Difference between revisions of "Examples of Bias in Wikipedia: Gender bias"

Revision as of 17:29, March 1, 2012

This article lists examples of Bias in Wikipedia, related to gender bias:

1. Wikipedia awarded "good article" status^[1] to a biased description of liberal Balboa High School, saying it has "a progressively nurturing environment" undergoing "a steady renaissance marked by academic innovation."^[2] Nowhere in Wikipedia's 4,468-word description does it admit that half the 9th graders lacked proficiency on a statewide English test.^[3] Instead, Wikipedia editors apparently like how this public school converted its metal shop into a sex-based "health" clinic.
2. Wikipedia is sexist? Definitions of antonyms don't match up:
   1. Matriarchy is a term, which is applied to gynocentric form of society, in which the leading role is with the female and especially with the mothers of a community.^[4]
   2. Patriarchy describes a social structure where the actions and ideas of men and boys are dominant over those of women and girls.^[5]
3. The Carrie Prejean article on Wikipedia is carefully crafted however, major points tend to end with a liberals last word. 'Photograph controversy' last line quotes "go beyond what the Miss California pageant says are appropriate, and do not benefit Prejean's status." The section 'Crown retention', last line says- "she no longer believes in the organization," referring to a pageant official. The page is locked from mentioning other contestants who also had photos questionable under pageant rules. The last line of 'Miss USA 2009 controversy', plug the candidate for governor of Ca. and same-sex advocate SF mayor Gavin Newsom beliefs, supports Prejean. Wikipedia's non family-friendly presentation is complete with text of Hilton's foul-mouthed tirade.^[6]
4. Radical feminists have taken control of Wikipedia's coverage of netball to promote the idea there is a bias against sports that are played primarily by women (such as netball) in the Olympics^[7] and that netball helps obscure nations like the Cook Islands to "raise the profile of the country internationally."^[8] When other editors have tried to curb such excesses^[9] they were proposed to be topic blocked.
5. In response to surveys showing that only 10%-13% of Wikipedia editors are women, the Wikimedia Foundation established a "Gender Gap email list" to discuss how to encourage more women to participate as editors. It was proposed that the email list be split into two section, one for women and transgendered and another for their male allies.^[10] When the Deputy Director of the Wikimedia Foundation questioned the wisdom of the proposal,^[11] he was denounced as "sexist."

References