Good example of something that happens all the time, Miguel. Both male
and female professors do that. And yes, women's colleges do have male
professors. My school has 40% male professors. The big dynamic change
comes if there is a male in the class. We have an exchange program with
several other area colleges, and occasionally there will be a male or
two in a class. One female student related an experience where, for an
entire semester in her international relations class, the male professor
essentially engaged in a conversation with the single male student. The
male professor asked him all the questions, and he dominated the class
discussion. And by the way, even in women's colleges, male professors
make more money and are tenured faster. Yes, even in women's colleges.
I had one EXCELLENT male sociology professor, who related everything we
learned to women's issues (there were no men in that class.) I also had
a Russian politics professor, who was a visiting prof from Virginia
Military Institute, the epitomy of the patriarchy, who never mentioned
women's concerns (In Russia!). So it really depends. I only take
female professors if I can help it, because that's what I came here to
do. I'm also very disappointed to see men in my classes; women who go
to women's colleges are going into big time debt to have the opportunity
to be educated with and by other women, and bringing men into the
classroom totally changes the dynamic. Anyway, I'd have to have more
classes by men to give you a better report! I can say, however, that
all the new professors hired this year were men. My experience has been
far from perfect, but I think at a women's college I have it a hell of a
lot better than at a coed college! 60% women professors is a lot better
than most places...
Hayley
>I agree with Hayley on this. Most of what we do is ingrained within
us,
>and we can be sexist/ racist/ whatever without even meaning too. A
friend
>of mine related a great example to me recently. He had just finished a
>lecture on how teachers tend to favor men by asking more detailed
>questiuons of them, being more challenging to them, etc. While
dismissing
>women with an "ok" when they respond to a question. He then asked the
>class a question, a woman answered, and he replied to her-- "ok". He
>immediately realized what he had done, and said "I probably shouldn't
have
>said that..." This may have demonstrated to the class the
deep-rootedness
>of the problem, however. By the way, I found out that some women's
>schools have male teachers- is this strange? How do the class dynamics
>change?
> -Miguel
>
>______________________
>Miguel Ordorica
>Washington State Univ.
>Dept. of Sociology
>Wilson 206
>(509) 335-4595 (msg.)
>(509) 332-4442 (hme)
>______________________
>
>On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, Hayley Lynch wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> And as we see in our study of feminism, even the most well-meaning
and
>> professional professors are inherently sexist. When faced with a
class
>> of men and women, they favor the men. It's a sad truth, but a truth
>> nonetheless. It would be nice if the world was perfect, and good,
>> professional professors practiced equality all of the time. But it
just
>> doesn't happen. There is a subtle sexism in our society that is so
>> normal people don't even see it. But for me and for other feminists,
>> professionalism doesn't mask that sexism. We're all guilty, even the
>> most well-meaning professor.
>>
>> Hayley
>> >Well Randi, you are right--everyone is different. I agree
>> >with you wholeheartedly that there are certainly plenty of teachers
out
>> >there who are willing and able to teach both sexes and not be
>> distracted
>> >by either sex. I always thought that when I train people I do just
>> >that-I dont distinguish between who is male, who is female-I call
that
>> >professionalism.
>> >
>> >But as you said, each to one's own,
>> >
>> >Bertina
>> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> >
>> >On Mon, 1 Mar 1999, Randi Zimmerman (CAS) wrote:
>> >
>> >> If you want to read the whole article, the cut and paste really
>> works!
>> >> Sorry I seem so thrilled, it was my first time.
>> >>
>> >> If you don't want to go to the whole article, I just want to add
one
>> >> thing. Mary Daly specifically does not want men in her
classrooms,
>> she
>> >> doesn't refuse to teach men. Any man who wants what she has to
offer
>> can
>> >> and has taken independent studies with her. She feels that if
>> anything
>> >> the men get more of her time than the women do. Daly believes
that
>> men
>> >> detract from what she has to share with women in the classroom
>> setting.
>> >> Yes, maybe this sounds a lot like "men can't think about physics
when
>> >> women are in the room", but this is not the same as profs who deny
>> their
>> >> expertise to students based on their gender.
>> >>
>> >> On a personal note, I believe that we have enough teachers and
>> students in
>> >> the world to insure that various styles of learning be available.
>> What
>> >> works for one person, may or may not work for another. Why the
>> search for
>> >> one truth?
>> >>
>> >> Randi Zimmerman
>> >>
>> >> "In the process of infinate beginnings, even immortality is
mortal."
>> >> -- Trinh T. Minh-ha
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Here's an article recommended to you by Linda McAlister
>> >> from The Boston Globe Online [ http://www.boston.com/globe ]
>> >> ____________________________________________________________
>> >>
>> >> The following story appeared in The Globe Online:
>> >> Date: 02/25/99
>> >> Headline: At BC, class divisions
>> >> Story Intro:
>> >> After 25 years of teaching women-only classes at Boston College,
>> Mary Daly, a renowned radical feminist philosopher with a history of
>> sparking controversy, received an ultimatum from college
administrators:
>> Accept male students or stop teaching.
>> >> ____________________________________________________________
>> >>
>> >> If you're interested in the rest of this story point your
>> >> web browser to:
>> >>
>>
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/056/metro/At_BC__class_divisions+.shtml
>> >> (You can easily copy and paste the URL above into the
>> >> location line of your browser.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________
>> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
