Gender and Women’s Studies seeks to understand how gender makes a difference in the lives of everyone, everywhere. It explores how femininity and masculinity shape and are shaped by daily life, culture, and politics. Emphasizing the importance of historical and cross-cultural perspectives, UMBC’s Department of Gender and Women’s Studies critically examines the intersections of genders and sexualities with race, nation, class, and religion to make visible the structures of power that otherwise remain hidden.