How Did We Get Here? A Dive into Gender Disparities in College
College campuses are now nearly 60% female, highlighting a significant shift in gender dynamics in higher education over the past 50 years. Back in 1972, the landscape looked very different, with men dominating the numbers. We’ve seen a concerted effort to bring women into higher education, and it’s been effective—so much so that now young men are falling behind. It's been a trend that's been growing since I was in college two decades ago, yet the focus remains predominantly on supporting young women. I can't help but wonder—if we recognize when a group is lagging, why aren’t we doing anything to address this double standard?
Takeaways:
- Today, college campuses are nearly 60% female, showcasing a dramatic shift in demographics.
- Since 1972, the gender balance in higher education has flipped significantly, leading to new challenges.
- For 50 years, we’ve focused on getting women into higher education, and it's paying off.
- Interestingly, young men are now lagging behind, a trend that's been growing since I was in college.
- Despite the evident issue of young men falling behind, there is still little action being taken.
- The lack of response to this double standard raises important questions about our educational priorities.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Transcript
This is the Daily note from jamesabrown.net College campuses are nearly 60% female today.
Speaker A: Back in: Speaker A:So the country built programs and changed policies and put real attention into getting women into higher education for 50 years.
Speaker A:And it worked.
Speaker A:Now young men are behind, and it's been happening increasingly since I was in college 20 years ago, but the emphasis is still on young women.
Speaker A:And I keep thinking, we think we know what to do when a group of people are falling behind.
Speaker A:So why aren't we doing anything about it?
Speaker A:Now that's a double standard if I've ever heard one.
Speaker A:On that note, I'm James A.
Speaker A:Brown, and as always, be well.