In article <1993Jan17.174145.1 at max.u.washington.edu>,
wijsman at max.u.washington.edu writes:
> Dear netters -
>...................................................
> I would like to solicit discussion in THIS newsgroup on the topic of
> how we get and keep more girls in the pipeline, including any ideas
> people might have on approaches to science which specifically
> encourage the girls, encouragement or discouragement they can remember
> from their early years, etc. The issues here are probably more
> international that issues of how to teach science in general, so I
> welcome views from my colleagues who are not in the U.S., too.
> .............................................................
>> Ellen M. Wijsman
> Div. of Medical Genetics, RG-25
> and Dept. of Biostatistics
> University of Washington
> Seattle, WA 98195
>wijsman at u.washington.edu
As a postdoctoral scientist, I can still remember what infuriated me MOST
in school: it was the sense that everyone was surprised that I could be one
of the best in the class in math and science. The expectation that I could be
tops just wasnt there. Moreover, the others in the class were intimidated and
put off by my ability. The boys especially disliked
"being beaten by a girl". Fortunately, I had brothers, so I wasnt put off by
competing with boys, and I'm naturally perverse, so I took pride in being
different. I regret to say that I did on some occasions run into
that same attitude (expressed far more subtly) in both
university and graduate school.
I have absolutely no patience with judgements made on the basis of sex, and
I think at early stages it is very important that every student is
aware of the expectation of excellence. This requires a cultural shift as
much as anything else, though!
Oh yes, and despite the address, I'm a Yank, so the experiences I describe
were all in the American system.
susan
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SL Forsburg forsburg at molbiol.ox.ac.uk
ICRF Cell Cycle Group
Biochemistry Dept
Oxford University
England
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