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Rajan Pokhrel
Alex Kurian
ENGL 1302
21 Feb. 2017
Cons of same Gender College
Same gender colleges are those colleges having only one sex students and teachers who
are either just men or women. According to Finkelman and Wallenstein, “The first all-female
academies, founded in the early 1800s were to preserve traditional gender roles and reflected
commitment to reserve the public sphere of men.” Nevertheless, in today’s modern world, men
and women are like two sides of a coin and many parents prefer their kids to go to a co-
educational school. In fact, the number of co- educational colleges largely outnumber the same
gender colleges in the United States. Same gender colleges are not as good as co-gender colleges
because it creates gender discrimination in the society and does not socialize students in ways
where they are likely to face difficulties while coping with their opposite genders.
One of the main reasons why same gender colleges are not as effective as co gender
colleges in today’s context of the world is because it started in a different phase of time when the
society used to be an entirely male oriented one. Most of the women in 19th century and early
were housewives. Only some of them worked outside in the factories and industries.
Discrimination was even at work having the women payed less than men. Same sex colleges
were huge during that period as men and women were two different parts of society. Despite the
gender segregation, these colleges played an important role in bringing the women together for
their rights. The institutions gave them a platform to discuss about their matters at home and
school. Especially during the War when men were fighting, these types of colleges empowered
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the women and made them ready to work outside their homes. And later, “Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 prohibited discrimination based on sex in education programs
and activities that receive federal financial assistance” (Charles, Mchenry, Robert Van Doren).
Looking back at same gender colleges, it shows that it helped in the empowerment of women but
as of today, it is not the same case anymore. People have a better realization that gender roles,
males and women both go hand in hand in shaping our community. Hence, same gender colleges
in today’s day is not relevant to the old times to be a successful one.
Having same gender colleges did not just come from gender inequalities. In the name of
the single sex schools, it also had to do with the racism. After the civil war, the white parents
were still at unrest with the concern of having their girls inevitably forming social bonds with
black guys. In an interview by Anderson, Author Juliet A. Williams, a professor of gender
