Abstract
The participation of women in achieving university education is at an all-time high, but the accurate representation of women across the curriculum, in culture, and throughout time is severely lacking. However, educators play a critical role in the course content and textbook selection. The content of university courses has historically been biased in its approach, favoring the accomplishments and reporting of facts to omit women and overemphasize men. The way courses are taught can affect the interest, learning, and future involvement of students’ choice of careers. The tendency to teach about men only, as well as other cultural factors, has led to a gender gap in salary and males continuing to earn more than women even when controlled for part time workers, educational level, field of work and experience. Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to analyze female representation in Women in Western Civilization courses at the university level. This study conducted a quantitative content analysis of university level Women in Western Civilization courses to assess the amount, type, and extent of gender and ethnic inclusion and forms of bias, relative to women and women’s learning styles. Since the 1970s, feminists and ally groups found courses were dominated by male, Eurocentric hegemony, which marginalized females and females’ assets in learning. In addition to the lack of inclusion, these groups were represented in biased messages even in Women in Western Civilization courses. In such Women in Western Civilization courses, women are predominately portrayed as helpless victims with no significant contributions. Negative messages in the formal curriculum, coupled with societal stereotypes, impaired females academic engagement and achievement.