General concept
Sexism can be defined as attitudes or behavior based on gender stereotypes, which result in discrimination or devaluation judging only by a person’s sex. (Collins, 2010) The most common type of sexist acts are directed to women, and may include the belief that a person from one sex is intrinsically superior to a person of the other. (Williams, 2011).
History of movements pro-gender equality
For a long time Purdue University has established itself as a one of the top academic institutions in the world. Since its foundation in 1868, their mission has been to form the leaders of the future, but also to create a comfortable and inclusive learning environment. It has always been a top priority for Purdue to have laws promoting respect amongst students.
In the late 1890 these policies were included in the new student handouts, which explained in detail the types of inappropriate behavior that were prohibited, some of which include: racial, sexual and personal harassment. The handout was also very clear in mentioning the disciplinary consequences in case of violating these policies. Depending on the severity of the infraction, sanctions could go from academic probation to immediate expulsion and possible police charges. Many of those policies are still enforced to this day. (Purdue University student handout, 2009). In the late 1920s women scholars started occupying high ranked jobs in the educational board, making one the first co-ed councils in the nation. It took no time for these women to excel at their jobs, which reinforced the belief of a gender inclusive environment. Famous characters like Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Shreve were pioneers on their fields, and are highly relevant and valuable to every member of the Purdue community.
As discriminatory acts were still present nation wide, women’s movements started to become more popular. These movements were founded with the purpose of disseminating knowledge about women, gender and sex discrimination which overall promoted feminist empowerment. It was movements like this that lead to the creation of the first women based academic program on campus. The women and gender studies program is an interdisciplinary degree that helps students understand over four decades of feminist scholarship that has influenced and transformed virtually every professional field, and has inspired many law initiatives around the US and the world. (Morrison, 2013). This program served as a model to other academic institutions that implemented similar studies to their course catalogues. It is a way to critically assess the historical and social context attached to the categories of women and men, as well as defining gender identity and its multiple variations. Currently, Purdue offers both an undergraduate and graduate degrees on this field, but also has over 30 clubs and organizations that promote equality for all people regardless of the way they express their gender or sexuality, which nurtures an inclusive, bias-free learning environment.
In the late 1890 these policies were included in the new student handouts, which explained in detail the types of inappropriate behavior that were prohibited, some of which include: racial, sexual and personal harassment. The handout was also very clear in mentioning the disciplinary consequences in case of violating these policies. Depending on the severity of the infraction, sanctions could go from academic probation to immediate expulsion and possible police charges. Many of those policies are still enforced to this day. (Purdue University student handout, 2009). In the late 1920s women scholars started occupying high ranked jobs in the educational board, making one the first co-ed councils in the nation. It took no time for these women to excel at their jobs, which reinforced the belief of a gender inclusive environment. Famous characters like Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Shreve were pioneers on their fields, and are highly relevant and valuable to every member of the Purdue community.
As discriminatory acts were still present nation wide, women’s movements started to become more popular. These movements were founded with the purpose of disseminating knowledge about women, gender and sex discrimination which overall promoted feminist empowerment. It was movements like this that lead to the creation of the first women based academic program on campus. The women and gender studies program is an interdisciplinary degree that helps students understand over four decades of feminist scholarship that has influenced and transformed virtually every professional field, and has inspired many law initiatives around the US and the world. (Morrison, 2013). This program served as a model to other academic institutions that implemented similar studies to their course catalogues. It is a way to critically assess the historical and social context attached to the categories of women and men, as well as defining gender identity and its multiple variations. Currently, Purdue offers both an undergraduate and graduate degrees on this field, but also has over 30 clubs and organizations that promote equality for all people regardless of the way they express their gender or sexuality, which nurtures an inclusive, bias-free learning environment.