transformed the field of women's studies by insisting that the
experiences, roles, and contributions of African-American, Latina,
and American Indian women become part of its curriculum.
A second key
feature of women's studies scholarship in the last decade is that
the field is increasingly international. This is due in part to the
attention to women's issues in the developing world that resulted
from the United Nations' Third Women's Conference in Nairobi,
Kenya, in 1985. The internationalization of women's studies is also
a result of improved communications, which have enabled scholars to
converse worldwide on topics of mutual and comparative
interest.
In the early
1990s, Foundation staff began a thorough review of its work in the
area of women's studies. As part of that review, we asked Dr.
Beverly Guy-Sheftall to update and expand upon the Stimpson report.
Dr. Guy-Sheftall had coedited a pioneering anthology of black
women's writing, Sturdy Black Bridges: Visions of Black Women in
Literature, in 1979. In 1981, while a professor of English and
women's studies at Spelman College, Dr. Guy-Sheftall founded the
first women's research and resource center at a predominantly black
college, and in 1983 she cofounded SAGE: A Scholarly Journal on
Black Women. She has written or edited five books and
anthologies, the most recent of which, Words of Fire: An
Anthology of African American Feminist Thought, was published
by the New Press in 1995. Dr. Guy-Sheftall completed her report in
1992, and in 1994 Susan Heath edited it for publication.
Dr.
Guy-Sheftall has brought passion about the field and formidable
knowledge of the range of scholarship in women's studies to this
assignment. In the opening section of her report, she outlines a
series of questions about how to measure the impact of women's
studies on the academy. Her answers are woven throughout the
report. The document emphasizes the importance of linking gender
issues to broader concerns about diversity on campus and recommends
building stronger bridges between women's studies and the new
initiatives sparked by ethnic studies and student interest in
multicultural curricula. Finally, Dr. Guy-Sheftall's extensive
bibliographic notes provide a road map for the current terrain of
women's studies to people both inside and outside the academy.
The Foundation
is pleased to make this report available to a broad public.
Susan V. Berresford
Executive Vice President