Gender and the arts/science divide in higher education

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Abstract
The paper reports research on interviews conducted with undergraduates studying Physics and English. It begins by looking briefly at the work undertaken on gender and education and notes that there is a tendency to regard women as a problem category in education. The paper aims to redress the balance by looking instead at the obstacles both women and men may face in higher education. The focus of the paper is a comparison between the experience of first-year female physics students and first-year male arts students—both minority groups. The concept of ‘minority˚s is discussed, and a distinction made between the idea of a numerical minority and that of a social minority. It is argued that female physics students are perceived and treated as a minority group, whereas male arts students are treated as individuals. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which the situation could be remedied and argues that onus should be on institutions, rather than on students, to change.

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