Why I'm Interested in Women's Studies

Before I actually took a course in women’s studies, I was unaware of the possibility of looking at literature, history, religion, sociology, and more from a distinctly female perspective. In fact, I hardly recognized that more than one, universal perspective existed. In retrospect, I am amazed that I could have spent what is currently the overwhelming majority of my life reading and observing everything I came across through an unknowingly restricted lens. When I consider why I am interested in women’s studies, my overwhelming answer is that it opens up a myriad of perspectives to discover. Whether it is from the viewpoint of a particular class, race, ideology, or gender, I am becoming increasingly aware that experience is important, and that experience varies on an individual level that is strongly shaped by groups we identify with in society. As someone who identifies as a perpetual learner, studying women sociologists adds yet another way for me to examine my areas of interest (English literature and religion). New perspectives never fail to bring fresh ideas, increased understanding, and profound new discoveries that would otherwise be left untouched. Studying women sociologists is important to the general population because it provides a discipline formerly dominated by ‘founding fathers’ with a modern-day acknowledgment that women continue to have crucial contributions to sociological conversations.