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> less keen to get into tech because they are seen as stuffy, the domain of greybeards and model train enthusiasts I find this kind of justification a pretty s

> less keen to get into tech because they are seen as stuffy, the domain of greybeards and model train enthusiasts I find this kind of justification a pretty sexist view against women that they'd pick their entire career path on such frivolous details.

macspoofing 9y ago
>I find this kind of justification a pretty sexist view against women that they'd pick their entire career path on such frivolous details. Young adults graduate from college programs that have low chance of getting them ready for a job that could reasonably cover their tuition debt. Some of those kids will choose colleges where the tuition is far higher than a reasonably equivalent program at a state school. People are not rational agents. And it's not a gender thing either. There are plenty of men who will expand enormous amount of time, money, and energy to attempt to get into jobs or careers where they have a low probability of recouping their investment. This is pretty much the case for anybody who tries to make a living playing professional sports, or tries to make a living from acting, for example.
archgoon 9y ago
I think that 18 year olds in general (there are obviously exceptions) don't necessarily have a good idea of what they want to do. Looking to cultural norms, and asking "Can I see myself doing that" is probably not uncommon in the filtering process of selecting a major. This seems like a decent survey of the topic (major selection by incoming students), with some references to a few studies at the end. https://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2013/06/disconnect-choosing-major/ https://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2013/06/disconnect-choosing-major... 'In contrast with the evidence that first-year students are most likely making uninformed choices when determining a major, the common four-year curriculum path colleges and universities use assumes that students enter college prepared to make a decision regarding major and, ultimately, career path. Unfortunately, the reality is that students are most likely not developmentally prepared to do so.' There's nothing unique to women here.
beaconstudios 9y ago
if you'd read the whole paragraph, you'd see I'm talking about teenagers, and adopting interests. I think anyone familiar with how teenagers generally behave would agree that they are very concerned with social stance and "coolness". To be clear I don't think adult women make decisions in this way.

macspoofing 9y ago

>I find this kind of justification a pretty sexist view against women that they'd pick their entire career path on such frivolous details. Young adults graduate from college programs that have low chance of getting them ready for a job that could reasonably cover their tuition debt. Some of those kids will choose colleges where the tuition is far higher than a reasonably equivalent program at a state school. People are not rational agents. And it's not a gender thing either. There are plenty of men who will expand enormous amount of time, money, and energy to attempt to get into jobs or careers where they have a low probability of recouping their investment. This is pretty much the case for anybody who tries to make a living playing professional sports, or tries to make a living from acting, for example.

archgoon 9y ago

I think that 18 year olds in general (there are obviously exceptions) don't necessarily have a good idea of what they want to do. Looking to cultural norms, and asking "Can I see myself doing that" is probably not uncommon in the filtering process of selecting a major. This seems like a decent survey of the topic (major selection by incoming students), with some references to a few studies at the end. https://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2013/06/disconnect-choosing-major/ https://dus.psu.edu/mentor/2013/06/disconnect-choosing-major... 'In contrast with the evidence that first-year students are most likely making uninformed choices when determining a major, the common four-year curriculum path colleges and universities use assumes that students enter college prepared to make a decision regarding major and, ultimately, career path. Unfortunately, the reality is that students are most likely not developmentally prepared to do so.' There's nothing unique to women here.

beaconstudios 9y ago

if you'd read the whole paragraph, you'd see I'm talking about teenagers, and adopting interests. I think anyone familiar with how teenagers generally behave would agree that they are very concerned with social stance and "coolness". To be clear I don't think adult women make decisions in this way.