Female participation in science

When I consider that all kinds of money and concern that  is poured into trying to solve the relatively low participation of women in science, I ask, what about the relatively low participation of men in science, technology, engineering  and maths? Why is the participation of men not 100%? The simple answer is that only a certain proportion of men are capable of such levels of abstract reasoning, and who also do not want to work in sales, government, teaching and police, for examples. Low compared to what? Low compared to whom? A relatively small proportion of the human species can do the work. That the proportion of women who can or want to do this work is lower than the male is of no real concern. Really. The main thing is to maintain a civilization where such work can take place.

In the meantime, here is a tart response to the problem from “antifemcomics”, which I am pleased and surprised to learn actually exists. Women do not want to go into these fields because they have no more interest or aptitude than I have, and in the meantime their educations disqualify them from serious employment.

 

stemfields

You think I exaggerate? Consider this article by Margaret Wente in this weekend’s Globe “Gender wage gap: why it may never close”.

 

Just ask Christina Hoff Sommers, a mild-mannered feminist who argues that modern feminism has gone off the deep end. Take the pay gap. She points out that much of the gap is explained by the fact that women choose career paths that pay less than the work men choose. Once you correct for occupational differences, hours worked per week, and tenure in the work force, most of the pay gap disappears. The statistics bear her out.

Ms. Sommers’ views are so menacing that when she spoke at Oberlin College in Ohio last month, students organized a “safe space” so that anyone who was traumatized by her remarks could seek support. For her own safety, she was given a police escort. When she told the crowd how women could narrow the wage gap by switching into engineering, they erupted with “horrified gasps & jeers,” according to her tweet. (She gave a similar talk at Georgetown University, which is available online.)

“I was excommunicated from the religion of feminism”.

It does not take much independence of thought to be excommunicated.  In fact, any independence of thought will see you excommunicated.

More from Christina Hoff Sommers: