Last week, Lundagård reported that two 30 credit courses of economics at the University lack a gender perspective. This is something that has caused indignation among the students at the Department of Economics.
Photo: Sigrid Rosell
Josefin Kilman is taking the Master’s program in Economics.
“I don’t think I have even heard the word being mentioned in my program of Economics. It’s terrible.
“I don’t think I have even heard the word being mentioned in my program of Economics. It’s terrible, says Josefin Kilman, who is taking the Master’s program in Economics at the School of Economics and Management.
According to Fredrik Andersson, Dean at the School of Economics and Management, the gender perspective has been discarded due to the fact that there are no teaching sections that bring it up.
Josefin Kilman believes that its omission is predicated on ignorance.
“I think people aren’t up-to-date with this issue at all. The academic community is still so divided. There’s no transcending collaboration between the departments. I think that makes professors, as well as students, become very narrow-minded in what they are doing, and that they don’t reflect over the fact that gender issues should be included,” says Josefin Kilman.
Photo: Sigrid Rosell
Ignorance
Ignorance or not, the School of Economics and Management is at least cognizant of the fact that the gender perspective is missing on their courses, as they state in their syllabus that “no certain gender perspective is applied to the content”.
“To me, it’s unbelievable and remarkable that they in their syllabus have included that the gender perspective will not be brought up,” says Josefin Kilman.
Anna Berglund studies economics within the confines of the Politicies Bachelor’s program.
“I think it’s a pity that the University ignores the applicable policies.”
Anna Berglund is currently studying economics within the confines of the Politicies Bachelor’s program. She believes that the gender issue might have been discarded due to ignorance, but the School of Economics and Management just might not want to admit that.
“Even if the syllabus says so, it might have been caused by a lack of understanding, despite the fact that they don’t want to admit it,” she says.
The School of Economics and Management defying its own policy and the regulations of the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education, is something that irritates Anna Berglund. She was unaware of the fact that the gender perspective would not be included in the course.
“I think it’s a pity that the University ignores the applicable policies. It’s especially a shame that the ones in charge of the teaching operations are the ones to have eliminated the gender perspective. It is important, at least for me,” says Anna Berglund.
By men for men
Josefin Kilman makes the case that the Department is male dominated, which she in turn believes might have contributed to the gender perspective being discarded.
Economics is a discipline known for its propensity to use old-fashioned models and philosophies. “It was made by men for men,” says Josefin Kilman.
READ MORE: The University Ignores Their Own Gender Policy
READ MORE: Union: Gender Carries Different Levels of Importance
Text: Sigrid Rosell
Translation: Maximilian Aleman-Tennell
