Oxford introduces female author targets
Oxford University is to feminise its curriculum by requesting that 40 per cent of recommended authors on philosophy reading lists are women. Academic staff at the university’s philosophy faculty have also been asked to use writers’ first names rather than their initials when compiling reading lists, to make it clearer which are female. It is the latest in a series of reforms introduced by the university to make it more appealing to female students.
OXFORD University is to feminise its curriculum after requesting that 40 per cent of recommended authors on philosophy reading lists be by women.
Academic staff at the university’s philosophy faculty have also been asked to use writers’ first names rather than their initials when compiling reading lists, to make it clearer which are female.
It is the latest in a series of overtures by the university to female students, which have included lengthening maths and computer science exams by 15 minutes, and the introduction of a “take home” history finals paper to make women feel less pressure – something which provoked accusations of sexism.
The move also comes amid campaigns by students at a number of universities for courses to include more works by writers from black and ethnic minority backgrounds. Cambridge University’s English literature professors last year discussed proposals to add more female and black writers to reading lists, after a student campaign to “decolonise” the curriculum.
As part of a raft of changes designed to increase the appeal of philosophy to female students Oxford is also introducing an undergraduate paper on feminist philosophy and has appointed new academics to teach it.
Prof Edward Harcourt, who until recently was the chairman of Oxford University’s philosophy faculty board, said that the new course is being introduced “partly just because it’s interesting, and partly to raise the profile and status of feminist philosophy at Oxford”.
He said he hoped it would “send the message to our female students that philosophy is for you”. Prof Harcourt said the change from initials to first names would boost the profile of female writers.
“For example, one of the greatest philosophers of the post-war period, Elizabeth Anscombe, published as ‘GEM Anscombe’. If that’s what goes on the reading list, understandably students won’t know she was female,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
The reading list has been spearheaded by Prof Paul Lodge, the incoming director of undergraduate studies for philosophy who was previously the faculty’s equalities and diversity officer.
Prof Harcourt added: “We are delighted to be raising the status of feminist philosophy at Oxford by our new appointments in the area.”
He said the faculty had not introduced a quota as such, but was requesting that 40 per cent of recommended authors be female.
He said the faculty was asking staff to use their “academic judgment” about which authors they include on reading lists.