 In
operation since 1991, the Women’s & Gender Studies
Focus of Syracuse University in Florence offers a number
of cross-listed courses in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Taught
by specialized faculty who have published in the field, this
cluster of courses offers students the opportunity to learn about
women’s and gender issues from a cross-cultural and historical
perspective. All courses in this interdisciplinary curriculum
have been specifically developed to take advantage of local resources.
Study abroad exposes students to social and cultural differences
that challenge their notion of gender roles and their perception
of the relationship between the sexes. One of the aims
of the Women’s & Gender Studies Focus in Florence
is to permit a better understanding of the historical processes
responsible for similarities and differences between Europe and
North America. The courses offered thus provide a forum
for students to air comparisons and learn about European attitudes
and solutions that are often very different from those current
in their home culture.
The majority of the courses offered in the Women’s & Gender
Focus have been planned so as to be chronologically complementary:
from one semester to the next students have the opportunity
to study a topic from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Courses
cross-listed in Anthropology, Art History, Film Studies, History,
Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion and Sociology
also permit course clustering for students majoring in these
disciplines.
The Women’s & Gender Studies Focus in Florence
is affiliated with WISE (Women’s International Studies
Europe), SSEMW (Society for the Study of Early Modern Women),
PENTAFILLO (Gruppo Interdisciplinare di Studio delle Storia delle
Donna), SIS (Societa Italiana delle Storiche) and Progetto Donna
(commune di Firenze). It is also listed in both Europe
and North America in a number of databanks on Women’s and
Gender Studies.
Students with adequate language skills are encouraged to attend
local events on women’s and gender issues. Florence
and neighboring cities such as Bologna and Pisa regularly offer
film festivals, art exhibitions, book presentations and academic
lectures in this field. Syracuse students can take advantage
of such events to meet senior scholars and Italian students.
In
Italy, government funding supports a number of local and national
agencies devoted to the defense of women (from battered housewives
to illegal immigrants to prostitutes). Other agencies are
dedicated to gay and lesbian rights. The activities of these
agencies range from free range from free medical services and legal
aid to the support of cultural events and historical research.
Learning opportunities in the form of internships are available
for credit with a variety of such organizations, as well as with
specialized libraries, museums, government offices, schools and
institutions of higher learning.
Internships are
ideal for students who wish to study, first hand, cross-cultural
aspects of the social and cultural roles occupied by and articulated
by gender. At the same time, students can accumulate professional
experience for careers in education, social services, government,
communications, and other areas.
Contact:
Dr. Sara F. Matthews-Grieco
Professor of History & Coordinator,
Women's and Gender Studies,
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Faculty Associate:
Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs & Women's Studies Program.
Syracuse University, 15 Piazza Savonarola,
Firenze 50132, ITALY
tel: (+39) 055.50.31.321 / 334
fax: (+39) 055.500.05.31
Email: sfmatthe@syr.fi.it
WGS Faculty and Courses
ONLINE RESOURCES for
Women's and Gender Studies |
