The Trials & Tribulations of Being a Minority: Part I
This little tune, which I think comes
from some long-forgotten educational program, used to run through my head
frequently in lab and review sections for my physics classes. Was it that I was
the only one of twenty students wearing pink, or was it something else that made
me stand out?
A. "One of these things is not like
the other ones, one of these things is not quite the same?"
1. Explanation of the problem
This little tune, which I think comes from some long-forgotten educational program, used to run through my head frequently in lab and review sections for my physics classes. Was it that I was the only one of twenty students wearing pink, or was it something else that made me stand out? Sometimes being the only woman in a class could be amusing. I remember when the instructor for the optics lab announced that we would require a long human hair for our next laser experiment, and the other members of the class, all male, turned in unison to look expectantly at me.
But there are plenty of situations where students really don't want to stand out. Section meetings, in which students meet in groups of twenty or so with a teaching assistant, are a golden opportunity to have concepts or problem solving strategies that were unclear in lecture explained in greater depth and a more personal manner. Unfortunately, students always seem to suffer from the fear that they are the only one who doesn't understand something, and that if they dare to ask a question, they will be subjected to the scorn and derision of their peers for wasting everyone's time with such a foolish query.
This is a general problem which affects both male and female students. But as a woman in a physics class, I often felt that I ran a greater risk. After all, I reasoned, if a male student asked a stupid question, the other students might remember only that "some guy in the second row"was the stupid one. But if I asked a stupid question, it wouldn't be much of a strain on anyone's memory to recall that it was "the woman" (or maybe, "the blonde woman" as opposed to "the brunette woman") who asked it. This sense of heightened visibility makes it less likely that female students will ask questions, and as a result they will tend to be less comfortable that they truly understand the material.
Another factor operating in this situation is that everyone knows the stereotype of women being less talented in science. Even if there is no sign of overt sexism in class (and my experience has been that there is not), I think women do tend to think that they have to uphold the honor of their gender by not doing anything obviously imbecilic. Again, this reduces the likelihood that women will ask questions and get the instruction they need.
As a side note, it seems highly likely that similar dynamics affect male as well as female students who belong to "under-represented minority groups" (i.e., not white or Asian).
1. Explanation of the problem
This little tune, which I think comes from some long-forgotten educational program, used to run through my head frequently in lab and review sections for my physics classes. Was it that I was the only one of twenty students wearing pink, or was it something else that made me stand out? Sometimes being the only woman in a class could be amusing. I remember when the instructor for the optics lab announced that we would require a long human hair for our next laser experiment, and the other members of the class, all male, turned in unison to look expectantly at me.
But there are plenty of situations where students really don't want to stand out. Section meetings, in which students meet in groups of twenty or so with a teaching assistant, are a golden opportunity to have concepts or problem solving strategies that were unclear in lecture explained in greater depth and a more personal manner. Unfortunately, students always seem to suffer from the fear that they are the only one who doesn't understand something, and that if they dare to ask a question, they will be subjected to the scorn and derision of their peers for wasting everyone's time with such a foolish query.
This is a general problem which affects both male and female students. But as a woman in a physics class, I often felt that I ran a greater risk. After all, I reasoned, if a male student asked a stupid question, the other students might remember only that "some guy in the second row"was the stupid one. But if I asked a stupid question, it wouldn't be much of a strain on anyone's memory to recall that it was "the woman" (or maybe, "the blonde woman" as opposed to "the brunette woman") who asked it. This sense of heightened visibility makes it less likely that female students will ask questions, and as a result they will tend to be less comfortable that they truly understand the material.
Another factor operating in this situation is that everyone knows the stereotype of women being less talented in science. Even if there is no sign of overt sexism in class (and my experience has been that there is not), I think women do tend to think that they have to uphold the honor of their gender by not doing anything obviously imbecilic. Again, this reduces the likelihood that women will ask questions and get the instruction they need.
As a side note, it seems highly likely that similar dynamics affect male as well as female students who belong to "under-represented minority groups" (i.e., not white or Asian).
Posted: Wed - April 16, 2003 at 06:30 PM
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Published On: Nov 16, 2003 06:43 PM
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Published On: Nov 16, 2003 06:43 PM