A degree of dialogue
Professors unite to create a gender institute
January 23, 2007
Laura Van Dyke
Earlier this year, Dr. Holly Nelson, Dr. Alma Barranco-Mendoza, Dr. Robynne Healey, and Dr. Christina Belcher realized they had a common passion: to bring Trinity Western University into the dialogue surrounding issues of gender and identity.
To help achieve this goal, these professors are in the process of establishing a Gender Studies Society that will foster both student and faculty involvement and understanding of the gender discussion.
“We want this society to be open and inclusive,” Nelson said, so that it will not contribute to the frequent “ghettoizing of female studies” into its own discipline. Since they believe male and female experiences both speak into gender issues, the Society is committed to including both voices in the discussion. Several male professors have subsequently joined with this ambitious new venture, including Dr. Dirk Buchner, Professor Peg Peters, and Dr. Bob Doede.
The Gender Studies Society hopes to initiate a new voice in the gender dialogue, one that is concerned not merely with victimization, but also with the positive aspects of gender.
Rather than contribute to third-wave feminism, which has all too frequently ignored the spiritual element of the person and over-emphasized the bodily dimension of gender, these professors are advocating instead the so-called “fourth-wave” of feminism, which is more holistic. Fourth-wave feminism repairs much of the imbalance of previous gender studies by emphasizing the person as a whole. Males and females are more than their constituent body parts, and the spiritual must be considered together with the sexual.
The Society hopes to create a “broader and less anxious dialogue on gender issues” at TWU, since the Christian community has historically been “hesitant to engage in open dialogue regarding sexual identity,” explains Nelson. Nelson views this reputation as both lamentable and ironic, since she regards the Christian faith as being ideally poised to discuss the intersection between the physical and the spiritual dimensions.
Because of this advantageous position, the Society hopes that TWU will play a key role in the gender dialogue by providing a safe place for discussion. In an effort to include both secular voices as well as the perspectives of various faiths, the Gender Studies Society plans to host a conference in the next few years to discuss fourth-wave feminism and the body-soul dialogue.
The Society also anticipates eventually offering a gender studies certificate, as an optional component of a regular bachelor’s degree. In Nelson’s vision, this certificate program will begin a progression that will one day include a diploma, minor, and major option.
It is likely that this certificate program will not be realized for several years. However, current students who are interested in becoming involved with the Gender Studies Society are encouraged to contact any one of its members to inquire about available opportunities or to obtain any additional information.
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