Genusterror at the universities – a myth

"Genusterror at the universities – a myth"

"Ulrika Stahre about the constant battle between genes and the environment: tear the walls"

"This is a kulturartikel which is a part of Aftonbladet's opinionsjournalistik."

"Last Sunday, wrote Nathan Shachar, a text in Today's News (February 3) that does not leave me any peace. The text was about a professor in neurophysiology in Lund, Germund Hesslow, who have been subjected to inkvisitionsliknande treatment by the university and decided to leave. The problem, according to Shachar, is that the unscientific dogma of the church (read: gender studies) allowed to infiltrate as a free thinking university, and that no dissenting allowed."

"the Professor's topic was, namely, biological sex differences. A hot potato svalnad and heated so many times now that it should be all shriveled."

"The whole thing is basically a free continuation of the Ivar Arpis series of articles on ”how gender studies has become a sort of överkyrka at Swedish universities”, although Shachar in this text far more to universitetsstyret than against genusvetenskapen in itself: ”the Faculties and the universitetsbyråkrater do not conclude up behind their teachers when fanatics fly them in the throat.” These fanatics are in the text, the faceless and undescribed, one senses a horde of maniacs. But are they? And the student who complained Hesslows lectures a fanatic?"

"In recent years, there has been a story about students who take too many liberties – criticize kurslistor and lecturers, requires equal treatment, protesting against homophobia, transphobia and blatant discrimination."

"It may be unsaid if this is a sign that the Swedish school success (”think critically!” ”analyze!”), that the youth now-a-days lack good manners and good sense (since Plato's time), that postmodernism in collusion with genusvetenskapen dug out auktoritetstron and respect for objective truth. In Ivar Arpis series of articles (which probably colored Shachars analysis) is the last option, it is valid and because genusterroristerna also have universitetsstyrets ear so the students are usually right. But is it really?"

"In the early 1990s changed the economy, and to some extent also the orientation in the universities and then the allocation of funds began to be calculated on the throughput. That is to say: the more students who are accepted and take up through the system the more money to the institution. This NPM system has led to two substantial changes, or deterioration plain and simple: the requirements is liable to be lowered, students who have not actually achieved an approved level may still pass. And the universities will be very keen to go students to the meeting. They are not students, namely, without the customers. And the customer is always right."

"The university Nathan Shachar remember and dream about simply no longer exist. And it is neither gender studies, postmodernism, or the students ' fault. It is austerity, NPM, non-existent research time, lektorernas large administrative burden, and a large portion of customer power. Yes, and probably more reasons. That this system is detrimental to both students and employees is evident."

" No, the university in general do not deny the biological differences. ”Many university has mens', as a friend expressed it. "

"the Battle between heredity and environment, between that place emphasis on biological sex differences or social maktanalyser is old but has in recent years brought to a boil again. Like most other debates, it is based on hyperbole and demonization. No, the university in general do not deny the biological differences. ”Many university has mens', as a friend expressed it. However, you can not build power on the biology, or explain the pay gap, unequal representation, the small number of female artists during the renaissance, the male dominance in the media, etc. with biology."

"The biological knowledge also has a tendency to be perceived as timelessly true, at least outside the universities. It is a lekmannauppfattning on research, which is unfortunate. Research takes spretighet. The turns possibly, fixed for the moment, later there will be new discoveries. Last year, Cordelia Fines Testosterone rex – the myth of our gendered brains out in Swedish, and destroyed at least a couple of old ”truths” about the biology as inelastic of the social. There is a study that is being challenged from other directions, just as it is with all research. It goes on, build on, refute, based in another direction."

"the Research goes on and it usually take a while before it ends up on the course literature and lectures. If there is a researcher who teaches in exactly their field of research (which really is not always the case). "

"Therefore, it is not surprising that well-informed students may have objections to the courses approach."

"Why students at medical school to get this particular, quite narrow and a bit aged, research into life in order to prepare for professional life and patient contact is a mystery to me."

"The lecture Hesslow used to keep for medical students in Lund contained, for example, statements about homosexual women have ”male oriented”. An additional testosteronskjuts with other words. It is a statement that does not say anything about anything at all, more than that, there are women who have gained extra testosterone as a fetus and then become gay. But it covers hardly all lesbians. So what is such testimony worth? Is the proof of our unwavering biological fate? Or just an idea among many?"

"Hormonstudier on lesbian women have been made at least since the 1970s, often with very little selection. Otherwise, there are most studies in mice. Why students at medical school to get this particular, quite narrow and a bit aged, research into life in order to prepare for professional life and patient contact is a mystery to me."

"the Whole story reflects a little sad situation. The uncritically acclaimed science are set against the socio-economic sciences and the humanities, ”ideological beliefs”. We are not going to get anywhere in understanding of ourselves and each other if this continues. All the research is worth more than to be distorted or to be portrayed as timelessly true. In fact, they may here at least in the press so polarized positions to help each other on. Interdisciplinarity is the way, the high walls between faculties should be demolished."