I was in last week. The island, colonized by the English and surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, has different shades of green and blue, from sea green to turquoise, to darker tones. The water temperature is reminiscent of the beaches of Northeast Brazil. One night, I was at a fish market frequented by tourists and locals. Between fish stalls, small restaurants and commercial establishments, a dance floor was formed. It was beautiful to see couples dancing to the local music, spouge.
I attended a conference on gender and family at the University of the West Indies, organized by the Women Economists in and the Caribbean (WELAC) committee of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (Lacea). I presented an academic article and attended several presentations.
Amidst the Caribbean landscape and conversations at the conference, one of the articles presented particularly caught my attention. The study analyzes how the university environment and academic results can be affected by the composition of , in particular by the increase in the number of female colleagues: “Student Gender Composition and University Climate”.
The authors, Silvia Grisela, Paola Profeta and Giulia Savio, analyze the university environment from three dimensions: compliance with attitudes and perceptions related to , the perceived impact of mental health (worry and anxiety) on academic performance and interactions in the classroom. At first glance, the idea may sound counterintuitive. Why would greater interaction with female colleagues have an impact on the university environment? To answer this question, the authors use data from an Italian university located in the north of the country.
The question is in line with already consolidated literature that shows that, in general, men tend to be more competitive than women and that women can act differently when they are in the minority, which can affect their aspirations, their sense of belonging and their academic results. The article complements this debate by analyzing how the gender composition among colleagues influences the university environment.
The article uses administrative data that provides information on academic performance, including grades, as well as a survey that captures students’ compliance with attitudes related to masculinity, the perceived impact of masculinity, and classroom dynamics.
The results show that greater exposure to female colleagues significantly reduces attitudes related to masculinity and the perceived impact of mental health on academic performance, while also improving academic results, especially in quantitative subject exams, and classroom interactions.
Additionally, it reduces the likelihood of switching to another area of study at the master’s level. This last result has an important implication for careers in STEM and economics, areas in which the proportion of women is still low. Perhaps this helps to explain why, as we advance through the different levels of postgraduate studies, female participation decreases.
Surprisingly, research results show positive effects for both women and men, who benefit from greater diversity in their peer groups. This suggests that greater balance in classroom gender composition could be beneficial for everyone by improving the university climate and academic performance.
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