Professor Blames Math’s ‘Rational Thought’ for Women’s STEM Struggles

“By incorporating feminist [teaching methods] into math classes....."

Casey Griffin/ University of Delaware

A professor at the University of Delaware recently penned an academic article arguing that women’s sense of belonging in calculus classes is hurt by “rational thought” and “objective truth,” which the professor sees as masculine qualities.

“Men have been associated with rational thought, absolute and objective truth, and autonomous and individualist behavior,” writes Casey Griffin, a professor and research assistant at the University of Delaware.

“Given that the U.S. system of education, particularly secondary and postsecondary institutions, was created by men, for the sole purpose of educating men, it is not surprising that it was developed with ‘masculine’ qualities.”

Griffin also contends that rational and objective truth hurts women who want to feel comfortable and accepted in STEM classrooms like mathematics, because such truth is a masculine quality and does not align with women’s more holistic sense of truth.

She explains, “Additionally, discourse around science, and particularly mathematics, positions the field as gender-neutral and a source of rational and objective truth that is independent of the mind. These notions intersect with the belief that scientific or mathematical ability is innate and preserve the idea that STEM is a masculine space.”

The paper — “Study of Undergraduate Women’s Sense of Belonging in Calculus” — was published as part of Griffin’s PhD in Mathematics Education at the University of Delaware, coincidentally the same school Jill Biden earned her doctoral degree.

Griffin writes, “The masculine space of STEM education can be alienating for those who identify as women (henceforth, referred to as women).”

Research indicates that women’s underrepresentation in STEM is not necessarily for lack of interest or ability. Instead, Griffin argues, one major factor influencing women’s decisions to pursue or leave STEM is their sense of belonging in these fields.

Her solution? Feminism.

“I hypothesized that incorporating feminist [teaching methods] into math classes might support women’s retention in STEM. Feminist pedagogies aim to position not just the instructor, but all students, as sources of knowledge,” she writes.

As I previously reported, Griffin is not alone in her concern about math classes being a breeding ground for attitudes that negatively impact women. Many professors in the graduate field of “math education” promote feminism in the classroom, as academia increasingly requires a commitment to DEI values.

Eric Cordero-Siy Teaching At Wheelock College/ Instagram

“Mathematics has largely been regarded as value- and culture-free, so mathematics classrooms should just ‘be about numbers’… right?” No, says Eric Cordero-Siy, a professor at Wheelock College, which is now a part of Boston University.

“This ideology of being just about numbers aligns with whiteness and white supremacy,” Cordero-Siy recently wrote.

“Because mathematics education has always been able to retreat to the adage that mathematics is just about the numbers, our field has been complicit in the violence and harm directed towards the defenseless and the disenfranchised.”

“Without confronting and radically reimagining mathematics, we are stuck in a loop where whiteness begets whiteness,” Cordero-Siy and his team of researchers conclude.

This article was written by Toni Airaksinen, a journalist living in Delray Beach, Florida. If you’d like to stay on top of college antisemitism news, please follow her on Substack, Twitter or Instagram. If you enjoyed this, consider Buying Her a Coffee with a small donation.