top of page

Women in Education

​

Series editor: Erin Mikulec, Illinois State University

 

 

Within the past two years, there has been a growing national dialogue about the experiences on women and girls and the levels of misogyny that still exist in the United States. These conversations have come about through the current political climate that seems aimed at stifling women’s voices and agency socially, politically, and legally. The Brett Kavanaugh hearings shed light on the how society still views the behaviors and responsibilities of women and men when it comes to assault and consent, as did the Brock Turner case. Even more to the point, the current President of the United States through his own words and political actions has made it clear that women are to occupy a certain role in the United States, even in the 21stcentury.

 

While these societal ideas are not limited to one source, schools represent spaces of social reproduction for maintaining traditional gender roles and the expectations of and for girls, buys, young women and men. Schools are powerful agents of this social reproduction as the teaching force in the United States is largely white, middle class women, a group that has voted conservatively in the past two years, seeming to negate the advocacy in which other women have engaged. Therefore, when stories of dress code, “boys will be boys”, and other instances of sexist and misogynist social reproduction hit the news, it becomes very clear that these cultural and societal ideas are alive and well and fostered through schools. Sadly, this is not limited only to the United States, and women around the globe face similar issues.

 

Nonetheless, there are a number of women and organizations working to counter these ideas. The #metoo movement has created a space for dialogue for women to share their stories of assault. The Women’s March of 2018 was a visible manifestation of the voices of women in the United States working to counter-act this narrative and to increase the visibility of women’s experiences. This series is open to a wide range of topics pertaining to women and girls in education in the US and abroad. Topics could examine all ages and grade levels, and include perspectives, stories and narratives of women who are students, teachers, administrators, etc. and will seek to challenge the normative constructs of gender and equity.

bottom of page