Liberating or indoctrinating? Surveying students’ perceptions of a Womens’ and Gender Studies requirement

This article offers new insight into students’ responses to Womens’ and Gender Studies (WGS) classes by overcoming the self-selection bias hitherto inherent in the field. Exploring the experiences of 1406 students (770 women, 636 men) of a university with a WGS requirement across all study programmes, we examine the prevailing discourses on WGS, participants’ (dis)agreement as well as personal and professional benefits gained through WGS. Additionally, we evaluate the perceived value of WGS for themselves, in society, and of WGS opportunities in higher education. Findings reveal a gender bias regarding discourses, experience, benefit, and value, with 70.1% women and 32.4% men supporting the idea of WGS as a mandatory subject. Women’s support indicates a need for tools to negotiate gender issues, while men’s resistance serves to defend male privileges. We conclude that a requirement of WGS classes amplifies the potential for both – resistance and change.