Paper for Colloquium on 'Teaching of Woman's History'.

This paper is concerned with the status of women's studies or courses in women's history that are offered in the colleges and universities in the state of Alabama. The results of the inquiries of the author were less than positive. It appears that there are not programs offered in this area in Alabama at the present time, nor are any plans being made to offer such courses. Thus the author proposes several steps to be taken to alleviate the lack of women's programs in Alabama and the South in general. (1) The source material for women's history must be developed and publicized and made accessible to the professional public. (2) The secondary works in women's history must be further increased and publicized. (3) Interdisciplinary curricula must be formulated in the area of women's history. (4) It must be realized that women's history includes activities even of the extremist elements and generally across the entire spectrum of the feminist movement, not only past but the immediate present as well. (5) Course outlines for women's studies must be developed and plans made for educating the professors who must teach those courses. (HS)