Toronto

A Ryerson University student who wanted to write a paper on the “myth” of the male-female wage gap was told by her prof that not only was she wrong, she should only rely on feminist journals for her assignment instead of business sources which “blame women,” her sister says.

Josephine Mathias, 21, a fourth-year political science student at University of Toronto, took to YouTube Wednesday to criticize the assignment given her twin Jane for a sociology class.

“I mean it’s easy to prove a point when you remove all other sources,” Josephine said Thursday. “If she just gives you the ones that...the professor agrees with, then that’s basically brainwashing. It’s indoctrination.”

After Jane sent an email describing her intention to write about the wag gap, her instructor replied that her premise was wrong, Josephine said.

“Perhaps you want to write your paper on the glass ceiling. You need to look at feminist sources on this issue...Do NOT use business sources. They blame women. The reality is patriarchy,” says the instructor’s email, posted online.

In a copy of the assignment provided to the Toronto Sun by Josephine, the instructor also notes that Ontario and Canada government websites and Statistics Canada will not be considered scholarly sources.

“Government websites state government policy that is devoid of analysis, and usually reproduces mainstream stereotypes, assumptions and misconceptions,” the assignment says.

Although the video refers to a professor, the person is listed on the Ryerson website as an instructor.

She did not respond to a Toronto Sun request for comment, and Ryerson University declined to comment on the video.

Jane said in an email that she initially questioned her own research after the instructor’s email, but is now happy to have the support of those who have spoken up in opposition.

“There are other students in that class who don’t have that privilege and are filled with misinformation,” Jane said. “It’s hurtful towards them in the long run.”

The instructor says the wage gap exists, but works through the “glass ceiling.”

Josephine said the facts do not support the wage gap myth, noting in her YouTube video that it is illegal to pay women less than men for the same work and differences come about as a result of education and career choices as well as hours of work.

Impressionable students should be encouraged to use credible business sources and statistics, but instead are being sent out into the real world without a realistic point of view, she said.

“They have no facts. They have no tangible explanations or solutions for anything,” Josephine said. “All the sources or all the information they know comes from feminist literature that’s not even correct.”

Josephine has tackled a number of controversial topics in her YouTube videos because she wants to show that a person “can be liberal and still be against political correctness and pro free speech.”

aartuso@postmedia.com