Presentation given at Educating Women Conference . Christchurch University, Kent UK 18.07.2013. The presentation looks at on our findings from interviews with past students; focusing on the impact the courses had on their personal and public lives. It reports on on our findings from interviews with past students; focusing on the impact the courses had on their personal and public lives.

1. What’s happened to the gender
agenda?
The legacy of women’s/gender studies
Gill Kirkup, Liz Whitelegg and
Iris Rowbotham
Centre for Research for Education and Educational
Technology
The Open University

2. Structure of the presentation
• Then and now: contrasting the context of the times for
feminism and universities
• The courses, our students and staff
• Researching the legacy: methods and themes
• Themes:
– students’ lives
– impact of studying OU WGS
– present-day HE context and the place of
feminism
• Is there a place for WGS in the HE curriculum today?

3. 1980s and early 1990s
UK Feminism
• Active feminist political movement:
‘WLM’
• 20 yrs. since the publication of
Friedan’s ‘Feminine Mystique’
• UK 1970s Equal Pay and Equal
Opportunities legislation helped
increase educational and
employment opportunities for
women
• Many young self-identified feminists
• Young feminist scholars
• Feminism challenges established
thinking
• New career opportunities and
earning possibilities for women with
family responsibilities
• Sense of solidarity among women
over gender injustices
UK Higher Education
• Expansion of HE- ‘new’ universities
• High quality distance education
accepted (OU) - OU took first
students in 1971
• Increased recruitment of working
class staff and students to HE
• Increased recruitment of women
staff and students to HE
• Expansion of part-time HE
• Expansion of mature entrants
• Politicization of curriculum
• Development of interdisciplinary
courses

4. NOW: 2013
UK Feminism
• Feminism seen by many women as a
historic movement – 2nd
wave belongs
to 1970s
• Many young women believe they have
equality
• Feminist scholarship part of the
establishment
• Many feminist scholars near retirement
• Women in UK employed at similar
rates of activity as men – although
more women part-time.
• Liberal feminist ‘equality’ aims
generally socially accepted
• Structural inequalities still exist – some
are new
• Global Feminist activism around
violence, pornography, sexual
exploitation, war, trafficking in women,
genital mutilation
UK Higher Education
• Contraction of HE
• Student fees of up to £9,000 pa
• Reduction in mature entrants
• Contraction of curriculum
• Contraction of academic staff
numbers
• Fewer upwardly mobile students
• Drive to deliver vocational subjects
and employability
• Large % of overseas students
• Online and distance education
promoted across sector
• Increased use of technology for
teaching
• Encouragement of private/
commercial partnerships to deliver
HE

5. The Changing Experience of
Women

6. Issues in Women’s Studies

7. Student numbers - 1983 to 1999

8. Students’ Age/Gender on entry
U221 1983
Male = 8.6%
U207 1992
Male = 3.9%

9. Students’ Qualifications on entry
U221 1983 U207 1992

10. Method
•Total number of alumni from the cohort : 2,943
•Those giving email address invited to respond : 1,039
•Responded to email: 198 (19% response rate)
•From this cohort, 120 identified for more possible in-
depth work
•Random sampling produced 60 for interview

11. Current state of research project
• Currently:
–33 respondents have been interviewed
–7 declined to take part further
–12 did not respond
–4 had inactive email accounts
–6 remain to be interviewed
• Two of the respondents were male
• Data is being analysed using Thematic Analysis
• Earlier paper on setting up the courses: Kirkup and
Whitelegg (2013) ‘The legacy and impact of Open
University women's/gender studies: 30 years on’
Gender and Education, Vol 25, Issue 1

12. Theme 1: Our students’ lives
• Educational opportunities
• Family life and support
• Employment and life outside the family
• Students’ position on feminism

13. Theme 2 : Impact of the course
• Memories of specific content
• Personal is Political
• Impact on confidence and career
• Solidarity with other women
• Expectations of Social Change and the impact of
Feminism.

14. NOW: 2013
UK Feminism
• Feminism seen by many women as a
historic movement – 2nd
wave belongs
to 1970s
• Many young women believe they have
equality
• Feminist scholarship part of the
establishment
• Many feminist scholars near retirement
• Women in UK employed at similar
rates of activity as men – although
more women part-time.
• Liberal feminist ‘equality’ aims
generally socially accepted
• Structural inequalities still exist – some
are new
• Global Feminist activism around
violence, pornography, sexual
exploitation, war, trafficking in women,
genital mutilation
UK Higher Education
• Contraction of HE
• Student fees of up to £9,000 pa
• Reduction in mature entrants
• Contraction of curriculum
• Contraction of academic staff
numbers
• Fewer upwardly mobile students
• Drive to deliver vocational subjects
and employability
• Large % of overseas students
• Online and distance education
promoted across sector
• Increased use of technology for
teaching
• Encouragement of private/
commercial partnerships to deliver
HE

15. What might role might an
undergraduate interdisciplinary
feminist course play in 2013?
• Who are the audience?
• What do they need?
• What are the issues it should address?
• How would the course relate to activism?
–To which movements/organisations
–And what role would it play