LINGUIST List 6.1557

Sun Nov 5 1995

Disc: Women in linguistics

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. Deborah D K Ruuskanen, Re: 6.1541, Disc: Women and Linguistics, Literacy
2. David Silva, Women in Linguistics

Message 1: Re: 6.1541, Disc: Women and Linguistics, Literacy

Male:Female ratios in linguistic studies

At Vaasa, the ratio of male to female students in the Modern Language
Institutes, which include linguistics and translation studies in their
programs for English (the most popular), German, French, Russian, etc,
is c. 1 male: 5 or 6 female. One factor here is that many of our
language students go on to become secondary or even comprehensive school
teachers of foreign languages. However, I teach a course in the
Discourse of Advertising, which is an option for the required English
courses for Economics and Business students, and is also attended by
students of Communications as well as language majors: in this course,
the ratio is reversed, with about 5 or 6 males to each female.
One point I would like to see raised is why, when most of the students
writing foreign languages or e.g. English Studies for their
Matriculation Examination (on leaving secondary school), most of the
students entering university in language depts., most of the graduates
with majors in linguistics or foreign language studies, and most of the
research assistants post-grad are FEMALES, and the proportion of those
obtaining a Licentiate or Habilus degree in language/linguistics is
about 2 females to 1 male, then HOW COME so few Heads of Dept. and so
few Professors are FEMALE? The trend can be seen even among lecturers,
with women outnumbering men among Junior Lecturers, but men outnumbering
women among Senior Lecturers. So much for equality in Scandinavia, at
least in senior academia.
-
Deborah D. Kela Ruuskanen \ You cannot teach a Man anything,
Leankuja 1, FIN-01420 Vantaa \ you can only help him find it
druuskancc.helsinki.fi \ within himself. Galileo

RE: The recent posting by M. Lynne Murphy about COSWL studies.

Yes, the LSA's Committee on the Status of Women in Linguistics is continuing
previous survey work about the relative numbers of women/men in linguistics
and will present some data at the upcoming LSA meeting in San Diego.

Please look for an update on the 1990 study by Davison, Chicocki, and Silva at
that time.

David James SILVA, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Linguistics office: 817.273.3133
University of Texas at Arlington fax: 817.273.2731
Box 19559 -- Hammond Hall 408 e-mail: daviduta.edu
Arlington, TX 76019-0559