Experience Opportunities

Drawing on the knowledge and methodologies associated with a number of different disciplines, the Albion women's and gender studies prorgram examines the role of gender through five distinct areas of study: Historical Contexts, Representations, Global Perspectives, Self-Making, and Institutions or Systems of Knowledge. Each area uses cross-cultural or multicultural investigations to understand the dynamics and differences in the operation of gender.

Within specific contexts but also across differences, the program also focuses on the lives of women—on women's past and present active involvement in the making of the world. Students experience this ongoing interplay of theory and practice both in the classroom and in the field, through research as well as through off-campus opportunities, including:

• Comparative Women's and Gender Studies in Europe: This program examines international feminist issues within a context of comparative women's studies. Three months of field research in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic or Turkey is followed by five weeks of independent study or an apprenticeship in London. Contact Trisha Franzen, professor of women's and gender studies, or the Center for International Education and Off-Campus Programs.

• The Sharon "Zo" Gates Rees Fellowship for Women in Public Office: Through the generous support of Sharon Rees, a 1953 alumnus of Albion College, this program promotes the interest of women seeking elected office and makes available to them the knowledge of how to achieve their goals. Applications are encouraged from Albion students who plan to intern in Washington, D.C. More information and applications are available through the Ford Institute.

Please contact the Women's and Gender Studies Department for more information about the experiential learning possibilities within our program.