College Women Studies

Economic crisis turns women away from "niche" schools

2008-12-07T18:04:00.001-08:00

Laptop Girl
Public Domain photo from Flikr

Opinion
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As the economy continues to plummet, so does the appeal of private "all girl" schools to women, an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education said.

Last week Carnegie Communications released the results of an online poll they conducted in August of 860 high school students nationwide that documented this, according to the article.

Out of the high school students who said they plan to go to college, 90 percent said they would be very likely to apply to public institutions. In comparison only 10 percent of women surveyed said they would apply to women's colleges, the article said.

With the costs of tuition rising and budget cuts private institutions are becoming less of a reality for students who do not have financial support for school in the upcoming semesters.

Women's colleges need to find a way to appeal to young women if they are going to keep up in the education race this year.

Men might be the cure for holiday woes

2008-11-30T19:42:00.000-08:00

Opinion
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Traditionally women have been accused by society as being frivolous spenders. The mall is always full of them and husbands commonly complain about their wives expensive habit.

However this holiday season the roles have been reversed.

Retailers like Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue are expanding their men's departments in hopes that men will save the holiday shopping season, an article in the Wall Street Journal said.

While the sale of women's apparel continues to decrease, the numbers for men's apparel are actually rising, the article said. Store owners are choosing to target men instead of women for the first time, in hopes that they will make it through what is predicted to be a grim holiday season this year.

It has been perceived that women are always the ones spending money on a whim and binge shopping whenever they have a bad day, while men are the more cautious spenders not likely to randomly stop by the mall and do some damage. This article suggests that this is not necessarily true.

My interview with Alvaro Monge

2008-11-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Opinion
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Last week I sat down with Alvaro Monge, computer science advisor, for a discussion about the presence of women at Cal State Long Beach in the computer science department.

Our talk went well and it was shocking to see the schools enrollment statistics presented that showed how bad it actually is getting. At CSULB this fall only 35 women were enrolled in the computer science program and 308 men.

Monge showed me how his department is dealing will this huge gap between the women and men in the computer science classes.

Before computer science classes were for the most part very dull and text driven in the lower level classes, they did not leave room for students to be creative, Monge said. Now he has rearranged the classes and offered some that allow his students to be much more involved.

Monge showed me colorful pictures that the students had taken or found in which they manipulated the photo using the skills they had learned in class. This was a big hit with the students, he said.
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To view some of Monge's students work visit The Picture gallery

2008 Women’s Research Colloquium at CSULB

2008-11-18T21:06:00.001-08:00

Children's books
Originally uploaded by wtorbeyns

Children's books and Jordanian women peak the intrest of CSULB's faculy.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2008)--Deborah Hann and Lina Kawar are set to speak at Cal State Long Beach tomorrow for the 2008 Women's Research Colloquium, according to a press release on the CSULB Web site.

Hann will be talking about maps in children's literature and how they help expand children's imagination and Kawar is speaking about why Jordanian Immigrant Women are not participating in breast screening, the article said.

The the Women’s Research Colloquium was created in 1986 to showcase research of CSULB women faculty, according to the release. The conference will start with a buffet dinner at 5 p.m. and the presentations will begin at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $20 for all guests.

The colloquium is sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center and the Office of University Research, the press release said .

For additional information the release says to contact Cynthia Angiuli in the CSULB President’s Office at 562/985-1688.

CSULB women engineers reach out to youth

2008-11-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Nov. 15, 2008)--The College of Engineering at Cal State University Long Beach hosted its eight annual engineering education conference last week, according to an article on the CSULB Web site.

Over 200 elementary and middle school girls attended the hands on convention which encourages girls to consider engineering as a future area of study, the article said.

Currently women only comprise less than 15 percent of the student engineering population, the article said, making the goal of this conference to introduce and increase participation of young girls in the engineering and science fields.

This conference is important because it educates women at a young age about computer science and engineering, two majors that have seen a drastic decrease in female participation, computer science advisor at CSULB Alvaro Monge said.

McCain barely passes women's issues test

2008-10-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama
Originally uploaded by Domain Barnyard

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Oct. 27,2008)--The Economists' Policy Group for Women's Issues gave a progress report on how well Barack Obama and John McCain are addressing the 10 issues they feel are most important to women, on Thursday.

The issues ranged in topics from health care to poverty.

The EPGWI was formed in 1992 and are committed to evaluating presidential candidates on how they address issues considered to be major concerns for women, according to their Web site.

In the evaluation McCain trailed significantly behind Obama in every category. Earning a failing grade in both pay and employment equity and reproductive rights.

Women and children are going to be the hardest hit by the current recession because they already account for the majority of U.S. citizens living in poverty,the EPGWI said on their Web site, that is why it is important to look at how these candidates are planning on helping American women.

Neither candidates did outstanding, but Obama received a B overall, while McCain averaged out at a D.

Related article: Economists Grade McCain and Obama on Issues ‘Vital to Women’.
This article was published online by Grace L. Williams for the Wall Street Journal. It goes more in depth into were the EPGWI got their information, and how they feel about the presidential candidates.

Suicide rates increase for women

2008-10-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Oct. 27,2008)--A 2005 study shows that suicide rates for middle-aged white women have increased significantly over the past decade.

The report by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found that suicide rates overall have increased for the first time since 1999.

Traditionally self help groups have targeted teens and elderly males who have previously held the highest rates of suicide, but now the research shows that a new group has rates on the rise, according to Johns Hopkins Web site.

There has been no explanation by the institute for this change, but they did say that the rise in mid-life crisis' could be a factor in the statistics.

Domestic violence month at CSULB criticized by faculty

2008-10-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Originally uploaded by heraldpost

One expert suggests prevention is key in stopping the violence.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Oct. 26,2008)--Clotheslines cluttered with hanging T-shirts crowded the lawn space in front of the 49er Bookstore at Cal State Long Beach last week. The shirts which appear to be drying laundry, tell the stories of domestic violence victims.

This exhibit is only part of a month long attempt by the Women's Resource Center to bring awareness and give students a forum to discuss and learn about domestic violence, according to the calender of events posted on the WRC Web site.

While candle light vigils and clotheslined shirts put a face on domestic violence victims, women's studies teacher, Shira Tarrant, said that the impact of these programs fall short of her hopes.

" Because men are responsible for 95 percent of assaults", Tarrant said, "the best way to prevent sexual assault is to rethink masculinity."

Awareness is important but more focus needs to be put towards prevention, Tarrant said. Men are the prominent perpetrators so it makes sense to get them involved, she added.

The exhibits will continue for the remainder of the month, for a calender of events click HERE.

Women's Conference suggests glass ceiling is finally broken

2008-10-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

08221327_LBWC_EN_3693
Originally uploaded by thewomensconference

A recent article for the Daily 49er said that one theme of the 2008 Women's Conference, hosted by Maria Shriver, was the glass ceiling.

Indra Nooyi, chief executive officer of PepsiCo and Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice both spoke out saying that the glass ceiling is now breakable for women.

This is encouraging news to females nationwide. Up to this point I was beginning to worry that women would never completely rise above the discrimination in the work place.

However, I am still not sold.

During my interview with Shira Tarrant, she explained that there are no legal barriers creating inequality in the workplace, but that doesn't mean things are equal.

Bottom line is that women are still earning less then men, according to Tarrant. She explained to me that you have to tease the data out before you can clearly understand trends.

Women enter education and the workforce equal with men, but as you look at the higher paying jobs, that is where you see the absence of women.

Rice and Nooyi both said the ceiling was able to be shattered, but still put emphasis on the fact that it still exists.

Their solution to the problem was a greater investment in higher education and positive mentors.

To read the full article click Women breaking through the glass ceiling.

Related article: The Press- Telegram also featured an article online that talked about the convention and its emphasis on the glass ceiling.

Questions raised if higher education leads to a future

2008-10-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Female students go to school, study hard and pass their classes, all with hopes that their dedication will pay off by landing them a good job after graduation. However, is this labor all in vain?

With the economy failing how realistic is it that women college graduates will land jobs? In one report by Amy Cox, a writer of RAND, it was projected that women will fare well in the new economy. Cox wrote that Caucasian and Asian women will do the best in our economy, while Latinos and Native American women will do the worse. This is due to the fact that Caucasian and Asian women tend to reach higher levels of education, Cox said.

So, maybe an education does help females. The report by Cox was leaving me hopeful.

However, the report was not all good news. Men are still faring better then women in the economy, Cox said. Men still hold more jobs and higher pay, so, although women have come a long way in the past few decades, there are still equalities in the workplace, Cox said.

To get to the bottom of this issue I decided to call the head of the Economics department at Cal State Long Beach, Joseph P. Magaddino. Magaddino specializes in the forecast of southern California's economy. I called Magaddino on Monday for an interview, but have heard no reply.

El Nido offers support for pregnant students

2008-10-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

The lack of support for pregnant college students has become a concern for many women attending public universities, according to an article by a Sandy Banks writer of the Los Angeles Times. One California organization, El Nido, is taking matters into their own hands.

El Nido has offered almost 200 scholarships over the past 16 years to women struggling to both stay in school and be a mother, Banks wrote.

Even though the scholarships are only $1000, Banks article said, support is what the organization is really trying to provide. Around 60 percent of pregnant teens drop out of school and El Nido is trying to encourage young women they have other options.

To read the full article click HERE.

Cultures Clash on Methods of Child Rearing

2008-10-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Oct. 4, 2008)--At the age of 25, Christie Kuo, an obedient Chinese daughter, said goodbye to her home country, Taiwan, to follow her parents dream of freedom and material wealth in America.

Even though it was not Kuo’s choice to come to the United States in Taiwan parents, “Can ask their children to do whatever they want, for a lifetime," she said. "My family all decided to move to the U.S. so I had to go with them."

Once in America, Kuo met her husband, Mike Luo, who’s upbringing was similar to her own and started a family. Together they have two children, Emily and Jordan.

Kuo’s Chinese roots have taught her the tradition of obeying your elders at all times, no matter the situation, a strict rule that she sees diminishing in her own family, she said.

In America, parents and children view each other as friends and children are not expected to obey blindly to their parents Kuo said. She also said she believes that her kids fall somewhere in between these two systems.

"They are not as extreme as American Americans,” but they instead benefit from being influenced by both cultures, Kuo said about her relationship with her children.

Kuo explained that her children were brought up in American schools and society, so even though at home they still practice Chinese tradition, other factors affect the way they treat their parents.

Though she left Taiwan long ago, Kuo still keeps many traditions alive in her household today. Cuisine from Taiwan is still cooked regularly and Chinese holiday’s are celebrated each year, she said. So ,even though parts of her strict Chinese upbringing have not survived in America, she said that her family benefits from the “good sides of both cultures.”

For more information e-mail cwomenstudies@aol.com.

Three major concerns

2008-10-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

The list of issues at major public universities that revolve around women are endless I have come to discover, but I have finally narrowed down that long list to a few that I have seen pop up more often than the rest.

Decreasing numbers of female computer-science majors, the lack of support for student mothers and the growing gap of female-to-male ratio in the classroom are the most current concerns involving women at large public universities in the United States, according to an academic database search through the Cal State University Library.

For additional information concerning these topics. e-mail Katrina Kobzeff at cwomenstudies@aol.com.

More discouraging news on the gender gap

2008-10-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

While doing some research I came across some significant facts addressing the gender gap between men and women.

An anonymous writer of NEWSWATCH wrote an article on a study titled, "Pay Inequities for Recently Hired Faculty, 1988-2004." During this time it was calculated that women were payed less then men in all academic careers and that women suffer a 5 percent salary decrease in all sectors of education, the article said. Women who work at research universities take a 9 percent cut compared to men, according to the study.

I found this information very compelling. Although it didn't show that women take a pay cut in all fields of work, it did prove that inequality does exist. All these facts are very discouraging to up and coming women college graduates. One can only hope that the future holds change. Maybe the next study will show society has finally closed the gender gap!

California falls behind in the race for equality between the sexes

2008-09-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Recently I came across an article by Jennifer Pollak, writer of the Daily 49er and found an interesting article. It addressed the issue of how although the amount of women enrolling in colleges in California is up, the chances of them landing a job as head of a company is still a long shot in this state.

Statistically only six women out of 200 men hold executive positions at corporations in this state, Pollack wrote. Even though females are aggressively taking over colleges nation wide, they are still struggling to find their place in the working world.

Is is because we don't have the aggressive nature of men that is necessary to thrive as a top executive? Or perhaps our gender still holds on to the old fashioned ideology that women go to college to meet smart successful men to marry. What ever the reason for this trend it is slightly disturbing.

As a female college student (not hoping for a genius from the Engineering Department to come sweep me off my feet) this means there is a struggle ahead.
Are all my dreams and ambitions that seem so realistic now going to end when I walk up to the podium, accept my diploma and end my college career? Or, are these statistics skewed by variables not being accounted for?

If you are interested in checking out the whole article click HERE.

I'm lost, help!

2008-09-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

With a topic so broad and infinite as “College Women Studies,”I find myself wondering where to begin digging for compelling information.

The past few days have been spent playing with different directions to go in, but none seem significant enough to put much effort into. Yesterday, I finally had a mini breakthrough when I decided to stop thinking and start researching.

At the Cal State Long Beach Library, Carol Perruso, former online editor for the Los Angeles Times, instructed my class on how to research using the schools online database. While searching online I found some intriguing information. I am still not sure the direction to go in, but at least I have some direction now. I look forward to researching some of my findings more in depth as the semester progresses.

Welcome!

2008-09-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome all who are interested in issues concerning college women at major public universities! My name is Katrina Kobzeff and I am a journalism major at Cal State Long Beach. This is my first semester at CSULB and I have been assigned to cover a beat on college women in the United States. I appreciate any information and helpful postings contributing to the research on this topic. Thank-You