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That's not the argument being made by advocates for women in STEM. The mission (I among one of many adherents to it) is to open pathways in STEM up to women who

That's not the argument being made by advocates for women in STEM. The mission (I among one of many adherents to it) is to open pathways in STEM up to women who are choosing not to pursue it because of socioeconomic blockers. Blockers such as this guy. Anyway, the real position being pushed by Women in Tech/STEM movements is that anyone can/should be free to work in any career and not expect e.g. pay differences and biases against them solely because of gender. Male nurses are an example in the reverse direction.

UK-AL 9y ago
The more free the genders are, the more they tend to polarise on certain careers. Since they tend to pursue what they prefer. I'm all for having no blockers for people choosing what careers they want. However people will move towards there preferences, and there preferences will be set either by nature or culture.
- peeters 9y ago
  What evidence do we have of that?
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- whowouldathunk 9y ago
  > there preferences will be set either by nature or culture. Culture is something that hiring practices can change.
- thatfrenchguy 9y ago
  The thing being that people are everything but free and equal in our societies today.
- anonymouskimmer 9y ago
  "The more free the genders are, the more they tend to polarise on certain careers." Yeah, just calling a Scandinavian nation "free" says absolutely nothing about its particular societal pressures. Societal pressures which effect everyone whether they are egosyntonic or distonic to the individuals caught up in the society. More evidence is needed to support this hypothesis.
  - UK-AL 9y ago
    I'm not sure biasing interviews towards certain genders is the way to fix that though. Get more people apply, educate women about those options etc etc
leroy_masochist 9y ago
If you think that any given woman would be dissuaded from pursuing a career in STEM by an essay that, using peer-reviewed scientific studies as supporting evidence, suggests that differences in interest levels across populations may partially but not totally explain why women as a population, not as individuals tend to choose STEM at a rate lower than men, aren't you helping advance the stereotype that women are delicate shrinking violets whose easily-hurt feelings keep getting in the way of their life goals?
humanrebar 9y ago
> Blockers such as this guy. Please elaborate on this. How is he blocking anyone?

UK-AL 9y ago

The more free the genders are, the more they tend to polarise on certain careers. Since they tend to pursue what they prefer. I'm all for having no blockers for people choosing what careers they want. However people will move towards there preferences, and there preferences will be set either by nature or culture.

peeters 9y ago
What evidence do we have of that?
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whowouldathunk 9y ago
> there preferences will be set either by nature or culture. Culture is something that hiring practices can change.
thatfrenchguy 9y ago
The thing being that people are everything but free and equal in our societies today.
anonymouskimmer 9y ago
"The more free the genders are, the more they tend to polarise on certain careers." Yeah, just calling a Scandinavian nation "free" says absolutely nothing about its particular societal pressures. Societal pressures which effect everyone whether they are egosyntonic or distonic to the individuals caught up in the society. More evidence is needed to support this hypothesis.
- UK-AL 9y ago
  I'm not sure biasing interviews towards certain genders is the way to fix that though. Get more people apply, educate women about those options etc etc

leroy_masochist 9y ago

If you think that any given woman would be dissuaded from pursuing a career in STEM by an essay that, using peer-reviewed scientific studies as supporting evidence, suggests that differences in interest levels across populations may partially but not totally explain why women as a population, not as individuals tend to choose STEM at a rate lower than men, aren't you helping advance the stereotype that women are delicate shrinking violets whose easily-hurt feelings keep getting in the way of their life goals?

humanrebar 9y ago

> Blockers such as this guy. Please elaborate on this. How is he blocking anyone?