I wonder whether the tiny atoms and nuclei, or the mathematical symbols, or the DNA molecules have any preference for either masculine or feminine treatment,
observed Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu in October of 1964 as she as a female scientist was excluded from being honored with the Nobel Prize from her work in beta decay and weak interaction physics. Within her lifetime Wu received many honors for her scientific pursuits, whether it was being the only Chinese scientist involved with The Manhattan Project to being the first woman as president of the American Physical Society.
More women are going to college in the United States, where at Carlow University in Pennsylvania, women outnumber men in admission rates by six to one. Up until the 1970s trends showed more men going to college, but this trend has reversed ever since. It’s been predicted that by 2026, 57% of college students will be women according to Inside Higher Ed. Going away and studying at a college or university is both an exciting and nerve-wracking time for anyone, as maintaining an institutional reputation while being independent is challenging. Securing a future and a career with scholarships, internships, and a job right out of graduating has one entering the real world.
There may be certain nuances in explaining the learning abilities of male and female students, as it’s appearing that male students are the new college minority. It’s been found that men’s retention rates in reading is slower than females and begin as early as kindergarten, which could then lead to overall motivation of wanting to be in college or not. This could then contribute to the fact of there being more women in college than men, that coupled by retention rates being slower in men during primary school that later economic forces and role models making a career without a degree have men convinced that pursuing a degree of their own is not worth time and money. (The Atlantic) It’s ultimately to be remembered though that one’s chances of earning increases by 56% with having a Bachelors degree.
Within colleges and institutions themselves, women seem to be doing a lot more than men.
We find strong evidence that, on average, women faculty perform more service than male faculty in academia, and that the service differential is driven particularly by participation in internal rather than external service,
according to the paper entitled “Faculty Service Loads and Gender: Are Women Taking Care of the Academic Family?” that examined the roles of women in academia, and was published in Research in Higher Education.
Professors Cassandra Guarino and Victor M. H. Borden in their research had 40% of their data sample be from tenured or tenured, tracked faculty members from four year colleges or universities, where it was found that instead of these female faculty members devoting their time to their own academic pursuits, that they spend this time advancing the mission of the institution. (Inside Higher Ed) It’s a common belief that women have more of a “third eye” and can multitask way more than men can, where seeing instances of this in academia seems imbalanced to me.
While not a rant on men and women roles in America, data and learning styles could emphasize the sentiment of all of us doing a lot more in having a conversation that no one else is having.
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