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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER CONNIE P. IN NY
I agree with Mr. Summers about the lack of women role models
in relation to the number of male scientists and engineers
(role models). This may want women to keep from doing this
intensive work but I also think that it has to do with the
view society has of men and women. Sure, women and men are
pronounced equals but even today, many place men above their
wives, and fellow women. There are many women capable of doing
"high-powered intense work", yet some people can't
accept that. Women had been inferior to men for so long that
the idea still stays with us today. Even if women want to
do engineering, society's view of them has influenced their
dreams to become smaller and smaller. I believe that if society
starts to truly view women and men as equals, women will be
able to be highly respected and represented in scientific
professions.
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER CORINNE C. IN CA
Upon reading this hypothesis by the president of
Harvard, I found myself shaking my head vigoriously. I
do not think that women are less likely than men to
want to do these high powered intense work! Women from
birth are socialized and placed into a position and
discouraged from going into science! Society has
placed these supposed expectations of what a real
woman should be! That is completely unfair and denying
women the right to chose what they wish to do with
their lives! It is not the fault of women at all! I'm
sure there are plenty of women that would love to get
these jobs in the field of science but are
intimidated! And they're intimidated by men like you!
Men who automatically put themselves in a position
higher than that of women! Men who believe that they
are better and theyr'e the ones that can do all of
those hard jobs! Well, just for the record, WOMEN are
the ones that give birth! WOMEN are the ones that have
to work their butts off to take care of the kids! And
you don't call that intense?!
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER FRANCISCA L. IN CA
I think that the reason women are not in the "high end
scientific professions" not becasue they don't want the
intense work but because they are not given the opportunity
to do so. Its also because maybe they are not yet prepared
or feel comfortable working with men who may intimidate them.
When a women feels like she doesn't belong or she is not smart
enough to work in these professions it arises from society
and how they were brought up. Mr Summers hypothesis is incorrect,
the assumption that women don't want the jobs is just an excuse
I think men make to justify the fact that there are not many
women in high end pofessions. Because they just don't want
to is not a good answer. Maybe they should think about why
they don't want to, what is the reason behind that answer.
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A: FROM MENTOR HEATHER GARLAND
IN VA
I believe that women are underrepresented in science and technology
fields aren't because they don't want high powered intense
work. It is
because they are not given a chance to experience science
and technology
at a young age. Therefore when girls go up into adults there
are not a
lot of women out there to begin with. I truly believe we could
get
women involved as adults if they were shown opportunities
as young kids.
The American society is great at advertising not to do drugs
or smoke or
drink. But we never advertise that women can do what ever
job they
want. It is going to take more than the academic culture to
change
before we see more women choose SEIT jobs. More scholarships
should be
provided. Parents need to educate their daughters on all the
careers
available to them. I know many young girls who are engineers,
scientists, fighter pilots and others that are high intensity.
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER KUNJAL P. IN NY
I believe that women want to (and can) do high-powered intense
work, but they are not given the opportunity. If Dr. Summers
is referring to "high-powered intense work" in a
physical aspect, then I believe that he may be correct in
saying that women are less likely to want to do it. By this
I mean, why would any woman, unless they passionately want
to, choose to work physically when they can make better uses
of their brains. Even though I'm only in highschool, I have
observed my classmates both male and female and have come
to the conclusion that girls take their time and think things
through. If Dr. Summers meant mentally high-powered intense
work, then he is very wrong. Take my school for example, it
is an all girls school, who has a brother school across the
street, and in highschool we are given the opportunity to
take classes at either school. Previously before highschool
I had attended public school, so yes I have seen both sides.
I feel that the girls in my class are intelligent, thorough,
careful, confident, and interested in what they do. The boys
on the other hand seem less thorough and careful, and more
careless and uninterested in what they do. For example, my
sophomore year, a friend and I happened to be the only two
females in our honors chemistry class. Throughout the year,
we diligently took notes, organized our work, carefully and
thoroughly preformed labs, the boys we noticed seemed to never
open their note books, they always shoved their papers into
their black hole backpacks and they always fooled around in
the labs. I understand that not all boys are like this, some
may be even more organized and thorough than many girls, but
I feel that girls actually want to do high-powered intense
work, but they are just not given the opportunity. In that
class, my friend and I tried to speak up and take they best
out of that class, but we were marginalized and even the teacher
(who was female) did not give us the opportunity to shine
and work to our full potential. This year, my honors physics
class, which consists of all female, has shown me how girls
and boys work differently. My class loves the material we
learn, everyday we come in eager to discover the laws of thermodynamics
and the application of math and physics in the real world.
My teacher also believes that if girls are given the opportunity
and support, they can learn and discover more than if they
are not given the support and opportunity. This is why she
helps us think differently and use our organization, and other
anal skills that we posses to our advantage. I can see the
difference in my learning and my eagerness to do high-powered
intense work has sprung from merely getting the chance to
expand my knowledge in an environment where people support
girls and their abilities. I believe that if Dr.Summers could
see my physics class he would realize that it is only when
girls are marginalized and not given support that they are
turned away from doing this so called "high-powered intense
work", but when they are in an environment where they
are supported and they are encouraged to expand their horizons,
then there is not doubt that girls WANT to engage in "high-powered
intense work".
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER SYLVIA P. IN CA
I agree with Harvard University's president Lawrence
Summers' hypothesis that women are underrepresented in
"high-end scientific professions" because they are
less likely than men to "want to do high-powered
intense work."
As he had discovered, I believe that the main reason
for American women to avoid “high-powered intense
work” is because of the societal responsibilities. In
this society, women are the ones who have to take care
of the family. Therefore, handling housework as well
as an intense work would be nearly impossible. On the
other hand, typically, men do not have the
responsibility of taking care of the housework and
they are viewed to be much more dominant. Therefore,
it seems logical that it would be the men of society
who attempt to pursue a high-powered intense
profession.
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