Patai and Koertge expose the problems in the Women's Studies programs in universities and colleges across the country. They include comments from thirty feminist professors and several Women's Studies students.
One of the problems these authors found with the Women's Studies programs is that professors are trying to keep men out of the programs. Professors claimed male students are defensive, question feminism, and their authority in the classroom. Male students who do not accept feminism are automatically called sexist. Patai and Koertge say men's work in the feminist movement are ignored because feminists think that men would harm the feminist movement. They learned that some professors believe the women's studies programs would be better off without male students.
Patai and Koertge surveyed students at a university and found students views changed after taking some classes. At first students thought the classes would empower them and help create equality. Then when the students took the classes, they described the women's studies program as male-bashing, militant, and touchy-feely controlled by raging militant feminists.
Students also said that some professors ask students about their sexuality and tell them that everyone will become homosexual when the class ends. One female heterosexual student was asked to do an extra paper for punishment because she was heterosexual.
One professor went to the extremes of asking a male student to rewrite his paper because he used the word girls. The professor said using the word girls was unacceptable language and sexist.
One female student said, "I'm still a feminist, but that class can't be what feminism is all about. I went there looking for some answers, and all I found was the same old struggle for power and dominance."
Another reason why the programs are weak, the authors say, is that the professors are not required to research sociology, criminology, and economics even though they teach about it. The feminists are relying only on feminist writings for class lectures.
Another student said, "The issue of personal hygiene and what is correct has come up in so many classrooms. Why should anyone care whether you shave your legs or not? I wish it were different. Women's studies seems to get bogged down in pettiness sometimes. And that's just because it becomes repetitive- makeup, hair, appearance, what brand of tampons you use, if you use tampons, all that."
Patai and Koertge believe the programs have become seminaries and cadre training camps and should be recognized as such. Universities' roles shouldn't be to support them, the authors write.
Patai and Koertge conclude that the women's studies programs are poorly advised and harmful to women. On the other hand, they don't believe the women's studies programs should be destroyed. They would like to see the programs go back to their early beliefs of educating students about feminism without the male-bashing.
Professing Feminism is another example proving feminism must change to survive. If anything is going to change the management of women's studies programs, it will be Professing Feminism. Nothing is more powerful than your allies telling your ship went in the wrong direction.
Click here to order this book from Amazon.com.
Legislation * Library * Media * Public Opinion Polls * Statistics