Subtitle: Issues for College Women
Author: Sharon Gmelch
Subject: Gender Studies
Cloth ISBN 0-8135-2521-7
Pages: 224 pp.
Description: An informative, intelligent look at the issues facing women students on college campuses today.

"Being a woman isn't the problem. The problem is being treated differently." -Student comment, Radcliffe News

In 1982, the Association of American Colleges published a disturbing and influential [report] which documented widespread gender bias and sexism in college classrooms. . . . How much have things changed? A follow-up report by the National Association for Women in Education, published in 1996, found that while the classroom climate for women has warmed, gender still makes a difference. Male students are still allowed to dominate most classroom discussions. Some faculty still contribute to a "chilly climate" through their own subtle behavior: failing to make eye contact with female students, sounding or looking impatient when they speak, not responding to their comments."

-from Chapter 2, Sexism in the Genderless Classroom

Gender on Campus is the first book to combine solid analyses of the broad range of gender issues for women in college with realistic approaches to heighten awareness and alleviate problems. Written for students, the book first clarifies the concept of feminism and then examines gender dynamics in a variety of settings and contexts-from the classroom to the sports field and from language to social life. Sharon Gmelch probes sexism, racism, and homophobia on campus and surveys the special issues facing diverse women students. The book also addresses issues relating to body image and sexuality. Its final chapters analyze the role gender continues to play after college-in the media, workplace, and politics.

After a thorough discussion of a topic, each chapter concludes with possibilities for action ("What You Can Do") as well as a selected bibliography of books, videos, and organizations that students can consult. Gender on Campus is an invaluable resource for students, parents, and administrators, as well as an excellent text for women's studies courses.

SHARON GMELCH is a cultural anthropologist and the director of the women's studies program at Union College. She is the author of four books, including Nan: The Life of an Irish Travelling Woman and, most recently, The Parish Behind God's Back: The Changing Culture of Rural Barbados.