There's a excellent read in the May/June 2010 issue of Change Magazine on the subject of differing male and female enrollments in higher education. The author, Marcus B. Weaver-Hightower, introduces the substance of his article as follows:
In this article, I want to go beyond just enrollment numbers to examine key indicators about male experience in college. As I will show, the story about men in higher education doesn't boil down to either “men are in trouble” or “men are fine,” as popular debates might suggest. Instead, both assertions have some truth. Higher education professionals must think broadly and, even more importantly, context-specifically about college men. Doing otherwise—ignoring the nuances of men's and women's educational lives—might actually exacerbate social inequalities while still not solving any of the problems faced by men and the institutions that serve them.
Very interesting article! I am left wondering if some of the reasons we are seeing a decline is because male partners are working in labour jobs so that their female partners can attend "funded" programs that are only available to females? We are encouraging females to enter non traditional programs and offer bursaries, tuition, mentors etc whereas their male counterparts are expected to attend and figure things out. Males don't traditionally go into female dominated professions for fear of societal reprecussions( example nursing) . Interesting point about prisons being a competing option for males; our must have society has made the drug trade a sexy option for young men. Why work at a part time job, attend school and take the bus when you can have flashy vehicles, plenty of females and free flowing cash for a small risk? Are the female partners of these incarcerated males enjoying classes at the expense of taxpayers and college funds ? The article is suggesting that parents be more involved in the college lives of young males. There's a novel idea!
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