Arizona State University students can receive extra credit for defying gender -- specific norms on body hair, Campus Reform reported.

Breanne Fahs, associate professor of women and gender studies at Arizona State University, is offering extra credit to all female students who opt not to shave any body hair below the neck, and to male students who shave all of their body hair below the neck throughout a to-week period.

"There's no better way to learn about societal norms than to violate them and see how people react," Fahs told ASU News. "There's really no reason why the choice to shave, or not, should be a big deal. But it is, as the students tend to find out quickly."

Student Stephanie Robinson told ASU News that the experience was "life changing."  

"Many of my friends didn't want to work out next to me or hear about the assignment, and my mother was distraught at the idea that I would be getting married in a white dress with armpit hair," Robinson said. "I also noticed the looks on faces of strangers and people around campus who seemed utterly disgusted by my body hair. It definitely made me realize that if you're not strictly adhering to socially prescribed gender roles, your body becomes a site for contestation and public opinion."

Fahs said the experiment illustrates social issues with gender roles. She noted that the act of rebellion isn't quite the same for males as females, as some male students have come up with strategies to add "a macho" element to the project.

"One guy did his shaving with a buck knife," Fahs said. "Male students tend to adopt the attitude of, 'I'm a man; I can do what I want."

Participant and student Jaqueline Gonzalez credits the body hair peoject with helping to shape her into the activist she is today.

"The experience helped me better understand how pervasive gendered socialization is in our culture," Gonzalez told ASU News. "Furthermore, by doing this kind of activist project I was no longer an armchair activist theorizing in the classroom. So much is learned by actually taking part in the theory or idea we learn in the classroom, and we could benefit from this type of pedagogy being taken up by similar classes."

Fahs is the Director of the Center for Feminist Research on Gender and Sexuality Group at the university and has been very active in women's issues. She's had articles published in outlets such as Feminism & Psychology, Psychology of Women Quarterly and Gender and Society.