I read the NYT's Sunday article, "Japan's 'Science Women' Seek an Identity", and it reminded me of a few other recent items about gender and science in universities, so I wanted to collect them.
The Times's article focuses on the social stigma in Japan that judges girls who "reject" humanities by choosing a technical major. Specifically, that it is understood that if you out yourself as a science student, "Men think you are not cute."
At first it seemed sort of funny to me that the Times was reporting on the perceived cuteness of Japanese women (ON IT!). But this isn't, of course, the point. Personal perception drives decisionmaking, a lot, both your own and that determining how others treat you. Mainly, this article is about good changes taking place in Japan's college recruitment efforts, but even those come out of this very icky swamp:
“Many universities cannot fill their capacity because youth population is declining,” Ms. Kawano said. “So they are turning to the population segment that was previously not thought to be their customers: women.”
Well, of course, we face the same issue here in the U.S. (though our numbers are currently better). A couple weeks ago I read this post, a quote about STEM recruitment with a really good hook:
The way we try to recruit girls into STEM fields is all wrong. We typically compare them to some great woman or someone that has gone before them.
I like where this statement goes, because it's a reminder to tell girls they aren't Barbie dolls. The most helpful way to inspire them isn't to tell them to compare themselves to each other and emulate someone famous. Those are the things we want girls to stop doing. We need them to be themselves, and believe they have that freedom.
Anyway, all I really mean to say is, if there's anyone who didn't read Phyllis Richman's "Answering Harvard's question about my personal life, 52 years later" -- a response to an admissions letter she received in 1961, asking her to explain how she expected to have a city planning career while being married -- please go do that.
I think being admitted to Harvard would have propelled my career path to the level of my husband’s. . . . Your letter shows just how much Harvard — not to mention my husband, our families and even myself — didn’t give my career the respect it deserved when I was just starting out.
It's okay. She fixed it for herself.
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