April DeConick raises the perennial isssue of the dearth of female bloggers in biblical studies. Deirdre Good follows up. Some time ago (June 2007 – while I was still blogging at Blogger), I raised the issue and got some discussion going. On that old post (now transferred to my new web location), I also summarized an even older discussion on the lack of female bibliobloggers sparked around the time of the Philly SBL meeting (Nov 2005). Looks like we’ve got a good two-year cycle or so.
So many theories have been posited and it’s difficult for any of them to avoid gender stereotypes. Is it that men like the geeky, techy blogging thing more than women? Well, my wife is getting started in the breastfeeding/mothering blogging world and there are tons of female bloggers who are activists for whatever type of mothering meets their passions. So, do we say that women prefer more “emotional” or “personal” sorts of bloggings than their more “intellectual” or “rational” male counterparts? Blech. How’s that for the cream of stereotypes? The percentage of women in biblical scholarship generally debunks the emotional women versus rational men theory. Pointing the finger at men, we all know that blogging is an attractive platform for narcissists. Are more men bibliobloggers because it feeds their male egos? But there are lots of women bloggers out there, just very few blogging on academic biblical studies.
It’s difficult to make heads or tails of this issue by focusing on stereotypes, male or female.
I have one more idea kicking around this time and I’m not certain if someone has mentioned it before–they probably have. This is less related to gender preferences and more so related to social realities. What about the perceived risk involved with biblioblogging? While job descriptions o’ plenty are saying “women and minorities are encouraged to apply,” is there not still an uphill struggle women have to fight to gain the same level of respect as their male colleagues? There is still plenty of doubt in the academy about whether blogging biblical studies is a valid medium for scholarly conversation–and then there are plenty who don’t even know what a blog is and how’s it’s different from a myspace account.
If female scholars are fighting harder for respect than male scholars already, and there is a risk of possibly even losing respect by blogging (or at least that may be the perception), then that may be a contributing factor as well. Just to throw one more idea out there into the ring.
blah. they dont blog because they dont want to. thats all.
I’m definitely of the opinion that it has to do with perceived risks. Let’s face it, there are some controversial issues out there to be discussed. If you’re not already well established, someone reading your work the wrong way can turn them off to hiring you. Women, sadly, have enough factors working against them anyway, so I can easily see why they’re a bit reluctant to adopt a new one.
Patrick,
Those reasons you offer are exactly the sort of deeper considerations of the issue that are required.
See our two comments, one in direct reply to your comment:
http://forbiddengospels.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-are-we-going-to-do-about-blogger.html
I think I more or less agree with this.
Hi Patrick … I’m late to this conversation for any number of reasons, life, mostly. Which is, I think, one of the main reasons that there is such a dearth of female bibliobloggers out there.
It’s just life happening. Most women are multi-taskers and that shows in their blogs. If you read my blog or Julie’s or Makeesha’s or any of women in my blog roll (listed under Galadriel on my blog) you’ll find all kinds of different posts from theology to dinner to shopping to health care to breast feeding. We have a hard time being as focused as men. And men have a hard time reading all that “twaddle”. They want some assurance about what’s going to be at a given blog every day. This is not a hard and fast rule by any means, but I think it is a general tendency which effects the way women blog and the way men read. I don’t think either way is good or bad or better … it’s just what is. I read both and enjoy both.
I agree with you, Patrick.
We have a hard time being as focused as men. And men have a hard time reading all that “twaddle”
Is someone suggesting that men don’t both post and read twaddle?
Ah, a careful and nuanced argument for a complex problem as always
I think the question is: why don’t they want to?
“I do think there’s a dimension of blogging that requires a healthy dose of ego, something not traditionally encouraged in females.”
–Julia M. O’Brien
“blah. they dont blog because they dont want to. thats all.”
–Jim, making Julia’s point
Well, it looks like we’ve answered the question! So, what could any of us possibly do about it? Not much, I fear.
Thanks, BT50. I saw the response and appreciate the quote provided on “margins.”