About the Centre for Women's Studies and Gender Research
The Centre for Women's Studies and Gender Research was founded in 1987 and servs as an international base for research, teaching, intellectual exchange and collaboration on feminist and gender issues. It is located in the School of Political and Social Inquiry within the Faculty of Arts on Monash University's Clayton Campus in Melbourne. Its key functions are to encourage and supervise graduate research, to offer units in both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and to foster an active research environment through seminars, workshops, conferences and funded research
The Centre is a member of the Council for Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS)
Not so long ago, issues such as gender, sexuality, and the relationship between the sexes were not systematically theorized, researched or taught. Today, however, there is such a large body of feminist knowledge and theory on these topics that it cannot be adequately covered within traditional disciplines. Instead, a specialised interdisciplinary field called Women's Studies has been developed that brings innovative theory and research techniques to the study of women's lives, their status in society, and the dilemmas and contradictions in gender relations and sexualities. In turn, this focus on gender has led to the development of a cognate field of inquiry labelled Gender Studies. Both Women's Studies and Gender Studies are informed by feminist theory.
The teaching, research and outreach activities of the Centre are all informed by the belief that all social processes are 'gendered', and that understanding gender relations is therefore a crucial component in any teaching and research.
Interests of Centre staff include
- Feminist cultural studies
- Cross-cultural feminisms
- Critiques of medicine
- Research on pregnancy, birth and fertility rates
- Postcolonialism and Indigeneity
- Sexual and cultural difference
- Feminist literary and cultural theory
- Women's writing
- Film studies
- Feminist pedagogy and research methodology.
The undergraduate Gender Studies program is designed to introduce students to a variety of feminist models of analysis and to assist them in developing a range of methodological skills. The Centre also fosters the development of transferable professional and personal skills among its students and its units actively engage with a range of innovative feminist pedagogies. Units offered by the Centre's staff are complemented by a wide range of cross-listed units offered by staff throughout the faculty. We encourage undergraduate students to join in the Study Abroad program.
In addition to its undergraduate program, the Centre offers the postgraduate degrees of PhD, MA by research, MA by research and coursework, plus a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Research). Teaching and supervision in the graduate programs are provided by Centre staff as well as Associate staff located throughout the faculty and beyond the faculty. Scholarships are available for qualified applicants wishing to pursue postgraduate research degrees.
The Centre maintains a very active research profile with its staff involved in both individual and team research projects. The Centre runs a regular research seminar during the teaching semester at which both staff and graduate students present papers on topics of general concern to those engaged in feminist inquiry. Workshops, research symposia and conferences are also run through the Centre. Visiting scholars and local and overseas academic staff on leave are welcome to apply to spend time at the Centre.
Contact Us
The Centre for Women's Studies and Gender Research, PSI
Faculty of Arts
Monash University
VIC 3800
AUSTRALIA
Tel. 61 +3 +990 52443
Fax. 61 +3 +990 52410