Though more women enter college, some majors remain unequal
Though Marisa Hagney attends a school with more women than men, when she steps into an architecture class she immediately becomes a stark minority in a sea of males.
“On occasions you still hear those sexist jokes,” Hagney said. “But it’s just stupid boys.”
The number of women enrolling in higher education has been constantly rising and actually surpassed the number of men in 1991, according to a study by the Population Reference Bureau. WSU follows this trend with a student body that is 53 percent female. Simple math would predict all majors would have close to an equal number of men and women because of this, but even with this higher ratio there are still many concentrations that overwhelmingly draw men to classes, particularly in math and science.
Pamela Thoma, a WSU women’s studies professor, said that “old models” of structures that still exist in society and academia are the causes of this inequality, rather than aptitude or ability.
“The social value that all women should have kids is still very prevalent, and social and cultural myths that some careers won’t let you do that are still accepted,” Thoma said.
Hagney also adds that stereotypes that say what men and women are “supposed to be good at” feed these social structures and allow some majors to exclude genders. She estimates her architecture classes and many prerequisites for them were less than one-third female.
“Some people automatically assume girls aren’t good at math or science, even some girls themselves,” Hagney said. “So some women don’t even try to interest themselves in those classes.”
Thoma also said that the professors themselves can help perpetuate a single gender majority in certain concentrations of study.
“Academia itself is unfriendly to families, the time commitment being one among many reasons, so fewer women strive to become professors in general,” she said. “Students notice this.”
Hagney said almost all of her architecture professors have been men, and that they do sometimes pick male favorites.
Amy McIntosh, a junior pre-nursing major, is on the other end of the spectrum.
“In the two and a half years I’ve been in WSU, I’ve only known one guy that was a nursing major,” McIntosh said.
She said her choice to enter nursing rather than take the pre-medicine route wasn’t pressured by society because of her gender, but that the idea of a family in the future was an important factor.
“I knew I wanted to start a family earlier than I could if I went to medical school, and devote more time to my family when I’m working,” she said. “Of course having kids wasn’t the only reason I wanted to be a nurse, but it’s one of them.”
Thoma points out that it is nearly impossible to distinguish specific reasons why men and women choose different areas of study in general.
“There are layers upon layers of societal values, ideologies and cultural expectations that play a part,” she said. “And of course, what students are individually interested in is a very important factor.”
Thoma said there would be only positive changes if the trend of gender dominated majors ended.
“Academia and industries could become more creative, more inclusive,” she said. “It will open possibilities for everyone.”
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