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Women's Studies

The study of women and gender.

Manuscript and archival collections

Papers of individual women

Print collections

Rare Books Collection
The Rare Books Collection contains many historical items related to the subject of Women's History. The holdings document a wide variety of topics, including: international feminism, minority women, women artists, women and religion, sexual identity, female health, and body image. General keyword searches in OneSearch include: "women's rights," "suffrage," "fem*" (for female, feminist, etc.), "girl*,""wom*n,""lad*," and "mother." " Once you have results, look under "Tweak my results" and limit your location to "Special Collections." 

Many books in Special Collections are related to Second-Wave Feminism, particularly donations by Bonnie Zimmerman. Specific topics include: patriarchy, lesbianism, class and feminism, and women's writing. Use the advanced search in OneSearch, with subject terms "lesbianism," "feminism," "gender" "sexism," or "sex role," while limiting the location to “Special Collections” once you have results.
 
University Archives Periodicals
The University Archives Periodicals includes several campus newsletters related to women's studies topics such as: women in academia, women in administration, child care, and on-campus women's groups. Ask in Special Collections for help finding these resources.
 
Masters Theses
Many San Diego State University Masters' Theses relate to social work, sexism in language, and analyses of the portrayal of women in literature and art. Using the advanced search in OneSearch, input the subject term "women's studies" and limiting the location to "Special Collections" once you have results will pull up the entire collection of Masters Theses from the SDSU Women's Studies Department. Of particular note is Sara Beth Foulkes' 2007 thesis entitled "Coalitions, Collaborations, and Conflicts: the History of Women's Studies at San Diego State University from 1969-1974," which documents the development of the SDSU Women's Studies Department.

Graphic and ephemera collections