[Humour] This is genuine from my University

[Timbo]

Maybe. But Construction sites seem very male, very straight and very white, which isn’t representative of society. Why is this? What barriers are in place which are stopping non-whites and females getting into this industry? You say you struggle to recruit, it’s no wonder when you’re missing out on a huge swath of society.

Everyone struggles to recruit. We have adverts out constantly but most people just aren't interested in working hard for money anymore. I would agree construction sites are 'very male', I couldn't begin to know how you assume they are 'very straight' and as for being 'very white', I think you're way off the mark there.

 

[highflyer]

And those who can’t teach PE become “university” lecturers in sport “science”...

And those who can't hack teaching sports science at a University go to Sweden and end up managing Brighton and Hove Albion?

 

[Eric the meek]

This thread has been a great read. Can you imagine a similar thread taking place on Waccoe, the Leeds fans' website? I think it might have taken a slightly different course.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I would agree construction sites are 'very male', I couldn't begin to know how you assume they are 'very straight' and as for being 'very white', I think you're way off the mark there.

I don't agree he is at all. I've worked on 100 major sites, across every part of the UK, over the last couple of decades, and non-white faces in any roles other than security are very much in a tiny minority.

Non-British, yes, plenty. Non-white, not so much.

 

[Baldseagull]

I'm out on a Construction Site shortly to do some Silica Dust and Noise Monitoring (my proper job when not doing University Shit).

I can say with some confidence that the Workforce won't be discussing Gender, Devience and Society issues when we are having a Tea Break.

Sorry if this offends some of the more sensitive bods on here...

Quite a lot of Gender and Deviance related conversations at tea break on some of the sites I've worked on.

 

[Baldseagull]

Maybe. But Construction sites seem very male, very straight and very white, which isn’t representative of society. Why is this? What barriers are in place which are stopping non-whites and females getting into this industry? You say you struggle to recruit, it’s no wonder when you’re missing out on a huge swath of society.

Many more gay men in construction than you might imagine, they tend not to be the effeminate gay men that are more readily detected by your Gaydar though.

 

[vagabond]

This thread has been a great read. Can you imagine a similar thread taking place on Waccoe, the Leeds fans' website? I think it might have taken a slightly different course.

“Waccoe”. Couldn’t name it better.

 

[jackanada]

Just to go back to the beginning.

Am I correct in assuming the dismay is with the current field of work of the moderator, rather than with the content or contributors of the conversations to be held?

That's a really niche thing to be worried about, though a polite enquiry as to her experience as a moderator may yield results.

 

[beorhthelm]

What is the emphasis on at a teaching-led university then?

bums on seats

 

[Gwylan]

Just to go back to the beginning.

Am I correct in assuming the dismay is with the current field of work of the moderator, rather than with the content or contributors of the conversations to be held?

That's a really niche thing to be worried about, though a polite enquiry as to her experience as a moderator may yield results.

If you go back to the beginning and actually look at what's being discussed it's a) nothing to do with the university - one of the lecturers is doing something outside of the uni and b) nothing to do with construction (except tangentially). The debates are about what to put on the site of the decommissioned women's prison at Holloway.

There's been a lot of debate over the last few years about how much of the modern world has been designed by and for men - Caroline Criado-Perez's book Invisible Women has been a real eye-opener - so it sounds like a worthwhile venture to me.

 

[jackanada]

If you go back to the beginning and actually look at what's being discussed it's a) nothing to do with the university - one of the lecturers is doing something outside of the uni and b) nothing to do with construction (except tangentially). The debates are about what to put on the site of the decommissioned women's prison at Holloway.

There's been a lot of debate over the last few years about how much of the modern world has been designed by and for men - Caroline Criado-Perez's book Invisible Women has been a real eye-opener - so it sounds like a worthwhile venture to me.

I entirely agree. While I'm no fan of Zaha (Hadid) I did really enjoy the recent article about the women's cooperative practice that designed Lambeth Women's Refuge (iirc) with their crazy ideas of spending plenty of time with the end users and finding out what would actually work for them and then delivering it.

 

[The Clamp]

Don't feel too worried ole bean.

Every trades woman I've worked with hates modern day feminists and their ilk.

That's why they got into the jobs they do, they'd much rather work around men than have to deal with other women's bullshit in the workplace.

Or maybe they actually wanted to do the job?