The Studies of Women and Gender Department may conjure images of women burning bras, but Interim Director of SWAG Rina Williams seeks to put that stereotype to rest.
In short, SWAG is an "interdisciplinary program that studies women and gender from multiple women perspectives in an international context," Williams said.
The international component of the University's SWAG department sets it apart from other women's studies programs nationally.
"We have a strong contingent feminine theory for the United States, but we also study the Middle East, Africa and South Asia," Williams said. "We pay special attention to the interaction of gender and ethnicity."
SWAG is not only concerned with the plight of women across the world, but Williams also highlighted SWAG's focus on the greater composition of society.
"The study of gender more broadly is really not about studying a specific group within society, but perspectives in society and how they differ in gender," Williams said.
The strong critical thinking component to SWAG courses is, in Williams's opinion, the biggest benefit SWAG majors and minors take away from their classes.
In a recent survey of alumni and current students, one gain "universally heard" was the "analytical skills students learned from SWAG could apply to other work after graduation," Williams said. "That's the centerpiece of our mission."
Fourth-year College student Lauren Dunnagan noted the importance of SWAG's analytical element in her studies.
"More than any other classes, SWAG classes have opened my eyes and changed my thinking," Dunnagan said. "It's created a self-awareness ... and how I live in relation to other people across the world."
Dunnagan said she also plans to use those skills after graduation, hopefully in a resource center or a charity organization.
"It's important to know what effect you can have on someone else and vice versa," Dunnagan said. "It goes back to the analytical skills, to be able to read something and be able to deconstruct it and look at it from different angles."
Though the majority of SWAG majors and minors are female, Williams stressed the diversity of the program in other areas, like ethnicities and religious affiliations.
Williams also noted the growth of the program. In the 1992-1993 school year, there were six SWAG majors, compared to 67 for the 2005-2006 school year.
The enrollment for SWAG 210, which Williams called the introductory course for SWAG majors, has grown from 79 in 1992-1993 to 547 in 2005-2006.
Williams said the SWAG department does not want to convert students to prescribing to all of SWAG's viewpoints.
"It's not about getting people to agree with our views but getting them to be willing to listen to other sets of experiences," Williams said.
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