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Lewis and Clark brings its Gender Studies Symposium for a 31st time around

For those of us no longer ensconced in the world of academia but who want the opportunity to have thought-provoking discussions on gender and sexuality the annual Lewis and Clark Gender Studies Symposium is the perfect opportunity. This three day exploration, now in its 31st year (whoa, that’s a long time, longer than I’ve been alive) takes place this Wednesday through Friday. (Complete schedule linked below)

The 2012 […]


PSU Women’s Studies Department considers name change

The interdisciplinary academic arena that is Women’s Studies, Gender Studies or Sexuality Studies is one that is rife with opposing opinions. Indeed, that is one of its great strengths and great frustrations. I attended Smith College in the early aughts and what to call this specific department was contonually under debate, even though the decision to keep it Women’s Studies (because we had to keep the “We study women in a major way” button tradition alive..) and to focus on spotlighting the “fairer sex” had already been “decided.”

Now our local public university, Portland State, is having that discussion as well. This Thursday 21st (tomorrow) the PSU WST Dept is holding a meeting from 7:-9 pm in Smith Memorial room 296 to discuss the possibility of changing the department’s name to reflect changes both internally in the program, and externally in the field as a whole.

Here is some of the discussion so far:

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