Gender discrimination gone wild

Decolliber · 10-25-2004, 03:12 PM

I have to vent a little.
I teach at a major mid-west public university. I just discovered that a female colleague of mine received university funding for a conference where ONLY women are invited to give papers. The subject of the conference is nothing in particular to do with women, women's studies or anything remotely like that (actually it is on an aspect of mathematical modelling in social science). Men are allowed to attend, but only as audience members. Now this same colleague invited me to attend her conference. I would really like to tell her that the idea of a 100% gender quota at a conference is unprofessional, unscholarly and morally outrageous. I also suspect that it is illegal under any reasonable definition of affirmative action. But if I make a fuss I will simply be lableled the curmudgeonly old white male that I am. So here is my question; should I:
1. shut up and go to the conference, since it is a topic I find interesting
2. send her a polite email saying that I am not comfortable with the idea of a conference that is restricted to female paper presenters.
3. say nothing and not go
4. forget about it and get back to work on my 911
5. none of the above

concentric · 10-25-2004, 03:23 PM

How about 1 and 4 followed by 2 when the conference is over?

It really depends on how personally she'd take the issue, what your relationship is with her...

If I wanted to stop something like that from happening again, I'd take it up with the funding arm of the university administration vis a vis non-discrimination, not her personally.

JCM

dd74 · 10-25-2004, 03:32 PM

You won't find out if it's true gender discrimination until you or someone else holds the same type of conference for men only. If you receive no funding at that point, you might have a case.

As for right now: I'd grin and bear it. Go ahead and attend. Maybe she'll buy you dinner afterward.

928ram · 10-25-2004, 04:18 PM

I'd say 1 then 4 as long as there's nothing pressing on 4, or 3 then 4 if you've got new parts on the way. No matter what else, 4 is the most important; no?

Overpaid Slacker · 10-26-2004, 05:42 AM

Decoll -
Assuming you're right that only women are funded and allowed to present papers, it's not your colleague's fault that she's taken advantage of the situation -- hate the game, not the playa.

Had you submitted a paper or funding proposal that was declined? If you've no dog in this fight, I'd go easy on your colleague. You could mention the eerily discriminatory nature of the conference, but unless you're willing to escalate it to a federal case (so to speak), what's the point.

After all, they have these chyck-only dealies b/c most of 'em couldn't get their stuff presented/published if it was a meritocracy, open to all comers, regardless of gender.

JP

cmccuist · 10-26-2004, 06:03 AM

You can't let this go without responding. I would find out why only women were invited to present papers. Why do they feel compelled to solicit papers from women professors? Do they already have enough papers on the subject written by men?

If this is just a PC exercise to make women feel better about themselves then it's a bogus conference. If the conference organizers are genuinely interested in gaining a perspective from every angle and the female professors are underrepresented, then they may have a valid reason for excluding the men.

gaijinda · 10-26-2004, 06:11 AM

Offer a paper under a pseudonym. If accepted, shave your legs and buy a nice floral print dress and a string of pearls. Make sure and invite the student press and the local media. Somebody has got to stop these people...

Decolliber · 10-26-2004, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gaijinda
Offer a paper under a pseudonym. If accepted, shave your legs and buy a nice floral print dress and a string of pearls. Make sure and invite the student press and the local media. Somebody has got to stop these people...

I do have a male colleague (in another department) who did have a sex change operation, and his wife and daughter tried to have him committed (and failed). He/she actually is not too bad looking, except a bit on the heavy side, and the voice is too low.
Seriously, thanks for all the advice. I am going to do absolutely nothing, and will probably go to the conference. Life is short, complaining will achive nothing except to make enemies of powerful people (like my female Dean, who sets my salary, which I need to make constant improvements to the P-car). As Voltaire once said: "I have never had but one wish to God: make my critics look ridiculous, and God granted it." Living well is the best revenge (who said that?).