Elisabeth D. Kuhn

Abstract for "Cross-Cultural Challenges for German Women Professors in the United States Classroom"

All international professors are confronted with challenging expectations when they want to be successful in the U.S. classroom and get good teaching evaluations: They all have to learn U.S. style teaching: The information needs to be presented in a linear and explicitly organized way that is responsive to the audience and keeps their attention. Female professors, however, face the additional task of meeting the complex role expectations of women professors, of navigating between stereotyped role expectation of professors (competent and authoritative) and those of women (nurturing and nice).

In this presentation, I will use German women professors as an example of how this works. While both groups, German and U.S. professors, have to navigate conflicting role expectations, there are striking differences in how they accomplish that.

The differences between the two groups can create potential for trouble and misunderstandings when each teaches in the other's environment.

For more information, please refer to my related article in "College Teaching" 44/3 (Summer 1996), which is available in the VCU Library: "Cross-Cultural Stumbling Blocks for International Teachers."