Club of gender studies “Willow and Ash”

Coverage: Rostov Region

Type: Project

Description: The academic community Club of gender studies “Willow and Ash” is organised in the Institute of History and International Relations (department of the Southern Federal University). Our community seeks to bring together students and teachers of the Institute of History and International Relations and other departments involved in the study of gender studies in the humanities, as well as all those interested in gender issues. We hold a meeting every 2 weeks, we cooperate with teachers from other faculties of  the Southern Federal University. The main goals of this club are formation of students' cultural and professional competences related to preparation and protection of research papers in the field of gender studies, as well as development of skills of independent professional activity, including mastering the methodology of gender studies 

Examples of what we read and discuss: "The image of the Scottish witches", "The persecution of witches during the Russian Middle Ages", "Background to feminist ideas and the history of feminism of "The First Wave", "French philosophy of the XX century and feminist theory", "The Role of women in Ancient India according to the Mahabharata", "Constructing of “Vedic femininity”: the experience of included observation". 

On March, 8th we organized a round table on women's rights in Russia, at which the current problems of the Russian women's movement  were discussed, such as domestic violence, employment discrimination, the existence of patriarchal gender stereotypes, victim blaming.

Aims and objectives: 

1) to stimulate research activities in the field of gender studies;
2) support of interdisciplinary research projects related to the topic and issues of the club;
3) development of searching, collecting and information processing skills;
4) learning to conduct an academic discussion on a given topic, presenting the results of your own research, developing communication and presentation skills;
5) assistance in determining the scope of academic research, the formation of research topics;
6) popularization of gender studies among students and other community members.

Main activities:

1) presentations by participants with reports and academic messages (with subsequent discussion);
2) holding round tables where the monographs, articles, sources related to gender studies are discussed;
3) reports of invited researchers who are professionally engaged in gender studies both in history and in other humanities; 
4) assistance in preparation of interdisciplinary projects related to the theme of the club;
5) holding joint events with other academic student societies.