Opening the Classroom

THIS week the Government Department came out with a report that underlines the problems women face in many Harvard classrooms.

Fewer and fewer women are concentrating in the Government Department: though women comprise 41 percent of the student body they comprise only 27 percent of the Government Department concentrators this year, as compared to 33 percent in 1982. According to the report, women government concentrators are more likely than men in the field or women in other departments to: 1) feel uncomfortable in class 2) see sexism as a problem in the department and 3) think that they must fight to talk in class. the report found that many women opt not to major in government because of the competitive students.

The Government Department's problem is self-perpetuating. A 1984 study of Harvard classes found that women underparticipated in every section in which they were a minority. As long as there is an imbalance of women in the department, the classroom concerns they face will continue to fester.

The fewer women majoring in government as undergraduates, the fewer pursuing graduate degrees in the department. The fewer female graduate students, the fewer female professors. The fewer female role models on all of these advanced levels, the fewer female undergraduates. And the vicious circle continues.

The report found little that wasn't already suspected. What the report did do was provide evidence for the existence of suspected problems and show a willingness to tackle them. That is a step in the right direction, and the department should be commended for bringing its shortcomings to light.

THERE are no simple solutions to the department's problems. The clearest answer is that women must be incorporated into the department at all levels--classroom discussions, teaching positions and curriculum.

The report stressed that "gov jocks," who are usually male, were a problem for both women and men in the department. But a larger proportion of women noted that the "gov jocks" kept them from speaking in class. "Gov Jocks" should not be allowed to dominate, and everyone should be heard. Part of the problem can be addressed with greater teacher sensitivity, and the department should provide appropriate training. The other part belongs to students: "gov jocks" must take care to listen and not shout down other students' input. Women have to speak up.

Only two of the department's 21 tenured professors are women and only eight of the 20 junior faculty members are women--clearly, more women must be hired. Women professors would provide key role models to encourage students; an increase in women faculty would also indicate that the department is taking women scholars seriously.

The study of government by and large ignores women's political participation and scholarship. The required tutorials should include more discussions of how women fit into the issues being studied.

The department also should offer more gender-related courses. The report found that some women may have chosen other social science concentrations because of the lack of such classes.

THE report signals a problem that is not unique to the Government Department. In many departments women are underrepresented among students, and in all fields women are underrepresented among senior faculty--they hold only 6 percent of Harvard's tenured posts.

Yet many departments have shown no willingness to counteract their gender imbalances. Both the Economics Department--with 24 percent women concentrators--and the History Department--with 27 percent--have a paucity of women concentrators similar to the Government Department, yet neither has recognized the situation as problematic. to the contrary, according to history department chair edward 1. keenan '57, "this doesn't strike me as a great statistical discrepancy."

Whenever women don't participate in certain forums in proportion to their numbers, there is a serious problem. Women will continue to be left out of fields that have traditionally been shut off to them. Voices will go unheard, and talent will go untapped.

Departments with small percentages of women concentrators, including the physical sciences, should follow the lead of the Government Department in conducting studies to determine why women stay away. They must address the gender imbalance with more women professors, enhanced course offerings and greater classroom sensitivity.

The Government Department is the most popular undergraduate concentration. That popularity should not have to be gender specific.