Koch, Janice & Irby, Beverly (Eds.). (2002). Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education

	Koch, Janice & Irby, Beverly (Eds.). (2002). Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing. Pp. xii + 197. $29.95 (Paper)       ISBN 1-931576-42-4 Reviewed by Margaret Sallee Ohio State University May 18, 2003 Gender equity has recently become a hot topic in education. A quick survey of literature reveals a wide array of research in the field, ranging from articles exploring women working in non-faculty roles in the university to the disparity in media coverage between women and men’s basketball games. Although the notion of sex equity has been an interest to educators for the past forty years, many current researchers advocate a conscious switch in the use of terminology to the more inclusive term of gender. As Susan Klein, Patricia Ortman, and Beth Friedman explain in “What is the Field of Gender Equity in Education?,” the first chapter of this volume, ...the term gender equity is now used because it reflects the cultural construct of male and female roles and expectations rather than the biological aspects of sex differences, and includes the notion that many social institutions are gendered…It is also a more inclusive label than women’s equity since in some areas it is as important for society to have males achieve parity with females as well as the reverse. (p. 6, emphasis in original) Exploring renaming the field of study sets the tone for Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education, the first volume in a series on Research on Women and Education from editors Janice Koch and Beverly Irby. This feminist response to the current problems faced by both women and men in education focuses on a wide range of issues, from students facing harassment in elementary school to faculty desperately trying to crack the White male dominated world of tenure. Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education divides its eleven chapters into three parts. Part I, entitled “Defining Gender Equity,” attempts to establish a theoretical framework of the field and to answer the basic question of “What is equity?” As discussed above, the first chapter provides an answer to this question while exploring the background and history of the field. Structured in a user-friendly question-and-answer format, this chapter attempts to familiarize those exploring the field for the first time with the concepts of the field of gender equity. To complement this qualitative approach, the other chapter in Part I, “Research Methods and Gender Equity” by Patricia B. Campbell, explores the ways in which research has historically been conducted in this field and discusses traditional biases that may inhibit good research practices on gender equity. Even more than traditional researchers, feminists and others investigating issues of gender equity must be certain to acknowledge those biases and personal histories they bring to their research since these biases may shape both what they study and their interpretations of outcomes. To fail to do so would place them in the same tradition of past research that, for many years, has neglected to adequately examine the disparities in education between genders. Establishing the history and methodologies implicit in gender equity research leads directly into Part II of the volume, “Advancing Gender Equity.” The chapters in this section explore the issue of gender equity in a variety of contexts. In “Women Leaders: Creating Inclusive School Environments,” Beverly J. Irby and Genevieve Brown provide a practical checklist to aid administrators in ensuring that their schools are inclusive to both genders. They remind us that features of the physical environment, curriculum, role models, and teaching methods can easily transmit messages that only reinforce traditional or dominant values. This examination of the K-12 environment complements Joanne E. Cooper’s chapter on “Gender Equity in the Academy,” in which she explores the discrimination still faced by women in all roles throughout the university. Despite great advances made by women in enrollment and graduation from universities, men continue to outnumber women as recipients of doctorates and, to a greater degree, as members of the faculty. Clearly, the education of boys and men is still privileged and encouraged more than that of their female counterparts. Additional articles in Part II explore the role that gender can play in the underachievement of girls in math and science as well as technology. The final article by Charol Shakeshaft, “Gender, Violence and Harassment in Schools” explores the often talked about issue of bullying or sexual violence in American schools. Since both boys and girls witness and suffer from incidents of sexual violence, Shakeshaft is able to reincorporate boys into discussions of gender equity, an approach that few of the other authors in this volume use. The final section of the book, “Redefining Gender Equity,” explores issues of gender equity in marginalized groups. In her article “Black Women—Winning or Losing? Revisited,” Charlotte Matthews Harris presents conversations with successful African-American women describing their battle to obtain equality in the world. In “Latinas in the Ivory Tower,” Rosita L. Marcano describes the cultural barriers that many Latinas face as they compete in a tenure system created by and for White men. In contrast to their White counterparts, Latinas may feel additional responsibilities to their families and an uncertainty of breaking out of gender specific roles. These two chapters serve an important function in this volume in that they discuss groups that, until recently, have received little attention in feminist literature. In a field committed to seeking to give voice to the Other, gender equity research must ensure that the experiences of women and men from all backgrounds are honored. Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education is true to itself. In a volume of research that calls for redefining issues of gender equity to include the needs of those from a variety of backgrounds, it explores the issue from multiple perspectives. Not only do the chapters vary widely in content, but different authors also explore gender equity using a variety of techniques including ethnographic research, quantitative studies, naturalistic research, and the use of the narrative. Many of the articles call for educators to recognize the inherent difference in learning styles of girls and boys and advocate for the need to create a space for all voices to be heard. This volume does just that. However, I am concerned that the structure of the volume might perpetuate some of the messages against which so many of the authors so eloquently argued. Many of the articles focused on the ways in which marginalized groups, particularly girls and women, have been excluded from education, both as students and practitioners. Many argued that changes in education are needed to allow for the experiences of women to be incorporated into mainstream curriculum. By placing the chapters on African-American women and Latinas in the final section of the volume, I fear that the editors may have unintentionally continued to devalue the experience of the Other. As researchers and educators committed to attaining true equity, we must realize that every woman and man’s experience is of equal importance and value each as such. Overall, Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education serves as an important addition to the field of research on gender equity. Through the variety of topics covered, editors Janice Koch and Beverly Irby present an overview of the basics of the field, contemporary issues in gender equity, and where the field is heading. In addition to providing interesting research, many of the articles offer practical suggestions for implementation of policies to combat gender inequity in schools. As such, this volume is appropriate for use by those exploring gender equity for the first time as well as for those who have made its study their passion. Anyone who is committed to the ideals of honoring and integrating women and men from all backgrounds into an equitable society will find Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education to be a valuable resource. About the Reviewer Margaret Sallee is currently enrolled in the Master’s Program in Higher Education and Student Affairs at The Ohio State University. In addition to her studies, she also works in Career Services at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. She is interested in issues of race, gender, and equity in education.