Are Women Too Dumb For Tech?

[IMPress Polly]

So recently, I posted a topic (primarily) about the dwindling economic opportunities for women, both here in the United States and increasingly worldwide, and how this trend is being led by the technology sector. People (men) responded by contending that it's unnatural for women to want to work in technical fields like technology, science, math, and engineering. (Apparently, it has become more unnatural in the last 30 years.) So what do you think it is that keeps women from majoring in these fields today? Is it primarily our emotionally-driven brains or might it instead primarily be the way we are socialized?

[Private Pickle]

Neither. The idea that women are socialized any differently than men to do one thing or another is an antiquated one. Despite popular feminist belief women have the right to choose what is is they persue and the majority of tosay’s Parents encourage them to follow their heart’s desire.

[Chris]

Actually there were two significant respondes, one, that differences in outcomes depended not on ability but choice of career. The other response pointed out you misrepresented the facts as regards men's (James Damoee in particular) attitudes toward women.

[Dr. Who]

So recently, I posted a topic (primarily) about the dwindling economic opportunities for women, both here in the United States and increasingly worldwide, and how this trend is being led by the technology sector. People (men) responded by contending that it's unnatural for women to want to work in technical fields like technology, science, math, and engineering. (Apparently, it has become more unnatural in the last 30 years.) So what do you think it is that keeps women from majoring in these fields today? Is it primarily our emotionally-driven brains or might it instead primarily be the way we are socialized?

Females are subliminally influenced away from technical fields. For one thing, females are bombarded with messages that tell them that they are primarily valued for their appearance, not intelligence. Secondarily in fiction i.e. books, tv and movies, women who excel in technological or scientific fields are portrayed as geeks i.e. Bones, NCIS etc., whereas males with phenomenal technical and/or scientific ability are often portrayed as far more mainstream i.e. Ironman, Charles Xavier...

[Newpublius]

Females are subliminally influenced away from technical fields. For one thing, females are bombarded with messages that tell them that they are primarily valued for their appearance, not intelligence. Secondarily in fiction i.e. books, tv and movies, women who excel in technological or scientific fields are portrayed as geeks i.e. Bones, NCIS etc., whereas males with phenomenal technical and/or scientific ability are often portrayed as far more mainstream i.e. Ironman, Charles Xavier...

I have a relatively unique perspective on this because I am the father of boy/girl twins so I see the differences emerging already and trust me, I can assure you, I am raising a 'doctor,' not a goddamn cheerleader. (although there is obviously the more athletically orienting cheering).

My daughter can be whatever she wants to be.

That's her yesterday hiking with me down by the river.

[Dr. Who]

I have a relatively unique perspective on this because I am the father of boy/girl twins so I see the differences emerging already and trust me, I can assure you, I am raising a 'doctor,' not a goddamn cheerleader. (although there is obviously the more athletically orienting cheering).

My daughter can be whatever she wants to be.

That's her yesterday hiking with me down by the river.

She's very sweet looking. I hope you encourage her to pursue her talents, whatever they may be.

[DGUtley]

Neither.

My oldest is a Pharmacist. My youngest soon will be. From day one they were taught they could do anything. Both are products of Catholic grade school and public high school and college. They were taught the same that they could do anything in schools.

[The Xl]

Not in the tech industry, but too dumb? No, nothing suggests that. Is there some biological reason that they might not be as suited as men on average? Dunno, maybe someone in the field could answer that.

[Common]

I wasnt going to respond to this because I really dislike polls where there are just negative answers.

I cheer @Newpublius I have daughters and they can be whatever they choose to be. The are not locked into 2 stereotypes created by someone.

I truly believe as well as all my daughters believe that the wail and cry about women not having opportunities men have and being underpaid etc etc are overblown for political purposes.

All women except maybe CEOs and top administrators basically make the same as men.

Teachers male female the same, Drs, lawyers, Police Officers, Postal Workers, go down the line and most jobs women make the same and not only are equal have laws that protect them even more then men.

[Kacper]

So recently, I posted a topic (primarily) about the dwindling economic opportunities for women, both here in the United States and increasingly worldwide, and how this trend is being led by the technology sector. People (men) responded by contending that it's unnatural for women to want to work in technical fields like technology, science, math, and engineering. (Apparently, it has become more unnatural in the last 30 years.) So what do you think it is that keeps women from majoring in these fields today? Is it primarily our emotionally-driven brains or might it instead primarily be the way we are socialized?

I don't think women are socialized to pursue other fields. More I think the way girls are socialized leads them to other careers. I think the big thing is that boys are allowed to figure things out, even made to figure things out, moreso than girls who are told just to wait until dad gets home to fix/do whatever. Boys go out and build things and generally run amuck and tend to have more freeform mental richness to their lives. Not always, but generally. Of course the boys say, "It isn't fair that dad will fix your bike but makes me fix mine" but that is generally how it works out (probably because boys also are constantly breaking things as opposed to girls).

All that said, there may be an issue about how one enters into a profession that favors one gender over the other because most people are breaking in around the same age in life and doing so along per-established traditional vectors. Nobody can tell me that a generic man is better than a generic woman when it comes to logistics once that generic woman has herded a bunch of generic kids for a few years, but by the time the women get that expertise, they are generally beyond the breaking into a profession age. I think going forward, the overall job market will favor women over men as you will have more workers retraining later in life and those women will have more opportunities to change up careers. Someone told me recently that about 40% of their law school class consisted of middle aged and older people and most of them were women with empty nests or emptying nests, and they were tearing it up academically as most were either non-lawyer staffers while raising their kids or nurses changing careers.