If you were a female student given the opportunity to get extra course credits for growing your underarm hair, would you take it?

What about if you're male and were offered extra credits for shaving from the neck down?

These were the offers made to students studying women and gender studies at Arizona State University (ASA) in America.

Breanne Fahs, associate professor of women and gender studies at the university, leads the 10 week exercise that asks female students to stop shaving in exchange for course credits.

Fahs says that growing female body hair is the best way to understand and to challenge "societal norms".

She says: "There's no better way to learn about societal norms than to violate them and see how people react.

"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."

Male students who take part are given the assignment to shave all their body hair from the neck down and to maintain it for the full 10 weeks.

Fahs says this makes the process labor-intensive and gives men insight into what women who shave go through.

All students involved keep journals to document their experiences as the programme progresses.

Grace Scale, a student at ASU who has taken part in the 10 week challenge, found the responses of friends interesting.

She says: "One of my dearest friends – at the time – compared my underarm hair to 'the sludge in the bottom of the garbage can'."

Stephanie Robinson, another student who took part in the programme, found the experience "life-changing". But she also noticed people's negative reactions. She says:

"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.

"I also noticed the looks on the faces of strangers and people around campus who seemed disgusted by my body hair. It 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."

It's not just students fighting the norms and growing their hair – next month Armpits4August will encourage women to grow out their armpit hair to challenge notions of female beauty.

"Let it grow, let it flow, let it go," says the Armpits4August website.

• What do you think? Will you be challenging societal norms by taking part in Armpits4August? And how far would you go for extra course credits? Let us know in the comment section below.