On Wednesday we met in the Municipal Library Fil. 4 to participate in the debate entitled Gender ideology(ies): Man and woman – different by nature, inequal by society? We tried to find the answer to this question with our four guests: sociologists Borys Cymbrowski and Anna Czerner, philologist Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska and biologist Elżbieta Pogoda.
We were aware that for most people the term gender is unfamiliar or even unfriendly, especially when someone is not a philologist or a social researcher, so we started with the basic questions: what gender is, how it exists in our respective fields of studies, and if there exists gender ideology. We can say that gender in general is about social consequences of being men, women or the others, because in the opinion of Elżbieta Pogoda even from a biological point of view there are more than only two sexes. And there is no evidence that one sex has an advantage over another.
In Polish media we encounter some false beliefs about the meaning of the word “gender”. But as Borys Cymbrowski mentioned it is a problem of confusion of nature with culture, because in the Polish language we have only one word (płeć) for gender and for sex. So some commentators confuse biological meaning with the cultural one. They accuse gender scholars of promoting a dangerous ideology which tries to convince people to choose their sex. As Anna Czerner said, the truth is that in the social sciences gender was a neutral category to analyse the relations between people in society, but unfortunately some institutions and politicians took one of the least popular topics in gender studies and used it as a basis to create and apply gender ideology as a political tool.
After that we focused mostly on language aspects within gender issues. Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska indicated that for her it was easier to introduce herself in English than in Polish, because in Polish most names of academic professions have only a masculine gender, or even if it has a female gender, masculine forms sound more serious and more prestigious. But language is not a constant phenomenon – it is changing all the time. Twenty years ago we considered some female forms of words as strange, but today we take them for granted. We concluded that it is important to include more women-related forms to language, and it is one of the main catalysts of social changes in the public sphere.
We are really glad we could discuss it with you and with the citizens of Opole. We would like to thank you all for your presence and participation, and we hope to see you soon during another discussion. The aim of the whole debate was to clarify a little the problem of gender, but two hours is a short time when you are discussing such an important and complicated topic – so we treat this meeting only as a start. The debate is still open.
UO in a Cultural Melting Pot – Multiculturalism in Academia /vol. 3
We would like to invite all to the ”Foreigners in Opole and the academic environment” scientific debate conducted by mgr Marcin Deutschmann, which will take place on November 7th at 10:15 at the Students’ Cultural Center (95 Katowicka St). In this debate,...
FORTHEM for students – open call
You can now apply for short-term mobilities within FORTHEM Alliance. You can choose from 11 collective mobilities or apply for an individual stay at one of the partner universities. Collective short-term mobilities: Contemporary Security Agenda: From Soft...
Biuro Erasmus+ zamknięte/ Erasmus+ Office closed
On 12-13 October 2023 (Thursday, Friday) Erasmus+ office will be closed because of staff's training. In urgent case plesae contact us under the following e-mail: erasmus@uni.opole.pl We apologise for the inconvenience. Erasmus+ TeamW dniach 12-13.10.2023 (czwartek,...
UO in a Cultural Melting Pot – UO na styku kultur
We would like to invite all to the “Combating unequal treatment and discrimination at the university” workshop, which will take place on October 17th at 10:15 at the Students’ Cultural Center (95 Katowicka St). Dr. Marzanna Pogorzelska will explain the benefits of...
The tour around Opole
On the 2nd of October 2023 new students of the University of Opole had the opportunity to participate in a walk around Opole with professional guides. That was a multicultural event and students went sightseeing in Polish- or English-speaking groups. As a...
UO in a Cultural Melting Pot – Multiculturalism in Academia /1
The programme is co-financed by the European Union and the funds from Samorząd Województwa Opolskiego.Dear Students! Meet us at the Students’ Cultural Center (95 Katowicka St) on Wednesday, October 4th at 9:45 to take part in our „Equality and diversity scientific...
online Career Orientation Courses – JGU Mainz
Dear students, Below you can get familiar with the offer of online courses organized by our partner - Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. ______________________________________________________________________ Are you looking for your ideal career choice after...
Call for STM projects within FORTHEM
Faculties, departments, Student Union and other actors can apply for a FORTHEM Short Term Mobility status for their 5-day intensive courses. The deadline for applications is 13/09/2023, and the programmes should be organized between 01/03/2024 and...
September Pre-Sessional English Course – last days of registration
Last days! Registration for the September Pre-Sessional English Course closes on July 31 Why choose a Pre-Sessional English Course at the University of Opole? Prepare for your selected degree course at the University Practice your speaking, listening, writing and...
Recruitment: Saturday working hours
Dear Candidates! In order to facilitate the process of submitting original documents, we would like to inform you about Saturday working hours in the International Students Office. The office will be open on July 22 and 29 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Our address:...