Running head: MEN AS THE MINORITY
1
Men as the Minority: How the Gender of Classmates and Professors
Affects Male Counseling Students’ Participation in Class
BLINDED
University of West Georgia
MEN AS THE MINORITY
2
Men as the Minority: How the Gender of Classmates and Professors
Affects Male Counseling Students’ Participation in Class
According to the most recent numbers, only 27% of the American Counseling
Association membership is male (Evans, 2010). One concern this raises is that the profession of
counseling is not representative of the population which it serves. A direct result of fewer men
pursuing counseling as a profession is that there are fewer men in counselor education, thereby
creating a female-dominated learning environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
impact on male counseling students’ participation in classes dominated by female students and
whether the gender of the professor affects male student class participation.
Classroom climate is “the social and psychological context within which educators and
learners interact and form their relationships” and is “highly predictive of effective teaching and
learning” (Bell-Scriber, 2008, p. 144). Two ways of measuring classroom environment are to
study overt classroom behavior and to explore student perceptions of classroom interactions
(Brady & Eisler, 1999). The question then is whether, with so few male counseling students
entering the profession, they are inhibited in their educational experience by virtue of being the
minority gender in the classroom. Identifying such limitations by studying classroom behavior
and student perceptions may be useful to counselor educators in enhancing the educational
experience for male students, perhaps thereby retaining and attracting more male students to the
profession.
Literature Review
A review of the literature reveals a paucity of research regarding male students’
experiences in in counselor education. For this reason, it was necessary to rely on studies found
in other fields where women have traditionally dominated, such as nursing and education.
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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Evidence exists which suggests that class participation is important for bringing students
into the educational process and also enhancing the educational experience. Benefits of class
participation include better learning, more motivation, improved critical thinking, and character
development (Rocco, 2010). One study found that while both male and female students believe
class discussions are important, women tended to believe class discussions were more important
than did men. That same study also found that male college students typically participate at a
higher rate in classes by sitting in the front rows, raising their hands to answer questions, and
engaging the instructor in conversation during class breaks (Brady, 1999).
One study focusing on male nursing students highlighted the point that, like professional
counselors, nurses “are expected to be nurturing and compassionate – traits often associated with
femininity” (Sallee, 2011, p.187). This suggests male students may find it difficult to fully
embrace the subject matter in counseling classes or may be reluctant to do so if they perceive
topics to be too feminine or outside their comfort zone in terms of identity.
With regard to student perceptions of gender differences in teaching styles, it has been
reported that “male professors lecture more and ask fewer questions” (Brady, 1999, p. 139). This
puts forth the idea that male instructors might not create an environment favorable to student
participation as often as female professors.
Reflexivity Statement
Several factors shaped my view of this project from the outset and my data collection
experiences. First, I am a female student, so I approached the topic of male participation in
counseling classes from a perspective of one who is a member of the majority gender in such
classes. Indeed, my choice of topics was my interest in the viewpoint of the male students with
whom I had been attending classes but knew little about since they infrequently engage in class
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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participation as a general rule, at least from my perspective. Secondly, I am classmate of all of
the male students who were observed or interviewed for this study, so my opinion and prior
knowledge of their behavior and backgrounds sometimes made it difficult for me to assume the
role of a researcher, although the practice did give me an opportunity to see my fellow students
who are male with fresh eyes. Lastly, I personally prefer female professors and female-majority
classes, as I feel more comfortable participating in such settings, so I was expecting perhaps the
opposite to be true for my male classmates at the outset of this study. I anticipated that male
students would be uncomfortable in female-dominated classes and might be less likely to
participate in classes with female professors.
Method
Rich, Thick Description
I was able to observe a masters-level professional counseling class for three hours one
evening during the summer semester in the College of Education at University of West Georgia.
The majority of the 22 students in the classroom were female (77%), whereas there were only 5
male students in the class (23%). In my experience, this is a larger proportion of male students
than is typically found in a counseling course where there are usually only 1 or 2 male students
in a class of 20 or so female students. So while the class I observed was somewhat atypical, it did
give me an opportunity to watch the behaviors of more male students than I might otherwise be
able to watch. It should also be noted that both the professor and the student supervisor in the
observed class were both female.
The five male students I observed were diverse in terms of race and program focus. Three
of the students were in the College Student Affairs master’s program, one was in the Psychology
master’s program, and one was in the Community Counseling master’s program. Of the College
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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Student Affairs students, two were Caucasian and one was African-American. The Psychology
student was Caucasian, and the Community Counseling student was African-American.
Interestingly, in the five rows of students comprising the class, no male students sat in the first
two rows. The Psychology student sat in the third row, the Community Counseling student sat in
the fourth row, and the three College Student Affairs students sat in the last row.
The class period I observed involved a two-hour movie, followed by a one-hour
discussion session involving small and large group work. The topic of the movie and the
discussion were regarding the formation and interaction of group members in a group therapy
scenario. At the outset of the movie, only 1 of the male students (20%) was actively engaged in
watching the movie, while the other 4 immediately began texting, doing homework, or sleeping.
By way of comparison, 11 of the 17 female students were actively watching the movie (65%).
The number of students actively watching the movie remained relatively the same for each
gender group throughout the movie presentation and included the same individuals. Overall,
approximately 59% of the class was actively watching the movie, so it could be said that male
students were below the class average in participation during this phase of class.
About an hour into the movie, a shift occurred in the male students’ activities. The
Community Counseling student left the classroom to go sleep on a couch in the hallway, and the
Psychology student, who was the only male student actively engaged in watching the movie, left
the classroom for approximately 30 minutes. At about this point, a female participant in the
movie who self-identified as a lesbian began talking about her desire to come out to her mother.
All 3 College Student Affairs students, the only remaining male students present in the room,
stopped texting and doing homework for the first time since the movie began and started paying
attention. It might be surmised that the topics of homosexuality and coming out were sufficiently
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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interesting to these students to make them stop their texting and homework to listen. After the
lesbian in the film is finished talking, all 3 male students resume their texting and homework
activities, and one left the classroom and returned with a snack, only to continue texting as well.
The Psychology student, who had been absent from the classroom for approximately 30 minutes,
returned at about the same time and resumed watching the movie.
Toward the end of the film, perhaps sensing that the end was near, the Community
Counseling Student sleeping in the hallway returned to the classroom. All 5 male students at this
point were actively engaged in watching the movie for the first time since the movie began two
hours previously. From what I observed during the course of the film, 4 of the 5 male students in
the class were either disinterested in the movie’s topic, too tired to watch a movie in the late
afternoon, or were more engaged in activities such as texting or homework. Comparatively, most
of the female students stayed in their seats and gave the movie their full attention throughout the
duration.
For the remainder of class, all students were asked to engage in small group discussions
and then a large group discussion regarding information they had seen in the film. Surprisingly,
even though they had appeared to not be paying attention, all male students were able to actively
participate in their small group discussions. The College Student Affairs student in my small
group, who had spent the majority of the movie texting and nodding off in the back row, had a
few great contributions, although he declined to participate in the large group activity. In fact,
only 3 of the 5 male students participated in the large group discussion and all were Caucasian.
The 2 African-American male students did not participate in the large group discussion. Of the 3
male students who shared, only one was the spokesperson for his small group. Overall, the large
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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group discussion was dominated by female student participation, as is typically the case in
counseling classes.
Sample Description
The interview sample included two male students enrolled in a professional counseling
course during the summer semester at the University of West Georgia. “Robert” was a 25 yearold, African-American man in the Community Counseling program. “George” was a 28 year-old,
Caucasian man in the College Student Affairs program. Both are students in the professional
counseling class which served as the site for the observational data collection of this study.
Coding
The coding process proceeded through several steps as I organized and analyzed the data
gathered from observations and interviews. First, after reviewing the recorded interviews
multiple times, I selected a five-minute portion of one of the interviews to transcribe (see
Appendix A). The transcribed portion of the interview not only provided a specific instance of a
male student’s experience in a female-dominated classroom, but it was also interesting in that it
supplied many keywords I would later use in my actual coding of the data. Then, still using my
interview data, I next organized my field notes into two columns, one for each interviewee. I
labeled ten rows under each column with a general category of question asked during the
interviews, such as how classroom experiences in counseling program differ from previous
experiences or experience in female-dominated counseling classroom (see Appendix B) and also
included a row with any interesting notes that stood out in the interview but did not fall into one
of the ten categorical questions. In this way, I was able to compare and contrast the responses
and experiences of both subjects and to more easily code the data. Lastly, I had organized my
field notes from my classroom observations into two columns, an objective column of
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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observations and a subjective column of thoughts and comments (see Appendix C). I used my
observational field notes to record behaviors and participation in the classroom, as well as my
impressions of the same as they occurred.
After gathering and organizing my data, I then focused my coding on grouping
information into categories and identifying and developing themes which emerged from those
categories. Evaluating words utilized by the subjects during their interviews as well as my own
comments from my classroom observation field notes, I was then placed specific behaviors and
thoughts into more general categories such as classroom experiences, classroom participation,
gender of classmates, and gender of professor. A more thorough discussion of themes and
findings follow.
Findings and Discussion
Description of Themes
Three themes emerged from the focused coding stage of my analysis: counseling classes
are different than other classes; dissimilar participation responses in counseling classes, and
professor gender affecting male students’ experience in counseling classes. In many instances,
the interview subjects were in agreement regarding their classroom experiences; however, at
times their responses diverged, as described in more detail below.
Counseling classes different. One finding of this study was that professional counseling
classes may be quite different from male students’ previous classroom experiences. Both
interview subjects commented on the high ratio of female students in all of their classes, citing
the fact that they are often the only or one of two men in a classroom of twenty to twenty-five
women. Robert, who had been a psychology major as an undergraduate, noted that his classes at
that time had been female-heavy but that there was an even greater disparity in the number of
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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men and women in graduate counseling courses. George echoed Robert’s observation by stating,
“I knew there was going to be some difference in the number of men and women, but I wasn’t
prepared for the grand scale of difference that exists.”
Both men pointed out that in the female-dominated counseling classroom, there is
significantly more discussion time and group work. They also mentioned discussions often
centered on feelings and emotions, but it wasn’t clear from the interviews or my observations to
what degree that is due to counseling classes being a training ground for such discussions. It
would seem that there would necessarily need to be a greater amount of time dedicated to
emotions in some courses; however, it appears that this is true across the curriculum even in
more objective-type, lecture-based courses. The suggestion, then, is that women are more likely
to discuss emotions or approach issues using feeling words regardless of the subject matter.
A third aspect of the female-dominated classroom experience discussed by both subjects
is that female students often tend to be more social toward them as opposed to other male
students. In this way, Robert said he was frequently sought out by female classmates for
conversation during breaks or after class. Michael reported feeling that he had more options to
build personal relationships in female-dominated classes, because women are less judgmental
and accepting. From my observation of a counseling class, I noted that the five men spaced
themselves out and sat with women, rather than grouping themselves together, perhaps indicating
that they feel more comfortable sitting with female students rather than other male students.
Varying comfort and participation levels. Male students may experience a range of
responses in a female-dominated classroom environment. The subjects in this study had
seemingly opposite reactions to being male students in a female-dominated counseling class.
Robert admitted he often felt “out of his element” and that he “couldn’t get a word in edgewise”
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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during class discussions. In particular, he recounted an experience during a class period in which,
although he had intimate firsthand knowledge of the topic, chose to stay out of the emotional
discussion because he believed his thoughts and opinions would cause “an uproar.” He also
mentioned feeling that the male perspective is under-represented in counseling classes and that
he might be more willing to share if there were more male students in his classes. From this I
gathered that Robert might feel overwhelmed and perhaps even intimidated by what he perceives
as the female group-mentality in counseling classes.
George, on the other hand, expressed a greater likelihood of participating in femaledominated classes than if there were an equal number of men and women or even a greater ratio
of males to females. In his experience, the more women in the classroom, the more comfortable
he is with sharing and participating in class discussions. He attributes this partly to growing up in
a female-dominated home but also to his perception that women are more open to new ideas,
whereas men tend to believe their ideas are correct and are less likely to bend their positions. For
George, the female-dominated classroom is an environment that “values thoughts and feelings,”
allowing him more comfort in sharing and participating.
Professor gender. Male students’ participation and comfort in a classroom may be
related to the gender of the professor teaching the course. Both interviewees talked about the
tendency for female professors to try to engage students in discussion and class participation
activities. Indeed, in the class I observed, the students watched a movie and then the female
professor, rather than lecturing or dismissing the class afterward, had the students break up into
small groups to discuss what they had just seen and to share their thoughts with classmates.
George suggested this was in contrast to his experience with male professors whom he believes
prefer a lecture-style format to class and don’t seem that interested in whether students are
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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actually learning the material or not. George went a step further, implying that female professors
care more whether students understand class material. He believed male professor aren’t that
interested in the learning process, saying, “They’re, like, I get paid whether you learn or not.”
In terms of participation, George reported that he would be more likely to share in a class
led by a female professor. Robert, while agreeing that female professors made more of an effort
to engage him in class, said he still found male professors more relatable and would therefore be
more inclined to share in a class taught by a male professor.
Relationships Found
Ultimately, it seems that despite female professors’ attempts to encourage sharing in
class, a student's participation may be a function of a variety of factors, including their comfort
level with their classmates and their professor, which may be related to gender, communication
style, or classroom environment. While the findings of this study suggest that counseling classes
create an environment which encourages student participation and discussion by virtue of being
dominated by female students and often led by female professors, male students may either
thrive or languish in such a setting depending on their comfort level. Some male students may be
comfortable talking about feelings and emotions whereas others may be intimidated or
overwhelmed not only by the subject matter but also the energy and assertiveness with which
female students appear to embrace and participate in the discussion of the same. In short, the
more overwhelmed a male student feels by the female students’ point of view, the less likely he
is to participate, while on the other hand a male student who perceives the female-dominated
classroom as open and encouraging is more likely to participate. In the end, the male student’s
perceptions and experiences in the female-dominated classroom environment will ultimately
guide his choice to share in discussions or to participate.
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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Implications for Practice
Counselor educators may find the results of this study informative and helpful in
considering how male students interact and participate in female-dominated classrooms. That is
to say, it is important for educators to recognize the significance of female-dominated classrooms
in counseling education, such as the learning environment which is created. As the male students
in this study pointed out, there is a considerable amount of class discussion and talking about
feelings and emotions. This environment may be comfortable for some male students; however,
it is likely that such a setting may leave other male students feeling out of their element or
overwhelmed. Indeed, the high ratio of female-to-male students alone may be intimidating or
alienating to male students who are use to more equal numbers of genders in the classroom or
even to male-dominated classes. During the early semesters of a male counseling student’s
education, professors or advisors may want to take the time to find out how each individual male
student is coping with being the minority gender and whether it is having a negative impact on
his educational experience.
Additionally, counselor educators may want to recognize that male students who do not
appear to be participating as much or as often as female students might be feeling discomfited or
intimidated by the female-dominated classroom, although that is certainly not always the case.
Remedial measures such as engaging male students one-on-one during class breaks or after class
may help build rapport between the educator and the male student in addition to providing
encouragement to work toward greater participation and sharing in-class.
Taking male counseling students’ comfort, perceptions, and motivations in the classroom
into consideration is important to all counselors, counselor educators, counseling students, and in
the end counseling clients. Male students’ points of view are not only equally valid but may also
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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provide a distinctly different and unique position or approach to issues in counseling. If the
voices of male students in counseling classes are not heard or encouraged, then the profession of
counseling loses out on their ideas and also fails all students whose worldviews may be
broadened, allowing them to better serve future clients as well as understand their fellow
classmates.
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References
Bell-Scriber, M.J. (2008). Warming the nursing education climate for traditional-age learners
who are male. Nursing Education Perspectives, 29(3), 143-150.
Brady, K.L., & Eisler, R.M. (1999). Sex and gender in the college classroom: A quantitative
analysis of faculty-student interactions and perceptions. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 91(1), 127-145.
Evans, M. (2010, August). Men largely MIA from counseling. Counseling Today, 53(2), 5.
Rocco, K.A. (2010). Student participation in the college classroom: An extended
multidisciplinary literature review. Communication Education, 59(2), 185-213.
Sallee, M.W. (2011). Performing masculinity: Considering gender in doctoral student
socialization. The Journal of Higher Education, 82(2), 187-216.
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Appendix A
Interview Transcript
1
Interview Transcript
2
Interview: BLINDED, CEPD 7152 student
3
Interviewee: “Robert” – male community counseling student
4
Conducted on Monday, June 20, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
5
Location: Room 1, Education Center, University of West Georgia
6
[Rationale for interview data selected for transcription: The following portion of the
7
interview offered an example of a specific instance of a male student’s experience in the
8
classroom and was also helpful in terms of providing a multitude of words and descriptions
9
that were helpful during the coding process.]
10
[0:05] Tell me how professors or fellow students are contributing factors to your comfort in a
11
classroom.
12
I think professors are very…They definitely notice me as being, like, um…because sometimes I
13
am the only male in the classroom. So, they try their best to engage me in class discussions or
14
little looks, you know, when other people…when the class engages in discussions, they’ll give
15
me a little look, try to get me to…try to egg me on to partake…
16
So, you feel like they do try to get you to participate?
17
Yes, but as far as I feel…’cause the classroom is full of females…Perfect example, today we
18
were talking in Grief and Loss…we were talking about, um, absentee fathers. And that sparked
19
like, it uh…
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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20
And who know that topic better than you? [Note: Interviewer had prior knowledge that
21
interviewee was raised by his mother in a single-parent household and never knew his
22
father.]
23
[laugh] …it sparked a class discussion in that class and, um, I was the only male in the
24
classroom. I felt invisible and I felt a little uncomfortable, but no one…I…no one really noticed
25
that I was the only male in the room or I would have thought that someone would have asked me,
26
but it was more so, they were saying: “Well, I think this’ the reason, I think that’s the reason.”
27
You know, it wasn’t…
28
Well, let me ask you, what stopped you from raising your hand and getting in the conversation?
29
I felt somewhat uncomfortable for…because I didn’t [strained laughter]…I didn’t know…how
30
they would take my input. Or how valuable my input could be to that conversation because what
31
they were saying wasn’t something that I wouldn’t necessarily agree, you know, agree with.
32
You didn’t think that you should bring your perspective? You don’t think…
33
[shaking head]
34
Ok…
35
Not without it causing, like, an uproar or something like that.
36
So you thought you would be judged?
37
Yeah. [strained laugh]
38
Ok. Do you think that had to do with you being a male from a male perspective?
39
I…I think…I would say from a male perspective as well as from a cultural perspective.
40
Ok. African-American…
41
Yeah…
42
Ok.
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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43
So, I kinda just abstained from that class discussion.
44
Is it hard for you to distinguish sometimes whether you feel uncomfortable because you’re
45
African-American or because you’re a male or because you’re gay…it’s…it all kind of meshes
46
together for you, or are you able to separate out sometimes why you feel uncomfortable?
47
I can easily separate being African-American and being male, but I think for me what sticks out
48
is…because I am gay that a lot of times that I’m more hesitant to disclose a lot of information,
49
because I’m…I’m out…
50
Right...
51
But I’m not out to a lot of my peers here at West Georgia.
52
Again, it’s that judgment…
53
Yeah. So, a lot of these discussions, I won’t disclose…I guess because I can’t disclose that I am
54
homosexual…
55
Right…
56
…to everyone here, so I think that’s part of the reason why I’m so hesitant to disclose even more
57
information because I can’t even disclose that…
58
Right…
59
…important part of what I identify with.
60
So, it’s like you don’t want to be the black, gay, male poster-child for the whole class.
61
[laughing] Exactly. [laughing]
62
Um, how might your comfort level in the class be different if there were an equal number of male
63
and female students?
64
[pausing to consider]…I…I would probably…probably be more vocal about cultural issues in
65
the class. Like, say, if it was a Multicultural Counseling class like we had. I would probably be
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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66
more vocal about that if it was an equal amount of African-American males and women who,
67
you know, could identify with what I was saying in the classroom. I don’t think I would be as
68
vocal out of fear of being the only homosexual…
69
Right...
70
…you know, in the classroom. And um…and participate in classroom discussions out of fear of
71
being judged or ostracized or something. As far as class discussions…I don’t know what…I
72
expect that people here would judge me, so I…I…
73
So, do you think your discomfort has more to do with your…your cultural identification rather
74
than your gender?
75
I would definitely, definitely have to agree with that. Because, as an African-American, it’s
76
looked down upon, you know? It’s looked down upon…homosexuality is frowned upon in the
77
black culture. So, I think that’s a big part of why I’m not as out. I’m out to my immediate family,
78
to my closest friends, to a few classmates [gestures toward interviewer], I’m out. You know,
79
that’s because I’m comfortable enough with them or close enough to them that I can feel
80
comfortable disclosing that part of myself. But I think it’s a multicultural difference rather than a
81
gender difference…
82
So, if it was a classroom full of white men instead of white women, you probably wouldn’t
83
participate anymore than you do?
84
[nodding]
85
Ok, so it is a cultural thing rather than a gender thing for you.
86
Mmm, hmm. [5:45]
87
[Remainder of interview omitted from written transcription due to project limits set by
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instructor.]
Running head: MEN AS THE MINORITY
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Appendix B
Field Notes from Interviews
Interview #1
Interview #2
Interviewer: BLINDED, CEPD 7152
Interviewer: BLINDED, CEPD 7152
student
student
Interviewee: “Robert” – male student
Interviewee: “George” – student
Conducted on Wednesday, June 15,
Conducted on Wednesday, June 22,
2011 at 4:30 p.m. and Monday, June
2011 at 3:00 p.m.
20, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
Location: Room 1 and Room 2,
Education Center, University of West
Georgia
Location: Room 1, Education Center,
University of West Georgia
How Classroom Experiences
in Counseling Program
Differ from Previous
Experiences
Higher ratio of women
More talk of feelings
Discussions get emotional
Often only African-American
male in class
More women than expected
More talking and discussion than
lecturing
More talk of feelings
Experience in FemaleDominated Counseling
Classroom
Often feels out of his element
Can’t get a word in edgewise
Sometimes feels uncomfortable
because only female view is
heard in classes
Often sought out by classmates
for conversation
Comforted – feels like family
Enjoys more than undergraduate
More options to build personal
relationships
Easier to work with women in
the classroom
Factors Affecting Comfort
Doesn’t feel uneasy in general
Slightly uncomfortable that male
viewpoint isn’t better represented
Would like more males in class
so they could be more vocal as a
group
Fears being judged (as male, gay,
African-American)
Best experiences are when he
feels thoughts and opinions are
valued (believes females value
thoughts and feelings more) –
men more likely to think they’re
right or to talk through an issue
w/you
Women more open to new ideas
Women more accepting
In-Class Participation
(Female-Dominated Classes)
Might be more likely to disclose
if their were more males in
counseling classes
More likely to share if he didn’t
fear being judged (as male,
African-American, gay)
More willing to participate
Easier to express himself
Feel more engaged in topics
MEN AS THE MINORITY
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In-Class Participation (Equal
Number of Male and Female
Students)
More likely to share about
cultural issues
Likely to share
More likely to share than if class
was predominantly male
In-Class Participation (MaleDominated Classes)
More likely to share if he didn’t
fear being judged (as gay or
African-American)
Less likely to share
As the number of men in a
classroom goes up, the less likely
he is to share
Gender of Professor
More likely to participate in class
with male professor (finds them
more relatable)
Female professors try to engage
him more in class discussions
Male professors more likely to
engage in communication via email or sidebar conversations
during breaks or after class
More active and engaged with
female
Thinks female professors care
that students understand whereas
male professors aren’t that
interested in the learning process
More comfortable with female
professor
Gender of Classmates
Would like more male students
Feels more men would be more
representative
Would be more likely to share
with more male students
Prefer female-dominated classes
Feels more comfortable with
women in general
Likes to see women achieving in
higher education
Background
African-American
Gay
Community Counseling
Undergraduate degree in
Psychology (female-dominated
program)
Caucasian
Gay
College Student Affairs
Undergraduate degree in
Marketing (male-dominated
program)
Family
Mother is head of household
Father absent
1 brother, 1 sister
Grew up in female-dominated
household (only son, several
daughters)
Interesting Notes
Believes his discomfort in the
classroom has more to do with
being a gay African-American
than being male
Wouldn’t be any more likely to
participate if classes were full of
male Caucasian students
Fears judgment and being
ostracized by classmates with
whom he is not out
Believes he doesn’t think like
“most” men; that his thoughts are
more feeling-based
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Appendix C
Field Notes from Observations
Field Notes from Observations
Observer: BLINDED, CEPD 7152 student
Setting: Professional counseling class for master’s level students
Conducted on Monday, June 20, 2011 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:10 p.m.
Location: Room 1, Education Center, University of West Georgia
Observations




22 students (17 female, 5 male)
 1 professor, 1 student supervisor (both
female)
 5 rows of students
 1 male student sitting in 3rd row from
the front (psychology), 1 male student
sitting in 4th row (community
counseling), and 3 male students sitting
in 5th row (student affairs)
 No male students in first two rows of
class
Watched movie during first two hours of
class; Topic of movie was about group
formation, interaction, and sharing
Beginning of the movie: 4/5 of male
students not watching movie
 2 males students – alternately doing
homework and texting (student affairs)
 2 male students – alternately texting
and falling asleep (1 community
counseling and 1 student affairs)
 1 male student – watching movie
(psychology major/sitting closest to
front of class in 3rd row)
 In contrast, 4 female students are doing
homework and 2 are texting (6/17
female students not watching movie)
Halfway through the movie:
 One male student (4th row/community
counseling) left class to go sleep on
couch in hallway; he returns to the
Thoughts/Comments



This is the most male students I’ve had in a
counseling class, usually there are only one
or two male students
Men have spaced themselves out and are
sitting with women rather than grouping
themselves together – If the tables were
turned, I suspect female students would all
be sitting together in a male-dominated
classroom
Most male students appear disinterested in
class material (movie); whereas most
female students are engaged in the class
material
MEN AS THE MINORITY
22
Observations



Thoughts/Comments
classroom toward the end of the movie
to sleep in the last row
Three-quarters of the way through the
movie:
 1 male student (the only one who had
been paying attention) leaves class for
more than thirty minutes (3rd row,
psychology)
 1 male student still asleep out in the
hallway (4th row, community
counseling)
 3 remaining male students stop texting 
and doing homework when a woman in
the movie begins to share about coming
out as a lesbian to her mother
 After the lesbian in the movie is
finished talking, one of the male
students leaves the classroom, he
returns with a snack and proceeds to eat
and text
Toward the very end of the movie:
 All 5 male students are paying attention
to the movie for the first time since it

began 2 hours previously
During last hour of class, students working
in small groups were asked to engage in a
discussion of what they saw happening in
the movie, citing specific examples in the
movie as illustrations of the 5 stages of
group counseling
 All male students actively participated
in their small group discussions
 3 male students shared during the large
group discussion, but the discussion
was dominated by women


This is the first time (about 1.5 hours into a
2 hour movie) that all the male students in
the room are watching the movie with
interest
Male student in my small group had great
ideas but he didn’t want to speak out in the
larger group
One male student did a majority of talking
(in terms of male student sharing); he’s
very opinionated, asks a lot of questions,
and acted as spokesperson for small group;
he also paid attention during most of the
movie and showed the most interest
Student affairs students (all 3 are male) are
the least engaged in this class, maybe
because they don’t need this material for
their work?