“Even Here”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Gender Bias Incidents at a Selective Liberal Arts College

Abstract

We expanded upon previous research by providing a mixed-method investigation of students’ experiences of campus gender bias incidents. Undergraduates (N = 225) from a Northeastern U.S. selective liberal arts college (SLAC) responded to an open-ended prompt about their exposure to incidents of campus bias targeting those across the gender identity spectrum. Qualitative coding and thematic analysis revealed rich information about the existence/prevalence, perceived targets, and types/manifestations of gender bias. While the majority of comments (70.7%) included reports of a specific example of campus gender bias, nearly half (40.4%) of the comments included hedged or second-guessed reports, and nearly a quarter (23.1%) denied encountering gender bias. Comments identified “women” as the perceived targets of gender bias most commonly (36%), followed by cisgender, heterosexual men (12.4%) and “non-cisgender” people (12%). Students described 21 different types of campus gender bias, including misgendering, benevolent sexism, backlash for violating gender stereotypes and stigma for possessing marginalized gender identities, sexualization, verbal and physical aggression, and issues related to institutional handling of sexual assault cases (i.e., Title-IX) and other college policies. Their comments frequently included references to stereotypically-masculine contexts (e.g., STEM, athletics), and particularly highlighted the consequences of campus gender bias for academic/professional advancement as well as sense of belonging/inclusion. Given that evidence of substantial gender bias emerged “even” at a relatively progressive SLAC, we discuss implications for campus climate and gender justice issues more broadly.