Meet Amy: Amy is studying Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts, majoring in public relations. Initially wanting to take a unit of study on a topic for enjoyment, studying Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) ended up becoming the most revelatory unit.
Can you tell us why you chose to study Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS)?
Amy: Being a female, and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I was interested in learning more about the context and history that has shaped what it is like to be living as this person in this time.
What did you like the most about studying GSS at Deakin?
Amy: Though I found the whole unit very interesting, it was learning more about the experiences of the Indigenous Australian community that I found particularly thought provoking, as it really made me step back and examine my privilege in a way I hadn’t fully done before. It was a revelatory experience for me.
Was there anything you learned in GSS that you weren’t expecting to learn when you first came to GSS?
Amy: I did one of my essays for this unit on the Broadway musical Rent and how it portrayed the HIV/AIDS crisis; I wouldn’t have thought that my love of music theatre would get to overlap with me learning about such a difficult time for the LGBTQIA+ community. It definitely helped reexamine the material in another way. I would also say it taught me more about myself and helped me articulate my beliefs.
It was learning more about the experiences of the Indigenous Australian community that I found particularly thought provoking, as it really made me step back and examine my privilege in a way I hadn’t fully done before. It was a revelatory experience for me.
How does GSS relate to your study in other areas?
Amy: I am majoring in Public Relations, and also completing a Business degree. GSS was initially a unit that I wanted to take so that I had one I personally really enjoyed, but it ended up becoming the most revelatory in that semester and also helped with how I related to topics in other units.
How do you think GSS will help you in your career?
Amy: As someone who is really interested in helping people, I think that GSS really helped me to see things from different points of view. It also enabled me to understand context of why certain things are the way they are. This has already begun to push me to proactively want to try to change things. I believe it will prove valuable in also applying this knowledge in aspects of my career, such as how I approach certain tasks.
Who do you think would enjoy studying GSS?
Amy: I think that anyone who wants to learn more about feminism, gender politics and gender norms should study GSS; I also believe that anyone who just wants to really see things from a different perspective would enjoy GSS.
Amy is studying Deakin University’s Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts.
For more information about studying Gender and Sexuality Studies as a major visit www.deakin.edu.au/courses/major/gender-and-sexuality-studies-bachelor-arts and the Gender and Sexuality Studies blog.