The women’s studies experience: Impetus for feminist activism

The impact of women‘s studies courses on students ’ feminist activism and related behaviors was assessed through quantitative and qualitative methods. At pretesting, women’s studies students (10 classes: 161 women and 18 men) did not report significantly more activism than nonwomen’s studies students taught by women’s studies faculty (9 classes: 73 women and 48 men) or nonwomen’s studies students taught by nonwomen’s studies faculty (12 classes: 107 women and 47 men). At posttesting, women’s studies students, relative to the comparison students, reported more activism during the semester of evaluation, stronger intentions to engage in future feminist activism, and more im-portant and more positive course-related influences on their personal lives ( p <.0001). Since 1970, over 600 women’s studies programs have been established in the United States. Women’s studies programs challenge sexist, androcen-tric assumptions, provide information about women that is missing fro