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Most classrooms are organized around the "separate self" theory, said Sandra Altena, director of residence life at Dordt College in Sioux City IA. This theory posits that until one has "arrived" at a self, she's really not ready to enter a relationship.
Women value independence, nurturing and contextual thought. But the separate self theory emphasizes autonomy, self-reliance, independence, self-actualization and fulfillment--all traits commonly associated with men.
The issue of power is one of the foundations of the separate self theory. "If' self' is conceived of as separate, alone or in control, others may be perceived as intruders or objects," Altena noted in her presentation at the University of Nebraska Women in Educational Leadership Conference held in Lincoln in October.
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Connection, growth through relationships
Today at least 57% of college students are female. Yet faculty are still teaching under the male construct and ignoring the fact that women are relationship-oriented.
Many female students come to college feeling alienated and shaky about their abilities. Teaching styles that favor male constructs make them feel invalidated, resulting in low self-esteem being common.