thoughts on the WRI

I want to take minute to post on some thoughts I had while I was working today at the Women's Research Institute. The Institute is under a review by the administration, and I have been helping to gather information for it. I have learned more about the WRI than probably anyone else that has worked there, save the directors. As a part of the review we sent out letters asking people who have been involved with the WRI and the Women's Studies minor to answer some questions about how it has impacted them. Most of the answers were very positive. The WS minor has helped many women learn about themselves in the light of Heavenly Father's plan in a way probably no other class could, as well as prepare them for graduate work and relationships beyond college. Interestingly, many, many of the students went on to serve missions and/or complete graduate studies. The affiliates were grateful for the support the WRI has given to research that really wouldn't have an arena anywhere else on campus. But, one of the points that a few former students and affiliates brought up is the contradictory idea of having a real women's studies program at Brigham Young University. There are topics that the University won't want discussed in the academic/gospel perspective light that it teaches in. These are mostly hot topics such as abortion, LBGT/queer studies, feminist theory, or patriarchal hierarchy. The minor could never be made a major because of these limitations and what one professor called the vagaries of hiring faculty in the field. Yet, it is a necessary thing to have at a good, solid university due to the perspective it brings. The administration has always been down on the WRI, but think of the negative impact and publicity shutting it down would bring on BYU and the Church, especially when BYU has always had a problem with gender equality in education, female faculty, and such. I talked about it with some friends, and the same sorts of contradictions seem to exist in other fields, especially ones that could be considered generally liberal. Obviously, my work has affected me in more ways than paying for rent, groceries, and the cell phone bill.