# gender studies

> interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation

**Wikidata**: [Q1662673](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1662673)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_studies)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gender-studies

## Summary
Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analyzing gender identity and gendered representation. It is closely related to the academic discipline of study and encompasses sub-fields such as women's studies, men's studies, queer studies, and gender archaeology.

## Key Facts
- **Definition**: Interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation.
- **Alternative Names**: Gender research, gender theory, LGBT+ research.
- **Parent Fields**: Cultural studies, sociology, women's studies, feminist theory, gender archaeology, men's studies, language and gender, sociology of gender, queer studies, intersectionality.
- **Sub-fields**: Gender archaeology, women's studies, men's studies, queer studies.
- **Wikipedia Title**: Gender studies.
- **Sitelink Count**: 57.

## FAQs
**What academic fields are related to gender studies?**
Gender studies is related to cultural studies, sociology, women's studies, feminist theory, men's studies, language and gender, sociology of gender, queer studies, and intersectionality. It is considered a sub-field or part of many of these disciplines.

**What sub-fields does gender studies contain?**
The field contains specific areas of study including gender archaeology, women's studies, men's studies, and queer studies.

**Who are some key figures associated with gender studies?**
The field is associated with a wide range of scholars including Judith Butler, Evelyn Fox Keller, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Donna Haraway, and many others across history, sociology, philosophy, and literature.

## Why It Matters
Gender studies serves as a critical interdisciplinary hub that connects various academic disciplines such as sociology, cultural studies, and archaeology. By analyzing gender identity and representation, it provides the theoretical foundation for specialized sub-fields like queer studies and women's studies. The field influences a broad spectrum of scholarship, evidenced by its connection to hundreds of scholars, activists, and writers worldwide who contribute to the understanding of gender, sexuality, and social structures.

## Notable For
- Being an interdisciplinary field that bridges sociology, cultural studies, and the humanities.
- Encompassing diverse sub-fields ranging from gender archaeology to queer studies.
- Connecting a vast network of scholars, including philosophers, sociologists, historians, and activists.
- Serving as a primary academic focus for prominent theorists like Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, and Donna Haraway.

## Body

### Academic Context and Classification
Gender studies is classified as an interdisciplinary academic field. It sits at the intersection of several major disciplines. It is a part of **cultural studies** (defined as an academic field of critical theory and literary criticism) and **sociology** (the social science that studies human society and its development). It is also closely linked to **women's studies**, an interdisciplinary field exploring politics, society, media, and history from women's and/or feminist perspectives, and **feminist theory**, the extension of feminism into theoretical and philosophical discourse.

The field also overlaps with **gender archaeology** (an archaeological sub-discipline), **men's studies** (an interdisciplinary field exploring politics, society, and history from men's perspectives), **language and gender** (a sociolinguistics area of study), **sociology of gender** (a subfield of sociology), **queer studies** (an academic discipline), and **intersectionality** (a theoretical framework of multidimensional oppression).

### Sub-fields and Structure
Gender studies acts as an umbrella for several distinct academic disciplines. It contains **gender archaeology**, **women's studies**, **men's studies**, and **queer studies**.

### Associated Scholars and Figures
The field is deeply connected to a wide array of academics, writers, and theorists.

**Philosophers and Theorists:**
Prominent figures include **Judith Butler** (American feminist gender studies philosopher), **Evelyn Fox Keller** (American physicist, author, and feminist), **Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick** (American scholar of queer theory), **Donna Haraway** (American philosopher and scholar in science and technology studies), **Nancy Fraser**, **Seyla Benhabib**, **Avital Ronell**, **Iris Marion Young**, and **Claire Colebrook**. Other notable theorists include **Teresa de Lauretis**, **Rosi Braidotti**, **Luce Irigaray**, **Drucilla Cornell**, and **Silvia Federici**.

**Sociologists and Anthropologists:**
Key sociologists include **Raewyn Connell**, **Patricia Hill Collins**, **Nancy J. Chodorow**, **Michael Flood**, **Johanna Brenner**, **Chizuko Ueno**, and **Eva Lundgren**. Anthropologists in the field include **Saba Mahmood**, **Esther Newton**, **Gilbert Herdt**, and **Elizabeth Povinelli**.

**Historians:**
Historians connected to the field include **Erika Weinzierl**, **Gisela Bock**, **John D'Emilio**, **Marilyn Yalom**, **Nancy F. Cott**, **Judith M. Bennett**, **Leila Ahmed**, **Afsaneh Najmabadi**, **Marija Gimbutas**, and **Joan Scott**.

**Writers and Authors:**
The field intersects with literature through figures like **Samuel R. Delany**, **Andrea Dworkin**, **Joanna Russ**, **Monique Wittig**, **Gloria Anzaldúa**, **bell hooks**, **Kate Bornstein**, **Julia Serano**, and **Ryka Aoki**.

**Activists and Public Intellectuals:**
Figures include **Germaine Greer**, **Catharine MacKinnon**, **Caroline Criado-Perez**, **Erin Pizzey**, **Jack Nichols**, and **Dede Oetomo**.

### Research Institutions
The **African Gender Institute** is a research institute related to the field, headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa.

### Global and Cultural Scope
The related entities reflect a global scope, including scholars from diverse nationalities such as **Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí** (Nigeria), **Fatema Mernissi** (Morocco), **Necla Kelek** (Turco-German), **Jiřina Šiklová** (Czech), **Majlinda Bregu** (Albania), and **Gloria Wekker** (Surinamese-Dutch). This highlights the field's application and study across different cultural contexts, including research on the Middle East by **Margot Badran** and **Janet Afary**.

## References

1. [Source](https://lingualibre.org/wiki/Q828971)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. YSO-Wikidata mapping project
4. BabelNet
5. Quora
6. ASC Leiden Thesaurus dataset of 5 June 2018
7. [Source](https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/1297.02008?OpenDocument)
8. FactGrid
9. KBpedia
10. [Source](https://vocabs.ardc.edu.au/viewById/316)
11. All Science Journal Classification Codes
12. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)