An article in this month's issue of Mother Jones, a political magazine, strongly criticizes the merit of women's studies programs at Dartmouth and three other colleges.
The article's author, Karen Lehrman, argues that a background in women's studies programs limits one's potential.
As part of her research, Lehrman sat in on women's studies classes at Dartmouth, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Iowa and Smith College.
From those first-hand experiences, she concluded that the "core" women's studies classes tend to be less difficult than other classes at the schools.
Lehrman targeted Dartmouth's women's studies program as the one most likely to succumb to the latest ideological fads.
Lehrman said the guiding force behind the women's studies classes was a sense of oppression. Class discussions at the schools "alternated between the personal and the political, with mere pit stops at the academic," she said.
Ivy Schweitzer and Susanne Zantop, both professors in the women's studies department, criticized the article.
"The article in Mother Jones is an example of irresponsible journalism," Schweitzer said. "Lehrman came to Dartmouth to prove her angle that women's studies was emotional and touchy-feely, and she looked for things to substantiate her ideas,"
Zantop said Lehrman's argument that women's studies courses are based on emotions instead of intellect is false. "Lehrman contradicted herself in the article. She said that women's studies classes were too personally and politically oriented. However, at Dartmouth, she pointed out that the women's studies classes deal with the abstract and theoretical," she said.
Lehrman wrote that Dartmouth refused to allow her to observe a course on "Racism and Feminism," an upper-level seminar.
Schweitzer, who teaches the course, defended the College's decision. She said the reporter's presence would have adversely affected the class discussion.
Schweitzer said she offered Lehrman a syllabus for the class, but Lehrman refused the offer.
"Lehrman just wanted to sit in on the class to look for aspects of the discussion that would substantiate the pre-conceived notion that she had of women's studies classes," Schweitzer said.
Gina Vetere '95, who was on the magazine's cover and is studying for a certificate in women's studies, said, "Lehrman unfairly criticized the programs because she did not back up her generalizations with specific examples."
"Lehrman has a very traditional view of education that includes only limited discussion," said Marianne Hirsch, a professor who teaches women's studies courses. "Feminist education today is like a revolution because it brings together separated departments. In women's studies classes, there are ways to include the personal and scholarly aspects of an education."
Susan Faludi, author of the feminist book Backlash, is slated to respond to Lehrman's article in next month's issue of Mother Jones.
