Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!aero!ooblick@intercon.com From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry) Newsgroups: soc.feminism Subject: Re: Single Sex Colleges Message-ID: <1990Feb25.160458.1507@intercon.com> Date: 25 Feb 90 16:04:58 GMT References: <2412@randvax.UUCP> Sender: nadel@aerospace.aero.org Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Sterling, VA Lines: 20 Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org Karen brings up some interesting points. I am not surprised that soc.men and soc.women would be errupting with this now. My thoughts on the issue is that if there was equality, then separate schools for men and women would be wrong. However, as long as there is a power dichotomy, it is necessary to "even the odds" for those of us who are starting off from a weakened position. This is why the argument "if there are single sex colleges for women, there should also be for men" is actually an argument for giving those who already have the power the right to exclude. Case in point is the Virginia Military Academy where a *state* school is fighting an order to admit women. This is clearly a case of exclusion from power. On the other hand, an all women college would exclude men from attending, yet would not exclude them from a particular power base. Again, if there was an equal world out there, there would be no need for this type of additional help for women. Mikki Barry