[issues] Women in the Sciences

[Lisa Beimler]

Remember, women weren't even going to college en masse until the 20th century - that has a lot to do with the lack of women in the sciences.  There are several reports, including one done by the UAAW about schools shortchanging girls in the 1990s, that one of the reasons there are so few women in technology, math, and sciences in general is that they are disuaded from these fields by society and schooling.  And hey, you do need advanced school to be in these fields.  In fact, most girls are more advanced than their male classmates in the maths and sciences up until they hit adolescence.  Then their scores tend to take a nose dive.    There are several theories for this.  I just watched a special on PBS last night that said that white males tend to have better test scores on the SAT and similar standardized tests than women and minorities.  The ironic thing is that these tests are supposed to gauge who is going to have better grades in their first year of college within a 15% variant and women tend to get better grades by far in their first year.  Go figure.   I, myself, was pretty good at those tests and was advanced in math and sciences during high school.  I was taking Advanced Algebra in 9th grade and took science courses every year.  However, I also took many English courses that I loved - even a few at the local community college, and ended up being a English Literature major in college.  I try to think about why I chose the path I did sometimes.  One thing I do remember is my Trig. teacher ignoring my upraised hand a lot.  It seemed that a girl who was good in school to her was a normal thing and she subtly boosted the guys egos a little more when they had answers right.  The guy friends I hung out with never seemed to notice and I felt stupid for picking up that subtle feeling, but it made me tune out more and more.  I guess I felt I had to prove myself a lot more.    And I'll the truth.  The reason I am interested in computers right now and still interested in the sciences and technology in general is probably related to the fact that my dad was a computer engineer and really taught me some stuff as well as supporting me.  Also, I have tended to be a tomboy and have lots of guy friends and generally geeky friends who have supported my friends.  And then there's my husband - computer whiz extroidinaire.  Mostly, though, it's because I am stubborn and believe I can do anything if I really want to.  And I hope to teach my daughters that, too.  That you are a human being first and a gender second. Lisa