Women want Title IX for science, engineering, math
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:40 pmhttp://www.american.com/archive/2008/march-april-magazine-contents/why-can2019t-a-woman-be-more-like-a-man
Where is the cry for a quota system to bring men into parity with women in english, social sciences, and female studies?
You think this is a fringe movement, but even here at SMU we have this:
http://www.smu.edu/caruth/institute/wise.asp
The engineering school has a goal to make half of its graduates women. Shouldn't the goal of the school to make the best engineering graduates regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, etc?
If women only make up 20% of graduates nationwide in engineering, you have one of two things - either there is widespread, massive, blatant sexism at all levels of science and engineering education (obviously not the case) or perhaps women just aren't as interested in engineering as men? Maybe men tend to just not be as interested in other subjects as women?
If you are trying to get to 50% male/female in an environment where interest in engineering is not 50/50, then you are necessarily passing up more qualified prospects, and choosing other less qualified prospects, solely on the basis of sex.
That is sexism.
Furthermore, if you are filling your school with less qualified prospects, you are necessarily watering down your curriculum so as to not fail those prospects. Thus, you are damaging the engineering school.
Bottom line is, it is morally wrong to give preference to one race/sex/ethnicity over another. If SMU wants to help the 'underprivileged' it should be focusing on those who are academically qualified but financially burdened. It should not be focusing on people simply because of the color of their skin or the quantity of X chromosomes.
Where is the cry for a quota system to bring men into parity with women in english, social sciences, and female studies?
You think this is a fringe movement, but even here at SMU we have this:
http://www.smu.edu/caruth/institute/wise.asp
The engineering school has a goal to make half of its graduates women. Shouldn't the goal of the school to make the best engineering graduates regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, etc?
If women only make up 20% of graduates nationwide in engineering, you have one of two things - either there is widespread, massive, blatant sexism at all levels of science and engineering education (obviously not the case) or perhaps women just aren't as interested in engineering as men? Maybe men tend to just not be as interested in other subjects as women?
If you are trying to get to 50% male/female in an environment where interest in engineering is not 50/50, then you are necessarily passing up more qualified prospects, and choosing other less qualified prospects, solely on the basis of sex.
That is sexism.
Furthermore, if you are filling your school with less qualified prospects, you are necessarily watering down your curriculum so as to not fail those prospects. Thus, you are damaging the engineering school.
Bottom line is, it is morally wrong to give preference to one race/sex/ethnicity over another. If SMU wants to help the 'underprivileged' it should be focusing on those who are academically qualified but financially burdened. It should not be focusing on people simply because of the color of their skin or the quantity of X chromosomes.
