling products to women, advisers for politicians who want the woman vote, etc.



It does have practical applications for the following on the top of my head; business, law, politics. Or places where it is expected that men and woman have equal footing but don't (STEM subjects).

I do agree it is a waste of time as a major, but it can be useful as a minor.



It is terrible to just take it as electives. You might as well not take it at all. It is a good idea to minor in it and major in a STEM subject. Many young woman were only able to finish the STEM subject because they were able to take classes that explained why STEM fields are harder for women to complete.

Edit: I found out from a friend that engineering is harder for women than for men because of something as simple as girls playing with the wrong toys during childhood. Boys play with things like legos, trucks, hotwheels, toy guns or toys that force you to do things and "to build" things while girls are encouraged for toys that are passive like barbies, dolls, dress up. So the boys have an advantage because those toys hardwire their brain "to do" and "to build" while girl's brains are hardwired to not do that yet.

Yep, it's as simple as that.

To be honest, if I major in something other than business, technology, medicine, or education, then I'll probably have a harder time finding a career. I'm not interested in any of those mentioned fields, so I might as well study something I find interest in.

Also, I've already established that if I were to study Women's/Gender, then I'd study it as a minor. I've also established that I'm considering a career in social justice advocacy, which I think such a field of study would truly prepare and benefit me for that career path.

Anyway, thanks for the advice, everyone!

Just be sure your major is in a field with an "in demand" employment outlook from reputable people in the workforce. Lots of stuff you might enjoy learning about would have little to no market demand, and if you are borrowing to pay for school, you NEED a good job when you graduate.