Centre for Women's Studies

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Founded in 1984, the Centre for Women's Studies at York (CWS) is among the most well-established bases for feminist and gender-oriented teaching and research, both in the UK and internationally. We adopt a women-centred and interdisciplinary approach to the changing nature of both women's experiences and gender relations. By drawing on a range of disciplines - cultural studies, history, literature, philosophy, politics, sociology, social policy - we explore the differing perspectives each has to offer, as well as the creative tensions between them.

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Postgraduate taught

MA in Women's Studies

MA in Women's Studies (Humanities)

MA in Women, Violence and Conflict

GEMMA: Erasmus Mundus MA in Women's & Gender Studies

Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate courses

Twitter updates

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Research

MPhil and PhD Women's Studies

MA in Women's Studies (by Research)

Our research students

Events

Wed

Oct

Critical Relationality & the Biomythographical Subject Re-envisioning Resistance & Representation in Black/Working Class Lesbian Feminist US Literature (1978-1992)

R M Lewis is a mixed race, working class, lesbian feminist activist whose political and arts activism spans over 25 years. She currently manages violence against women and girls’ services for black and minority women in the North East of England. R M Lewis is currently completing her PhD at Durham University, having earned her Masters in Research there in 2016. Her research focuses on the development of biomythographical black/working-class lesbian feminist literature in the US between 1978 and 1992.

Wed

Oct

Critical Relationality & the Biomythographical Subject Re-envisioning Resistance & Representation in Black/Working Class Lesbian Feminist US Literature (1978-1992)

News

GEMMA applications are now open

Posted on Thursday 18 April 2019

Applications for MA Women's and Gender Studies (GEMMA) are now open.

Telling Feminist Stories: Research and Activism Around the World

Posted on Wednesday 6 March 2019

CWS is pleased to have hosted a very successful afternoon of talks on 2 March 2019, in conjunction with York International Women's Week. The event featured one of the Centre's lecturers and eight PhD researchers sharing 10-minute talks about their research on local and global issues affecting women today. Speakers presented to a sold out event at York's city-centre York Explore Library and also had the chance to engage in lively Q&A sessions with the audience.

GEMMA Erasmus Mundus Scholarship

Posted on Sunday 13 January 2019

Erasmus Mundus Scholarships for the MA in Gender and Women's Studies (GEMMA) is now open. The scholarships will fund the tuition fees, participation cost and a contribution to subsistence / travel costs. These scholarships are open to all eligible International students.

More news

What our students say

"Make the most of your time at this great centre - the more you put in the more you'll get out of it (and the sky's the limit for that)!" - Lotika (former PhD student)

Read more students' experiences at the CWS.