#sexism against men

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Lawrence M. Krauss

Published: Sep 11, 2023

The voyage of discovery that science offers can take us furthest when it is open to the best and brightest, regardless of who they are and where they come from. Great scientific minds often emerge from unexpected backgrounds. Many scientific disciplines remained effectively closed to ethnic minorities and to women for far too long. But over the past 50 years at least, science has opened up and a host of affirmative action programs have been created to encourage women and minorities to consider careers in the field.

For some activists, however, these efforts have not gone far enough. In response, universities, industries, and research institutions have instituted a vast bureaucracy designed to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: a behemoth that is growing at a rate far exceeding that of investment in new faculty and facilities.

This has resulted in some disturbing new trends in academia and scientific institutions more broadly. In a desire to include women and minorities, white males are often excluded, and too often women and members of minority groups are tokenized by being promoted primarily for their gender or skin color.

This tokenism has affected the most prestigious institutions. It was a bone of a contention at this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting. Citing fellow laureate Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, who has questioned the use of gender quotas in STEM and warned against “discrimination against men,” Nobel prizewinner Kurt Wüthrich commented that he felt discriminated against “in the climate that this meeting is being held.” He was particularly dismayed by the fact that the female laureates were placed in the front row of a group photo—an example, he felt, of insulting tokenism. “I would feel horrible if presented in this way,” he said. “It was ridiculous, fully ridiculous.” As a result of voicing these views, Wüthrich was accused of violating the meeting’s code of conduct.

That may have been a minor issue of optics, but his more general point is valid. Look at almost any online photo promoting science and you will find this kind of tokenism.

Here are several examples.

The first is from a recent article in Science, the official journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

[ Source: Science. ]

Scientific societies should encourage all young people to consider a career in scientific discovery. Science nevertheless seems to feel the need to present a patronizing advertising image, featuring three women and two men of color.

In an email encouraging young people to embark on scientific careers, the American Physical Society presents an image of five women and a black man. The omissions—presumably done in the name of diversity—are obvious and embarrassing.

[ Source: Substack. ]

In advertisements for their annual general meeting, which attracts over 10,000 scientists from all over the world, the APS shows three women and one male of color.

[ Source: APS website ]

For hundreds of years, white men in lab coats were presented as the face of science. It is time to change that picture. But we should do without losing touch with reality or becoming overtly patronizing.

This trend of prioritizing women and minorities is not restricted to advertising and public relations but is affecting faculty appointments at every level.

Let’s start at the top. Six of the eight Ivy League universities—Harvard, Brown, Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Columbia—now have female presidents, as do UC Berkeley and MIT.

MIT is a particularly striking case. Despite comprising many traditionally male-dominated STEM disciplines, its upper management team is largely female. The head of the MIT Corporation, the President, the Director of Research, the Provost, the Chancellor, and the Dean of Science are all women. The Institute’s core discipline, the School of Engineering, consists of eight departments, five of which are led by women. This is clearly not a coincidence, nor is it likely, given the demographics of the place, that this is simply the result of choosing the best people for those jobs. Were the situation reversed—if most of the faculty were female, but the leading administrators were all male—there would be an outcry.

It is still the case that most full professors, in most STEM disciplines, are male. But the reasons for this are often misunderstood. It generally takes decades to attain this rank, and many full professors have been in their current positions for over 30 years. Even if the hiring system were now biased in favor of women, they would not yet have achieved parity at the senior level.

And the hiring system may well be biased. Thanks to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion infrastructure that dominates almost every major US university today, affirmative action initiatives have affected the hiring of junior faculty across the board.

It is difficult to obtain national statistics on this, but in 2015, before DEI initiatives reached current heights, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed a two to one preference for female candidates for tenure track positions in STEM.

New faculty announcements suggest a similar bias. For example, in 2021, UCLA announced the following new appointments in the physical sciences: Abigail Doyle (Chemistry and Biochemistry), Alvine Kamaha (Physics and Astronomy), Courtney Shelly (Statistics/Mathematics), Qianhui Shi (Physics and Astronomy), and Hong Wang (Mathematics). It did not appoint any new male faculty. Similar examples abound.

We can detect comparable trends further up the tenure ladder, too. For example, MIT has just announced the election of six new Fellows to the American Physical Society. This represents a significant career milestone for the successful candidates. I was happy to see that they include my well-deserving former graduate student, Hong Liu, but that aside, the trend seems clear.

[ Source: MIT News ]

Affirmative action is not the only explanation for the increasing paucity of white males in such positions. The American Physical Society offers a plethora of programs designed to assist pre-tenure female (and sometimes male minority) faculty in physics. There are conferences, leadership programs, internships, grants, workshops, networks, site visits, guidelines, scholarships, fellowships, and prizes. There are no similar programs for young white male scientists, although many of them face similar career challenges.

In US academia in general, women now receive more doctoral degrees than men.

[ Source: Cory Clark and Bo Winegard for Quillette ]

Women also occupy most faculty positions in post-secondary institutions.

[ Source: Cory Clark and Bo Winegard for Quillette ]

While it is heartening that the climate for women in academia has been improving, these figures suggest that the laser focus on recruiting, retaining, spotlighting, and promoting women in STEM may have become superfluous.

As April Bleske-Rechek and Michael Bernstein have shown, while men still occupy three quarters of STEM positions (despite the fact that the percentage of women in STEM has more than doubled since 1980), the situation is precisely reversed in the fields of health, education, administration, and literacy. While massive efforts are underway to correct the imbalance between men and women in STEM, there have been no concomitant efforts to increase the numbers of men in female-dominated professions. People do not seem to perceive the latter imbalance as a problem. In a recent survey of over 800 recent college students, Bleske-Rechek and Bernstein found that the students were overwhelmingly more concerned about male overrepresentation in certain high status professional positions than about female overrepresentation in others.

[ Responses to the question "Do you agree that the gender gap is problematic?" Source: Unsafe Science. ]

This was the case even though the female-dominated disciplines were not considered lower status than the male-dominated ones.

[ Responses to the question "Do you agree that the job is high in status?" Source: Unsafe Science. ]

Other data in the study suggest that gender gaps in male-dominated disciplines are significantly more likely to be attributed to sexism or discrimination than they are in female-dominated disciplines.

[ Responses to the question “How much of the gender gap is due to sexism/discrimination?” Source: Unsafe Science ]

These results align with recent work by Matt Grawitch et al., summarized here. Grawitch and his colleagues found that both male and female respondents were more likely to judge that an interaction between a banker and a client had been sexist when the banker was male and the client female than the reverse. We are far more likely to attribute sexism to disparities that favor men than disparities that favor women.

The impression that universities are primarily concerned with hiring, supporting, and promoting women may be contributing to the fact that, at entry levels, young men are leaving higher education in their droves.

We can see the results of this in the California State universities: the undergraduate student body at Cal State Los Angeles is 59 percent female, and 67 percent of its graduate students are female; Sonoma State is 63 percent female; San Diego State is 57 percent female; Humboldt State is 58 percent female; Cal State East Bay is 61 percent female. Nationwide, around 60 percent of students are female. And the gender gap is growing. Recent data show a significant downward trend in male college enrollments, which has coincided with the increasing prevalence of DEI programs.

[ Source: Brookings Institution ]

The reduction in male undergraduate numbers is partly caused by the fact that young women are graduating from high school in higher numbers than their male counterparts. In fact, women now graduate at higher rates than men at all educational levels.

[ Source: Brookings Institution ]

Similar trends are emerging at pre-university level. Consider this announcement of the finalists and winners of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

[ Source: 3M News Center ]

It is no surprise to see a high prevalence of Indian and Chinese students among this group, as East and South Asians have been outperforming white students for some time. What is perhaps more surprising is that the finalists included only one young Caucasian male.

Perhaps this is partly due to way such programs recruit applicants. Consider this advertisement for the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

[ Source: Society for Science ]

Is the nearly complete absence of white males in these images the result of a decision to highlight women and minorities—or are fewer white men getting involved in such programs than ever before?

We may be moving towards a future in which women will be significantly better educated than men and will occupy far more of the jobs that require professional qualifications and skills. The societal impacts of this are unknown.

We must continue to ensure that higher education and scientific training remain open to people from all demographics. But we should not encourage diversity at the cost of driving away talented people. Our fixation on raising the profile of women and minorities in science by minimizing the role and status of men in general, and white men in particular, is misplaced.

After more than 40 years of intense affirmative action efforts, it may be time to take our thumbs off the scale and let a natural balance emerge. Young males—and white males in particular—should not be discouraged from pursuing higher education in science, or from engaging in any other field of intellectual activity.

[ Via: https://archive.md/18k9n ]

==

DEI does not belong in science.

[yummytiger]

it doesn’t surprise me now why people hate famous men/artists like Morrissey, Axl Rose, Dennis Miller, Jim Carrey, Michael Jackson, etc when you’re smart and talented and good looking and kind and well, Male(cough, cough lol)

it’s no mystery

[imadethisaccountforaheadcannon]

Moon is more of a women then Earth is

I watched the Foxy and Monty show before when it first showed up and what made me hate Earth the most was how monty was talking about her and how as soon as she showed up and the fact he is stile doing it even after moon came back from the dead not just him but literally everyone has a good thing to say about her

Yet the only thing she did to get that praise is enable a bunch of badguys

Its pretty damn obvious shes meant to be ah audience suggogate and frankly the bitch has a hidden holier then though attitude just like sun and the TSAMS fanbase and with everything I heard and sore about her I want nothing to do with her+ wanna strait up kill her so she'd wouldn't "redeem" anyone else

At thats another thing I view eclipse as a rapist and moon to have actually given birth to lunar and before that moon had a large chunk of his money that he earned personally given away just cause sun said so and has had his merits as an inventor completely disregarded just cause sun felt so entitled to keep on using moons tech after moon died

Even when strait up not given permission to with whom sun actually perceived as moon at the time

BTW I recon the star being destroyed was the tipping point of him not being moon anymore

These are all the problems women typically get even the physical power disadvantage and even them ignoring everything the guy sun does only to focus on the few times the moon gal actually lost it

Like lets say moon was outwardly more female like very scrawny and most definitely flat chested and she like moon has a stick would it look like "evidence of sun's abuse" then or would more people see it how it actually is that sun mentally tormented moon so badly moon actually felt like the only way he had to be on equal terms was a weapon the fact that sun was clearly not listening to moon at all would be even more apparent if moon was female

How would Earth as a "gal boss" be perceived then if the fandom just lost another waifu before her

Imagine how it would look if sun hallucinates himself into scapegoating a bunch of women and spends a year getting flying monkeys around him

[dykedvonte]

Mini rant below and in the tags, the only time I’ll talk about this and my personal take on it.

The way people talk about hypothetical male Anya on Twitter and the idea of how Mouthwashing would play out if the genders were swapped makes me remember how people still don’t take sexual assault and rape with male victims with the same gravity, especially when the perpetrator is female.

[uncanny-tranny]

The thing that sucks about misogyny is that it's not just a problem for one group of people or one gender group. If you want to combat bigotries, you (impersonal) have to not come at it from the angle of bigotry as an identity you have, but as a set of beliefs and actions. To be a misogynist isn't an identity like being gay or a similarly deep and personal identity. A misogynist is somebody who believes in and acts upon misogynistic ideas, myths, or any other such thing.

This goes for pretty much any bigotry, and the idea of bigotry as identity does us all a disservice, especially if you turn the bigotry into essentialism. When you essentialize bigotry in a certain group of people, you empower people to keep said bigotry unchecked and uninterrogated. That does everyone a disservice.

[marsabillions]

this site legitimately hates feminism and it makes me hate everyone

[possiblyunhinged]

Naturally, the comments are polluted by men who’d rather froth at the mouth over being 'offended' by the suggestion that men might be the problem than face the cold, hard truth: 88% of violence in the UK is committed by men. Meanwhile, two women a week are killed by a man in this country, and every day we’re bombarded with stories of women being assaulted, burned alive, or, disturbingly, blended.

If screaming into the void of unreasonable online idiots isn’t your self-care activity of choice today, maybe a wee Christmas donation to Women’s Aid is. Half of all cases dealt with by the Crown Prosecution Service over Christmas are domestic abuse. I’ll be thinking of those contemplating how to leave this Christmas—because for many, it won’t be the first attempt. On average, it takes a woman seven tries to leave x

[chaosclover1999]

u guys need 2 stop using the word "misogynist" like a slur and i am gd serious it feels like any time i try 2 talk abt how women sometimes contribute 2 the oppression of marginalised men some1 just calls me a misogynist and doesn't even say what part of the post they thought was me being misogynistic

like women r not some magical non-human group of ppl who can do no wrong and 2 treat women that way is a form of sexism both bc ur seeing women as non-human in a way but also bc ur seeing women as above human which then results in u being sexist against both men and women

men r not some evil monstrous group of ppl that can only do wrong and saying that we r is sexist

misogyny absolutely does exist but saying that any time a man criticises a woman or point out the way in which women sometimes contribute 2 societal harm means that the man is being a "misogynist" cheapens the term and makes it lose all meaning

also the reason i say ppl r using it as a slur is bc i usually c this being used against queer men and men of colour, like, speaking from experience and also going thru the tags, i feel like most transmascs who talk abt the existence of transandrophobia on this site can attest 2 the experience of posting abt ur personal experiences w transandrophobia only 2 get a reply from some1 (of any gender) calling u a misogynist in an attempt 2 shut down what u were saying w/out even explaining y they thought what u said was wrong

idk it feels like lately i c ppl using the term less 2 talk abt actual misogyny and more 2 try 2 shut down marginalised men talking abt our experiences of systemic oppression and how women sometimes contribute 2 that knowingly or unknowingly

like idk mayb let's not reduce the meaning of such an important word 2 the equivalent of "L + ratio + i hate marginalised men"

[kacievvbbbb]

I cannot describe how much I hate the "nobody hates women more than other women" group and response. God yall are so fucking annoying and my opinion of your intelligence immediately plummets

Because truly are you dumb? Or do you just not exist in the real world????

Like I truly fucking hate it because it is a narrative concocted to literally demean any women's movement because;" look there are women that disagree so the movement is obviously misguided and unserious"🙄

Like I'm not dismissing that internalized misogyny exists amd there are definitely women that want and love to uphold the patriarchy and are very vocal in their disbelief in women's right, Since women began fighting for their right there have always been women, and there probably always will be women, working in opposition of women's movements. but like point to any group in fucking history and see people that actively worked against their own best interest.

But also sometimes women disagree with each other and they might not even like each other. And it's not internalized misogyny and it's not being a "pick me" and it's not trying to tear other women down. It is simply two people who just happen to be women, not liking each other.

Men are actually violent with each other at truly astounding rates, most violent crimes are men against other men, Men actively work against the best interest of other men all the fucking time. Men can kill each other over beefs and nobody would even think to say "wow nobody hates men more than other men" or " men hating men what else is new" or "Men just hate other men it's in their nature". Nobody would dare suggest that all men must be a hive mind and their views on something must all be aligned before it can be taken seriously.

And that's because men can be people but women will always be women.

[lastoneout]

I think terfs are a really good example of the whole "far right people can believe seemingly contradictory things without a shred of self-awareness" given that they simultaneously believe women are inherently better than men AND that it's absolutely 100% impossible for a woman to beat a man in any competition at all bcs apparently we just naturally suck at everything.

[gay-otlc]

Say it with me: The fact that closeted and non-passing trans men face misogyny for being perceived as women does not mean that closeted and non-passing trans women have male privilege!

[unproduciblesmackdown]

billions also comedy gold presenting winston as a scapegoat for abuse culture fans when it's like but hey it can't be actual scapegoating if you Enjoy It or consider it Justified or experience Reassurance from Its Opportunity For A Group Cohesion Substitute For A Cohesion Based On An Inherent Equal Degree Of Belonging, The Absence Of Which Allows For, Encourages, Reinforces, & Rewards Scapegoating

it can't be Bullying if someone's Weird or you Just Don't Personally Like Them or Nobody's Actually Stopping You, Maybe At Least If They Don't See Too Much Of It, Maybe Others Are Supporting It

it can't be Abuse if you're just doing things Normally or are Following Rules or Aren't Feeling Malicious And Aren't Getting Divine Revelations Otherwise and probably it's just that a lot of abnormal people are being whiny &/or unfair &/or the Real malicious ones. kinda just like how that scapegoat is the real person ruining everything and really just forcing you to treat them like this

[le-panda-chocovore]

I need feminism because female athlete play Female Sport while male athlete just play Sport.

[rjalker]

"Reverse misogyny" stories are not the progressive, feminist power move you think they are, especially not when you expect your readers to be happy and content with the status quo presented by your story. Biological essentialism and sexism are never going to be progressive even if you try to dress them up like they're feminist. They're just not.

[leofwines]

i keep getting posts recommended to me about people whining over “transandrophobia” and “misandry” and Hinestly youre stupid

it’s too bad that men aren’t systemically oppressed because if we were then maybe some of you would systemically shut the fuck up

[aviancataclysm]

is there a way to like block/quit 99% of tumblr but stay very active on the 1% because i cant take it any more people are so fucking stupid

or do i practice internet abstinence where i avoid looking at my dash and use tumblr solely for one or two tags (geometry dash + other fandoms i post about such as unaliver drones and gravity farts + aspec stuff because im not touching the trans tags!!! i am not!! people are so extremely weird about it even if it's the supporting side)