By Marjorie Bartell
Why is it never a woman in a movie confusing the entire class with a blackboard full of numbers and letters that not one person can seem to understand? Why is it never a woman that's a mad scientist? Why is it never a woman that's building a computer? I've never consciously asked myself these questions either, I just accepted them. I started to question this a little bit though, through my college career as a female computer science major. The higher up in the math I get, the less women I see in my courses. Not to mention the ones I do see, are there for nursing or something. My computer classes usually have about 10-15 males, and maybe 1-3 females, myself included. Of the girlfriends I grew up with, we were all raised in middle class homes with computer games that we all played, went to good schools where we had access to a good education and computers. However, I'm the only one out of them that went in the direction of mathematics/science/engineering.
These jobs and education careers are generally called STEMs (science, technology, engineering and math). Women hold only 27% of the US's STEM jobs (link). The article just linked to, points towards giving young girls access to technology to start their interests early, but I don't think that really helps the situation. It really does boil to down to a deep seeded, long held expectation of the gender roles of women, and what kind of jobs we are supposed to take. Teaching, nursing, hospitality, etc., are the expected and job norms for women now a days. Although the 50's may seem far away, the expectation on women to be home makers has not changed, our society just found a way for them to get paid for it.
What can be done? Well, the times are slowly changing. More women are going into STEM jobs (link). However it will take most likely decades before change is actually seen in the workplace and in the numbers, to where there are an equal amount of men and women in STEM jobs. But, more women are going into these fields, even if it is slowly, it's positive change.
These jobs and education careers are generally called STEMs (science, technology, engineering and math). Women hold only 27% of the US's STEM jobs (link). The article just linked to, points towards giving young girls access to technology to start their interests early, but I don't think that really helps the situation. It really does boil to down to a deep seeded, long held expectation of the gender roles of women, and what kind of jobs we are supposed to take. Teaching, nursing, hospitality, etc., are the expected and job norms for women now a days. Although the 50's may seem far away, the expectation on women to be home makers has not changed, our society just found a way for them to get paid for it.
What can be done? Well, the times are slowly changing. More women are going into STEM jobs (link). However it will take most likely decades before change is actually seen in the workplace and in the numbers, to where there are an equal amount of men and women in STEM jobs. But, more women are going into these fields, even if it is slowly, it's positive change.
No comments:
Post a Comment