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Women’s Role In Society Has Been Changing Throughout The Years Considered
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Women’s Role in Society has been changing throughout the years considered
Introduction
La Salle University is a Private Roman Catholic University which is located in Philadelphia. Named after St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the university was initially founded by the Brothers of the Christian School. The university has ties with the Roman Catholic Church. Initially founded in 1863, March, La Salle College was an all-male single-sex college. The founders of the college were Archbishop James Wood and Brother Teliow of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. La Salle fully became a co-educational institute in the 1970s after considering the Women Liberation Movement (Piana). The Women Liberation Movement initiated in the 1960s. It was a political arrangement of females and feminist intellectualism. The movement was mainly concentrated in the industrialized nations of the West. This movement brought about a great change in regards to culture, politics, and intellect worldwide. The Women Liberation Movement brand of essential feminism, rooted in modern philosophy comprised of women from all racial and diverse backgrounds. The movement suggested that women should be given psychological, social and economic freedom in order to flourish and leave behind the second class status given to them by the society (Lovelace, 4). La Salle took under consideration what the movement had instigated and decided that their university needs to have female students. This way they were letting the society know that they are no longer a single-sex institute and welcomed both genders on equal terms. This paper will shed light on how La Salle was a single-sex institute, and their journey from being an all-male university to finally admitting women (Piana). A little reflection on the background and history of La Salle and the changing role of women in the society and how the Women Liberation Movement established the platform for it will be discussed as well.
Discussion
Background and History of La Salle
St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle was privileged enough to attend a private boys school and get an education, but unlike most of his peers, he was more focused on using his teachings to enhance the pedagogical experience for everyone. He wanted to reach out to the poor and help them get an education (La Salle Magazine). The schools that he opened initially in the French City of Rheims were targeted to touch the hearts and souls of all youngsters but more importantly all the young male children. He wanted to inspire everyone around him with the Christian spirit. De La Salle admired the vision of a teacher touching and teaching the mind and soul of a student and changing lives forever (Piana). This fact led him to practice this vision through the brothers who were members of the congregation that he had formed, he taught them to introduce academia that would be unique and modern. In 1685 he put forward the first ever normal and practical school. On the 24th of May 1900, De La Salle was canonized. He was declared as the Patron Saint of the Teachers by the Pope Pius XII on 15th May 1950 to give recognition to the educational novelty that he founded (Dale).
Three years post-Spain yielded control of the Philippines to the United States in 1901, the Americans eventually made a decision of establishing a whole new educational system, which used English as the main language to give instructions. However, the Catholic schools were persistently teaching their students in Spanish. Which later also raised the concern that these children will not be able to take the leading roles in the United States industrial world. In the meanwhile, the brothers had established schools in around 35 countries inclusive of the United States. That is when the Archbishop of the United States also conversed with the brothers that the medium language should be English. After some hesitation, this was put under consideration and then implemented (Piana). The first classes in La Salle started with 125 male students. They were mostly taught on a primary and secondary level. They were eventually granted permission to give in high school diplomas. In the same year, the school started to be referred to as the De La Salle College. After there was a rise in the student population the college moved to its new and current location in 1921. The college became well known as an excellent business school. In 1931, when the institute added a year to its commerce plan, they started to offer its first Bachelor's program (La Salle Magazine). The college was finally given the university status in 1975, a few years after it became a co-education.
Single-sex All-male Students.
As long as De La Salle remained a college they only accepted all-male students. Shortly prior to becoming a university, they started to take in female students as well. This was mainly based on single-sex or single-gender education. Where the males and females study in separate rooms or in this case separate schools (Coveney). The practice was commonly known before the rise of the 20th century. This mainly lasted throughout the primary and secondary education, but in the case of La Salle, they stayed this way even after they started to offer Bachelor's programs. There are certain traditions and cultures that instigated the single-gender school systems (La Salle Magazine). There were certain religious rules and factors that were refraining the Religious brothers from teaching women, rules that they had formed from the very beginning of starting La Salle. The fact that La Salle was a Catholic School had a lot to do with only taking in male students. The Catholic Church believed in the fact that male and female students both can carry out education but not under one roof. It was thought that both the genders following the same routine under one roof will temper with the learning experience (Hoffnung, 635-636). That is why the majority of the schools before the 20th century segregated both the genders or did not take in females if they were teaching males. Further, it was not the time of social change. Women were given secondary status in society (Bizjournals). No one thought that the female children of the family should be educated. La Salle after putting in all the factors both religious and societal into consideration decided that they will not be enrolling female students, to begin with.
The early 1900s was the time when women had the image of being the house makers. They were expected to either stay in the kitchen or spending their time doing household chores. There were not many rights or awareness for that matter. Even if La Salle took in female students initially there were chances that they might not even get any and on the other hand it might even drive away families from admitting their sons (Bizjournals). Or a boy, in general, would not want to study under the same roof as females. It was also thought that when both the genders are put together they behave differently, but when they are segregated their behavior is also quite diverse. As unfortunate and unsettling as it is, the world was a whole lot sexist back in the day. The girls who wanted to pursue an education back in those days were either eye-balled or laughed on. Further, even the all-female schools were teaching specific subjects that they deemed appropriate and what would be fit for women. It was odd if a woman wanted to be a mathematician or a businesswoman (La Salle Magazine). The Christian brothers had created this rule, which dated back to the pioneering blocks of La Salle. The rule stated that they just could not teach women or at least they were not supposed to. It carried a French significance. It was one of those things which were inevitable for survival. So, societal facts, as well as the La Salle College being Catholic, hampered the idea of women studying under the same room as men (Hoffnung, 635-636).
Women Liberation Movement
It is safe to say that the United States and the United Kingdom are pioneers when it comes to women’s education. Considering the Women Liberation Movement that initiated in the 1960s, changed the position and status of women worldwide. This was the time that women from diverse backgrounds came together and asked for their rights (Coveney). They believed that they had the right to be educated and not just specific courses but everything that is taught to men, they wanted to be in politics, they wanted psychological and social freedom. They wanted to be part of the economy and aid to it as well. This can also be considered as one of the originating concepts of feminism (La Salle Magazine). This movement strived for equality of women. One of the pivotal focus of their strikes and campaigns was; equality in education and job opportunities. Education and learning should not be restricted to a small portion of the elite. Both Females and males from every background had the right to pursue an education in any field they want. It should not be dictated by the society that what subjects or area a woman can master in or not. It was also unfair that there are a lot more single-sex institutes for men than women and why cannot females study under the same roof as males (Thompson). All of this created quite the stir everywhere.
Later, to support the cause and instill the notion of equal education La Salle opened their college for women as well in the 1970s after holding their first ever Student Council elections in 1969. In 1969 President Daniel Burke continued the process and kept on moving through a committee that he created “Committee on Co-Education.” This committee was chaired by Brother Emery Mollenhauer. The committee was also inclusive of faculty, students and two administrators. To summarize the committee’s historic recommendation at the time, Br, Emery said, “To seek to continue our identity as an all-male college would be to perpetuate an anachronism. On educational grounds alone—and what other reason can be offered for our existence—the case for coeducation is incontestable.” Changing times needed to be catered and the college had to provide to that, one way or the (Thompson). Their ideology needed to be changed as the world required a social change and the institute itself also wanted to create an example. In fact, Mollenhauer had been striving for admitting women since the early 1960s. Eventually in the 1970s after much debate, the initial group of female student was admitted (Dale). They were around 138. The college at the time could never think that females will be constituting half of the student body in the next ten years (Hoffnung, 635-636).
The First Women of La Salle
Back in the 1970 post the first Student Council elections, La Salle prepared itself for a moment that was going to change the College's history forever. The institute finally decided to deviate from a program and structure that was being followed for more than a century. This time around more than fifty years ago a few dozen determined and strong-willed women prepared themselves to settle into a new environment as well (Bizjournals). It was time that they would settle a new routine and step into La Salle as the very first full-time female undergraduate day students. There were a lot of people who were concerned about the fact that this will break the very fabric of La Salle, an institute that only catered to male education for around 107 years (La Salle Magazine). The fabric of the institute did break, but it was for a positive cause. It helped bound the community of La Salle even closer than it already was. It also helped add to the heritage of the institute and made it more diverse and rich (Dale).
Female Student and Faculty Experiences and Views
This paper will further shed light on the experience of the new female students in light of their own thought and faculty thoughts. Diane Bones, who newly got admission in the institute talked about how just looking at photos from 1971-1975 can tell that how the times have changed and the change is for the good. A person can see the world transforming in front of their own eyes over the course of a few years. Throughout this change, La Salle was present there in its rebellious glory making a mark in history (La Salle Magazine). Diane also said that for me La Salle was throbbing with interesting new things, individuals of both genders and environment that I had never seen or witnessed before. She said that these new people who I started having a routine with were involved in various fields like technology, sports, women’s rights, art, philosophy and peace movements (Bizjournals). It was empowering to see this change and to know that my gender was responsible for it was even more beautiful.
Coming to another student named Tina Halpin, she talked about how enticing her experience in college was. She said that not only I and my peers were finally in college, but it was the time when we were all trying to figure ourselves out. It was the time of the Equal Rights Amendment, consciousness raising, awareness and the Vietnam War (Coveney). It was not just us who were trying to figure out our rights but the whole world was in a similar place figuring things out. Amid all this La Salle was also trying to go through its own experience and figure itself out (Hoffnung, 635-636).
Now, looking at things from the faculty perspective Mollenhauer, F.S.C., Ph.D., Provost Emeritus and former Dean of the Evening Division and associate professor of English said that the first female student came in when I was the evening dean (Lovelace, 4). He said that his initial desire was to get the females admitted in the college in 1962 when the Women Liberation Movement had started, but unfortunately, that did not work out (Bizjournals). He claimed that we had to go to our Provincial then. It was complicated since they have certain rules and policies when it came to not teaching women. He also added that this ideology was old school and needed to be changed.
Then coming to the opinion of Br. Charles Gresh, F.S.C., former director of Housing and Dean of Students. In accordance with Charles, there were still some Brothers who were not in favor of the change that was coming. They were saying that it had been more than a hundred years that they had thrived without being a co-education, and there was no reason that they could not go on like this. Regardless of what they had to say, it was indeed a need of the time in order to grow in terms of admissions, programs and general growth (La Salle Magazine). Apart from that, it was not just us alone who were part of the change, this change was universal and much essential.
John Rossi, Ph.D. Professor emeritus of history and author of Living the Promise: A history of La Salle explained that admitting women in the institution became the salvation of the institute in many ways. He believed that it was not possible for the institute to thrive as a single-sex institute. He also added that it was not just about fiscal stability and boosting the enrollment, it was also about expanding the horizons of the students (Coveney). A survey was held out in La Salle in which 86% of the students voted that they were in favor of co-education. The campus was in great need of change and the President Br. Daniel led that change as La Salle stepped into a new era. The institution officially opened its doors to female students in the fall of 1970. This decision was shaped after years of contemplating (La Salle Magazine). He also said that Br. Daniels believed that the coeds will be adding and enhancing the quality of academics and the social life of La Salle. In the fall of 1970, around 837 freshmen were enrolled in the campus and 138 of that figure were females. The first ever female day students of La Salle. These women never saw themselves as groundbreakers, all they wanted was to further themselves and find what their place is on campus as well as the whole world.
The thoughts of Marianne Salmon an MBA student helps to see what all this equality in education for both the genders was all about. She said that she had had enough of studying in single-sex schools. She just wanted change, she was scared of it at first. She said that I was people pleaser all my life and I just did not want to offend anyone. The idea of studying with boys was scary at first (La Salle Magazine). The guys usually fought playfully after every class which was odd at first but became fun to see how they function. She also said that it was never about proving a point, it was mainly about functioning like everyone else (Thompson). Salmon said that me and my peers we just wanted to get an education and establish an identity of our own.
Conclusion
This paper helps to see how far women have come over the course of time, from not being given the right to education to going to the moon. The fact that women role and rights are being discussed through La Salle, it should be good to mention that in 2015 Colleen M. Hanycz, Ph.D. became the first ever woman President of the school. The Women Liberation Movement instigated a change that can be seen throughout the world to this day. La Salle is just a small example of the change (Coveney et al.). It was never about trying to be superior for woman or trying to prove a point, it was more about equality. The idea was to live and let live in the same manner. Women just wanted to be given the same opportunities that were given to their male counterparts (Dale). The fact that La Salle having Catholic roots took the step of giving admission to women at that time indeed created an example for everyone to this date. From being strictly a boy’s school with literal rules to not teach women, to having equal, in fact, more women than men in the student body today.
Work Cited
Piana, Ronald, and Ronald Piana. "LaSalle Leffall: Often the ‘first,’& never the last." Oncology 33.4 (2019).
"The First Women Of La Salle - La Salle Magazine." La Salle Magazine. N. p., 2019. Web. 27 Apr. 2019.
"Female Firsts At La Salle - La Salle Magazine." La Salle Magazine. N. p., 2019. Web. 27 Apr. 2019.
"First Word: A Family Legacy Of La Salle Women - La Salle Magazine." La Salle Magazine. N. p., 2019. Web. 27 Apr. 2019.
Bizjournals.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 27 Apr. 2019.
Thompson, Jane. Learning liberation: Women's response to men's education. Routledge, 2017.
Coveney, Lal, et al. The Sexuality Papers: Male sexuality and the social control of women. Routledge, 2019.
Lovelace, Carey. "Optimism and Rage: The Women's Movement in Art in New York, 1969-1975." Woman's Art Journal 37.1 (2016): 4.
Dale, Reginald R. Mixed or Single-sex School?: A Research Study in Pupil-Teacher Relationships. Routledge, 2017.
Hoffnung, Michele. "Separate is Never Equal: The Repackaging of Single-Sex Education." (2017): 635-636.
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