“Women in STEM” is a very popular social media buzzword, emerging as a feminist response to the male-dominated field in 2021. The phrase has become an adopted rallying cry, empowering women working towards scientific careers. It has been echoed by everyday civilians and celebrities alike. But what about women in… any other subject?
While support for female presence in STEM is on the rise, respect for women in other fields like communications, English, history and the arts is rapidly decreasing. So, why is there such a profound disdain for these academic fields and an even more pronounced disdain for the women pursuing them? Even more so, how can we change this narrative as college students? To answer these questions, we must expose an uncomfortable intersection of misogyny and societal devaluation within academia.
why we work
If you were to ask the average college student why they were getting a degree, they’d most likely answer that question with an indignant, “to get a job.” This perception of college as a means to income began around the mid-20th century. In a 1967 speech, California Gov. Ronald Reagan argued that taxpayers should not be expected to subsidize people’s intellectual pursuits and that “tuition must be accompanied by adequate loans to be paid back after graduation.”
This address completely shifted the public’s outlook toward higher education up until the present day. Now, college is seen as leverage for financial stability — financial stability needed to pay back college tuition. This seemingly unbreakable cycle caused the $1.693 trillion in federal student loans the United States currently has.
This history makes the narrative apparent for many majors: unless your degree lands you a high-paying job immediately after graduation, it’s not worth pursuing. Yet this perspective misses the point of education as a broader, lifelong investment.
Degrees in communications, for example, cultivate skills in analysis, articulation of ideas, and empathy. These qualities are essential for leadership, innovation, and human connection. Older generations have misconstrued the purpose of education as something with selfish ulterior motivation. However, as John Dewey stated, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
Knowledge Has No Gender
The criticism of non-practical degrees becomes particularly pointed when it comes to women. Historically, subjects like literature, communications, and education have been viewed as “feminine” areas of study, diminishing their perceived value. Recently, in an attempt to embrace femininity, popular internet phrases like “I’m just a girl” and “girl math” have been viewed by some as continuing the degradation of the intelligence of women. This overlap between online feminism and outright misogyny further perpetuates female-associated fields as a punchline.
In 2023, Business Insider released an article titled “12 college majors that may limit your career potential.” Out of the entire list, only two of the majors were not predominantly female. This pattern can be seen time and time again through all sources of media. Subjects that are populated by mainly women are deemed “useless” in the eyes of society. This idea reinforces harmful gender roles where women are expected to prove their worth through tangible, immediate contributions to the workforce while men are afforded the luxury of intellectual exploration.
Every modern society was built on the arts, philosophy, anthropology, and communications, yet the value of women in these fields is being depreciated because they aren’t in alignment with current standards. What does this show us about our world at large?
Misogyny On The Rise
Within recent years, there has been a surge of anti-feminist rhetoric, from right-wing political commentator Ben Shapiro falsely claiming, “The notion that women are being paid less for the same exact work is not backed by statistical evidence” to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stating, “We need moms. But not in the military, especially not in combat units.” Women have also been repeatedly blamed for the record amount of isolation, depression, and anxiety faced by young men, further pushing the sexist rhetoric, especially in online spaces.
Following the 2024 election, researchers have documented an undeniable spike in misogynistic discourse. Sayings like “your body, my choice” became a particularly popular slogan, with a video of the chant from far-right influencer Nick Fuentes receiving more than 100 million views.
Additionally, social media platforms are rife with commentary mocking young women’s academic choices, often expressed with humor that veils its underlying hostility. The trend feeds into a broader resurgence of misogynistic rhetoric, where women’s professional, academic, and personal decisions are subject to public critique.
The growing disdain for non-STEM-related degrees aligns with this broader trend of backlash against women. Women now outnumber men in college enrollment and have an all-time high presence in the workforce. This shift has sparked anxiety about traditional power structures. For example, on the topic of working women who prioritize their careers over family planning, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that these women “choose a path to misery.” The ridicule directed at “impractical” degrees may be a symptom of this anxiety and serve as a way to undermine women’s achievements and reassert male dominance in these spaces.
“The extremists are afraid of books and pens, the power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women.”
Malala Yousafzai said during a 2013 speech at the United Nations.
Challenging the Narrative
It’s time to dismantle the idea that communication, arts, and humanities degrees and, by extension, those who pursue them are less valuable. The contributions of these graduates are woven into every aspect of society and bring skills that can help reach across this increasingly divided world. By recognizing the intrinsic value of all areas of study, we students can reject the narrow, profit-driven narrative that undermines fields associated with femininity.
For women, challenging the narrative means refusing to apologize for our choices and highlighting the importance of our respective fields. It also requires allies to push back against the toxic culture of ridicule, recognizing that an equal society values all fields of knowledge, regardless of their perceived economic output.
So, reach out and create a dialogue with your peers. Sharing our knowledge is the only way to materialize the true purpose of education and the diverse perspective each field brings. Through this active support, we can fight against the anti-academic movement and foster a better environment for us all.