Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
By: Carson Jerema
14/12/2009 1:00 AM
IT is hardly novel to note that there is a gender imbalance on Canadian university campuses; about 60 per cent women to 40 per cent men.
The threat of an emerging "pink ghetto" recently prompted University of Alberta president Indira Samarasekera to announce that she is "going to be an advocate for young white men." Predictably, she faced outraged students accusing her of bias against women.
What is wrong with Samaraseka's statement, however, is not that she is deviating from the orthodoxy of identity politics, but that she is perpetuating it. If women once faced a biased system, surely men do now. As reported in the Globe and Mail last week, Samaraseka said, "there is a feeling men can take care of themselves -- clearly that is not true."
She would like to see greater supports put in place to help men make the jump to university, including better communication about the economic returns associated with a degree.
The gender imbalance has become a frequent topic in the past few years, as administrators all over the country have identified it as a crisis. Although no one has directly advocated affirmative action, as it would be illegal, it remains a subtext for every bit of ink spilled on the topic.
Men still hold the majority of prestigious positions in business, but it is expected that women will overtake them as they work through the system. This is, apparently, a problem.
Full Story: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/gender-equality-on-campus-dangerous-79202067.html
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