Girls Hate Science and Engineering…Right?

May 22, 2008     Posted in News, Other Stories

24631061.jpgWhile at a bar last weekend, a guy casually asked me what I did for work. When I told him I was a writer, he wanted to know what kinds of things I wrote. “I mostly do technology writing,” I started to tell him. “What?!” he laughed. “You’re too pretty to be interested in technology.” I almost slapped him, but instead just said, “What’s that supposed to mean?” He didn’t have an answer for me, so I just walked away. And yes, I was a bit insulted.


By Sues

Why is it not acceptable for girls to be interested in technology? Unless you’re an ugly girl with no social life and no social skills, of course. I guess it could be because there just aren’t a lot of women who work in technology jobs, such as IT, science, and engineering. But why aren’t there?

A recent Boston Globe article says that the reason girls are underrepresented in technology jobs is not because they’re not smart enough or feel like they’re not wanted, but it’s because they’re just not interested in them. According to a study done, “…women’s own preferences are the single most important factor in that field’s dramatic gender imbalance.” And another study, “followed 5,000 mathematically gifted students and found that qualified women are significantly more likely to avoid physics and the other ‘hard’ sciences in favor of work in medicine and biosciences.”

The bottom line of the studies is that women like working with people, while men like working with “things.” Allegedly, this is supposed to confirm the fact that women aren’t swayed from these jobs due to sexism or differences in aptitude. I agree that women are generally more inclined to choose jobs that allow them to interact with people; but really? In most cases, one of the main jobs of engineers and scientists is to work directly with each other. Aren’t most writers more secluded than engineers? So how can we explain why so many writers are women?

The article says that many feminists are worried that due to this “self-selection” women are actually responsible for the gender gap. I’m not so worried. Isn’t the point of equality being able to do what you want? Equality doesn’t mean that each field has to have an equal number of men and women working in it; it simply means being able to work in it if you want to.

And maybe if we didn’t have so many people telling us we’re “too pretty” to work in the sciences, more of us would actually want to.

7 Comments on "Girls Hate Science and Engineering…Right?"

  1. Troy says:
    Thu, 22nd May 200812:35 pm 

    Many women don't pursue math and science because it's not feminine enough. Even before the institutional patriarchal bias has a chance to set in, women reject math and science altogether. They're told by popular shows like "Sex and the City" and "The Hills" that smart women become professionals… in shit like fashion and gossip columns. It's fucking depressing.

  2. Michelle says:
    Thu, 22nd May 20082:49 pm 

    I'm dual majoring in both biology and biomedical engineering. I'd also like to point out that I do have a social life and I go on dates….

    In a 90% male field, I don't understand why a girl wouldn't want to be there!

  3. Juliette says:
    Thu, 22nd May 20082:43 pm 

    Wait…now biosciences aren't "hard" sciences? I am reminded of the Barbie who said "I hate math!" If a girl does has an aptitude for math, it's stamped out by fifth grade. Sad and depressing.

  4. Grishnakh says:
    Sun, 12th Sep 20104:53 pm 

    You've obviously never actually worked as a real engineer. Women have no place in engineering, and neither do men who like working with "things", instead of talking to people. It is NOT a profession for an introvert, despite the popular misconception. Engineering is NOT about working with "things". It's about managing people, working in teams, talking to people constantly, answering emails all day long, being in meetings, talking to workers at offshore locations, etc. The people who work with "things", as you say, are the ones located offshore.

    Universities do a huge disservice to students by making engineering out to be a career where you work mostly by yourself, in quiet, are able to concentrate on difficult problems, and solve them. The real world is nothing like that. Instead, you sit in an "open-plan" (or "bullpen") working area (cubicles are gone these days), so that you can "collaborate" with your coworkers in "real time". There's constantly people coming up to you and asking you questions, or just talking with other people around you. So if you need quiet and privacy to concentrate on a difficult problem, forget it. You won't get it. Engineering exams should really be done in busy cafeterias to simulate the real-world working conditions.

    On top of that, the pay, while it starts out pretty good, caps out quickly unless you go into upper management, and (again, unless you go into management) you have to find a new career when you're 40 because at that point you won't be able to get a job because of age discrimination.

    Why any woman (or man) would want to go into this profession is beyond me; I think it's only because the industry and the universities have been feeding students a pack of lies. Stay away. There's better (and longer-lived) careers out there.

  5. Puma says:
    Sun, 7th Aug 20114:46 pm 

    I'm in petroleum engineering……I went into it because I love engineering…not because 95% of PetE's are male…..but what can I say? Its a good place to be, there is effectively no competition! =]

  6. Annoyed Engineer says:
    Sun, 7th Aug 20114:56 pm 

    ….. and that is only one of the HUGE misconceptions about engineering

    who knew? engineers MUST HAVE the ability to communicate and WORK WELL WITH PEOPLE…

    Good public speaking/people skills + technical skills = great engineer

    ….and yes, they exist

    . I'm sick of people saying that we are just stuck in cubicles all day long 'cause we're not…….I have to work on multidisciplinary teams all the time where only one person may have the technical experience with one super critical aspect of a project. Yup, he's gotta communicate.

  7. EthanFairview says:
    Mon, 12th Sep 20112:36 am 

    The reason women aren't interested in math and science is because it isn't considered "cool" by pop-culture, and women are hyper-sensitive about being perceived as cool

Tell us what you're thinking...