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From: fester%math.Berkeley.EDU@violet.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: comp.society.women
Subject: Single sex science education
Summary: do you like my alliteration ? :-) :-)
Message-ID: <5726@ecsvax.uncecs.edu>
Date: 6 Sep 88 01:54:56 GMT
Sender: skyler@ecsvax.uncecs.edu
Organization: Math Dept., UC Berkeley
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Approved: skyler@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Moderator -- Trish Roberts)
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I've been trying to write a detailed article about the issue of
scientific education in all-female academic institutions, ever since
the issue was brought up about a month ago here.  But I seem to be
emotionally incapable right now of dealing with it in a public forum.
Nonetheless, I want to make one point, because all the other articles
were favorable and I have an important opposing viewpoint.

The problem with science education in an all-female environment is
that IF the predominant cultural attitudes are at play, there is NO
recourse for the female student.  What I mean by this is that if the
teachers are inclined to believe that women can't *really* do
math/science, they will teach at a lower level - and that will be the
sum of the education the girl/woman will receive.  The very expensive
and prestigious women's college I attended is plagued by this problem,
at least in the mathematics and physics department.  At a co-ed
school, a teacher who doesn't think women can do well in his/her field
nonetheless must lecture to a mixed crowd, and the level of the
coursework will correspondingly be higher.

A secondary point is that women's colleges are all colleges.  Among
coeducational institutions, there are many universities.  And it is
quite well known that in the sciences, it helps *enormously* to be in
a place where there is also a graduate program.  That way, when you
run out of advanced courses to take, you simply go on and take
graduate level classes.  (There are other benefits like possibly
becoming acquainted with older students and developing academically
helpful relationships, and so on, but I think the main point is being
able to learn much more in your field.  If anyone has anything to add,
please elaborate on this point.)

So at this point I feel compelled to add that it is not categorically
true that a science education at a given women's college is inferior,
especially since I know a counterexample (hey Karen, bet you never
thought of yourself as a counterexample :-) :-)) What IS categorically
true is that if this is the case, you are essentially stuck.  The type
of problems one might run into at a coed school, e.g. a blatantly
sexist teacher, are more easily solvable because you can drop the given
course and avoid that teacher for the rest of your career, if possible.
The really sick thing about being given an inferior education is
that there is no way for you to assess it, since until you have some
proficiency in a subject you don't have the capability of judging 
the calibre of a given education in it.  So at this point I'm not at
all sure I would recommend women's colleges, because although the 
environment is much more conducive to learning, the calibre of the
education may be poor.  Alas.


Lea Fester
fester@math.berkeley.edu
ucbvax!math!fester