As a female who wants very much to go into physics/engineering/mathematics, this is a subject that I feel very strongly about.
I'll address each of your points in order.
Women are not biased against in science because sexual discrimination is mostly gone from our society.
Mostly. Not entirely. Although I've had some very supportive teachers that very much wanted me to continue because of my gender, most of my experience has been the other way. It's very rarely overt, but, as a female, I'm not welcome in the "geek" social circles. Because of this, it's much harder for me to learn from my peers and - well, it's just like you're not wanted there. I'm sure it's much better than it used to me, but it's not gone.
Which is what you said, I know.
Women are under-represented in physical science because they cannot deal with the nature of the subject matter as well as men.
No.
It is clear that genetic differences separate men and women in the field of physical science.
Clear? Hell no. Although there may be a difference in the wiring of the brain, it is generally accepted that the inclinations of a single person far override that genetic tendancy. I've seen far too many of my peers and classmates shy away from math because it wasn't cool and they knew (before trying it) that they'd be terrible at it.
I'm of the opinion that although genetics may play a part in it, nurture is much more the issue. Not from the scientific field itself, mind you, but from the culture that surrounds girls today. It seems, at least to my teenage and biased eyes, that girls are encouraged to do liberal arts-related fields. Not discouraged from science in most cases (although I can certainly find exceptions for that one), but that they were more encouraged and could find more a place of "belonging" in liberal arts.
Of course, the opposite happens to guys: I've seen so many of them shy away from the liberal arts they loved to become more acceptable to their friends. Even those who choose to pursue English as much as possible, almost none of them will/plan to major in English in college. They're all business, economics, management majors.
To my eyes, this is just wrong.
This seems a cultural problem than anything else, and a lot of it springs from Hollywood and what guys/girls should be like. I enjoy bucking sterotypes, but some people do not like to go against the crowd, keeping them in the roles that are expected.
My solution to this? I don't have one. But I do have a few suggestions:
1) Magnet schools (for everything from English to science to art). I know this seems rather unrelated, but if you talk high school kids (which is where, I think, most girls make their final decision against math), they thrive around people like themselves. If you put groups of people together that are "weird" in the same way, it takes a lot of the social "I have to be normal" pressure off.
[/pet project]
2) Ok, never mind. I don't have any solutions, just problems.
(And I sincerly hope this comment makes more sense than I think it does.)
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-31 10:09 pm (UTC)I'll address each of your points in order.
Women are not biased against in science because sexual discrimination is mostly gone from our society.
Mostly. Not entirely. Although I've had some very supportive teachers that very much wanted me to continue because of my gender, most of my experience has been the other way. It's very rarely overt, but, as a female, I'm not welcome in the "geek" social circles. Because of this, it's much harder for me to learn from my peers and - well, it's just like you're not wanted there. I'm sure it's much better than it used to me, but it's not gone.
Which is what you said, I know.
Women are under-represented in physical science because they cannot deal with the nature of the subject matter as well as men.
No.
It is clear that genetic differences separate men and women in the field of physical science.
Clear? Hell no. Although there may be a difference in the wiring of the brain, it is generally accepted that the inclinations of a single person far override that genetic tendancy. I've seen far too many of my peers and classmates shy away from math because it wasn't cool and they knew (before trying it) that they'd be terrible at it.
I'm of the opinion that although genetics may play a part in it, nurture is much more the issue. Not from the scientific field itself, mind you, but from the culture that surrounds girls today. It seems, at least to my teenage and biased eyes, that girls are encouraged to do liberal arts-related fields. Not discouraged from science in most cases (although I can certainly find exceptions for that one), but that they were more encouraged and could find more a place of "belonging" in liberal arts.
Of course, the opposite happens to guys: I've seen so many of them shy away from the liberal arts they loved to become more acceptable to their friends. Even those who choose to pursue English as much as possible, almost none of them will/plan to major in English in college. They're all business, economics, management majors.
To my eyes, this is just wrong.
This seems a cultural problem than anything else, and a lot of it springs from Hollywood and what guys/girls should be like. I enjoy bucking sterotypes, but some people do not like to go against the crowd, keeping them in the roles that are expected.
My solution to this? I don't have one. But I do have a few suggestions:
1) Magnet schools (for everything from English to science to art). I know this seems rather unrelated, but if you talk high school kids (which is where, I think, most girls make their final decision against math), they thrive around people like themselves. If you put groups of people together that are "weird" in the same way, it takes a lot of the social "I have to be normal" pressure off.
[/pet project]
2) Ok, never mind. I don't have any solutions, just problems.
(And I sincerly hope this comment makes more sense than I think it does.)