I'm trying desperately to remember who it was who recently wrote something in LJ about the feel of Girton college — made by women, but now admitting men — and how the change hasn't destroyed its essence. I'd like to link to it right now. /-8
I feel strongly that the eventual ideal has to be sex being irrelevant to most people in most circumstances. If New Hall and Newnham really feel they can't change, then I suppose they'll just plod on for the time being but it would be good if they could, and it's good that St Hilda's can.
(As a historical note when I matriculated Magdalene College's Part II students were all male. Having just emerged from an all-male school, my inclination was that women should have their all-female colleges and men should have their all-male ones, but I've no idea whether I'd have chosen an all-male college if the opportunity had arisen. Given how much of the time I socialised in other colleges, it would probably have made very little difference — and CUSFS tended to meet in New Hall bar because it was empty, presumably because most of the residents were out meeting blokes in other college's bars. (-8 )
I feel strongly that the eventual ideal has to be sex being irrelevant to most people in most circumstances. If New Hall and Newnham really feel they can't change, then I suppose they'll just plod on for the time being but it would be good if they could, and it's good that St Hilda's can.
You're confusing, I think, liberal equality with actual equality. Making every college mixed is blank-sheet equality, but it leaves us allowing the worsening of a situation where men outnumber women at every level of Oxford University, and by more than 10 to 1 at the most senior academic level.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-07 09:59 pm (UTC)I feel strongly that the eventual ideal has to be sex being irrelevant to most people in most circumstances. If New Hall and Newnham really feel they can't change, then I suppose they'll just plod on for the time being but it would be good if they could, and it's good that St Hilda's can.
(As a historical note when I matriculated Magdalene College's Part II students were all male. Having just emerged from an all-male school, my inclination was that women should have their all-female colleges and men should have their all-male ones, but I've no idea whether I'd have chosen an all-male college if the opportunity had arisen. Given how much of the time I socialised in other colleges, it would probably have made very little difference — and CUSFS tended to meet in New Hall bar because it was empty, presumably because most of the residents were out meeting blokes in other college's bars. (-8 )
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-08 01:14 am (UTC)You're confusing, I think, liberal equality with actual equality. Making every college mixed is blank-sheet equality, but it leaves us allowing the worsening of a situation where men outnumber women at every level of Oxford University, and by more than 10 to 1 at the most senior academic level.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-06-08 08:21 am (UTC)PS
Date: 2006-06-08 08:25 am (UTC)