

How does biology explain the low numbers of women in computer science? - araneae
http://www.slideshare.net/terriko/how-does-biology-explain-the-low-numbers-of-women-in-cs-hint-it-doesnt

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abalashov
The presentation doesn't really offer any evidence to _disprove_ the
explanatory value of biology in addressing the empirical fact that there _are_
low numbers of women in computer science. It just says that assumptions
predicated on biological differences are false, without elaboration.

I'm confused. Was there supposed to be a thesis to this? I mean that
sincerely; no disrespect to the author. Personally, I didn't need any
convincing that the factors which lead to the gender asymmetry in this field
are not reducible to biological distinctions _per se_ to begin with. Still,
I'm not sure what the point of the procession of slides is; perhaps it was
explained in the verbal narrative to which the slides were an accompaniment at
a conference, presentation or other event?

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GiraffeNecktie
Fun little slideshow but it kinda begs the question: If it's not biology, what
is it?

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theschwa
This is a question I've often posed to friends of mine, and the responses I've
gotten seem to point to societal pressure.

Most women whom I've asked have said that they were told at some point in
their careers that they couldn't or shouldn't work in math, science or
computers, because they were female. Some of them where good at it in school,
but just didn't feel a calling for it, but who I most feel for are some of the
women who actually enjoyed it in school, but felt deterred.

I hope that, in general, we stop assuming people do things for biological
reasons, unless there is strong evidence otherwise, and even then we shouldn't
live by stereotypes.

