There has been a lot of commentary lately on how females are outperforming males in school. We’ve published a couple of them on our Opinion pages, including an op-ed Sunday by Kathleen Parker. The New York Times also recently reported: “Department of Education statistics show that men, whatever their race or socioeconomic group, are less likely than women to get bachelor’s degrees — and among those who do, fewer complete their degrees in four or five years. Men also get worse grades than women. And in two national studies, college men reported that they studied less and socialized more than their female classmates.” The Times also reported this week that male students are becoming such a minority on some college campuses that some schools are starting up football programs to increase male enrollment.
Is male academic achievement a problem that needs fixing — such as by adjusting teaching techniques to better match male learning styles? Or is it, as columnist Rowland Nethaway suggested, “time for American males, who have traditionally run society to suit themselves, to get a taste of their own medicine”?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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23 Comments
I don’t think it is that at all. Traditional male professions do not require college degrees.
Manufacturing, technicians, manual labor and construction, sales, mechanics and maintenance, and etc. These are tradionally skill trades done by OTJ or technical schools.
A greater percentage of women are going to college and getting their degree, but how many of them are actually holding job position that require degrees? Then we get the glass ceiling fight.
I remember a socialogist professor at WSU once showed us a graph about the American workforce. It showed the number of jobs created in a certain field, how many required higher education, and then compared to how many students graduate every year in the USA.
The numbers didn’t add up. Meaning that there were a whole lot of college graduates then their were jobs for them. A number ratio that was like 2/3 of college graduates in a given year that found employement would be working in a position that did not require a degree.
Some people think we need to look at revamping our educational system. The tradional college model might be need to be re-thought rather than keeping the same tradional style.
When someone proposes the “is it biased” question there is a simple test. Replace the affected group with a different group. Would the proponents/opponents hold the same position. NY Times – Nope. Insert the group black/women/Muslim and suddenly you have a major civil rights issue. Nethaway – unknown. Given his commentary I would say if it was anyone but white males he would have a problem. Parker – I’m not sure. The Wichita Eagle – Nope. They can’t even use a picture of a male college student in a blog about males in college.
Women have been the beneficiaries of various affirmative action programs for some time now. This is evidence that at the very least such programs are outdated or no longer necessary. Besides being wrong.
Women have been the beneficiaries of various affirmative action programs for some time now. This is evidence that at the very least such programs are outdated or no longer necessary. Besides being wrong.
Your right proudman women should be hired according to breast size, don’t ya think?
cheney jr.,Shouldn’t you be out hunting something with dad?
jmw that was sarcasm look up the concept in the dictionary sweet cheeks.
ch sr.And mine wasn’t? I gotta put a smiley face on everything I post that smacks of sarcasm? Please double check that gun: make sure it’s unloaded before you go hunting.
Uhhh, is there a competition or something between men and women? Someone please put me in my place if I’ve missed something, but does it really matter if women are outperforming men in college? Most women I know are smarter than me (I know that’s not saying much) but I have no problem with that. On the most part society has treated them as inferior since the dawn of time so it’s about time they recognized their potential.
Wow, ‘07! I applaud you!
Joe Williams, you and the professor may well be right. But remember, a college education isn’t just an employment ticket. And yes, I’m a liberal arts major (English lit), but I am a firm believer that college is to learn how to think and look around. If all you are going to college for, and a lot of people fit that category, is a way to find a job, maybe you should just check out a good trade school somewhere.
Women have evolved out of necessity, because the days of getting married and having a man take care of you are long gone. Any woman with half a brain knows that depending on someone else for your financial well being is a dangerous way to live.Birth control has also given women freedom that they’ve never had before. Now we can choose how many kids we have, or have none at all, and fathers are picking up more of the slack when it comes to child rearing and household responsibilities. Why shouldn’t we be educated, achieve, and make money? We have all sorts of opportunity that our moms (remember, I’m 53) never had.
Mary, you are so right. When I was graduating from high school, a female’s choice of careers was limited to a handful. Marriage and motherhood, secretarial, nursing, cosmetology, teaching.
The world has finally opened up to women. Hallelujah!
You got it, sister! Remember the song “You better look out ‘cuz now I got the pill!!”
Dennis you are right, but many people think that by going to college they will graduate with a $100,000 Job waiting for them.
People say go to college to get a good job. People don’t say, go to college to get a good rounded educational experience.
Well said, Joe.The problem is that too many kids graduate from college with NO real world experience, and then think they know everything because that’s what some professor told them.
Mr.C,
I disagree a tad bit with you. I don’t think it’s because a college professor told them, I think it’s because that’s what they’ve been told most of their lives. Basically, a degree will get you anywhere and everything.
With the outsourcing of even white-collar jobs, even those with degrees are having a hard time. That and the rapid increase in technology. Many can’t keep up.
As I said, I’m a liberal arts major and I ain’t a’ changin’ my stance.
Good luck earning a living, Dennis. You’ll need a skill if you want to live above the poverty level. College is fine and dandy, but you’re right, it certainly won’t guarantee you a six figure salary.
While I was at WSU and well over half of the students were there because they needed a piece of paper so they could get the high pay, low work job they were promised. I had met a lot of students and very few were there because they wanted to learn. The students I who did want to learn were mostly women. That may explain the results.
After reading the above postings, another factor occurs to me. That is the many young American males and females who are presently serving in military service whether it be active duty or reserves.
I suspect this large number of young people in military service somehow skews the numbers mentioned in the original commentary by Phillip Brownlee.
Actually Mary, I have made a comfortable living over the years with my liberal arts degree. I’m not rich, but I pay my bills and even have a little left over. And I wasn’t an English teacher, although I briefly considered it once.
My son in law is getting his teaching degree. I wish teachers got paid more because it’s the most important job anyone can have, other than being a parent, and that doesn’t pay anything either.
Actually, the people I know who have real money (other than doctors) are not the ones with an education, they’re the ones who take risks, work really hard, and have the tenacity to stick with something until they become successful. It’s all in the attitude. Anyone can make a good living if they’re willing to work hard at it.
I hope that girls do not perform better than boys in the worlk world and overall in society that really would be disheartning. The basic nature of women is to want to be supported and cared for while the basic nature of men is to go out and acheive and perform. Women dont even have any natural intrest in making money or ahceiving, so if they can do so better when men it is just plain sad. ALso thier is nothing in our culture or our physical make up that suggest women should really be equal to, or better than men