6 ms·

Male professors, female students: a tricky power dynamic

11 points by GuiA 13y ago

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
incision 13y ago
Two observations semi-related to this topic... >"The intellectual and physical seduction of young female students by older, male professors—usually in the humanities, and in the throes of midlife crises—is so common in movies and books that it’s become a cliché." I thought the midlife crisis in general was something of a cliché until I watched a string of friends, one after another seemingly lose their damn minds as they hit 40. >"Johnson said the professor-student power dynamic was to blame, more than gender." I'm currently heading into my mid-30s and taking college classes for the first time. I've been having a hard time adjusting to that power dynamic. I'm used to treating all other adults, even the ones I work for, as peers. It's tough and at times aggravating to deal with folks who insist on a certain constant deference due to the student-teacher relationship.
revelation 13y ago
In this hitpiece, we have Slate denouncing half of a profession because of things said on Twitter, then quote people with an agenda (again from Twitter) to emulate a balanced discussion of the extraordinary claim.
cperciva 13y ago
For what it's worth, this "tricky power dynamic" isn't new -- except perhaps in the genders involved. Sexual tension between male professors and male students has over two thousand years of history behind it, and an 18th century scandal at Wadham College, Oxford led to the following poetry: There once was a Warden of Wadham Who approved the folkways of Sodom, For a man might, he said, Have a very poor head But be a fine Fellow at bottom. I write this not to excuse the behaviour of the cited professors, but rather to point out that it's a professor/student issue, not necessarily a male/female issue.
- sliverstorm 13y ago
  Well gee, it's just not half as interesting if gender politics aren't involved. :)
jlgreco 13y ago
> "Ortberg didn’t say why she thought some professors craved the attention of their female students to the degrees detailed in the Twitter thread, but Saxena had some ideas. > “I think if your job is to command the attention of a room and instill knowledge into people, then you're probably going to thrive on receiving that attention,” the Tulane graduate said. “That just comes with the work, right?” You know, I really don't think it is nearly that complicated.... In the wise and misattributed words of Sigmund Freud, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Anyway, just an FYI, the link goes to the second page of the article for some reason.
MWil 13y ago
I've never seen a male professor who seemed to get off on attracting adoring female fans but I have seen the inverse and opposite - female professors who go out of their way to play down being comfortable around young males to curb (so they say) inappropriate behavior or giving off that impression to others
- Apocryphon 13y ago
  The Graduate came out in 1967, after all.
- balabaster 13y ago
  I also can't count the number of girls (all the way back to high school) that I saw lay eyes on a male teacher they found attractive and fully cognizant of the consequences pursue them like an animal... not justifying or condoning it in any manner, but in some arenas, women can be far more predatory than men, regardless of the social or political structure of the relationship. Of course it also goes the other way, and in every combination of sexes, but there's a truth to the age old saying "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Male professors, indeed everyone should do well to take heed heed of that. Even if the relationship seems genuine and it's really about feelings and not about power, what are the consequences should the wheels fall off? and are they worth it?
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

11 points by GuiA 13y ago

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

Two observations semi-related to this topic... >"The intellectual and physical seduction of young female students by older, male professors—usually in the humanities, and in the throes of midlife crises—is so common in movies and books that it’s become a cliché." I thought the midlife crisis in general was something of a cliché until I watched a string of friends, one after another seemingly lose their damn minds as they hit 40. >"Johnson said the professor-student power dynamic was to blame, more than gender." I'm currently heading into my mid-30s and taking college classes for the first time. I've been having a hard time adjusting to that power dynamic. I'm used to treating all other adults, even the ones I work for, as peers. It's tough and at times aggravating to deal with folks who insist on a certain constant deference due to the student-teacher relationship.

revelation 13y ago

In this hitpiece, we have Slate denouncing half of a profession because of things said on Twitter, then quote people with an agenda (again from Twitter) to emulate a balanced discussion of the extraordinary claim.

cperciva 13y ago

For what it's worth, this "tricky power dynamic" isn't new -- except perhaps in the genders involved. Sexual tension between male professors and male students has over two thousand years of history behind it, and an 18th century scandal at Wadham College, Oxford led to the following poetry: There once was a Warden of Wadham Who approved the folkways of Sodom, For a man might, he said, Have a very poor head But be a fine Fellow at bottom. I write this not to excuse the behaviour of the cited professors, but rather to point out that it's a professor/student issue, not necessarily a male/female issue.

sliverstorm 13y ago
Well gee, it's just not half as interesting if gender politics aren't involved. :)

jlgreco 13y ago

> "Ortberg didn’t say why she thought some professors craved the attention of their female students to the degrees detailed in the Twitter thread, but Saxena had some ideas. > “I think if your job is to command the attention of a room and instill knowledge into people, then you're probably going to thrive on receiving that attention,” the Tulane graduate said. “That just comes with the work, right?” You know, I really don't think it is nearly that complicated.... In the wise and misattributed words of Sigmund Freud, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Anyway, just an FYI, the link goes to the second page of the article for some reason.

MWil 13y ago

I've never seen a male professor who seemed to get off on attracting adoring female fans but I have seen the inverse and opposite - female professors who go out of their way to play down being comfortable around young males to curb (so they say) inappropriate behavior or giving off that impression to others

Apocryphon 13y ago
The Graduate came out in 1967, after all.
balabaster 13y ago
I also can't count the number of girls (all the way back to high school) that I saw lay eyes on a male teacher they found attractive and fully cognizant of the consequences pursue them like an animal... not justifying or condoning it in any manner, but in some arenas, women can be far more predatory than men, regardless of the social or political structure of the relationship. Of course it also goes the other way, and in every combination of sexes, but there's a truth to the age old saying "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Male professors, indeed everyone should do well to take heed heed of that. Even if the relationship seems genuine and it's really about feelings and not about power, what are the consequences should the wheels fall off? and are they worth it?

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]