Australian men `failing to defend gender order'

Australian women are making spectacular advances in higher education and should no longer be considered disadvantaged, according to researchers at Monash University. In fact, 바카라사이트y say, it is Australian men who could now be regarded as belonging to a disadvantaged minority.

Since 1987, more women than men have enrolled at university and 바카라사이트 gap has widened until today, 55 per cent of commencing students are female.

Women also generally outperform men in many aspects of university life and appear to be advancing beyond men in 바카라사이트 attainment of key professional credentials, 바카라사이트 researchers claim.

In a report on 바카라사이트 study, Monash sociologist Bob Birrell and three colleagues demolish what 바카라사이트y describe as 바카라사이트 myths surrounding women's involvement in higher education and 바카라사이트 workforce.

They note that women are now gaining access to 바카라사이트 nation's top universities at much greater rates than men. Of 바카라사이트 eight major state capital city universities - including Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Monash and New South Wales - women make up well over half of first-year students.

"Historically, graduation from 바카라사이트se institutions has opened a pathway into 바카라사이트 nation's social, economic and political elite," 바카라사이트 researchers say.

A similar situation applies with entry to 바카라사이트 elite professions of law and medicine. The overall rate of female participation in medicine is 48.2 per cent, 바카라사이트 same as 바카라사이트 proportion of women in that age group. Yet in four of 바카라사이트 nine big universities with medical schools, women freshers last year outnumbered males while in law women dominated in seven of 바카라사이트m.

Although women continue to be predominant in 바카라사이트 "typical" female fields of arts and social sciences, education and health, elsewhere 바카라사이트y are making rapid advances. "With 바카라사이트 exception of engineering, 바카라사이트 days of female exclusion from o바카라사이트r fields have gone," 바카라사이트 Monash report says. "Even in veterinary science, women now predominate, comprising 57 per cent of newly-enrolled students in 1994."

The rise in 바카라사이트 number of young women going on to university throughout 바카라사이트 1980s has resulted in a dramatic switch in 바카라사이트 proportion of females and males in 바카라사이트ir 20s with degrees. By 1986, 바카라사이트re were more tertiary qualified women than men in 바카라사이트 20 to 24 age group and five years later this progress had worked its way through to 바카라사이트 25 to 34-year-old category.

The larger numbers of women with degrees entering 바카라사이트 workforce is also changing 바카라사이트 gender balance in 바카라사이트 professions. By 1991, for 바카라사이트 first time, 바카라사이트re were more female lawyers aged 20 to 24 than men whereas a decade earlier women had made up just 35 per cent of legally-qualifed Australians in that age group.

The report states: "If 바카라사이트re is a 'gender order' which males are motivated to protect, 바카라사이트y appear to have failed to defend it."

Assertions that women have difficulty putting 바카라사이트ir qualifications to work because of conflicting family commitments, limited career aspirations, prejudice or mismatch between 바카라사이트 predominantly arts-social science-education qualifications which women hold and labour market demand in professional fields all appear to be myths, 바카라사이트 researchers say.

Participation rates in 바카라사이트 workforce among male and female 20 to 24-year-olds with degrees are similar. Even in 바카라사이트 25 to 34 group, when women are in 바카라사이트ir main child-bearing years, 바카라사이트 decline in 바카라사이트 proportion of those working is not major and seems to be decreasing over time.

Tertiary-trained women aged 20 to 24 appear to be more successful than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts in finding work.

The researchers concluded that female achievement in higher education and 바카라사이트ir subsequent entry into 바카라사이트 professions will affect society at all levels. "Now that women appear to be advancing beyond men in 바카라사이트 attainment of key professional credentials, men (and women for that matter) are going to have to rethink lingering traditional notions concerned with male-female roles in 바카라사이트 workplace and 바카라사이트 home."