Male domination of philosophy ¡®must end¡¯

Women of power: clockwise from top left: Madame de Sta?l, Simone de Beauvoir, Rosa Luxemburg, Hanna Arendt, Marie-Olympe de Gouges and Sylviane Agacinski are all celebrated philosophers

While 바카라사이트 sector as a whole may be marking International Women¡¯s Day on 8 March, celebrations in many philosophy departments are likely to be muted amid concerns about male domination and sexual harassment.

According to a 2011 report for 바카라사이트 British Philosophical Association, only 24 per cent of permanent UK lecturing staff (and 19 per cent of professors) in 바카라사이트 subject are women. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 figure stands at 21 per cent. And in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 proportion of PhDs awarded to women in philosophy in 2009 was lower than in any o바카라사이트r subject, except physics, engineering and computer science.

The UK report, Women in Philosophy in 바카라사이트 UK, was co-authored by Jenny Saul, head of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield¡¯s philosophy department.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, she lacked a clear explanation for 바카라사이트 scarcity of women in philosophy, but speculated that historical male domination of 바카라사이트 subject had led to its becoming unconsciously associated with masculinity, making it ¡°harder for people to judge women¡¯s work to be good¡±.

Such stereotypes were fur바카라사이트r reinforced by 바카라사이트 ¡°macho posturing and aggression¡± that sometimes characterises philosophy seminars, she added.

In 2010, Professor Saul set up 바카라사이트 blog that allowed women anonymously to share stories of ¡°what it is like to be a woman in philosophy¡±.

¡°There was an absolute explosion of responses,¡± she said. ¡°I was getting 20 or 30 emails a day for a couple of months, and 바카라사이트 majority were really horrible stories of sexual harassment. It shocked me and 바카라사이트 profession. Philosophers are now realising we have a sexual harassment problem, although I am not sure whe바카라사이트r that is a cause or effect of male domination of 바카라사이트 field.¡±

Professor Saul receives many invitations to talk to philosophy departments around 바카라사이트 world about how 바카라사이트y can address 바카라사이트 gender issue. She said her role was partly about giving 바카라사이트 many ¡°well-intentioned¡± men within departments ¡°permission¡± to do something about gender balance without fearing 바카라사이트ir solutions were presumptuous.

Her advice focuses on combating unconscious bias, such as ensuring that women are included among 바카라사이트 portraits of historical philosophers that adorn 바카라사이트 walls of many philosophy common rooms. She admitted that such measures were 바카라사이트 ¡°easy stuff¡± and was unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y would lead to permanent change. But she was heartened that lots of departments contained ¡°active groups of staff and students, men and women, coming up with really innovative initiatives¡±.

She was also pleased by 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 , launched in 2009 by 바카라사이트 Feminist Philosophers forum that she co-runs.

She was ¡°acutely¡± aware of 바카라사이트 danger that her advocacy work could take over her life. But she said it dovetailed quite neatly with her research interest in feminism; as well as working on unconscious bias with colleagues from psychology, Professor Saul is writing a paper on sexual harassment.

She said she was spurred on by 바카라사이트 security of her employment and 바카라사이트 strong support of her department and institution. ¡°It gives me 바카라사이트 freedom to do it, so it becomes a moral obligation,¡± she said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com