Despite stereotype, men choose women's studies

The certificate program known as "Women's Studies" has a naming problem.

It's actually the "Program in the Study of Women and Gender," but the "gender" aspect often gets left out, and the abbreviation in the course guide is an intimidating "WOM."

This may be one reason why so few male students take these courses. Of the six students currently in the certificate program, all are women.

English professor Deborah Nord attributed the greater female involvement to women's curiosity. "The obvious answer is that women are interested not only in learning about themselves, but they're also more interested in learning about gender. They're more aware of their gender," she said.

Nord estimated that only 12 of the 96 students enrolled in WOM 201: Introduction to the Study of Gender are men.

One of those students is Chuck Staab '07, who said he signed up for the class out of simple curiosity.

"I'm pretty interested in new academic fields," he said. Staab added that, because of the field's recent origin, classes in women's studies differ from ones in fields like political theory where "you have to consider hundreds of years of writing."

"It's interesting to see how my professors are defining the field," he said.

He is not considering a certificate in the program because of a busy schedule that includes a music major and certificates in jazz performance and French.

"If I had room to take more classes, I might do more," he said.

Many of the courses in the program are cross-listed with other departments like anthropology, psychology, religion and Jewish Studies. Josh Goldsmith '07 enrolled in WOM 301/EEB 301: Sociobiology, Sex Roles and Human Development, out of an interest in gender and sexuality.

"This department, more than many others, has the opportunity to study sexuality," said Goldsmith, who described the course as "on the border of psychology, evolutionary biology and gender studies."

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He estimated that of 50 people in the course, only five are men.

"I don't see why it's so predominantly women in Women's Studies courses," he said.

Nord, who has been involved with the program since coming to the University in 1989 and who has often helped teach WOM 201, said that male enrollment in the courses fluctuates.

This year, she said, overall enrollment in WOM 201 has increased, and the percentage of men has gone up slightly.

"We are always interested in having men in the courses," Nord said. "It makes for a more diverse group, more interesting discussions, and of course it's good for the men who take the courses."