sex & mentorship
In my academic experience, I’ve noticed that one-onone interactions with male professors in particular can
be deeply uncomfortable, for me and for the professor.
Part of the issue, I think, has do with the way our culture stereotypes relationships between young women
and older, more powerful men.
1) The cultural narrative in which female students seduce male professors can make relationships between
male professors and female students feel like dangerous
territory. Fear of overstepping ambiguous boundaries
can lead both parties to distance themselves rather than
risk inappropriate intimacy.
The narrative is also sometimes enforced by strict and
perhaps overbearing policies intended to prevent sexual
relations between students and teachers.
2) In a culture that sexually objectifies women, women
frequently perceive themselves through the male gaze,
especially in the company of men. Fear of the male
gaze, amplified by the student/teacher power imbalance, can add a layer of discomfort to student/teacher
interactions. (Even if the professor isn’t gazing, so to
speak.)
I’d like to hear further discussion among women on the
issue of mentorship. Why might interactions with male
professors be uncomfortable? Are mentorship relationships easier to foster with female professors?