The School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) is home to many exciting majors and minors that help enrich the culture and educational environment at Stevens. Recently, a committee chaired by Professor Amber Benezra redesigned the Gender and Cultural Studies minor to become a new minor called Gender Studies. Formerly, Gender and Cultural Studies included a mix of courses focused on gender, different cultures, and general social science, but the redesign will see the minor become entirely focused on courses surrounding gender.
The change was made because professors felt that the name and focus of the minor was unclear to students who might be interested. A poll was taken to decide the new name, and Gender Studies won as the most popular among students. Dr. Lindsey Swindall, Teaching Associate Professor of Writing and Humanities and member of the committee, said that “there is interest among students on gender and sexuality issues and [the committee] hopes this will be a meaningful way to support their exploration of these important topics.”
Although Gender Studies is relatively new to Stevens, the academic subject has been around for a while. The goal of gender studies as a whole is to examine and give language to the social structures around gender that typically go unacknowledged. Sexism is a large topic of discussion in the STEM community and issues of gender inclusion will likely only become more relevant to the industry as more women enter the STEM workforce. Having an academic background to discuss issues around gender could help students navigate their chosen industries post-graduation and equip them with the knowledge to create meaningful change. Beyond that, providing a more streamlined way for students to pursue this area of interest will help diversify Stevens’ STEM-focused academics.
Some classes that Stevens students might be able to count towards a Gender Studies minor include Women and Gender in American History, Psychology of Gender, and Philosophy and Feminism. The full description and list of requirements should be available in the Academic Catalog Fall 2024, but students can start taking relevant courses and declare the minor next fall when it is officially available. If you have any questions or want to know more about the program, students can reach out to Professor Amber Benezra, Professor Lindsey Swindall, Professor Yu Tao, or Professor Smaran Dayal.
