secon TO the faithful reader who worried that I might be excessively dignifying second-wave feminism, | apologize. But be too would agree that SEU professors Veronica Dahl and John Dewey fones have forced my hand. The poor quality of argue ment presented in this space by public servants in charge of higher education is a mat- ter for taxpayers to adjudge. It all began with something of a Freudian stip uttered by Prof. Dahl on the Knowledge Network whereby she offered that boys may be falling behind at school because, being the “ruling class,” they know that no matter how badly they perform, their position in society is secure. Dahl and colleague, John Dewey Jones, director of the school of engineering science, proceeded to write to the News to protest that my col- umn about the significance of Dahl's faux pas missed the mark; [ had failed apparendy to divine the laudable context of ler message. The defence Jones mount- ed went somerhing like this: Dahl didn‘t say what Mercer alleged she said, but even though she didn’t say what she is alleged to have said, what Dak! didn’t say is accu- rate (see satire Yes, Prine Minister). Plainly, both Dewey and Dahl deny the quote, but go on to reinforce its message, namely that girls work hard because of suci- ety’s expectations; boys often don’t because: they dominate society: second-wave femi- nism in a nutshell. To add cringe factor, Jones then commits the post hoc cardinal error: Because there are few comment women in his department, he adduces that discrimination or faulty cultural messages have been perpetrated on girls, Logic- 101 class would dis- abuse him of backward rea- soning. And a trip to a med- ical faculty — where half, if not more, of the enrofled are females — would force Jones to contemplate a better explanation than offered by his one-variable wonder as to why women are represented in such small numbers in the fields of say physics or engi- neering, Interesting that with all his respect for women, Prof. Jones doesn’t think we are capable of resisting alleged cultural scripts in choosing a profession. We women are needed in his field because, among other reasons, Jones sees us as able to finesse the cruel science of engineering with compassion and sensitiv- in. What a stereotypical Ken and Barbie worldview (my spouse, a PhD in electrical engincering, would like to know how to design a com- passionate frequency synthe- sizer; a luxury ‘likely reserved for those whose trough is the public purse). For her part, Dahl, like feminist Susan Faludi, pro- fesses to want what's best for men, Absent from her opin- ion is an acknowledgement of male nature that isn’t femi- nized, Get away trom gender: based stereotypes, she implores, and be sure not to “rob men of spontaneous qualities such as sensitivity and humanity.* But military school? That's positively Dickensian. The implication being that depriving men of traditional bastions of maleness is a less- er robbery than depriving them of their feminine side. Ina giveaway attempt to prove she is not hostile te any vestiges of maleness, Dahl announces she is even willing Co draw strength from Radyard Kipling’s uninclusive exbortation to“... be a Man, my son!” (Rather than a human being or a woman, I imagine}. My point precisely: Dahl cannot bet apply the feminist fens to literature. Language noust be monitored not for its beauty and artistic merit, but for subliminal mes- sages of male dominance. Both the pedagogues chose to ignore the facts I provided about the sorry plight of men in society. And judging from the letters I received from students at SFU, these devoted faculty are as blithely unaware of the experience many men have on campus. Wrote one student: °...1 cannot seem to escape the biases of feminism ne matter where T turn. Every female teacher somehow manages to bring the argument around to point out that mates over- ron everything (familiar?). IF 1 produce any artwork with any sort of tall thin form in it, | inumediately am criticized tor producing artwork that involves phallic symbolism. Thus meaning that [ obvious- ly am promoting male domi- North Vancouver #2 - 987 Marine Drive * 988-3390 Capilano Mall, #21 - 935 Marine Drive ° 980-3344 13 locations in the Lower Mainland serving Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chiliwack, Coquitlam, Langley, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, South Sutrey/White Rock plus Victoria www.teamapex.net vere ga ae G47 Wn TAM. Vienne “ou GM Fata, 10 TAM Niornaay Sion bee tires 9 od De Pee meube Frown Umeriteed oa tase (12 rare contact 28 ma opto Coren woh $50 ba Cnt GAG Appice long dearce (hips and Yaet se aera feria Syeen Acute Fan cf S48 ann Canorbton tee annaes Linderttere dr “hoya n TELUS Mibaty wr.cn enn te eae crepe we Oy? TELUS" Mobility inist fuss : nance in society.” Wanting just to learn, the young muan described the constant onslaught as “wear: ing of his spirits.” What should be an excit- ing period in his lite was becoming what he termed “my ternble, terrible situa tion, “TP have now to tacthully write something which will onty slightly disrupt my Prof.'s daily thoughts,” he concludes, “or else ny marks will suffe A place dedicated to learn- ing and freedom of expres- sion is hounding males for producing personalized imagery. Surely only phihstines would do such a thing? I suggest both Jones and Dahl trot down to Prof. Doreen Kimura’s psychology department. Kimura is not wont to theorize inte the ether — she dees the empirical work. As reported by the National Post, the award-wit ning scientist has demonstrat. ed that there is “no evidence for systemic discrimination against women ... and that when women do apply for science jobs they get prefer- ential treaument.” “Brain scans,” moreover, “and neurological, psycho- logical and hormonal studies, are now converging to show that men and women differ cognitively in how they solve problems.” As | said in the contested column, “men, on average, are better at spatial tasks, mathematical reasoning and See Battle puge 9 All services fully warranty anprovad Friday, January 21, 2000 - North Shore News - 7 One a se Se Woe ae EO ee es ee ee mg (78 Lert CECH, oi, wee & Fitter > > TE proumutes - S.mto Ss tres ft 1O¢ PAST! 20 Quakersiate 1362 Marine Drive 980-9115 Lierna so €&00om. 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