The Case for Women's Studies, August 3, 1971, page 1

          8/3/71

The Case for Women's Studies

There are now eleven courses on women in the regular
Barnard curriculu. Their appearance has been in keeping with
Barnard's academic style. Some of our faculty have had a long-
staniing interest in such materials and, in the present climate,
have been encouraged to offer courses where they may share this
interest with students. Other faculty members have developed their
interest relatively recently, but have done so against a background
of intense involvement with a field where the special experience of
women has clearly been ignored.

Barnard's courses on women are given in a variety of
disciplines, with no major planned at the moment. Sometimes they
are presented within the framework of a colloquium with a changing
theme. ‘In this case, the "women" theme may be succeeded in some
future year by another topic. At other times, a course will be

added as‘ a regular offering. Its fate will be determined by the

educational and practical considerations that guide departmental

offerings, along with the impalpable criterion that applies to each .

course at Barnard: Does it have a convincing life of its own?
Some say that courses on women are needlessly particular-
izing and parochial. Might it not be more appropriate to think of

such courses as a rearrangement of familiar materials and an intro-