What is Women's Studies?

More than one person posed this question to me, and I've found it more difficult to answer than I thought. I first reply, "Well, we study women." Like, duh! I then get a blank expression, so I ramble about what I've done in my Women's Studies classes so far, and they seem to turn away with the same blank expression. Some people just don't see it as that important. I might as well be majoring in Liberal Studies, which was my first major, and nothing wrong with it, might I add. I've studied the different feminist movements, the intersectionalities of women of color (including Native American women naturally), different classes of women, lesbianism, patriarchy, biographies, women in the US and all over the world, have read articles written by women of each movement, women for and against feminism, lesbians, women of color (sometimes lesbians of color), scholars, activists, writers of all generations...there is just so much. Not only have I learned a lot about history in general (opposed to just history about women), but also about current issues that women still face. I originally thought I lived in a fairly egalitarian society, but quickly learned how wrong I was. It's proved difficult to create a relatively concise answer that stresses the importance of this subject and why it deserves more attention, and is a viable subject to study. I remember when I told Bill a few years ago that I wanted to major in Liberal Studies, and he called me a copout. He'd probably feel the same about Women's Studies. I thought (and still think) that people with a degree in Liberal studies were more well-rounded because they received a more well-rounded education, and had more options available to them in the work field, opposed to someone who studied only one subject. I actually read an article confirming my belief, and that employers actually preferred to hire people with a liberal studies degree. Then there are wonderful people like Paul who told me that this is important and there needs to be more women like me, and he wants his young daughters to look up to women like me. Bill can go fuck himself.

I've done all this writing and haven't gotten anywhere. Women's Studies is the study of women subjectively and objectively in regards to history, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, intersectionality, politics, patriarchy, marriage, motherhood, economics, profession, their varying oppressions, in the US and abroad, primarily by women of all different walks of life, including the color of their skin, their sexuality, their education, their class, their beliefs, their profession, and their generation. I'm sure I'm missing a thing or two, and think I can condense it. I also need to add so that we can understand their past and their current situation and oppressions for women as a whole and different social groups. It's not enough to just say you're studying it, but why you're studying it. Oh, I did forget one small thing. RIGHTS. Silly me. Women's Studies studies past and present women of all sexualities, colors, race, professions, classes, regions domestic and global, ethnicities, and their....no, no. Women's Studies studies women, dammit! It is a comprehensive objective and subjective study of past and present situations and movements of women as a whole in this country and worldwide and in certain social groups such as race, sexuality, and class, and in light of certain subjects such as rights, oppressions, feminism, and patriarchy to better understand history and current conditions of women and society, including oppressions women still face today, and how to eradicate those oppressions. I'm still not completely happy with it, but I'm getting there.