I like to joke that in my family, we solve the world's problems over the dinner table. So far, we haven't really solved any problems, but we certainly spend much conversation time discussing what is wrong with the world and how to fix it.
One topic we hit on again and again is education disparity. Why do certain people (i.e. races, ethnicity, genders) enter certain fields of study more frequently? Is this a problem and if so, what needs to be done? My siblings all went to an elite high school that started an affirmative action program while they were there. Is this a good thing? One sister is a female engineer. Why aren't there more women in her field and in the maths and sciences in general?
In general, we agreed on one thing: to solve the problem for real, you need to start earlier than high school. The gaps are there already, and ultimately the solution comes from keeping the gaps from being formed, not closing the gaps. But how do you do that?
This morning, I stumbled across part of the answer to the gender question: Goldie Blox. One woman's (brilliant) quest to bridge the gap and bring more women into engineering. If you want women engineers, where do you start?
With little girls.
This solution in brilliant because it is made to appeal to little girls as little girls. The subtle message is "You can be an inventor and keep your femininity" (but in a language little girls can understand).
Interesting. As a female who chose (yes, chose) to go into the female-dominated social sciences rather than the male-dominated hard sciences, it is often difficult for me to sympathize with the perspective that there aren't enough women in the hard sciences. One can trace it back to age-old questions about the innate vs. socialized differences between men and women. And as you mentioned, it is always important to ask IF this is a problem, and if so, WHY is this a problem.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are innate differences between men and women. Yes, there are definite socialized differences between men and women. Yes, women can be good engineers just like men - though they don't typically go into these career fields. I'm not completely convinced, though, that this is a major problem - or perhaps to word it differently, that we should socialize our daughters to be engineers rather than teachers or social workers or academics or accountants or doctors or whatever other career field. I think it is MOST important to start to learn your children's talents and interests at a young age so that you can help to develop skill sets and encourage them to pursue a career field that they are well suited for and also interests them. Sometimes, people just want a 40 hour a week job that pays the bills - and that's ok. But sometimes people don't mind working more hours if they truly love what they do and are willing to face the challenges that come with a perhaps less prestigious career field (that is, perhaps, not equipped with the same moneybags).
While I have a lot of appreciation and respect for engineering as a career field - and especially its ability to pay the bills, I will NEVER believe that the work engineers do makes the world a better place MORE than the work of teachers and social workers and so many "softer" career fields. As a country and a society, we are obsessed with innovation - but we need to be reminded that it is not the be all end all of life.
In the end, it boils down to the attitudes of parents, teachers, family, and friends - being open to whatever both girls and boys decide to do with their lives, giving them the encouragement, knowledge, and solid advice necessary to be successful. Having grown up in just such an environment, having considered careers in biology and accounting, I chose my career field and (though I sometimes wish it were easier), loving what I do (and doing what I am good at) makes the long hours and low pay worth it.
No. There is no way your career field was a free choice. I refuse to accept that. Social forces led you there.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, thanks for the thoughts. First off, I agree with your point about "making the world a better place." That's why I've chosen my field of study/career path, and that's why I make certain choices on a daily basis that lead me deeper into so-called "feminine" arenas.
That being said, I do think the paucity of women in math/science fields is a problem, for precisely what you mentioned:
"In the end, it boils down to the attitudes of parents, teachers, family, and friends - being open to whatever both girls and boys decide to do with their lives, giving them the encouragement, knowledge, and solid advice necessary to be successful."
You grew up in such an environment. I did as well. But not everyone does so, to the detriment of people of both genders.