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Yale Needs Women


How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant
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Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet women were still barred from many traditional paths at Yale and beyond. Which did you think most damaging? Growing up, did you feel your options were limited by your gender?

Created: 06/24/21

Replies: 5

Posted Jun. 24, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet women were still barred from many traditional paths at Yale and beyond. Which did you think most damaging? Growing up, did you feel your options were limited by your gender?

Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet women—whether student, administrator, or professor—were still barred from many of the traditional paths to information, influence and power, both at Yale and beyond. Which examples the author cites did you feel were the most damaging to the Yale women? Which bothered you the most? Growing up, did you feel your options were limited by your gender? 


Posted Jul. 01, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
smallino

Join Date: 06/06/21

Posts: 52

RE: Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet...

Absolutely, my professional options were limited. Though top in my class in mathematics, I was never counselled into anything but teaching or nursing. I didn't even know what an engineer was until I went to a State University specializing in the field.

As far as damaging policies at Yale, I was appalled at their lack of security and their inability to report assaults, even in the case of the gang rape. I was surprised those women returned and weren't permanently damaged. I suspect PTSD from those experiences was present their entire lives. The athletic experience was also appalling; no support for field hockey? Thank god for Title IX. While the decision to separate them into separate colleges was understandable, their low numbers left them isolated. Such courage to keep going and graduate. Of course at those numbers, these were the best of the best! Far surpassing the men, including one who became president!


Posted Jul. 01, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
carolynd

Join Date: 05/16/11

Posts: 35

RE: Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet...

I graduated from college in 1969. I had a really good summer job in a large organization. The company decided to start a program to introduce summer employees to possible careers in the company -- but no women were eligible. Things got better but still a long row to hoe.


Posted Jul. 17, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
scottishrose

Join Date: 07/24/11

Posts: 220

RE: Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet...

The things they couldn't participate in was most damaging in my opinion. The fact that decisions were made at Mory's but women couldn't participate was an issue. Another problem was that it some of the women weren't allowed to do the things they loved or had to fight for the opportunity, like Kit wanting to be in the marching band. I'm sure my options were limited by my gender, but when you are young, you don't always see it.


Posted Jul. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
judyg

Join Date: 04/20/11

Posts: 72

RE: Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet...

While I was aware of discrimination against women at the college I attended I did not experience discrimination as I was growing up. I did experience sexual harassment while working for the US military while living overseas as a young married woman. When I did start working out of college I worked as a manager on an all-male team. I consider myself very lucky to have had that period of time where everyone respected each other and behaved accordingly. Later in my career I ran into any number of older males who still clearly discriminated against women, even after the year 2000.

It wasn’t until I grew older, after age 40, that I looked back and wondered why I wasn’t encouraged to pursue some of my natural interests in reading, animal care or business. That’s when I began to think more seriously about discrimination against women. Overall I think I have had a very good experience as a female executive and consultant, a few bad apples aside.


Posted Jul. 21, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Karolyn

Join Date: 06/30/21

Posts: 15

RE: Yale may have gone coed in 1969, yet...

In thinking back on my views in my 20s and comparing it to that experienced by the women in the book it made me realize how much I accepted because it never occurred to me to expect or ask for anything different. I think it was a combination of being raised in a conservative religious home where a women had her "place" and the overall view of women at that time. I really admired the women who were so very much their own person and did not let others opinions impact them. I worked in the hospitality industry (cruise ship industry) for many years and sexual harassments was very much a frequent experience especially as I worked in sales and marketing where your looks were as much a part of your job qualifications as your skills.


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