
Student Snapshot: Rebecca Fox '22
Learn more about why studio-art major Rebecca Fox ’22 says, "The professors at Dickinson care so much about the interactions they have with students, both inside the classroom and out."
Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Women’s, gender & sexuality studies is a dynamic interdisciplinary field that explores how gender and sexuality intersect with race, ethnicity, class, ability and nationality, in turn shaping access to opportunities, power inequalities and social advantages/disadvantages. Reflecting our roots in feminist social movements, we explore how the lived experiences of women, men and people of diverse gender identities—both in the U.S. and globally—are molded by systematic forces such as law, culture, globalization, medicine, family, economics and imperialism. Students are encouraged to consider how these interlocking power systems can be transformed to create a more just world where people can sustainably thrive.
With a core faculty of four professors and more than 30 professors contributing cross-listed courses, Dickinson offers a WGSS major and minor, as well as a sexuality studies minor for students specifically interested in sexuality and QLGBT perspectives.
We sponsor Dickinson’s Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality by Students Symposium and contribute to the Central Pennsylvania Consortium Conference on Women, Gender and Sexuality. We also work with other academic departments and college offices (particularly the Women’s & Gender Resource Center and the Office of LGBTQ Services) to bring compelling scholars, artists and activists to campus.
Our graduates apply their interdisciplinary WGSS knowledge and strong research, writing and speaking skills to such professional areas as public health, social welfare, law, technology, the arts, publishing, teaching, medicine and business, among other fields.
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Taking classes in the WGSS department quickly became one of the most impactful and powerful aspects of my college experience at Dickinson. The courses challenged me both intellectually and personally, and the faculty interactions and classroom environments helped me to gain confidence in other areas of school and life while expanding the boundaries of my knowledge. My experience with the WGSS department continues to empower me and my ability to evaluate and identify the systematic structural and institutional inequities that exist. One of the gifts that I believe I have gained from the WGSS department is the continued confidence I now have to challenge injustice when I encounter it.
—Morgan Silverman ’20
Learn more about why studio-art major Rebecca Fox ’22 says, "The professors at Dickinson care so much about the interactions they have with students, both inside the classroom and out."
Mireille Rebeiz explores the connections among such issues as war crimes, terrorism, Lebanese women writers and sexuality, and readers will soon get a look at it all through her first book.
Learn more about Cassandra DiPierro ’23, a psychology major with two minors, who's pursuing a health-studies certificate, is an avid hiker and is certified in reiki.
Farrell will join a “uniquely interdisciplinary and creative community” as she completes the research and writing for her new book.
Graduating women's, gender & sexuality studies major is accepted into University of Washington Ph.D. program.
The best thing about Sagun Sharma '21’s time at Dickinson? “Being able to meet and engage with so many different, amazing people from all around the world.”