Mon, 17 Oct 1994 09:30:50 -0700 for <socgrad@UCSD.EDU>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 1994 11:18:44 -0500 (CDT)
From: Michael Gibbons <mgibbons@cwis.unomaha.edu>
Subject: Re: non-participation
To: Melanie <mlowery@comp.uark.edu>
melanie,

i am drawing heavily from my own perceptions and my wife's experiences in
classrooms, but am certain that the differential gender reinforcement that
has been noted in grade and high schools is quite prevalent at our
universities as well.  Many of our professors at my last university made a
weighted attempt to increase female participation in classroom discussion,
and even with such prompting, reversing the ingrained habits of "shyness"
was difficult for them.  The difference was most notable between the
freshwomen and the senior women.  Of course many chose to remain "womanly"
and quiet, but many had become quite vocal.  This contrasts reasonably
starkly against my current university where it doesn't weem that
professors are encouraged to draw women out of their prescribed shells. 
Of course this university does not stress class discussion nearly as
heavily as my last one, and thus the quualitative difference in class
discussion is quite striking in most areas, including this one.

this does then bring up the correlative question that refers to the
differential gender treatment itself.  it is interesting to see how easily
feminist perogatives are misunderstood and percieved as threatening, and
this is no exception.  when women dominate the classroom, they have some
ax to grind, or some "chip on their shoulder" as you put it.  but to
observe the typical classroom, the rudeness of the male participants in
their disregard for what women have to say, or even their existence in
that academic setting at all is frightening. and of course this (typical)
domination of discussion is simply class participation, not at all rude or
pretentious.

finally, i would hope that this electronic forum will help to draw out
women thinkers who don't have to fear being interrupted or shouted over. 
only the occasionally obnoxious aftermath following her commentary.  even
the ability to get out a whole statement seems to be something regularly
denied women students and so this ought to be helpful at the first level.

sorry so long,
michael