Speaking up in class is not without difficulty for many college students, especially ones having recently made the transition from high school where doing so seems much less high stakes. However, if you’re like me and the majority of your classes are discussion-based, participating is an important aspect of doing well. To mitigate the stress of this, I do what I can to be as prepared as possible: completing all reading assignments, writing notes for myself before class, paying close attention, etc. Even so, I am always nervous and often not confident in what I have to say. Without fail, this effect is made ten times worse in classes that are predominantly male or have a disproportionate amount of male participation. It can be really intimidating to join a discussion being carried out mostly between men, especially if it is a debate or if the topic is controversial.
There are two main problematic things that often happen in male-dominated discussions: man-splaining and interrupting. Man-splaining is a phenomenon in which a man explains something, often a simple concept, to a woman in a condescending way. This can be done unintentionally, in which case it is simply annoying, but can also be used purposefully to discredit someone and make it difficult for them to participate, as it has been insinuated that they do not understand and therefore cannot contribute. As for being interrupted, as someone who already struggles to speak up in class, there is also nothing more frustrating than being talked over or dismissed. Aside from being unfair to the speaker, it is rude and unproductive, preventing others from hearing other perspectives and opinions that could potentially be valuable. Of course, how one functions in a classroom environment is not simply a product of their gender, but the power structure is such that men are given the privilege of feeling more comfortable claiming autonomy in discussions.
A class of mine that provides a good environment for these kinds of discussions is Introduction to Philosophy. Philosophy is widely considered a predominantly male field, with only about twenty percent of Kenyon’s philosophy majors being female. However, my Intro class is fairly evenly split and the professor discussed the dilemma of the gender divide in higher level classes. Although she did not have an answer as to why this was the case, it became at least partially clear to me after several classes. During any group work in the class, I always feel overpowered by male opinions and sometimes find it easier to just give in than to fight to speak when being consistently ignored. Things that I am already well aware of and understand are often explained to me in a patronizing manner. In class discussions, it is often a back and forth debate between three or four men in the class, the rest of us trying to get a word in edgewise. It is particularly prominent in that class but occurs to some degree in almost every one.
I am always proud of the women who can fight their way over male voices but I am not as good at doing so and that should not prevent me from speaking. I am tired of being worried about coming across as bossy or difficult but it has been ingrained in me that to argue with the boys is to be labeled as such. However, the only way to fight this idea is to keep speaking after you have been talked over, even if you feel uncomfortable. Our ideas are valuable and we all have too much to contribute to let ourselves be shut down.