On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Cat wrote:
> Ah, but I (as a 23-year-old who was in eighth grade in the late 80's)
> remember very well a choice between taking shop or taking home ec. My
> counselor asked me "are you sure? are you *really* sure?" when I insisted
> I wanted to take shop. I was one of two girls in the first day of class.
> The teacher (male) said, "Well, good morning and welcome gentlemen -- oh,
> and ladies?" I remember my guidance counselor smiling proudly at me when
> I slunk back into his office to ask if I could please get into home ec. I
> just couldn't handle 50 boys all at once at that age, especially with a
> less than encouraging teacher (and counselor). So there I went into home
> ec with *all* girls, and teacher who told us never to rinse our dishes in
> cold water because then they would never dry -- there's some serious
> science for you. *blech*. I continued on in advanced math and science,
> but *come on*. Even the smallest, wimpiest boy would have been 50 times
> more welcome and encouraged in the shop class.
I had similar experiences both in wood shop AND in auto shop. When I
was a kid, I alternated between wanting to be a marine biologist and a
bicycle mechanic.
I was openly ridiculed in the auto shop class IN COLLEGE. I was singled
out for anything I might not know, so that I would always look stupid.
> If you can't tell I am *still* steamed about this -- especially since I
> figure eigth grade girls and boys are *still* faced with that same
> ridiculous and sexist choice. It was required to take one or the other
> when I was there -- can you imagine?
You know, I wasn't mad about it until you pointed it out. Dammit!
--
_Deirdre * http://www.linuxcabal.net * http://www.deirdre.net
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"That's because the Martians keep shooting things down." -- Harlan Rosenthal
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, retorting in Risks Digest 20.60
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