Women's studies and the discourse of vocationalism: Some new perspectives

Abstract

Synopsis The transformation of western higher education systems within a broadly consumerist logic has generated a new focus upon the post-graduation marketability of individual fields of study. Only those subjects perceived to have strong links to identifiable labor market openings are labeled “vocational” and these are deemed by institutions and students alike to be more “relevant” and “rewarding” with respect to their future working lives. Within these discussions, the Women's Studies major is frequently characterized as “useless” and “nonvocational”, This paper explores the discourse of “vocationalism” as it circulates in and around the field of Women's Studies, arguing that the experiences of Women's Studies students and graduates, together with shifts in the contemporary labor market, suggest important ways of reconfiguring the meanings of the vocational with respect to Women's Studies. It represents findings from international surveys of more than 700 undergraduate Women's Studies students and from qualitative interviews with employers, careers advisors, and Women's Studies graduates.