In response to the disbanding of BYU’s Women’s Research Institute, announced October 29, 2009, a group of students, faculty, and others are petitioning administrators to create a Women’s Research Council.
Please take a moment to sign the petition, if you have not already been prompted to with the flurry of emails and facebook messages. The goal is 5,000 signatures by Monday evening. Last time I checked the site the number of signatures was only 551. . . . So, sign and spread the word, por favor!
A couple more links: A brief history of the Institute at Square Two and an account of one student’s experience with the Institute.
Finally, if you are in the area, try to make it down to Provo for what will be the Institute’s last Research Colloquium next Thursday, November 19, at 12:00 p.m. in 4188 JFSB. Rachel Cope will be speaking on early nineteenth-century women’s conversion experiences.
*Because I do not have time to rewrite the lyrics of the song to which I refer in my title, just pretend like the rest of the song reflects my initial feminist rallying cry.
A Women’s Research Institute does not focus exclusively on women, but on humanity.
Comment by Susan Goodier, PhD — November 15, 2009 @ 10:37 am
I think you mean Square Two. Anyone remember the real Square One?
Comment by Jon — November 15, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
Thanks for this reminder, Liz. I encourage you to finish rewriting the lyrics. I smell a hit!
Comment by Jared T. — November 15, 2009 @ 2:19 pm
[…] G.: Scholarly Inquiry: Mark Ashurt-McGeeJ. Stapley: Scholarly Inquiry: Mark Ashurt-McGeeJared T.: All the thinking ladies,Jon: All the thinking ladies,Susan Goodier, PhD: All the thinking ladies,Dane: Scholarly Inquiry: […]
Pingback by Juvenile Instructor » Events Reminders + Final [?] BYU Women’s Research Institue Event: Women and Conversion with Rachel Cope — November 15, 2009 @ 11:21 pm
ha!! Thanks, Jon!
Working on it, Jared . . . 😉
Comment by Elizabeth — November 15, 2009 @ 11:37 pm
When you imply that anyone disagreeing with you isn’t bothering to think, you sound like Obamabots and lose potentially sympathetic readers. Juvenile indeed.
Comment by Steve — November 16, 2009 @ 12:53 am
Steve, I can’t speak for Liz, but it’s clear to me that the title of this post is meant to be a light-hearted spoof of a rather popular song (in some circles anyway) and I may say, has been very effective in keeping this issue in my mind this weekend (the song’s been stuck in my head ever since this was posted!!) I suggest you lighten up a bit and take it for what it is.
Along the same lines, your “Obamabots” comment does exactly what you claim this post does–marginalize an opposing view point with name calling. Only your example is blatant where Liz’s is far from. Here at the JI we come from diverse backgrounds in all ways, including politically.
I hope you won’t take this as an attack, for it is not intended as such.
Comment by Jared T — November 16, 2009 @ 1:27 am
Dear Liz and other tireless workers on behalf of the most angelic part of the Mormon faith, Emma would encourage you. Ruth would encourage you. Jesus would encourage you. And there are millions of us on this planet who encourage you if they knew about this. I will forward it.
I know you realize that this purpose is great and has daunting challenges.
Comment by Adelaide Eldridge — November 16, 2009 @ 10:17 am
Steve, I was referring to this Emmeline B. Wells quote: “I believe in women,especially thinking women,” which appears on the banner of the WRI website. I doubt Wells intended that to mean that all thinking women shared the same opinion, political or otherwise. Presumably anyone reading this blog is a “thinking person” and can either accept or reject whatever they read.
Comment by Elizabeth — November 16, 2009 @ 10:37 am
I hope that Women?s Research Institute is eventually not eliminated!
Comment by J.M. — November 17, 2009 @ 2:25 pm
My wife receive her bachelors in social work from BYU. We were pretty upset when they eliminated that program. By the time BYU announces something, the decision has already been made long ago. The backlash against that decision made little difference. I fear this will be the case here.
That said, BYU’s decision to found women’s studies across campus and across disciplines sounds like a good idea. I work in feminist themes but I would likely not work through the WRI, so I think this new approach might encourage a wider range of feminist research on campus.
Now, I am new to teaching at BYU and I did not attend BYU as a student, so I have little institutional connection. I am curious if anyone else sees possible benefits to the new approach.
Comment by Chris H. — November 17, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
It may be a bit late, but I signed. When I was an undergrad at BYU, I wasn’t even aware of the WRI or the women’s studies minor. Had I known what I know now, I definitely would have done it. So, I think more communication and encouragement between departments is a good thing.
Comment by David G. — November 18, 2009 @ 11:21 am
[…] University of Illinois, David?s classic ?BYU Religion Made Me P*ke,? and Ardis?s call for signatures of support for the Women?s Research Institute at BYU. In response, another colleague argued that in each of these cases the issue in question directly […]
Pingback by Juvenile Instructor » The Responsibilities of History (and Historians) — September 1, 2010 @ 12:10 pm