A man is only as strong as the women he surrounds himself with. This is a value that is often overlooked by many men on college campuses. Even though women are leaving men in the dust when it comes to attending and succeeding in college, the way women are viewed in college by men is atrocious. Considering college is where young adults become men and women, the impact of this sexism could be monstrous to our society.
For thousands of years, women have been viewed around the world as second-class citizens. It’s only relatively recently that women were given the opportunity to venture outside of the home and pursue higher education. Since then, more and more women have applied to universities to seek degrees. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 74 percent of women who graduated high school in 2010 enrolled in college. Unlike the only 62.8 percent of men, a troubling trend. With an increase in women attending college you would think that they would gain more of men’s respect on campus.
Leading up to college, young men are often pressured by society to dominate over women, treat women as tools for pleasure and think of them as nothing more. This pressure reaches a pinnacle while in college, as the culture pushes these values to an extreme. In college men are judged on their successes and opportunities, and if a woman is more successful, it’s seen as a man’s failure.
On college campuses, men don’t see women for their knowledge or their values, but instead how sexual she is.
“It mostly happens at parties, but when a guy that has never met me approaches me, it is often to comment on my appearance,” said Candice Kading, a pre-nursing freshman.
For some reason, men think they’ll get more respect and credit with their peers if they have an attractive, sexual woman by their side. But the truth is women aren’t just trophies, they play a vital role in strengthening and building a stronger society.
Kading said she believes the sexism culture has already set into everyday life.
“The sad thing is, it’s not looked at as being mistreated, but it instead has somewhat become a norm,” she said. “It doesn’t even really bother me anymore because it’s become a sort of a norm to be looked at as an object.”
If men are continually pressured to devalue women, then sexism will most likely continue after graduation. A woman’s ability to create positive work will go without noticed.
The hazardous consequence for men if they continue to promote sexist values is just as bad. After graduation, men will continue to fight with one another to be the most dominating.
Despite the fact that women are receiving degrees at a greater rate than men, men still have more social power over women. By holding women down, men have for years used this power to our own advantage.
We have disrespected their value in improving life and the role they play in our own lives. If men want to enhance society we can start by sharing our power. Supporting women and helping them improve their lives will help improve our own. College is where society is built, and if women aren’t given the respect they deserve, our society will fall off course.
— Luke Davis is a pre-journalism sophomore. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu or on Twitter via @WildcatOpinions.
