Monash University: University handbooks: Postgraduate handbook: Units indexed by faculty
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Women’s studies and gender research

Women’s studies is an exciting interdisciplinary field of study offering feminist perspectives on gender, sexuality and culture. We strive to provide our graduates with a broad knowledge of, and a familiarity with, feminist theory and methodology. Our postgraduate programs seek to bring innovative theory and research techniques to the study of women’s lives, their status in society, and the dilemmas and contradictions surrounding gender identity, power relations and sexualities. In this way, women’s studies attempts to correct the absence of material on women and gender relations that for a long time characterised more traditional areas of study. Women’s studies also emphasises the diversity of women’s experience. Beyond general considerations of the changing status of women and where dominant ideas and assumptions about gender and sexual difference come from, women’s studies also covers specific issues such as how different cultures shape gender identities and sexualities, shifting cultural and historical modes of femininity and masculinity, how questions of sex or gender relate to questions of class and race, how women are represented in film, literature and the media, and the role of women and gender in important political, economic, sociological and philosophical debates.

Research strengths and supervision

Supervisory expertise is offered across feminist literary, historical and cultural studies; gender studies; medicine, birth and motherhood; postcolonialism and indigeneity; gender and cultural difference; feminist pedagogy; gender and crime; transgender, feminist and queer theory; film, visual culture, popular culture and performance.

Research degrees

The postgraduate program in women’s studies is designed to build students’ knowledge of feminist theory and methodology, to introduce students to a variety of feminist models of analysis and to assist them in developing a wide range of research skills. Students pursue individual research topics focusing upon questions concerning women and gender. Supervisory expertise is offered across: feminist literary, historical and cultural studies; post colonialism and indigeneity; gender and cultural difference; medicine, birth and motherhood; transgender, feminist and queer theory; film, visual culture and performance. Research students participate in regular cohort group meetings in addition to attending the fortnightly women’s studies research seminar. A broad range of professionalisation activities and individual mentoring are also provided. Women’s studies students are encouraged, where appropriate, to gain international experience through attendance at overseas summer schools and participation in international awards, prizes and fellowships. PhD and masters supervision is available. For more details, refer to the Centre for Women’s Studies and Gender Research website at www.arts.monash.edu.au/ws/.

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